[PVRCNC] Re: [PVRC] Lightning protection

[Pete Soper]

Bill Tippett wrote:

 > AT ALL.  Apparently even your 6' of RG-8 was enough
 > of an antenna to pick up what apparently was an
 > extremely close strike.  I may not be having problems


I once duplicated these results, with a computer and printer entirely 
isolated from anything else but connected together with a cable 8-10' 
long. The EIA level converters on both ends of the cable were toasted by 
a strike that hit maybe 10 feet outside and 20 feet from the cable (I 
jumped about 5 feet straight up). Those were the good old days, when you 
could remove/replace chips. :-)

So what could have prevented this? What if I could drive a ground rod 
near each end of the cable and use them to ground each end of a metal 
conduit surrounding the cable? Would that, for sure, have eliminated the 
hazard or would it have had zero effect on the current induced in the 
cable wires? And presumably there was some kind of magical ground 
operating to sink the induced current on both ends and blow both chips!

This reminds me to sign up for insurance for my brand new $900 satellite 
modem with its 140 foot coax "antennas." Like right this instant. :-)

I guess I'll see yous guys next week!

-Pete AD4L