Lightning & Telephones

[Junkman]

I called someone yesterday afternoon and he informed me that he doesn't use the telephone when there is a lightning storm in progress. Later that evening I got a e mail from his wife stating ...........

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Junk, I'm sorry but **** was struck by lightening while talking on the telephone during an electrical storm earlier today. I rushed him to Akron General emergency about 4:38 PM EST today.

While not life threatening the plastic on the phone was literally fused to the side of his face because of the close strike.

When I saw what had happened I started laughing so hard that **** really got mad and as a result he fell down the steps as I was taking him to the pole barn to reach the car.

I think at that point he broke his left leg in the fall. Well it may not have been the actual fall but I was behind him and I tripped and landed on top of him and the piece of the phone still stuck to the side of his face.

He's not a happy camper at this point in time. Now, what was your question about lightening again Junk?

**** )</font>

Have you ever heard of this happening before or is he just one unlucky guy??????

 

[GRUMPA]

Oh yes, it happens here and it's on the news from time to time. Next to Florida Arizona gets the second highest amount of lightening strikes per year. And there's so many scientists out here doing research on it, it isn't funny. Last year a family had a good section of there house litterly blown up from a strike.

 

[SkyPup]

Never talk on a telephone during a lighting strike or your it may be the last time you ever talked when the electricity comes out of the phone directly into your brain......more people are wiped out on their phones by lightning than anywhere else.

 

[Wood_Butcher_Dav]

Thats why they make cordless phones. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BillG_in_TX]

I know someone who won't talk on their cordless phone during a storm, because they are convinced that the lightning will travel down the wire to the base unit, and then follow the radio waves to the remote!! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[BarryinMN]

I kept the computer on thru a lightning storm 2 weeks ago & it's modem as well as a FAX wireless phone thing smoked.

The 40 year old rotary dial 2 party phone came thru just fine.

Phone company had 50 DSL businesses down, 100 residential customers out, as well as a switching station crash.

Had to use my cell phone for email for 2 days.

I now have a new lightning arrestor box on the side of the house and a DSL connection. Turns out I have fibre optics running along the highwway now.

Zoom!

 

[riptides]

I have a burn spot in my study where my phone line plug box use to be.

The computer modem that was plugged into it at the time was fried, as was the phone and the surge protector they were all plugged into.

So, I had thought it was "an old wives tale", until I heard it and ran around the house checking.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DaveNay]

I've never had a problem talking on the phone during a thunderstorm while relaxing in my bathtub after a long day working. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Sometimes it gets a little hard to hear the person on the phone though, due to the radio I have balanced on the edge of the tub, but it's no big deal compared to how loud the hair dryer is when I am trying to take a shower.

Dave

 

[ByronBob]

Blew out my modem during a storm a year or so ago. Sure being on the phone would be the same type of thing.

 

[SkyPup]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( I've never had a problem talking on the phone during a thunderstorm while relaxing in my bathtub after a long day working. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Sometimes it gets a little hard to hear the person on the phone though, due to the radio I have balanced on the edge of the tub, but it's no big deal compared to how loud the hair dryer is when I am trying to take a shower.

Dave )</font>

ROTFL /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

You sure do like to live dangerously! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[LMTC]

Cordless and cell is all we'll use. Lost a PC, TV, microwave and a number of other things to a nearby ground strike 15 years ago. Good friend (confirmed, I saw the damage) had his wall phone blown off the wall, area around it blackened. No other damage. I would not have wanted to be on that phone.

 

[PitbullMidwest]

About 15 years ago we had a cordless phone that had the older style metal antenna on both the phone and the base. During a thunderstorm, we had a lightning strike near the house and a bolt of electricity shot out of the tip of the base unit's antenna and arced to the phone's antenna that was laying on the counter next to the base. The phone was toast, I also lost my computer in the same strike.

 

[slapshot]

I have lost more modems than any other piece of equipment. Problably 15 or so over the past 20 years. I guess the current that they operate on is so low that it doesn't take much of a spike to fry them. Also generally its straight copper touching copper all the way to the pole not usually any equipment in-between to absorb the spike.

-dave

 

[fishman]

A little over ten years ago I was playing cards at the kitchen table at a place in the country while a thunderstorm raged. Lightning hit "really" close and a ball of green vapor/fire flew out of the unused phone jack by the door right next to me. That and the tremendous thunder clap really got our attention.

 

[boustany]

Now, geez, Junkman, did it ever occur to you the poor fellow got zapped right after speaking with you? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I mean, maybe this poor guy saw your name on the Caller ID and said, I'd better ignore my rule about not talking on the phone and talk to Junkman and tell him I'll call him back because there's a lightning storm.

And just after he said goodbye to you he got zapped!

Anyhow, I have heard this before. I have actually seen lightning strike something and it is very, very impressive.

 

[Junkman]

How perceptive of you....... that is exactly how it happened. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif






wonder if this thread will get closed.. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> I've never had a problem talking on the phone during a thunderstorm while relaxing in my bathtub after a long day working. Sometimes it gets a little hard to hear the person on the phone though, due to the radio I have balanced on the edge of the tub, but it's no big deal compared to how loud the hair dryer is when I am trying to take a shower.
</font>

Dave I have had to replace countless radios for that very same reason. You would think a few of the manufactures might make the 110 volt radios just a bit more waterproof than they are now. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[themichelob]

After losing a couple modems to lightning strikes, I installed phone line surge suppressors on my phone jacks and haven't lost any equipment since. I have had a couple of the supressors get fried, but they are relatively cheap and a good trade-off. I'm not sure if this is a serious thread, but I just thought I'd throw that out...Regards, Mike

 

[Av8r3400]

It must be true, The Mythbuster guys proved it! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

"Jamie want big boom." -Jamie Hyneman

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> I'm not sure if this is a serious thread </font>

Junkman's threads serious? You haven't been around here long have you? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif