Lightning strike(no damage)

[MaryB]

Took a direct hit on one of the ham towers today. Neighbor was looking out her kitchen window and saw a leader coming off it then BANG/FLASH simultaneously. I was sitting at my desk reading because I had all the electronics unplugged and shut down. I was 4' from the ground entrance panel and it RANG at about 150+db. My ears are still ringing from it! My ground system worked and dissipated the energy with no damage to anything I saw with a quick inspection. Tomorrow I have to crank the tower down to 13 feet(it telescopes from 13 to 35'), block it with a 4x4 and inspect all the cables and pulleys for damage... not expecting any because of the #4 solid copper that runs down the tower to the ground system. Bet a bunch of nightcrawlers got fried!

[Moleman-]

Did your hair stand up and did you smell ozone?

[bangerjim]

I have been with in 35 feet of a MAJOR strike, and yes.....the hair on my arms actually stood up!!!! Ears rang for 30 minutes. Hit a flagpole. Was totally safe on a covered porch, but the lightning in the AZ mountains can be very spectacular.

And I DID smell ozone like crazy!

Glad you are safe!!!!!! As a kid, on the farm in Iowa, my mom remembers a big lightning strike close to the house ran in on the telephone lines, blew the wall-mouned crank phone off the wall, ran down the lines and set the drapes on fire in the kitches. Those were in the days when most farmers did not have lightning rods on their houses....just on the barns!

Respect Mother Nature.....she does what she wants!!!!!!

Bangerjim

[retread]

Glad neither you or your gear was injured Mary. A good grounding system is well worth the time and expense,

[smokeywolf]

Mary, glad you and your equipment are no worse for the wear.
Closest I've ever been to a lightning strike was about 100 yards. Don't feel a need to ever be closer.

[bedbugbilly]

Mary - glad you and your equipment are O.K. Something like that would have put a few more gray hairs on my head! Three different times in the forty plus years we lived at our old house, lightening stuck the transformer out on the pole by the road (probably 400 feet away) and took out the transformer. Fortunately, we had a "lightening arrestor" on our service box - we lost a TV once but that was it. Glad you're O.K. and hope your tower and wiring is O.K. as well.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

Thank God you are ok, I hope all of your electronics were not fried.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

[Biggin]

I've lived in 2 different trailer houses that took indirect hits. That's close enough for me. I'm glad to hear that you are okay.

[rockrat]

Glad you are OK. Main thing.

100yds for me, twice. Once at a gun range when a bolt hit the 100yd berm and second, when a bolt hit neighbors electric fence charger. Guess it was the emp that too out my tv. House sure lit up ,like a spotlight was aimed at it.

[WebMonkey]

good on ya for the grounding setup.

one of the oft overlooked basics.

i've driven almost as many copper clad grounding rods as fence posts.
73
;)

[AggieEE]

Some years back my house took a strike. I have my tv antenna in the attic hanging from a light gauge tubing nailed to a rafter. The bolt, most bolts are from the ground up the cloud to ground are really destructive, went on each side of the rafter. Looked like a 12 gauge went off on each side. Set the sheaving on fire, had to get the FD to put it out, vaporized the 300 ohm twin lead to 75 ohm co-ax balum transformer. Lost some electronics, blew up the power switch on a power strip and killed a TV that wasn't plugged in but was still attached to the antenna. Oh yes, the Universal City FD nailed a piece of aluminum over the hole for me in the pouring rain, good bunch of guys.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Wow. Has the adrenaline rush from that died off yet? Hoping no gear was found damaged on inspection.

[MaryB]

good on ya for the grounding setup.

one of the oft overlooked basics.

i've driven almost as many copper clad grounding rods as fence posts.
73
;)


I have 13 in a x shape!

[MaryB]

No damage found today, the lighting spike on the tower is a little melted on top is all...

And my ears are still ringing a bit... set off the tinnitus I think...

