Richard Clark wrote in message . ..
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 21:07:24 -0500, "Jack Painter"
wrote:

Richard, my earlier posts described the grounding my friend, here is quick
summary:

1.Well grounded 100' tower, hundreds of feet of many radials, rods, etc.
Survived many strikes.
2. Feedline from tower's dipole was disconnected about 20' from tower where
it enters a buried pvc conduit that travels 150' to house, then up to second
story shack. Where nothing is grounded, except by virtue of house AC
wiring - a bad I know (not mine either).
3. Ground current from the tower strike most likely entered the coax
feedlines at the disconnect point as they entered the pvc conduit then
traveled on into house.
4. House current also took huge jolts, zorching all kinds of connected
equipment, phones, tv's etc.
5. Outbuilding with radio equipment connected took huge hit, ball lightning
inside room fried test cords connected to nothing, hanging on test bench,
where the leads touched tile floor, huge blow-out of tile. AC power blew
wall warts across room, computers next to each other had .22 rifle bullet
sized hole between them. Equipment in this bldg was grounded, and some that
was was damaged, others not touched. In short, a massive, multiple
strike-path hit that may not be protectable from - but I realize there was a
lot missing from a good ground picture here also.

Jack

Hi Jack,

You know, it sounds like the lightning hit your house/out-building and
went toward the tower.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Sounds like it. I'm fairly sure it didn't hit the tower. Or if it did,
it also hit the houses at the same time. You don't get dime size holes
in the house, unless the strike is traveling in the house. I don't
think it's too likely ground currents traveled up the unconnected coax
to the house. It would have gone on to ground at the tower, being it's
well grounded. I think the upstairs part of the house was struck, and
the coax from the drake, along with power wiring was the return to
ground. Note all the damage in the house. Jack, you are one lucky $#^
*#^*@.... It could have burned the house down. The coax to ground
level from the upstairs drake may have routed a good bit of the strike
out to ground. Not enough to save damage though..MK