Lightning Rod Facts vs Myths Information

Lightning rods attempt to discharge the voltage build-up between earth
and sky/cloud before the flash-over potential gets reached causing
lightning.  How fast one or several pointed lightning rods can accomplish
that movement of a mass of electrons from earth into the sky to reduce the
voltage differential (think of it like discharging a capacitor - a little
bit over time through a resistor, or "all at once" through 0.1 ohms) is the
issue to leave not-enough voltage differential to achieve the catastrophic
flash-over we call lightning.  Large (6 AWG) conductors allow for more
current to flow, discharging the high voltage quicker  (di/dt) reducing the
likelihood of getting hit by making the top of your house or tower static
voltage look like every other blade of grass in the yard, reducing the
approximate 10 kV/m rise in natural voltage above the earth.  Yea, the top
of your 20 meter (~60') tower could be sitting there with 600 kV of
earth-polarity, lightning attracting, static voltage on it without a way to
drain it off, quickly!  Read on

(See attached file: Lightning rod facts vs myths.doc)