[BC] Lightning and grounding ... fun for all!

[Jerry Mathis]

Bruce, it sounds to me like you're dealing with absolutes. In life, there 
are very few absolutes. It appears to me that you're against these devices 
because you can't fully guarantee they're 100% effective. However, there 
appears to be lots of emperical evidence that they reduce lightning strikes 
to a great degree.

Maybe you're different, but I'll take a 50% to 90% reduction in lightning 
strikes to my tower ANY day.

Traditional lightning protection is still warranted in any case, but the 
less it is utilized by actual lightning blasts, the better.



Jerry Mathis
Clear Channel Radio, Tupelo & Meridian MS




>From: "Bruce Doerle" <bdoerle at mail.ucf.edu>
>Reply-To: Broadcast Radio Mailing List <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>To: <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>Subject: Re: [BC] Lightning and grounding ... fun for all!
>Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 15:02:28 -0400
>
> >>> lowen at pari.edu 05/18/05 12:59 PM >>>
>
>Is making our towers into 'very-reluctant strike receptors' not the goal of
>Lightning Prevention?
>
>
>
>I think NOT.
>
>If you want prevention, I think you need to make arrangements with Mother 
>Nature.
>
>If you want protection, there are steps you can take to try to direct 
>lightning away from equipment, but there is never a guarantee with 
>lightning.  It is the bull in the china shop syndrome.
>
>What I believe that you don't want to do is to have faith in a product that 
>cannot deliver.  CTS type devices make claims to prevention, but 
>demonstration that supported these was made, it was under tighly controlled 
>condition that do not replicate what Mother Nature does or can do.  The 
>intensity of a lightning strike greatly exceeds those laboratory 
>conditions.  If there is a level of 'prevention' at the top of the tower, 
>it won't prevent lightning from striking elsewhere on the tower which may 
>include sensitive electrical/electronic apparatus.  You you not prefer it 
>strike at a location where it can be dissipated safely?
>
>Bruce
>
>_______________________________________________
>This is the BROADCAST mailing list
>To send to the list, email: broadcast at radiolists.net
>For sub changes, archives and info on this other lists: 
>http://www.radiolists.net/