[Lowfer] Lightning!

[Bill Ashlock]

>Do you suppose the loop wire would open like a fuse or would the lightning
>arc across the transformer and rage hell on the final before coming in for 
>a
>look inside the house? I have to get one of those spark plugs installed for
>any chance of survival.

Mike, I doubt if the loop wire would act much like a fuse unless you have a
low resistance path to a good ground via a spark gap. Without the gap the 
high
voltage (1000kv+) from the strike would jump the transformer and the 
available
current (1000A+) would blow out anything to between the loop and the lowest
resistance path to ground. I suspect the support trees will help to draw 
away
some of the current when they break down from the applied high voltage.


Might be fun to see what happens on a much smaller scale by zapping my loop
with 400kv, or so, that  can be generated from my Van graph machine.  I'd 
need
a capacitor to store the charge - maybe a big foil-covered jar. I can also 
find out how well the transformer holds up without the spark gap.

Bill A

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