lightning
You from Southern West-by-god-Virginia (almost heaven) I'll be in Lewisburg 2nd weekend in August. Get with me on here we'll drink a beer.
Respect those who protect us now just as you would those who died for us in the past.
Respect those who protect us now just as you would those who died for us in the past.
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just hit. had sparks flying and two of the fire alarms went off. I think it might've fried a NIC in one of my boxes or a little hub. don't know how it didn't kill everything, will find out what the damage is after the storm has passed. thank God for wireless and clueless neighbors that use it [:D]
geez, i can hear static in my speakers everytime there's a lightning! that's crazy!0 -
Some people say it's a sign you are crazy when you talk to yourself. 0 -
The only thing that comes of a pissing contest, are wet pant legs.
And....given the choice, I'd rather make a friend than an enemy any day of the week.
Some time ago, Salzo and I had some "set-tos". I offered a handshake to him. He took it, and I do believe he has become a better man for it. (just kidding)
Anyway, I offer you a handshake. Let's put all this behind us and make WhiteClouder proud of us.
I offer my handshake to you!
Stay safe!!The "ONLY" bad thing about owning "A GUN" is....not owning two or more!0 -
Recently had a strike real real close to my house, holes in the yard that were not there before the storm, anyway, does anyone think that the strike would loosen rust in water pipes underground? 0 -
twice. wth! i'd say teen foil hat time but that wouldn't be a good idea during a lightning storm, i don't think.[8D] 0 -
I know of a lady - friend of my ex-wife's - who was fried up by a
lightening strike about 20 years ago - while she was on the phone.
Her husband was in the same room - said there was a brilliant flash
and was gone, lying on the floor. I've only seen lightening here about
20 times in 50+ years.
[8D]0 -
A month or so ago it hit a tree about 50 feet from me. Heard an audible "buzzzzzzzzzzz", then "WHAP!" in the space of a half second. No ozone smell as it was raining.
After the rain, I checked it out. No grass damage, but three trees within 9 feet of each other were blacked and leafless from the top to about 4 feet off the ground.
Kinda cool actually.0 -
Growing up on a farm, with 2 large barns and 1 50 foot antenna tower, it seemed our place was doomed for lightning.
One year was bad, my parents house went through 3 tv's and 2 FM radios, my grandparents went through 2 tv's and 3 radios along with other electronics.
One of the times, it hit the big tower at my grandparents house, then our the tv tower on my parents house while I was in the barn feeding one of my steers. It ruined the carpet around the TV jack, turned the white wall brown and my mom was still shaking when I came in 10 minutes later when it stopped raining.0 -
i live in the lightning capital of the US. Our hockey team is named as such. 0 -
zipperzap - where's here? I gather you're in SoCal somewhere?
very interesting stories. Wasn't someone here telling a few weeks ago about being almost hit by a lightning?0 -
[8D]--Yo Zip, did you forget??? (I HOPE NOT)
-- The California D.O.J. don't allow "LIGHTNING"--
----[}:)][xx(]--JIMBO0 -
I have a rather large CB antenea attached to the front of the house, and have always kind of worried about it...but, in the 30yrs here nada. 0 -
The closest call I had with lightning happened when I was backing up a couple of deputies on a domestic disturbance on a stormy night.
We had just left the residence and were going west on a paved road. It was thundering and lightning everywhere when all of a sudden my whole patrol vehicle lit up completely white through all the windows at once, for what seemed liked several seconds. I was going about 55-60 mph and couldn't see anything and was afraid I was going to run into the rear end of the county car. All I can think of is lightning struck one of the few trees alongside the road I was driving on.
As soon as I could see again, I radioed them and asked them if they saw that and they said there was no way to miss it. I don't know if they saw what I saw but it was the closest I have ever been to being struck by lightning and I have spent quite a bunch of time out in thunderstorms. I love to watch electical storms but absolutely hate being out in them.0 -
I have a three hundred foot long wire antenna that I use for old tube type AM radios I have built. During the winter months I can often receive stations from as far away as 980 miles. Every time we have a lightning storm, which is quiet frequent in our area, I worry about the chances of lightning hitting this antenna and feeding into the house. I have measured voltage spikes up to 70-80 volts between antenna and ground when lightning was nearby. Think I will take it down as I haven't used it in probably 6 months now. 0 -
Got REAL close to us today too.
What a show. [:0]
We unplugged all the major electronic appliances.0 -
quote:Originally posted by pickenup
Got REAL close to us today too.
What a show. [:0]
it's the second day in a row the storm passed right above me. it is indeed quite a show, the thunder is just one long rolling sound for like 10 minutes, really strange.0 -
Folks - I am a HAM radio operator, and there are things you can do to protect your electronics, (and your houses)!!!
Here in the Great NorthWest, the power companies will sell (even finance on your bill) a whole-house surge supressor. It costs about $300, installed. They put it behind your Power Meter. It even has a tell-tale light that tells you that it is active and undamaged.
Other companies sell "Whole House Surge Protection" that mounts in (or just on the outside of) your Circuit Breaker/Fuse box.
If you have a long-wire antenna, or a tall vertical antenna, you need a "Gas-Discharge Tube" style Lightning Arrestor in the antenna circuit, preferably outside your house, and tied into your grounding rod near where the power enters your home.
Something else you can do, but it is only supplementary, and will not handle the full surge voltage and amperage of a strike, is to have at least two of the surge supressors/power strips that you can buy at any hardware, drug, or computer stores. You need to either be lucky or else be able to figure out how to trace circuits, so that each of the (minimum two) supressors are plugged into each of the two phases of power that (typically) enter your home.
Please note that if you are in the least unsure, Hire an Electrician to install any wired-in device in or on your Circuit Breaker/Fuse Box.
These precautions are not just for those who think they will be hit by Lightning, as there are all sorts of reasons that someone who lives within an area that has not had a recorded strike could have a voltage surge that can damage equipment.
Lightning can strike tens or even hundreds of miles distant, and still enter your house through Phone Lines, Data/Cable lines, Power lines, even fences and water or gas plumbing lines!!
Protection is cheap, Insurance claims (or worse) aren't!
{edited for syntax/spelling/clarity, and Typos (darn fat fangers!)}0 -
We get some doozies here in n.e. NC in the summer. Had a bolt hit right across the street as I was gassing up the truck last week.....scared the living crap outta me. Some big dude about 6'6'' and 300lbs pumping gas on the other side of the island screamed like a little girl! Smelled ozone BIG time after that one!
Also have been out on the ocean fishing and had a boomer form right over us. Your hair really does stand on end with all that electricity around. No fun at all. Just power down and get below decks till it blows over, and hope for the best.0 -
Right, Jim - I forgot - lightning IS outlawed here, as a fire hazard - although,
some illegal lightning is smuggled across the Mexican border, from time to
time.
[8D]0 -
quote:Originally posted by thesneakyrussian
just hit. had sparks flying and two of the fire alarms went off. I think it might've fried a NIC in one of my boxes or a little hub. don't know how it didn't kill everything, will find out what the damage is after the storm has passed. thank God for wireless and clueless neighbors that use it [:D]
geez, i can hear static in my speakers everytime there's a lightning! that's crazy!
Too bad it keeps missing you [:D]0
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