I sometimes would leave my base on either a tripod or bipod alone on top of the highest point of a survey site. Rainy season is starting and thunder storms would appear out of nowhere. Sometimes I can't get to the base fast enough before the rain starts. Anyone ever heard of the receiver on the rod being hit by lightning? In all my years I have not heard of any surveyor or equipment near me that was struck by lightning. I would have thought that this would happen more often.
It's a problem. Friday I was caught in a storm, a bit of hail, lightning, heavy rain. I had been watching it move in and I was trying to get some corners located before I had to shut down. Probably pushed it too far. I got back to the base and truck as it really started to blow and rain. Picked up the base but I couldn't pick up the radio. Each time I went to disconnect the antenna I got a shock. I've never felt anything like it. I've had static during these events before, but this was different. I watched the storm moving across and away from me and decided to ride it out. Having the radio up during that storm really was a tense situation. Luckily, the storm did move to the north and I was able to disconnect the antenna and bring the radio inside the truck while the rain continued. About 20 years ago during one of these storms the electrical build up fried one of our Trimmark radios, so this is not unusual. It's been policy since then to pick up, I was not fast enough Friday. As far as lightning striking an antenna I should think it's happened before, but a strike isn't necessary to damage a radio and probably a receiver.?ÿ
Not sure what you had holding up the antenna, but if possible I would have tried to lay it down before disconnecting.
But it does sound like you were at risk of a strike, so staying in the truck was wise. Climbing in and out of the truck would put you electrically between it and ground.
Yes, if it was on a tripod I could have laid the tripod down, it was threaded into a fence so it was not possible to grab it at the time, as soon as I was able to I pulled it out and laid it down, then disconnected the radio. The storm was not predicted, but I should have had it on a tripod. As you probably know fence lines are a major source of lightning deaths for livestock.?ÿ
..But it does sound like you were at risk of a strike, so staying in the truck was wise..
Good advice.
Lightning is a powerful and unpredictable force.?ÿ I had a 30 year old pecan tree not 25' from my front porch that was hit one morning.?ÿ It splintered the 24" trunk and blasted bark against the house so hard it busted the glass in two windows.
After I had calmed myself and realized what was hit I discovered a microwave, two clock radios and my wireless phones were fried.?ÿ The computers were OK.?ÿ The power in the house never flickered.
Proximity is an important word when talking about a lightning strike. Check this out:
When working in Nevada in the Dusty sandy desert, one day before the storm got to us(10 miles or south, dark clouds, rumbling, cloud flashes) wind building and swirling, shutting down to avoid the inevitable, as I was disconnecting the radio antenna, was getting shocked fairly well. At first I figured it was the output stage of the 35w PDL.
When the cable had been freed of the tnc connection, and dangling, it was arcing about 6in to the soil.?ÿ
Induction working.
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But we never in the 10k hours of multiple peaks and other locations ever got anything zapped by a real strike.?ÿ Go figure.
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Sorry.?ÿ I worked with UXO EOD people.
Lightning doesn't do this.
The initial flash is the det cord....
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https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lightning-striking-a-river/
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Good eye.?ÿ Looks like you nailed it.?ÿ I should've checked it out.
BTW - After the lightning that pecan tree in my front yard looked like it had explosives inside it, but it was definitely lightning.
We had a strike outside our house in GA when I was a kid. Got the TV, a lamp, and blew the pine tree wide open and in half, where the tree had the audacity to be more resistant.... ?????ÿ
While about the deserts of the Western USA, I've seen many ground strikes light up sage, etc, but still have yet to score a fulgurite.
Big bucket list item id like to see.
Fun to watch, never want to participate.
About forty-five years ago I got two ??jolts? while dragging a steel tape through the woods. Needless to say, I dropped the tape until the storm was over.?ÿ
