[Elecraft] Re: K2 Static Damage

[Mike Fitzgibbon]

     Yes...  Once I was out operating portable and a summer storm was 
brewing up out in central Nebraska...I am in western Ia, a distance of 
perhaps 150-200 miles.   My K2 LCD started to display random numbers and 
acted like it had gone crazy...  I quickly realized what must be going 
on and disconnected the antenna, a 50 ft high 300 ft long dipole made of 
bare aluminum fence wire.  The ends of the twinlead feedline, when 
dropped to the ground, had a light-blue halo of tiny sparks glowing from 
along the entire length of the bare wire-ends...Saint Elmo's Fire?  I 
didn't get shocked, but then, I made sure not to touch the bare wire. 
The K2 suffered no apparent damage...that was probably very lucky...

     I've also seen the same thing on mobile antennas when a storm was 
approaching...the ball on the end of the whip would glow blue and 
discharge...making a noise like snapping a small stretched rubber band 
against something...the crackle of high voltage...  I guess you could 
say that Mother Nature is not always benign...even if she appears so at 
the moment...

    Fitz  N0MF