I quite like some the projects they do such as the pizza oven from last week and that, and I like how 'non fake' it is. What I mean is when things haven't worked they don't work! They don't cheat. I was looking forward to see the rocket triggered lightning this episode and the melted sand thing with it but they didn't manage it and I was a bit disappointed!
I work in lightning protection so I was really looking forward to it as well. However, lightning is notoriously difficult to predict even with all the fancy kit they were using. Looking at the setup they were using I am not sure that they would have gotten a decent fulgurite out of that sand had a strike come down the line. The sand was contained in a metal drum from what I could tell, the arc would have most likely flashed from the line to the top edge of the container and then down to earth. Also how well was the bottom of the container earthed? It's all well and good to gauge the charge build up in the clouds above but a discharge also requires a build up of an opposite charge in the ground (whether that be positive or negative). The odds were always going to be heavily stacked against them pulling this off but it would have been an awesome sight if they had managed it. The way I would go about it would be to use a tall static installation placed in an area of the country that has a high strike density, somewhere around Northamptonshire or north Derbyshire as both of those areas have a strike density of about 1 strike per km² per year, the areas they were using are about half that. Fit the mast or down-conductor with a strike counter and leave it to be struck, it may take some time (and it may not happen at all) but weekly or monthly checks especially during times of favourable conditions should show something.
Yeh I agree with that I also found it odd they put the wire on the rocket and not let the rocket pull the wire off the ground. It also looked very thin and I had a feeling it was breaking before it got to the cloud.
I watched it last night and came to the conclusion that the cats with cams was a bit set up to be honest. But it is an enjoyable program and beats most of the crap we get fed. I'm kind of jelous of Mr May in a way. He has a great life and has played with some great toys. His trip to the edge of space was pretty special, I hope he realises how blessed he is.
I really do like James May and the programs he has presented. The one where he almost went into space is absolutely my favourite.
The cats with cams bit was awful in my opinion. Who would strap a go pro round a cats neck, seriously? Its like using a giant vhs camcorder by today's standards. There are much smaller HD camera gear that can record to SD card In HD (1080p) and can transmit simultaneously, just look at fpv gear for multi rotors and fixed wing craft. The horyzonHD would have been a much better option.