[geeks] Whee! Lightning strikes, AGAIN!

[Lionel Peterson]

On Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 4:01 AM, Shannon Hendrix<shannon at widomaker.com> wrote:

<snip>

> Actually, I mean to say it more like this:
>
> ...your problem is you are either have spot which originates a charge, or
> you have something about your location which makes it the best conductive
> path in your area.
>
> Either way, the point is you can't stop lightning.
>
> However, you can stop being the target in many cases.
>
> Find out what the lightning is attracted to and maybe eliminate it, move it,
> or alter it.
>
> If you can't do that, and maybe even if you can, you need to ground the
> strikes to prevent them from entering structure and wiring.

I'd like to erect a tower in my yard, but I'm honestly afraid of what
it would do, lightning-wise... I agree there is something about my
location that makes it the best conductor around, but while a tower
would change the dynamics, I'm not sure if it will dissipate or
attract future lightning strikes.

I think my hardware was killed by an EMP, because the computers work
fine, except the NICs - every NIC (save one, so far) that had a wire
of any length attached to it is DEAD. A power surge would have taken
out the computer AND the NIC, but that didn't happen. The two TVs that
were hit are CRTs, the flat panels (actually rear projection and
plasma) are fine. I suspect the CRT somehow "collected" enough energy
to kill the set. The garage door opener and A/C controller had
electronics that weren't very well protected (compared with, say, a
sealed up, grounded, PC chassis).

The dead switches, router, and cable modem all power on, but have dead
NIC ports, again, discounting the idea a power surge came in the power
line in my mind.

-- 
Lionel Peterson
lionel4287 at gmail.com