Re: TC & Lightning 2

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Gary Weaver" <gary350-at-earthlink-dot-net> 

I am not exactly sure how high the kite was.  I pulled off a length of wire
guessing it was 150 ft it could have been longer.  Wind was perfect the
kite flew without any help from me.  The wire appeared to be at about 35 to
40 deg angle, you will have to do some math to guess about how high up the
kite was.  I attached the wire to the metal end of the light bulb and had
the fluorescent light bulb stuck about a foot into the ground.  I could see
the storm comming from a long way off.  I am guessing the storm was about
10 miles away when the fluorescent light bulb started to flash.   I was
standing about 10 ft from the fluorescent light bulb.   When the
fluorescent light bulb started to flash brighter and the storm was closer I
moved back about 50 ft or so from the fluorescent light bulb.  When the
strom was very close I figured it was possible for the kite to get a direct
hit from lightning so I walked up closer to the house.   I made sure to
stay away and was hoping the kite would stay up long enough to take a
direct hit from lightning.    The wind picked up very strong and the kite
went around and around about 10 times then crashed.    As you can see this
was not a very scientific experement but it was FUN.

I have shot Estes stick rockets in the back yard to attract a lightning
strikes.  I have noticed each thunder storm has its own personality.   Some
thunder storms the lightning comes very regular.   You can sometimes
predict the time between lightning strikes and find that lightning strikes
are comming every 20 seconds or maybe every 15 seconds it just depends on
the storm.  The window of opportunity is very short maybe 3 to 5 mintues.
Fire the rocket about 3 seconds before the next predicted lightning strike.
Rocket propellent smoke is full of carbon which is a good conduction for
high voltage.   I can get a lightning strike to my back yard about 1 out of
3 times in some storms and 1 out of 2 times in other storms.    A good
lightning bolt sounds like a stick of dynamite, "BOOM."    It shakes the
house.    I learned not to do this very close to the house because high
voltage does not always follow the smoke trail all the way to the ground.
I had a lightning strike hit a tree and the amazing thing was the
electricity came down the tree, then followed the tree roots in the ground
and about 50 large sparks jumped up out of the ground all around the tree.
It was probably a 30 ft radius of 3 ft long lightning sparks shooting up
out of the ground.  It split the 50 ft tall tree down the middle.

If I could get the rocket to pull up a wire without breaking it I might be
able to get more lightning strikes.   I was considering using a fishing
real will copper wire but am not willing to melt down a good fishing real
for this experement.

This time I hope my email spelling checker does not remove the N from
lightning.   Don't have time to proof read for errors it just got dark here
and I am going on a 5 mile bicycle ride.

Gary Weaver
gary350-at-earthlink-dot-net
Why Wait?  Move to EarthLink.