Bummer!

[tex]

Hi All,

We just had a close lightening strike, and it killed my wireless modem and my wireless adaptor. It also destroyed several of the USB ports on this computer, but everything else seems to be fine. I don't know exactly where the strike landed, because I had gone to the mailbox and then stopped at my brother's place to talk to him for a while, when it struck. When I got back, the computer was still running, but there was no video. I was afraid that the motherboard or video adapter were dead, but when I rebooted the computer, it booted normally (except that it wouldn't recognize the wireless modem, and several USB ports are now non-functional. Since I use a parabolic dish antenna for the wireless modem, it probably collected enough electricity from the air to zap everything connected, even though the strike was probably not particularly close. It doesn't appear that the dish was struck, and it's well-grounded, also.

I finally managed to access the internet so that I could log on here, by using a spare wireless adapter that I had for another computer, and using my cell phone as a wireless modem.

There's no high-speed internet service available out here in the boondocks, so I have to depend on a wireless modem designed for laptops, in order to get any decent speed out of my connection with this desktop PC. Remember the government program that was supposed to bring high-speed internet service to everyone (several years ago)? Apparently they forgot about a lot of rural areas.

I thought I should mention this, because cell phone reception is highly variable in the fringe area where I live — sometimes the data service is amazingly fast, and sometimes it's non-existent, so if I should disappear, you'll know why. Hopefully I can locate a new modem soon.

Tex

[Martha]

Hi, Tex. I'm glad the lightning strike didn't do any more damage.

Sometimes I think I would like to live out in the boondocks, but I'd probably miss phone service, internet, TV, e-mail, and Skype, which keeps me in contact with my kids in Thailand. When we lived in Indonesia, we were often out of contact with the "outside" for months at a time. We had a shortwave radio for news, but turn-around time for letters to the States was about a month, and we only got our mail when we went out the the city. That was back before we expected instant communications.

Martha

[tex]

That was back before we expected instant communications.

Yep, these days most of us wouldn't know what to do with ourselves if we lost our ability to communicate.

Tex

[Joefnh]

That is good you did not get any further damage, lighting does like to run around the electrical bits throughout the house. Don't be too supposed is something that's working now fails in the not too distant future, this level of electrical charge can cause a lot of stress to the various circuits. Do you have a lighting arrestor for the coax coming from your parabolic dish before it enters the house?

[Zizzle]

Sounds like my parents on the farm in Guatemala. We have no idea when they'll lose power or internet. Seems almost weekly!

[tex]

Do you have a lighting arrestor for the coax coming from your parabolic dish before it enters the house?

No. I no longer bother to install them on any antennas. Years ago my brother had a CB antenna on a mast that extended above his house. It had a lightening arrestor, and the mast was properly grounded, and he had lightening rods on his roof. Lightening hit the antenna, followed the mast down and blew a hole in the ground roughly a foot deep. It also followed the coax cable (which was disconnected from any radios at the time, and the terminal end was just lying on the carpet under his desk. It caught the carpet on fire, blew the hot water handle off the faucet at the kitchen sink, and turned the water on. It killed his automatic washing machine and several other appliances (just as you mentioned). If they hadn't been home to put out the fire on the carpet, the house would have been a goner.

Anyway, we came to the conclusion that trying to control a lightening strike is wishful thinking, because it's probably going to do whatever it wants to do, and the so-called protective devices sold for home use seem to be woefully inadequate if lightening actually strikes.

Sounds like my parents on the farm in Guatemala. We have no idea when they'll lose power or internet. Seems almost weekly!

Yep, we had a rash of that last spring (we're on the end of the line, out here, which seems to increase the odds of losing power.

Tex

[Gabes-Apg]

Tex
i am just pleased that you didnt get hit while you were venturing to the letterbox!!!

[MaggieRedwings]

Thank heavens you are safe Tex and that it was just computer problems - not great but you are OK. I am the one who loves my computer but the heck with all the other techno garbage - no cell phone, no skype, no notebook, Ipad etc. Just can't take it and would love to live in the boondocks.

Love, Maggie

[ant]

if I should disappear, you'll know why. Hopefully I can locate a new modem soon.

That would be like a total eclipse of the Sun.

Best, ant

[Deb]

[fatbuster205]

What or where are the boondocks?? Very glad you were not stuck by lightening Tex - that would have been horrible!
Anne

PS Have just ordered my third copy of the book for my GP!

[tex]

Hi Anne,

Well, one definition of boondocks refers to uninhabited backwoods areas or swamps, but another (one that applies to me) refers to remote rural areas. I live in farming country, far enough from the cities that things such as phone service, internet service, etc., are mediocre to poor, because I'm a little beyond their normal reach. Even electrical power suffers somewhat, because when you're on the end of the line, voltages are sometimes low, which can cause electric motors to overheat, and that shortens their life. Usually, though, things work OK.

Tex

P. S. Well thank you — you're really helping to get the book into the hands of medical professionals. I hope they don't become upset with you, if they don't like the book.

[Gloria]

I'm glad you're OK, Tex. I hope you can easily replace the fried items on your computer.

Gloria

[MBombardier]

Obviously, I am a little late on this... but I want to add my gratitude that you are okay. I used to know someone whose house caught on fire when she was a little girl because lightning struck the TV. She and her brother ran down the stairs with the wall beside them on fire.

We have mild thunderstorms up here. Sometimes I think I miss the rip-roaring ones in the Midwest, then I realize that I really don't.