[Lowfer] Lightning!

Tue, 4 Nov 2003 19:50:13 -0600

Ya Poof. My feedlines run under ground so they just might arc through and
rid me of the pesky lightning. I'll still get that sparkplug out there.

Mike>WE0H
http://www.we0h.us/lf
"WEOH" on 185.3026kc
QRSS 30 & -.-.  .--
FCC says 'Sufficiently powered @ 1w'

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
On Behalf Of Bill Ashlock
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 11:25 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [Lowfer] Lightning!

>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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