[plug] lightning, Re: modem

[Denis Brown]

At 02:59 PM 15/06/2006, Jonathan Young wrote:

> >The power was off for over an hour. When I went through to power
> >things up again, I found that the VCR was dead, as well as a modem and
> >network card in one of the PCs that was on. Everything else was
> >unaffected.
>
>Why is the VCR always on the list of casualties?

Possibly because the VCR has an external (usually roof-mounted) antenna 
attached?   Depending on where the damage is though - VCR power supply, 
tuner, RF output module, ...

Might be interesting to muse on the likelihood of modem damage these days 
in suburbs with underground power.   To my way of thinking if the power 
source is underground and the signal route (Telstra lines) also underground 
there should be less chance of strike damage.   Unless of course the strike 
was quite local, then I think the rules break.

I had a monitored alarm succumb to lightning several years ago - my suburb 
has above-ground power still - and the fault was the surge-protecting 
varistor took it in the neck, earthing one side of the Telstra pair which 
also disabled our landline 'phone.

Denis