wrote
...
In article ,
"Szczepan Bialek" wrote:


Grounded towers with the many spikes dissipate more charge then the
simmilar
towers with the polished big ball.
That with the many spikes PREVENT (or minimalise), that with the balls
CATCH
(high current strokes).

Much of this is speculation.

It is a history: "In the early days of lightning conductors, I believe that
the French
didn't like the nasty pointy things which the British had installed.
Instead, they decorated theirs with fancy balls at the top - with
sometimes disastrous results.
--
Ian"

With 10 million volts; currents of 10,000 amperes and strokes that can
travel 30 miles: whether you have a ball or a spike on top of a roof
isn't going to make much difference.

The volts appear when no chance to dissipation. To have it on the roof must
be multiplicity of spikes (not one).

It has been shown that a properly installed lightning rod system; and UL
rated materials connected to low resistance grounds will increase the
odds of protecting lives and property substantially.

(The TV stations on top the Sears tower in Chicago continue to transmit
even as they are being struck.)

All is true. I only wanted to add something about the spikes and balls. It
was nice that Ian support me with the funny anecdote.
S*