TZUTC: -0500   
   MSGID: 992.fidonet-fidogaze@1:19/33 20f1037f   
   REPLY: 297.fido_fidogaze@1:123/115 20efe503   
   PID: Synchronet 3.17c-Win32  Mar 14 2019 MSC 1800   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.06-Win32 r3.105 Mar 14 2019 MSC 1800   
   Dan,   
      
   DC>Stormy weather keeps the BBS offline?  Why?  I mean I can see if   
   DC>your place gets wiped out by a tornado, but... does your power go   
   DC>out frequently or something?   
      
     In a word, lightning. I am a 2 time lightning strike survivor (at 3   
   and 16)...they were indirect, but I still got a severe shock, and have   
   nervous system damage as a result. I've also been under 2 tornadic   
   funnel clouds, within a mile of an F-1 and an F-4 rain wrapped tornado,   
   and nearly drowned in a flash flood on the local college campus 40 years   
   ago.   
      
     As for lightning, each bolt is 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5 times   
   hotter than the surface of the sun), with 3 million volts and 300,000   
   amps of electricity, it can be 5 miles long, and strike from 20 to 200   
   miles from the parent thunderstorm.   
      
     A fellow ham radio operator had spared no expense for lightning   
   protection...you name it, he bought it, and installed it. He took a   
   direct, or very close lightning hit. The resulting strike VAPORIZED his   
   tower, antenna, mast, and coaxial cable...there wasn't a trace left!!   
      
     Inside, the towers of the computers and the UPS surge protection   
   units were black as night, with the circuit boards melted together...and   
   he had scorch marks down the walls. And, this was even with extensive   
   grounding!!   
      
     In short, NO AMOUNT OF SURGE PROTECTION is going to save your system   
   from a direct or very close lightning strike. I'd rather be offline for   
   a few hours or days, rather than permanently. Behind Florida, Arkansas   
   is the most in the country with lightning strikes.   
      
   Daryl   
      
   ===   
    þ OLX 1.53 þ If you fly by the seat of your pants, don't eat prunes.   
   --- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32   
    * Origin: FIDONet: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (1:19/33)   
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