[MaryB]

I take the no damage back... looks like the lightning splashed to the old telescope observatory building roof(aluminum frame) then grounded through the telescope pier. I wouldn't have noticed it but I was checking the blueberry bush that survived, the raspberry bush and then when I looked at the rhubarb I notice a bunch of burnt wood laying in it... looked up... edge of the roof panel exploded for about 6" up from the bottom and 3' wide. Looks like someone took a bite out of it! Easy repair, that building is now storage so nothing inside damaged... mot enough to bother with an insurance claim, half a sheet of plywood and fixed...

The tower ground wires are discolored and the weeds that were touching are brown/burnt so a LOT of energy was dissipated!

You can see the edge of the aluminum frame inside the moving roof panel, and the middle hinge that WAS bolted to it(no clue where the bolts went! Probably end up in a mower tire!) The plywood skin exploded!

https://i.imgur.com/YKC5pqx.jpg

[Petrol & Powder]

Lightning is interesting stuff.

I've seen it blow the bark completely off a tree and pile it at the base.

A previous house of mine was located on the high point of an otherwise flat plateau. It was just SLIGHTLY higher than all of the land in every direction. I suffered more lightning damage there than all the other places I lived put together. I was glad to leave when the time came.

A few times in my life I've been outside in the weather and very close to a strike. It's not a pleasant experience but if you can talk about it later, it's as good as it can be. The sensation is un-nerving to say the least. The flash and shock wave are simultaneous and beyond what you can really explain. On at least two of the occasions I recall hearing a rushing sound before the strike but it happened so fast that I didn't react to it before the event and can only recall it afterwards.
If I go the rest of my life and never experience that again, I'll be happy.

[MaryB]

Only been outside near a strike once. Storm chased us off the lake and the lightning was hitting the trees all around us so we huddled under the bait building canopy. Everyone's hair stood on end then the aluminum dock was hit right in front of us... maybe 50 feet away...

[tommag]

I was sitting in my truck when a lamp post was hit 75 feet away. I'd rather not experience that again.

[popper]

Lightning? Had some equipment tested at this place a few years back. https://hvpe.osu.edu/ Nobody could be in the building during a test.
http://www.edisontechcenter.org/LightningSuppression.html INteresting detais.
In my earlier days I was on top of Mt Evans when the hair started standing up on my arms. Rocks started 'popping' so I left immediately. Not many large rocks on that 'flat-topped' mountain.

[Moleman-]

Co-worker and I had ducked inside an open bay door overhang when it started raining. Were standing there waiting for it to subside a bit and b/s-ing when we got the weird hairs on end feeling and ozone smell. Had just enough time to look at each other and think what the heck before there was a strike on a metal structure just outside of the building.

Had it hit trees close enough to knock out our in-ground pet fence at home and outside pole barn light twice. The latest fence controller has a breaker for the power and boundary wires. The barn hasn't been hit as far as I know, usually it's one of the old oaks in the front yard. The in-ground fence I get, but I don't know why it knocks out the barn light. It was the photo eye once and the transformer another time. Put an LED barn light in last time two years ago.

[farmerjim]

Been hit twice. Once when I was 12 on a tire and chain swing in a tall tree. Lightning hit the chain and burnt it in half. Sparks went from my feet to the ground. Second time fishing out in the gulf with my brother and friend. Saw lightning in the distance and counted slowly to 15 before I heard the thunder. I said 3 miles away, no problem. 10 seconds later all the hair on my body stood up and we were hit by a side bolt. Sparks flew between us and I felt like I had grabbed a spark plug wire. I see people still working outside on tractors and lawnmowers just before a thunderstorm. Not me I go inside. Mary I am glad your damage was minor. You took the proper precautions.

[MaryB]

What saved the ham gear, yes that is a re-purposed cooler! Single point ground that is also the center of the ground rod x... commercial grade lightning suppression like they use on cell towers.

https://i.imgur.com/agvxmKA.jpg

[Petrol & Powder]

That's interesting, what's the purpose of the cooler? Just a convenient box or a means to isolate the gear?

