Old Tech thread

Dave said:
Depending on what the handle, pole and ribs were made of. From the picture, they look like they're same material as the conductor. :eek:
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And I suspect there probably isn't enough distance between the end of the rib and the man's hat. Still, I bet the inventor/vendor made some money out of it, starting a whole trend of profiteering from people's fears...
 
It must be scary when it strikes though.
And carrying round a personal lightning conductor would make it more likely that you or at least it, was hit than if you weren't carrying it.
 
Ursa major said:
But at least it isn't completely pointless....
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picard-meme-facepalm.jpg
 
Pyan said:
18th-century post-Ben Franklin personal protection against lightning strikes.
The thing dangling down is a grounding wire, so, theoretically, it could actually work....

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To play the pedant here, he would almost certainly get zapped by the ground effect. Not to mention being taken out by the umbrella exploding. Lightning ground effect is something I'm aware of from my climbing days: Understanding Lightning: Ground Current. If it doesn't kill you it can stun you and when climbing that can be equally lethal!
 
Pyan said:
And I suspect there probably isn't enough distance between the end of the rib and the man's hat. Still, I bet the inventor/vendor made some money out of it, starting a whole trend of profiteering from people's fears...
Click to expand...
Bonus benefit -- you become the pied piper for cats!
 
Pyan said:
18th-century post-Ben Franklin personal protection against lightning strikes.
The thing dangling down is a grounding wire, so, theoretically, it could actually work....

Click to expand...
This seems quite similar to lightning rods attached to buildings or the grounding wires attached to large trees. The most significant difference is that this doesn't have an embedded stake into the ground. Wet leather boots might provide a more attractive path to ground than a drug wire, possibly leading to arcing. Rubber boots might suffice and keep electric flow on the surface rather than going through the soles of the feet.
 
Vertigo said:
To play the pedant here, he would almost certainly get zapped by the ground effect. Not to mention being taken out by the umbrella exploding. Lightning ground effect is something I'm aware of from my climbing days: Understanding Lightning: Ground Current. If it doesn't kill you it can stun you and when climbing that can be equally lethal!
Click to expand...
You can be as pedantic as you like! I might also add that this device would actually make a person slightly more likely to be struck in the first place.
 
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