On Wed, 2 Aug 2006 19:25:32 -0400, "DougSlug"
wrote:

We do agree that, without a lightning arrestor, it's better to disconnect
the downlead during a nearby thunderstorm than to leave it connected with
just a 10K resistor, don't we?

Well ...

If it's just hanging there and a few tens of thousands of volts come
down the cable, you may lose a few things - radios, furniture, the
house ...

I disconnect my antennas during thunderstorms and connect them to a
grounded block mounted directly on a good ground rod (right outside
the shack window). I've seen what a direct strike can do more than
once. It's not something you can protect against, but I'd rather lose
my antennas and cables than my house.