From: "Mike Dennison" <mike.dennison@rsgb.org.uk>
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 12:42:14 +0100
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Subject: LF: More on lightning
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Thanks for those commenting on my recent lightning experience. I have now 
spoken to almost all of those in my street - only 16 houses - and I was the only 
one who did not have a video recorder blow up. In fact, my damage was less 
than most other people. 

Does this mean that my earthed mast (earthed to stakes, not mains) acted as 
a lightning conductor and protected my TV antenna several metres below it?

The conclusion of this is obvious. I must persuade my neighbours that they 
would be better protected from lightning if they all had 15m masts in their 
gardens, and had them all joined up with wires to my mast to make a large 
Faraday screen. Well, I can dream!

Did my neighbours see a strike? They say they did, but there is no physical 
evidence. In fact, this weekend I walked the streets all round my QTH, 
including several large open spaces with 30m beech and oak trees, and saw 
no evidence of damage at all. All I do know is that the insurance companies 
will have to pay for 10 video recorders, 3 TVs, 3 phone lines, one cable TV 
adapter and two computer modems. My own LF pre-amp and mains wiring 
problem seem quite trivial.


Mike, G3XDV (IO91VT)
http://www.lf.thersgb.net