Does the oven work as a Faraday cage if hit by lightning

[mjcoon]

Properly designed conductive clothing can also form a protective Faraday cage. Some electrical linemen wear Faraday suits, which allow them to work on live, high-voltage power lines without risk of electrocution. The suit prevents electric current from flowing through the body, and has no theoretical voltage limit. Linemen have successfully worked even the highest voltage (Kazakhstan's Ekibastuz–Kokshetau line 1150 kV) lines safely.[citation needed]

I should like to see that citation! The important point is the insulation. To work on an energised high voltage line you must be at the high voltage. I am not sure quite what the current is flowing to that would be the danger. Perhaps it is just the ionisation current of air breakdown; it would only have to be milliamps to be dangerous... High voltage lines have several separated conductors to reduce the voltage gradient near the conductors to minimise that current. But a worker could have pointy bits!

Mike.

 

[mjcoon]

I have a friend who is a researcher on lightning protection on composite material aircraft, I'll ask what he thinks.

The topic got a mention in a TV program. Of course plane makers are concerned about weight. But apparently a fine light-weight copper gauze in the composite was enough to protect against lightning. (Surprised me!)

Mike.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

I would imagine that in the case of a boat oven it is a matter of degree. Clearly, a Faraday cage doesn't have to be complete in order to function, so in the case of the oven it is a matter of how large the glass aperture is, and perhaps how near the aperture the contents are. I would look on it as an imperfect cage but a lot better than nothing.

Yep. My apologies for posting a Top Gear clip but it's from many years back when it was still marginally watchable.

 

[ex-Gladys]

I have first hand experience of the issues of Faraday cages... but not for lightning protection...

Gladys has Tacktick instruments, and, for reasons too complicated to go into here, I carry a spare hull transmitter. Two years ago I started to get spurious indications of "No Voltage" indicating that one of the transmitters was not receiving power. I'll cut to the chase, having troubleshot every single power connection the issue was the spare transmitter, which despite being in a tin box was switching on, and the internal battery going flat. The solution was dead easy, it's now wrapped in kitchen foil in the tin box.

 

[KellysEye]

>So all equally ineffective in blocking a phone signal

I thought the thread was about lightning.

 

[tudorsailor]

I thought the thread was about lightning.

Mea culpa. I did not realise that blocking a phone signal was different to blocking the electromagnetic energy of lightning. Now I know.

TS

 

[Roberto]

I have bought a Peli box and lined its inside surfaces with adhesive copper foil, the boxes are available in various sizes and can store a satphone, portable vhf, plb, etc.
I have no idea how effective it may be, though it can do no harm.
Likewise I put it inside the oven in thunderstorm areas.

 

[Mister E]

Would an old metal biscuit tin work?

 

[bobalong]

Who will they phone after the apocalpyse anyway?

Vodafone will still want their money

 

[tudorsailor]

Please excuse resurrecting this old thread, that I started. I continued to worry about lightning and how to protect portable electrical items such as laptop, phone, VHF and GPS.
FWIW I thought that I'd share that I have bought a Windowed RF Shield Faraday Bag For Tablet / Laptop 40cm x 30cm (VKF6) from eBay. So lined with copper mesh. Has to be better than the oven!
Tudorsailor

 

[Sianna]

Yep. My apologies for posting a Top Gear clip but it's from many years back when it was still marginally watchable.

I was just looking for the same clip to post, faraday cages don't need to be complete to be effective

 

[Stemar]

I have carried on looking on the web. I discovered that there are numerous discussions about faraday cages and protection against EMP on websites devoted to "Preppers". They are people preparing to survive a disaster which includes a nuclear strike it seems. I'd rather be far away on my boat!

TS

I'd rather be at ground zero. Life after a nuclear war is likely to be nasty, brutish and short, especially for an insulin dependent diabetic.

 

[Boathook]

Just watching that top gear clip reminded me that at school in Leatherhead, Surrey the next door neighbour was the central electrical generating board test site. Back in the 1970's if the school lights went dim we knew that they were about to due some tests with 'lighting'. The noise it gave out was quite good. Site security by todays standards was non existent but we knew not to go to far beyond the rusty fence!
The whole area is now housing and small offices / warehouses.

 

[arcot]

Here's a UK company which weaves a metal mesh for the purpose.

http://www.wiremesh.co.uk/woven-wire-mesh-applications/emi-and-rfi-shielding

You could line a locker with the mesh, and store your sensitive kit in it when you leave the boat, as well as in thunderstorms.

I am trying to find out if such a locker should be connected to the anode/earth system.

Or have them aboard
.
a .metal boat

 

[Daydream believer]

Please excuse resurrecting this old thread, that I started. I continued to worry about lightning and how to protect portable electrical items such as laptop, phone, VHF and GPS.
FWIW I thought that I'd share that I have bought a Windowed RF Shield Faraday Bag For Tablet / Laptop 40cm x 30cm (VKF6) from eBay. So lined with copper mesh. Has to be better than the oven!
Tudorsailor

Why? Will it still warm my meat pies up?

 

[38mess]

Why? Will it still warm my meat pies up?

Fray bentos?

 

[Daydream believer]

Fray bentos?

One would have to wait for a lightening strike to make one of those edible

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Not that I am obsessed, but yes I do use a wallet that blocks RFID on my cards!

TS

I find that having multiple RFID cards next to each other in my wallet means that I have to take them out of my wallet to use them, as they interfere with each other. The only exception is in Hong Kong when I use my Octopus card for transport, and even that isn't 100% reliable.