Lightning strike damage report
Franc Zabkar
I investigated the damage and came to the conclusion that w_tom's
explanation (ie that the strike hits the AC mains and finds an earth
via the phone line) is correct.
Firstly, my friend's neighbour lost his electrical distribution box,
so this confirms that the strike came in on the mains.
My friend's damage was as follows:
(1) Failure of PCtel DAA module (plug-in type for PCChips M585LMR
motherboard). Symptom was "NO DIALTONE". Parallel telephone was
undamaged. Both phone cables were plugged into a "protected" power
board.
(2) Portable telephone base station - shorted 15V zener diode at tip
and ring inputs.
(3) Television - shorted rectifier diode, blown fuse, and failures in
the +5V regulator, remote sensor, and microcontroller.
(4) Two VCRs - CPU and power supply failures.
(5) Audio unit - CPU failure, P/S OK.
(6) Security light - faulty power controller, light dims but won't
turn off.
(7) TV - blown fuse, damage to P/S
-- Franc Zabkar
Please remove one 'g' from my address when replying by email.
Geoffrey Welsh
franc...@dinggoblue.net.au (Franc Zabkar) wrote:
>A friend's house suffered a second lightning strike in as many years.
>I investigated the damage and came to the conclusion that w_tom's
>explanation (ie that the strike hits the AC mains and finds an earth
>via the phone line) is correct.
If that's true, wouldn't devices such as power bars that offer phone line
protection - ostensibly between each wire and ground - make the problem
worse if they have any effect at all?
(Just disturbing the excrement.)
--
Geoffrey Welsh [Geoffre...@email.com]
This address is not to be sent bulk mail, nor to be sold or given away. Bill S. 1618 is NOT LAW; it died at the end of the 105th Congress in 1998. Unsolicited bulk mail is spam, no matter what regulations (real or imagined) it complies with! It is IMPOSSIBLE to purchase an opt-in list, as the users on that list did not opt in for YOUR promotions!
Luigi Lucchese
substantial rooftop, very well grounded, lightning rod installation might
have prevented any damage.
And I use "might" purposely.
Lucky the house did not burn down.
If my house suffered a direct hit twice in 2 years I would be worried about
more than my computer and its accessories.
I have seen what direct strikes can do to large oak trees.
"Franc Zabkar" <franc...@dinggoblue.net.au> wrote in message
news:3c127fb2...@news.dingoblue.net.au...
Tony Cruz
[on my computerized weather station, no less]. Caused
a small fire in my basement laboratory. But otherwise,
extremely light [meaning under $6,000] damage.
In a typical household, when lightning strikes directly,
all bets are off.
Protection devices save your stuff when the poor guy
a mile away gets the direct hit.
Exceptions are commercial radio and TV transmitting
installations with extreme measures / extreme ground
wire gauges and extreme grounds.
They merely suffer heavy damage to redundant equipment
rather than catastrophic damage when a severe bolt
strikes.
Also, please note my embedded reply to your more
specific question.
--
In HIS Service,
Tony Cruz (W8OKX - ex WN2OKX, WA2OKX, CT1EGV)
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Geoffrey Welsh wrote in message ...
>On Sat, 08 Dec 2001 21:51:53 GMT, in comp.dcom.modems,
>franc...@dinggoblue.net.au (Franc Zabkar) wrote:
>
>>A friend's house suffered a second lightning strike in as many years.
>>I investigated the damage and came to the conclusion that w_tom's
>>explanation (ie that the strike hits the AC mains and finds an earth
>>via the phone line) is correct.
>
>If that's true, wouldn't devices such as power bars that offer phone line
>protection - ostensibly between each wire and ground - make the problem
>worse if they have any effect at all?
Perhaps! As I said, all bets are off. These devices do a better job of
protecting your real estate from fire, rather than the equipment itself.