"Crazy George" wrote in message ...
Ron:
The fact is that the
phenomenon you cite does not bleed off anywhere near enough charge to make
any difference. Yes, it does drain off charge. No, the quantity is like
trying to empty the ocean with a leaky coffee can.

Very true. Also, you sure wouldn't want to rely on that discharge
theory to prevent a strike. Will be the other way around if it's a
pointed tip. It will be struck sooner or later. But, if that tip were
hit by lightning, the lightning would have struck in that close area
anyway. I have tall trees in the yard in both the front and back. The
last two close strikes, which BTW, have been in the last few weeks,
have hit the trees instead of my mast. But my mast is not pointed.
It's just pipe. Not as good a streamer as a point. Lightning has no
idea where it's going until it gets to about the last step of it's
travel and finds a streamer to hook up with. In a strike zone, there
will be many, many streamers poking up all looking for attention.
Which gets the call is akin to throwing a dice. Many times, the best
streamer in the area is not in the right location to get the job. I
always assume any object I stick up in the air will be struck sooner
or later. To think anything else is foolish. The brush dischargers
work on the same "theory". They are still struck at times. Trying to
discharge fast enough in a storm to avoid a strike is like taking a
whiz in a whirlwind. You may still get something on you...:/ MK