[Ford SD]

What saved the ham gear, yes that is a re-purposed cooler! Single point ground that is also the center of the ground rod x... commercial grade lightning suppression like they use on cell towers.

https://i.imgur.com/agvxmKA.jpg


More people are interested in this than you think ;)

What is it ?

Cooler = insulated box ??

inside ????

[woodbutcher]

:lol: Hi Tommag.What`s really fun,is to have lightening strike a utility pole with transformer when you are only ten feet from that pole in your truck.ESD took out the ign box for the truck,plus the spare that I had in the tool box behind the seat.
For some REAL fun be riding along on your motorcycle and have a strike on a street light fixture about 20 feet from where you are passing.Can you say"Pucker Factor"?:lol:
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[starnbar]

Hey Farmer Jim had the same happen to me and my dad out in the gulf about 35 years ago fried everything on the boat but the mercury felt like somebody slammed me on the ground sore for about 2 days and my ears were ringing for a couple days.

[MaryB]

More people are interested in this than you think ;)

What is it ?

Cooler = insulated box ??

inside ????

I needed a large water tight enclosure LOL an electrical enclosure that size runs $150+++ the cooler was sitting in the shed and was a freebie I found floating in the river. Piece of 2" PVC goes thru the back and into the house. House side is a rats nest of cables!

[Big Tom]

Glad that not more happened! Do you have to replace the lightning arrestors or do they survive such a hit? I am getting ready to set up my 25 ft telescoping mast this weekend and am wondering if the 10 ga copper cable they sold me for grounding really will be sufficient.

73 from Cincinnati!

[ghh3rd]

1987 in a 12’ boat that was fiberglass thankfully, I got caught in Tampa Bay in a fierce summer storm, with raging wind, torrential rain and lightning strikes all around me. It seemed like the longest 15 minutes of my life heading for shelter at full speed (12 mph) with lightning hitting the water and sending shocks through the outboard handle.

Another time I was in a parking lot and saw lightning strike the lot about 50 yards away. A purple cloud rose where the lightning struck, and when I looked there was no evidence of a strike on the lot or on any car.

[MaryB]

Glad that not more happened! Do you have to replace the lightning arrestors or do they survive such a hit? I am getting ready to set up my 25 ft telescoping mast this weekend and am wondering if the 10 ga copper cable they sold me for grounding really will be sufficient.

73 from Cincinnati!

3 or 5 arc plugs had to be replaced... and no 10 gauge is NOT big enough! #6 minimum! I use mostly these for protection, same ones used by the US military for EMP protection https://www.dxengineering.com/search/department/grounding-and-lightning-protection/brand/alpha-delta/product-line/alpha-delta-n-connector-coaxial-cable-surge-protectors?autoview=SKU&sortby=Default&sortorder=Ascending

And 1 polyphaser that croaked but I got a half dozen as surplus from a cell site that was torn down.

[lightman]

Glad you were not injured and had minor damage. Lightning is serious stuff.

[Marlin356]

Had one land yesterday no yards form the garage I was in (looking out at the storm). Hit the sagebrush, huge cloud of smoke, blinding flash and sounded like a 105 going off !

[MaryB]

Sure makes the ears ring doesn't it!

[mold maker]

Can cause your hair to stand up just before your pucker string fluctuates, with staining results. Once in an aluminum boat and again standing on my front porch. Now when the first hint of it is noticed, I find safe shelter. The concussion of it may well have contributed to the tennitis I'm pledged with.

[Elkins45]

I was opening the door to step onto the porch when a bolt hit the big oak tree about 50 yards away. I felt the tingle through my hand on the doorknob and my ears rang for a couple of hours. I discovered the next day that it knocked out the radio in my truck.

Over the course of the next few months that oak tree turned brown and died from the top down.

[MaryB]

Like most strikes hidden damage is starting to appear. My bedside shortwave clock radio turned on with a hum, then a loud pop and that nasty smell of fried capacitor. Microwave control board bit it but not much loss, most of the control pad was already bad... not enough to file an insurance claim on and see my rates go way up.