Lightning Strike! Lucky to be on the air and the internet.

[Captain Kilowatt]

This afternoon we had a series of thunder showers move through the area. One got quite nasty and then it cleared off.About 2 hours later I heard thunder off in the distance again and told my wife I was going to check the weather radar on the internet to see what was coming. All my antennas were disconnected as they always are during the summer months when I am not actually on the radio.I just walked into the den/radio shack and as I turned to face the computer screen... FLASH! BANG! CRACK! :shock: :shock: happened all at the same time.The house shook and the power went out.Out of nowhere a single rogue lightning bolt hit the power lines at the end of the driveway.Talk about a burst of adrenelin! When I started breathing again I jumped up and ran to the basement to check the main panel.The house alarm was screeming away and would not reset so I had to open the main panel in the basement and remove the battery backup power.Everything looked fine at the panel,no breakers tripped.Next I ran upstairs to the main level and then upstairs again to the bedrooms etc.All the while I was sniffing like a bloodhound for smoke.Everything looked and smelled fine except for the strange smell coming from my underwear. JK. After determining that all was fine in the house I ran outside expecting to see something missing from the roof. Nope,all was fine there as well.Then I saw the high voltage fuse hanging down from the utility transformer feeding my house and one house either way from mine.Next my thoughts turned to what damage am I going to find when the power comes back on. I went back to the basement and switched the main breaker off until the power was restored.If the primary was shorted to the secondary it would have sent 7200 volts into the house. :shock: After the power company arrived and installed a new fuse without incident I felt a bit better. The transformer was not shorted! I flipped the main breaker back on and everything came back to life as it should including the alarm system.The only problem I had was a blown NIC card on the computer. I had a spare and installed it and now I am back on the net.I know if the antennas were connected I would have lost something due to induction. The strike was just too close not to have. Something to consider when the power goes out is to turn off the main breaker if you can until after the utility crews restore power just in case there is a high voltage on the line.Some would say "How do you know when the power comes back on if you have the breaker off?" Easy answer,ask a neighbor,let him be the guinea pig. In my case it was easy as the power crew was just at the end of my driveway about 100 feet from my house.

 

[lords]

Wow lucky you
glad all is well...yesterday right when i unhooked my coax in a storm and dropped it in a jar with the lid having a hole to fit the end
tightly I let the jar hang turned toward the pc the usb keyboard blinked and in the corner of my eye i seen the coax arc off the jar inside....now that was a rush
only happened once bu we did have a nice light show outside

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

So,you like glass grenades do you? :shock: If you ever have a direct strike that glass jar can explode and throw shrapnel everywhere.Glass makes a good insulator for electricity but a lightning strike is no match for it. I have heard of folks that gave up on that idea after having one explode.I used to do that many, many years ago until I found out about the glass grenade thing.

 

[lords]

well no problems so far ...if thats the case i will put a cam on it and showoff...lol

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Found out last night that the television in the bedroom is toast. It lost the vertical deflection and sound. All the home entertainment stuff in the living room and all the computer and radio gear in the shack was on a power surge supressor and was saved. The TV in the bedroom was not.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

When and where is the memorial cor the tv being held?

Services will be held at 8:00 am Tuesday, June 26 at the end of my driveway. That's the next garbage pick up day.

 

[park]

I once saw lighting strick more than 50 miles away in clear blue sky, weird ! I got a direct hit in 1998 that took out $3000 worth of radio gear. I was lucky insurance covered it.

 

[TonyV225]

I had the same thing happen once and all we lost were phones and a Computer card aswell we were also lucky. A year later we had just moved and the first first weekend in that house again lightning hit and once again took out an eathernet card :roll: .

 

[dxhound]

Last year I had a direct strike hit my Maco v5/8 vertical. It blew the feedline completely off the antenna. The base of the antenna is attached to a well grounded corner post of my chain link fence. BAD IDEA!! Because when the lightning hit the antenna it welded the latches on the gates shut. Then the current jumped the fence, blew a hole in my siding and hit my metal sill plate above the foundation. I lost my alarm, hot water heater, phones and few other small odds and ends. No use for me to claim it though since my deductible is $500.

Just a word of advice to anyone who gets hit! Call the insurance company to let them ASAP but, do not file a claim for about two weeks! It will take this long for you to really figure out what got fried!

 

[Hc714]

When I first moved to where I am now the power company had to install several poles to reach me. Made me an end line user. First strike took out three tvs, two vcrs, a telephone and answer machine as well as the defrost heaters in my freezer. Found this out much later and did not claim. Filed a claim was able to purchase one tv with what they gave me. Many strikes later the power company did something near the transformer that has nearly eliminated lighting comming in on the power. They tried to sell me some form of surge protector that came with a monthly charge, after having talked with several people that used this option found out getting claims settled was near impossible. So opted out. Still lose a phone or modem every three years or so. And yes everything is and was on surge protection. Best policy I could come up with is, if I ain't there it ain't connected. Also buy the extra coverage with lighting strikes included. Replaced a Sony tv sevral times. Any thing close would take out the tuner. But you know been so dry here. I would welcome a strike if it would bring rain. Any way everyone stay safe.