Dave wrote:
Electro static discharge on antennas has been around for years. It is real!

Here's some interesting quotes from:

http://www.esda.org/basics/part1.cfm

"Virtually all materials, including water and dirt particles in the air,
can be triboelectrically charged."

"When a conductive material becomes charged, the charge (i.e., the
deficiency or excess of electrons) will be uniformly distributed across
the surface of the material. If the charged conductive material makes
contact with another conductive material, the electrons will transfer
between the materials quite easily. If the second conductor is attached
to an earth grounding point, the electrons will flow to ground and the
excess charge on the conductor will be "neutralized."

"Electrostatic charge can be created triboelectrically on conductors the
same way it is created on insulators. As long as the conductor is
isolated from other conductors or ground, the static charge will remain
on the conductor. If the conductor is grounded the charge will easily go
to ground. Or, if the charged conductor contacts or nears another
conductor, the charge will flow between the two conductors."
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp