[SEL] Totally off topic-just a "rant"

[brent]

Jerry thats been a hell of a week those electrical storms sound horrific i
am pleased though that you and your family are okay.

With electrical storms you never know what they are going to do and are
probaly quite sudden.

We dont get that extreme electrical storms here but even with lightning
about we usually unplug computers and electricals its the only safe method
of protecting them

Often here with lightning diverters on fences lightning will bypass them and
blow up energisers in pump houses etc

 I always wondered do they have earthing rods for  lightning protection for
homes all it is is a metal pipe in the ground would have to be higher than
the roof of the house so the lightning can strike than  they have them on
top of skyscrapers etc That might be worth considering .

Very frustrating with the computer esp how you need it for work at least you
had a backup..

.Hopefully you will get it sorted next week all the

best Brent nz


---- Original Message -----
From: "Jerry Evans" <jerrye at databak.co.za>
To: <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 8:17 AM
Subject: [SEL] Totally off topic-just a "rant"


> Hi Guys,
>          This is a really off topic post but what the heck.
>
>          I've had a really s___t week and just feel like spreading the
load
> amongst my mates.
>
>          I live in an area of South Africa prone to very heavy electrical
> thunderstorms and do have all the necessary "lightning protectors" etc.
> installed on my house, computers and such but in the last 2 weeks we have
> had 2 thunderstorms here, the like of which I've not experienced since
> moving here in 1969. (Can I blame this on America - climate change and the
> like ??) :-)
>
>          The first was at 12:15 one morning about 2 weeks ago. It knocked
> out my telephone lines, my cordless telephone as well as the "lightning
> protector" it was connected through, woke me up, scared the hell out of my
> pets (dogs & cats) and me as well. Remember that this is an area prone to
> heavy storms and I'm used to them but this one was just too close for
comfort.
>
>          The next one was at 5.20 last Saturday morning when we scored a
> "direct hit". It woke me up and my first recollection was of this orange
> fireball in my garden - it slowly faded away and I went and changed my
> shorts :-).  This one lasted for about an hour.
>
>          It knocked out my main computer (also connected through all the
> necessary protection) as well as burst a few underground water pipes (I
> dunno how), broke some windowpanes and took my telephone connections out
> completely. (The Lord alone knows why it did not take out my electricity
as
> well)
>
>          This computer is the one that I do all my business on so I've had
> a pretty stressful week trying to get this fixed. Fortunately all my data
> is still intact and I do have backups but my business revolves around this
> machine and finances preclude me from just going out and building a new
> machine so I had to "fix" this one. I'm sure that many of you do know that
> it's easier to just get a new machine but my whole business is configured
> around his one. (Pentium 4 - 2 Gig)
>
>          Anyway - buy a new motherboard, processor and memory and try to
> get it sorted out using all my existing HD drives, DVD writer, CD Writer,
> video capture card and additional I/O cards.
>
>          HAH !  Get it working only to find that my monitor does not speak
> to the new motherboard, - sort that out but the new motherboard also does
> not have a parallel port ( it has the connection but does not have the
> actual "plug in socket" (everything is USB these days but my signmaking
> plotter only works on parallel - no USB). Back to the supplier (60 miles
> round trip) for the parts.
> Get some totally useless advice from their salesman that could have caused
> my hard drive to crash had I followed it (with my "Data Recovery"
> background I do know a bit about hard drives!).
>
>          That's where I was an hour ago - 8.00 pm Friday night after
having
> wasted a whole week and got next to nothing done.
>
>          Decision to be made - what next ?
>
>          Answer - Pour a "Brandy & Coke" - write a totally irrelevant
> letter to the guys on the SEL and leave the damn computer for tomorrow -
so
> this is that letter :-) ( and I feel better for it - thanks Guys - or
maybe
> it's the other "B&C's" I've poured since starting this post !).
>
> Keep well,
> Jerry
>
> Keep the revs up (or down)
> Jerry Evans
> Near Johannesburg in Sunny South Africa.
> Etched Brass Engine Plates made to order:
> www.oldengine.org/members/evans/plates/index.htm
>
>
>
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