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

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