We often see some discussions about lightning protection but here in
FL, it is really a major problem, especially for myself since I seem
to have a peculiar affinity for it.

I have seen it do the following:

While sitting on the toilet, it jumped from the faucet to drain
melting the fixture (literally scared the crap outa me)

After a thunderstorm while riding my bicycle, it struck the road in
front of me leaving a dry spot 30' in diameter.

Struck my phone lines and melted my telephone.

After a storm, ball lightning appeared about 30' up, slowly moved
along the shore while I tried to figure what to do. It hit a nearby
pine tree which exploded showering me with debris.

In deep woods during a storm, I sat under a picnic shelter on top of a
dry picnic table on top of dry concrete. It jumped out of a nearby
conduit and to the DRY concrete floor in front of me.


I sometimes think God is ****ed at me for some reason but can't figger
out why. This has affected my career (graduate work was "Free
Electron Charging of Fine Aerosol Particles) and made me VERY paranoid
about sailing during thunderstorms. My normal lightning protection
method is to try to get it to ground as quickly as possible. I have a
2'X2' copper sheet with a very large tinned copper braid soldered and
crimped to it that I drop overboard. The otehr end of the braid has
two welding clips that I attach to the upper and lower shrouds near
the deck. I turn off and unplug all electronics and stay away from
all metal fittings. I have even considered a retractable Faraday cage
attached to the mast head consisting of small wires to protect the
boat inside it. Am I too paranoid?

However, I am curious about lightning protection for less afflicted
ppl. I have seen these ground plates consisting of sintered bronze
powder that are fairly small but have high surface area due to the
many sintered particles (Dyna-Plate). I can believe these may work
for low E fields and low current but I do not believe they work for
high fields and high currents (like lightning). I think the small
passages act like tiny Faraday cups allowing no field inside and the
effective surface area is not much larger than the external area.
What do others think?