Radiopower.org destroyed by a lightning strike!!!!

[benburch]

I just received the following note from Shelby. Please pass this on to any radiopower listeners you may know!

My building was struck by lightning during a storm that suddenly rolled in
around 10 pm last night. It was a pretty freaky experience. I could actually
hear and feel the pulsing of electricity. It wiped out computers, servers, 10
drives, archive files, mixer consols, and started a small electrical fire. I'm in
the process of determining what's lost and what can be saved. I've managed to
take apart a server and 3 fried desktop computers and use the parts to get
the RadioPower main server back online. The station will limp along like this
for the next few weeks (or as long as it can) but without emergency fundraiser
of $5000 minimum that won't last very long.

Direct all donors to www.RadioPower.org/donations

I'm still in a state of shock and trying to get my bearings. If you need to
contact me please use this address until further notice.

Thanks for your patience,

Shelby LaPre
RadioPower.org

[ncrainbowgrrl]

1. Oh my goodness.

:cry:

I'm one of those radiopower users. How horrible... I wish I could raise the whole bit myself and hand off a giant check... :cry:

but I will kick this message so that others can see it.

:kick:

[benburch]

4. Thanks!

Shelby is a good person.

[acmejack]

2. Unbelievable!

Does this crap ever end? The Royal Checkbook grows increasingly thin...

[TheBaldyMan]

3. K&R'd n/t

[Poiuyt]

5. Kick - I love radiopower.org

[benburch]

6. BTW, folks, this was in spite of UPS systems!

Shelby is no fool. But no UPS or surge protector can save you from a direct hit.

[Canuckistanian]

8. No, but proper lightning rods on his building would have

I know a lot of people don't think about it, but almost any building can be hit by lightning, even small buildings surrounded by larger ones.

I don't know what his situation is, but he might consider getting some lightning protection.

Unless it was a freak occurence, like coming in through power lines or telephone lines.

My father's home has been hit three times by lightning despite my warning him that he should get a lightning rod.

[benburch]

9. Well, she rents.

So that isn't really an option.

I've worked testing building entry protectors for phone lines and etc, and there is a limit to how much energy you can carry to ground with a Cook Electric type gas tube or with any semiconductor SCR or MOV. Those things can protect you from NEARBY lightning strikes, but never from a direct hit. The fact that this caused a fire in her residence tells me that the building was struck, or the power pole right outside the building was struck.

As I know she lives in an older building, likely the copper ground rod is no longer very good. Perhaps enough to look grounded to a ground testing device, but not enough to carry off significant energy.

All-in-all it is a tragic thing that happened to her, and I hope people will help her get on her feet. She has been doing streaming Liberal radio for even longer than I have.

[Canuckistanian]

15. Sorry to hear that

I didn't know there was a fire involved.

Strange, if this had happened to a Republican broadcaster, she (sorry for the gender error) would have been FLOODED with compensatory funds in order to keep that message going out.

Liberals are constantly on a shoestring budget, depending on volunteer efforts, grassroots support and the occasional large doantion (Where the hell is George Soros when you need him?)

That's the difference between liberal and conservative media machines. One is funded and the other barely survives.

p.s., the secret is Gas discharge tubes, "soil doping" and ground radials. But I know this is beyond the budgets of us lowly "amateurs"

[benburch]

16. We do "Bake Sale Radio" here on the left.

But you know, the people who help us do it are all saints.

We don't need Richard Mellon-Scaife, we have y'all.

[PetraPooh]

7. No insurance to cover the damages?

[benburch]

10. I doubt it.

She has always been running a very hand-to-mouth operation. And she rents.

[PetraPooh]

11. Seems you should find out for sure before you ask for donations.

Don't mean to seem callous, but does seem like the proper course of events. I for one would be quite put out if I found I was double funding a recovery effort.

[benburch]

13. Just checked, and nope. No insurance.

But then she would never have sent me that note asking for help if there had been any.

[helderheid]

12. K & R

[benburch]

14. Shelby asked me to clarify;

It's not destroyed: Just very fucked up!

(I like to keep things accurate)

Thanks for the posting!

[benburch]

17. Including my donation...

Shelby is up for $400 now.

BTW, Equipment donations would also be really good. Like, if you have an old 400MHz Mac G3 tower, or a working iMac, or a Mixing board, or some external USB hard drives you no longer use, I am quite certain she could use it, and you should write to her at webmaster AT radiopower DOT org.

[benburch]

18. Kick!

:kick:

[benburch]

19. Kick!

:kick:

[WhiteTara]

20. If you have renter insurance or homeowners

you can have your equipment replaced. Sorry for your loss.

[benburch]

21. Not my loss. Shelby's loss.

And an uninsured loss, sadly.

Basically, if you like radiopower, she needs your help. Without that, I doubt she will be able to keep it going much longer.

[benburch]

24. Actually, in a greater sense, everybody loses. nt

[YouthInAsia]

22. I'm listenig to them right now. Myabe they fixed it.

[benburch]

23. No...

She's cobbled together enough half-working stuff to get a signal out.

But it's unlikely she can keep that up for long given the state of what she has left.

[YouthInAsia]

33. dan, that sucks, I love their site. I will have to find another stream for

Thomm Hatrmann:)

[benburch]

34. Well, should you need to, White Rose has a stream of Hartmann too.

But I really do hope that Shelby can continue.

[YouthInAsia]

38. I didnt know White Rose streamed hartmann. Thanks for

letting me know. I love your site (White rose) and use it frequently. Did you know your link for the jay MArving show hasnt worked in quite some time? I usually downlaod his show after the Malloy show goes off the air at night.

[benburch]

40. Yikes! No, I didn't know!

Looks like the upload process for that got frozen quite some time ago, and has prevented any further copies of itself from running!!!

This is why I should reboot more often...

I'll fix it for tomorrow.

[KharmaTrain]

25. Any Software Needed?

I've tried to search the site for more info...didn't find anything when I looked last night. Maybe there's something I can do to help. I've got streaming and audio facilities and may be of help...if so, have someone PM me.

Cheers...

[benburch]

28. Write to her.

webmaster AT radiopower DOT org

[KharmaTrain]

29. I Tried On Friday Night...No Reply So Far

Oh well...one tried.

Best of luck.

[benburch]

31. Email me at benburch AT pobox DOT com

And I'll make sure she gets the message.

[Twist_U_Up]

26. Are you sure it was lightning ?

Perhaps it was (in your words) "The nutcases in the 9-11 forum"

just sayin

[benburch]

27. Nice personal attack.

Yes, Shelby is sure it was lightning.

[RebelOne]

30. Lightning strikes can really do a job on electronics.

My satellite dish was hit by lightning a few years ago. It wiped out my satellite box, my TV and my VCR. I was fortunate that my insurance covered it. I don't even think a surge protecter could have averted it.

[benburch]

32. A surge box only helps you with induced current from distant strikes.

You know how they are rated in joules?

Like 17,000 joules?

A direct lightning stroke is more like a billion joules.

[RebelOne]

36. Well, I got billion joules from that lightning strike.

Fried everything.

[benburch]

39. Ouch. nt

[Swamp Rat]

35. Oh NO!!!

My FAVORITE radio station!!!

I wish I could help... FUCK! :(

[benburch]

37. I wish I could help more.

But I just paid my taxes... And had to cut a check for seven large. OUCH.

[benburch]

41. kick!

:kick:

[mwb970]

42. Sounds like the work of Pat Robertson. (n/t)