I was at anchor (salt water) when a thunderstorm approached. I had the portable generator on deck running, my laptop active while plugged into the AC outlet and my cell phone connected as a modem. This got me wondering... if I've got an AC field being created within a DC field, my laptop has an internal Wi-Fi card and my cell phone streaming data over the airways; how much of a threat am I creating with all this active electrical activity under a thunderstorm. Can such a situation create an undue preference for a lightening strike? Any electrical engineers out there who'd like to offer an opinion. P.S. I did shut everything down until the storm passed, not particularly fond of discovering the answer via the method of trial & error. Scott
Electrical Threat?
- Thread starter Rubicon 1983-31
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some things in life are beyond your control
and being hit is one. About the only thing arguably which you can do is provide a path by which the least damage will be done. Nothing you mentioned can attract a hit although there are folks who religiously unplug everything to avert a stray hit.
and being hit is one. About the only thing arguably which you can do is provide a path by which the least damage will be done. Nothing you mentioned can attract a hit although there are folks who religiously unplug everything to avert a stray hit.
Disconnect Equipment to
save it. Disconnecting does nothing to prevent or reduce the chance of a strike. It does limit the damage to those things the lightning gets into however. Things with antenna and things that are close to things with antenna are most often fried beyond repair.
save it. Disconnecting does nothing to prevent or reduce the chance of a strike. It does limit the damage to those things the lightning gets into however. Things with antenna and things that are close to things with antenna are most often fried beyond repair.
Turning off electronics and unplugging them..
When lightning strikes even electronics not plugged in or even turned on can get fried by a strike. In an event of a thunder storm I put my hand held VHF and my two back up GPS's & cell phone into the oven to try and further protect them. I know of boaters who's back up GPS's, in ditch bags, with no batteries in them who have had them fried even though they had been turned off for months. Some folks swear that keeping them wrapped in tin foil helps but I don't have any proof of that but I do know the oven trick has worked for some..
When lightning strikes even electronics not plugged in or even turned on can get fried by a strike. In an event of a thunder storm I put my hand held VHF and my two back up GPS's & cell phone into the oven to try and further protect them. I know of boaters who's back up GPS's, in ditch bags, with no batteries in them who have had them fried even though they had been turned off for months. Some folks swear that keeping them wrapped in tin foil helps but I don't have any proof of that but I do know the oven trick has worked for some..
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