[Antennas] Dumb question?

Sun May 17 21:56:16 EDT 2009

Some science:
http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lhm/early-streamer-emission.pdf
You can find out more by Googling "ESE CTS lightning terminals"
The Yahoo forum http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LightningProtection has
some good discussion about lightning issues at a professional level.
"Porcupines" can't hurt, unless you neglect to provide conventional
lightning protection, too.
73 Martin AA6E
On Sun, May 17, 2009 at 9:37 PM, Ron Youvan <ka4inm at tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
>> Can somebody prove that the presence of a porcupine has a negative
>> effect on lightning protection?  If there is no negative effect, then
>> what harm is there in having a porcupine, which might have a positive
>> effect, other than hurting somebody's ego?
>>   One helpful piece of empirical information is where towers were topped with "wreath"
> type of porcupine "lightning protection" devices and a chart recorder monitored the direct
> current flowing up the tower to the static dissipater and on to the "weather" the current
> was present during the overpassing of clouds, seldom more than 10 or 20 mA, and were never
> struck and when there were no clouds overhead there was/is no current.
>   Many towers have been plagued by frequent ball lightning in the building until a
> "wreath" type of static dissipater was installed and never after that.  This is why many
> swear by such devices.  I have see a "wreath" type of static dissipater struck by
> lightning and sparks flew like an exploding sparkler.
> --
>    Ron  KA4INM - No Micro$oft Products were used in sending this e-mail.
>                                                 (or any since June 1997)
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