On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:09:55 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

I think we are talking two different concepts here.

A lightning rod is designed to be "the" point of strike, should one occur
and equipped with sufficiently sized conductors to discharge the strike to
ground.
.
I am talking about making the building, boat, or whatever less favorable to
the strike.

It has to do with the positive column .... based on the static charge that
builds on the ground point.

I am not sure what you have in mind, but lightning rods work, and are
about as complicated as a pool ball, hence reliable. However, the 000
wire is not cheap. Every powerline has lightning protection, a
grounded wire above the power conductors. What does every electric
utility know? None the less lightning does hit powerlines. A long wire
lacks sharp points, if that makes a lot of difference.

Casady

"Richard Casady" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:09:55 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

I think we are talking two different concepts here.

A lightning rod is designed to be "the" point of strike, should one occur
and equipped with sufficiently sized conductors to discharge the strike to
ground.
.
I am talking about making the building, boat, or whatever less favorable
to
the strike.

It has to do with the positive column .... based on the static charge that
builds on the ground point.

I am not sure what you have in mind, but lightning rods work, and are
about as complicated as a pool ball, hence reliable. However, the 000
wire is not cheap. Every powerline has lightning protection, a
grounded wire above the power conductors. What does every electric
utility know? None the less lightning does hit powerlines. A long wire
lacks sharp points, if that makes a lot of difference.

Casady

We still aren't connecting here, Richard. I agree with everything you are
saying, if you *want* to design something that is more likely to take the
strike instead of another nearby object or surface.

I am talking about trying to make the strike less likely in that area. I
sorta agree with the point ohara made .... they are probably too small to
have a significant affect.

But .... here's one type that is marketed:

http://www.lpsnet.com/ALS.asp

Ok .... we've beat it to death.

Eisboch

On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:00:35 -0400, wrote:

On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:24:48 GMT, (Richard
Casady) wrote:

Every powerline has lightning protection, a
grounded wire above the power conductors. What does every electric
utility know? None the less lightning does hit powerlines. A long wire
lacks sharp points, if that makes a lot of difference.


That is certainly not true in Florida. The top wire on the MV
distribution poles around here is the medium voltage wire. The
grounded conductor is on the bottom. (actually the top of the
secondary triplex here.)


http://esteroriverheights.com/electr...20-240_bus.jpg

On the HV transmission lines they do put the ground on top tho.

This is 250KV and the ground is on top
http://members.aol.com/gfretwell/powerline.jpg

My mistake. I went for a country drive. The HV lines around here are
on two kinds of CorTen steel tower, galvanized ones, and wood,and
there are many of them. [Des Moines, Iowa] Indeed they have a grounded
wire above the energized ones. They would need lightning protection
more than the 22KV ones in front of the house. [The ones with the fist
size insulators, not the yard long ones.]

Casady