Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!rochester!pt!unh.cs.cmu.edu!agn From: agn@unh.cs.cmu.edu (Andreas Nowatzyk) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: Lightning Rod Problem Message-ID: <1009@unh.cs.cmu.edu> Date: Mon, 13-Jul-87 19:50:36 EDT Article-I.D.: unh.1009 Posted: Mon Jul 13 19:50:36 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 15-Jul-87 01:17:58 EDT References: <204600003@prism> <616@neoucom.UUCP> <455@sol.ARPA> <618@neoucom.UUCP> <495@sol.ARPA> <915@minnow.UUCP> <523@sol.ARPA> Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI Lines: 18 I feel that excessive flaming is inappropriate for technical discussions, especially if you didn't look up the facts. Lightning protection systems are quizz material for ham-licenses (at least in Germany). The basic purpose of such systems (reqired for most out-door antenna installations) is damage control in case of a lightning hit by providing a safe, well defined path to ground. You can't do much about being hit, but you can make sure that your equipment and you body is out of the current path. A 10 mm^2 copper cable (solid core, you need more if it is stranded) can carry the current of a lightning discharge safely (no red-hot BS). About 80 mm^2 of iron cable is needed to do the same job (higher resistance, but cheaper). Layout, grounding systems, contact point to water-pipes, electrical installation, test-points etc. are not trivial because the high current transient will induce high voltages on nearby conductors. -- Andreas