Return-Path: Received: (qmail 23878 invoked from network); 30 May 2003 13:49:39 -0000 Received: from netmail02.services.quay.plus.net (212.159.14.221) by mailstore with SMTP; 30 May 2003 13:49:39 -0000 Received: (qmail 29124 invoked by uid 10001); 30 May 2003 13:49:39 -0000 Received: from post.thorcom.com (193.82.116.70) by netmail02.services.quay.plus.net with SMTP; 30 May 2003 13:49:39 -0000 X-SQ: A Received: from majordom by post.thorcom.com with local (Exim 4.14) id 19LkFd-0001cJ-UX for rsgb_lf_group-outgoing@blacksheep.org; Fri, 30 May 2003 14:48:57 +0100 Received: from [194.73.73.81] (helo=tungsten.btinternet.com) by post.thorcom.com with esmtp (Exim 4.14) id 19LkFU-0001bx-Jn for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Fri, 30 May 2003 14:48:48 +0100 Received: from host213-122-16-214.in-addr.btopenworld.com ([213.122.16.214] helo=Main) by tungsten.btinternet.com with smtp (Exim 3.22 #23) id 19LkFT-0003KO-00 for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Fri, 30 May 2003 14:48:47 +0100 Message-ID: <002301c326b2$22e0d520$6507a8c0@Main> From: "Alan Melia" To: "LF-Group" Date: Fri, 30 May 2003 14:47:43 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Subject: LF: Thunderstorms Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.5 required=5.0tests=NORMAL_HTTP_TO_IPversion=2.53 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.53 (1.174.2.15-2003-03-30-exp) X-SA-Exim-Scanned: Yes Sender: Precedence: bulk Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org X-Listname: rsgb_lf_group X-SA-Exim-Rcpt-To: rsgb_lf_group-outgoing@blacksheep.org X-SA-Exim-Scanned: No; SAEximRunCond expanded to false Hi Simon and Group, You will find you dont need local flashes and bangs to get big voltages on a wire aerial. The mere process of highly charged (but below breakdown)clouds passing overhead will create a very high vertical potential gradient which the aerial will sample. If you stick one of those small wire ended neons on a isolated aerial it will flash, often when there is no audible thunder around. The current generated by this often passes through the fine wire on the RX input transformer on the way to ground, and can easily fuse the wire. Thus you can lose the front end of the Rx without being "struck by lightning" This is why many amateurs prefer grounded coils with link coupling. Keep abreast of where the noises are coming from and whether you are next in line to a "visitation" at http://129.13.102.67/pics/Rsfloc.gif It is usually about half an hour behind real time. The plot covers from the Canaries to Russia, and from the Arctic to North Africa, with the times colour coded, so you can see the storms moving. The info URL to the TORRO site does not work but if you strip it back to the index page you will find a fascinating university web site on how to avoid becoming a statistic, espectially if you play golf !! Cheers de Alan G3NYK alan.melia@btinternet.com