On Monday, November 18th, 1996 - Alex Draper wrote:
 
AD>    I've heard stories about lightning coming down the coax even when
AD>    the coax were disconnected from the radio.  A large sparks would
AD>    leave the connector to say a grounded wall outlet.  Could this be
AD>    true or just an old CB/Ham radio myth?  Take care.
AD>                                                     Alex...
          
No myth! That's a fact! Without actualy striking an antenna a charge of
many thousand volts will charge the antenna with a close strike within 2 
blocks. I've set up a spark gap here in the window with a 135' long wire 
antenna a gap of a foot between to ground and a spark has jumped at least 5 
times a year...
Besides if a lightning can travel over a mile (which is a large spark)
What would make you think it couldn't jump 3-4 feet with a direct hit?
You can run but you can't hide! I've seen lightning strike too many
times and seen it's damage. Only luck will save you in a direct hit
unless you have a ground vault.
  Rocky
 
--- RiBBS v2.10
---------------