It happens occasionally. We had a guy in Baton Rouge whose whole shack was destroyed even though he had his antennas disconnected. Lightning jumped two feet to a metal table and took out several radios and computers. Another guy had just installed an antenna on his bedroom chimney, but had not hooked it up yet. He and his wife were in bed when lightning blew the chimney to pieces. He could hear bricks rolling off his roof, but that was all. DX Commander had his whole shack destroyed before his eyes. Check out his emotional video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABTyqL-8O_0 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABTyqL-8O_0>. Statistically, I am sure we hear more often about how many times lightning strikes happen than how many times they don’t. Think I’ll look into what ARRL lightning insurance costs. Honey I burnt the house down. Mark N5PRD
> On May 26, 2021, at 11:35 AM, Gary Sitton via BVARC <[email protected]> wrote: > > All: > > Read this, it's very informative. It turns out the lightning strikes > aren't always to the highest conducting object, e.g. light poles or even > metal towers. It's all about a positive (opposite) induced charge build > up on the ground. Lightning arresters don't necessarily cause a strike > on the top of a building but only prove a high current path to ground > to mitigate damage to the structure. Strikes often occur on parking lots > where numerous light poles exist and are Not hit. So it's all about the > amount of built up charge and not necessarily its proximity. Lightning > damage is more like to come via your AC power lines than a direct mast > or tower strike. > > Last summer many of the electronic devices in my house were killed > due to massive strike 2 blocks from my house. I lost at repair cost of > ~$2K and months of my time: > 1) The Garage door controller, > 2) All my Comcast video (not internet) boxes, > 3) One of my A/C thermostats, > 4) My Ice box ice maker controller, > 5) My kitchen disposal unit, > 6) An Uninterrutpable AC box (UPS), and > 6) One LED light bulb. > This damage was distributed between the garage apt. and my house. > None of my Ham equipment was harmed (sheer luck?). > > 73, Gary > > https://www.iii.org/article/lightning-safety-10-myths-and-the-facts > <https://www.iii.org/article/lightning-safety-10-myths-and-the-facts> > > > On 5/25/2021 11:28 PM, gmuller12103 via BVARC wrote: >> Lived in Houston for 27 yrs and have a 2 mtr on the roof and beam up 45 to >> 50 ft and never had a lightning 🌩 strike. >> >> >> >> Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G, an AT&T 5G smartphone >> >> >> -------- Original message -------- >> From: Mike Lambert via BVARC <[email protected]> <mailto:[email protected]> >> Date: 5/25/21 10:35 PM (GMT-06:00) >> To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <[email protected]> >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> Cc: Mike Lambert <[email protected]> <mailto:[email protected]> >> Subject: [BVARC] roof antenna lightning strikes >> >> How common are home roof antenna (12 foot or less) lightning strikes in >> Houston? >> >> How many BVARC folks have had a lightning strike on their radio (or TV) >> antenna (elevation 12 foot or less) on their roof? >> >> Is this a Stir-Crazy Net subject? >> >> Thanks, >> >> Mike >> KI5MIK >> >> >> >> ________________________________________________ >> Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club >> >> BVARC mailing list >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >> http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org >> <http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org> >> Publicly available archives are available here: >> https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> <https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/> >> >> >> ________________________________________________ >> Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club >> >> BVARC mailing list >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >> http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org >> <http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org> >> Publicly available archives are available here: >> https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> <https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/> > > -- > Gary Sitton, K5AMH > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > SDR/DSP Consultant, > "Have FFTs, Will Travel." > ________________________________________________ > Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club > > BVARC mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org > Publicly available archives are available here: > https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
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