Lightning Strikes

[GeorgeTelford]

Video of car being hit
http://www.funlol.com/funpages/lightnin ... s-car.html

Windscreen blasted

http://www.local6.com/weather/4459460/detail.html

Vehicle body multiple strikes

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls ... trike.html

I still cant find where the Tyre photo's are, they were all shown on a Motorhome forum that seems to be shut down/offline at the moment (I shoulda posted in more than one place.....

[Ira]

Understood.

But again...

Why do buildings have lightning rods in Orlando? Even when the surrounding trees are both shorter AND taller than the building?

[GeorgeTelford]

Hi Ira

Why?

To direct the current if hit, not much use if the building is made of conductive matterial (conductive at that Voltage)

Height increases the chance of an object being hit, but its not guaranteed, lightning can ignore a taller object completely, somewhere I have a shot of lightning parralling a huge radio mast and then turning away!!

Update here it is




Chaos theory amply demonstrated there......

[Dewayne_Mellen]

Understood.

But again...

Why do buildings have lightning rods in Orlando? Even when the surrounding trees are both shorter AND taller than the building?

The shape of an object will influence where a spark or lighting will go. By putting up a lightning rod up the lightning will have greater odds of striking there. It's not just that it's grounded it's also the shape.

Also just to let you know a sphere is the shape that will attract the least.

[asianflava]

The simulated lightning test I mentioned previously was done on a standard Yurpeen Ford, though they did use a diesel, just in case! Oh, and they used a rental car, so they put a roof rack on it to avoid paint damage to the roof!

The car was completely unharmed by the strikes, including the tyres, but the one strange result was that each time the car was hit, the rear screen wiper would give one wipe......

Andrew

I just saw it last night. An episode of "Top Gear" where they put a rental VW in the lightning simulator, with a person in it.

[cracker39]

With our many long PMs back and forth, my wife thinks Dale and I are having an affair. And although the idea is tempting, our discussions are STRICTLY tears.

And I came up with this idiotic notion today:

Based on where we live, is there any logic to installing some sort of lightning rod on our TDs? I don't know how many of you have witnessed major thunderstorms, been stuck out somewhere when one hits, but it is truly terrifying, and it happens OFTEN in Florida from spring through fall. (Remember the blimp that almost fell on my house!?)

It's not like a bolt hits "way over there." The bolts hit like 20 FEET over there. And there are a lot of them.

For some reason, in the middle of the state, like Disney, all of the buildings have rods on them. Down by me in South Florida, no.

I know there are issues like your tires are rubber, therefore in a ground hit, you're insulated. But your stabilizers aren't, and what if the TD itself is hit?

Or is this all just totally idiotic and should I just go back to shopping for galley Formica?

OK...So, we PM a lot. My wife seems to think I spend way too much time with this anyway...I gues wives just get suspicious. But, THERE AIN'T NOTHIN GOIN ON BUT TRAILER TALK!!! (or I won't admit to it anyway...)

Orlando is close to where I live, and Polk County Florida, where I live, is proven to get more lightning strikes each year than any other place on earth. That's a fact, folks and I can prove it. So, the solution? I'll make sure ALL of my camping is done out of the county.

[asianflava]

I know that Tampa was "The Lightning Strike Capital" at one time.

[cracker39]

I just read that we are just the lightning capitol of the USA...sorry about that mistake. It seems that Rwanda, Africa gets the most for the world. Oh Well, our fame has diminished somewhat.

[asianflava]

I guess the lightning is moving Eastward.