The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-08-20

Lightning Danger
Much Overrated
Antenna Wires Perfectly Safe
II Are Properly
Erected.

/ In certain sections Of the coun-
try. during the period when thun-
der storms are common. many radio
enthusiasts appear to have fears
that their antenna system will at
tract lightning, and cause property
and possibly personal damage.
Such IL not the case; in fact, entire
Iy the opposite is true. states How
ard 8. Pyle. in the Wireless Age.
A custom which was common not
so many years ago was the install
lation OF lightning rods on homes.
barns. ETC.. in the belief that,
should lightning strike the build
ing 50 protected, II would run
down" the lightning rod. directly
into the ground. When II 10 con-
sidered that the force OF lightning
Is so great as to shatter large
trees. and even entire buildings. It
will be realized that a mere metal
lie rod would hardly pass such
monstrous currents to the ground
without damage. Investigation has
proved that where the protective
value of lightning rods is concerned
1t IL not with the passing of the
actual lightning bolt to ground. but
acts in an entirely different way.
Lightning will be attracted to the
vicinity in which the atmosphere is
most heavily charged with electric
ity. Naturally. then. IL the atmos-
phere surrounding a building con-
tains considerable atmospheric
electricity. 1t offers a better point
for the lightning bolt to free its
energy by a discharge to ground.
Again, should one building within
the charged zone be tall and the
other short. almost invariably the
taller building will receive the eff.
fects of the lightning discharge.
Buff we provide some means OF
draining the atmospheric electricity
from the atmosphere more immune
to the reception Of a lightning dis
charge. due to its greater insulat-
ing qualities, and consequent more
difficult path to the ground for the
lightning discharge. which will
then seek an easier path. This II
the way in which the lightning rod
serves: it provides q leakage path
to ground for the atmospheric elec-
tricity. and serves to keep the air
free from such electrical activity
in its immediate locality.
Lightning rods are generally con-
structed OF iron. which has nifty
times the resistance of copper. In
| other words. were they constructed
of copper. with copper connection
rod to the earth. they would be fifty
times more efficient. They are gen.
rally but a few feet above the root
| Of the building.
Now compare the average radio
I-antenna- To serve its purpose OF
| radio reception satisfactorily, II
must be constructed of copper oil
phosphor bronze. both of far great.
| err conductivity than iron. 1t must
| also be raised ten or more feet
above the building or other objects
which 1t crosses. In other words
1t should be the highest object
within several hundred feet when
possible. Isn't 1t reasonable to as
sumo, then, that II would serve q
great deal more efiiciently than a
lightning rod in draining the at
mosphere OF its electrical activity!
1t does. as has been proven. and a
well constructed antenna which Is
properly grounded during a thun-
derstorm Is a far greater lightning
protection to the property in its
immediate neighborhood than any
number of lightning rods as usually
installed.