Grounding of Telemetry System

[CuriousElectron]

Hi Guys,

Would you recommend installing a lightning rod above Yagi antenna installed on a metal post? My thinking here is that the lightning rod would protect the antenna to prevent the lightning hitting the antenna directly. The Telemetry station is a pretty simple one, but is installed at a high attitude in the mountains.

Please share your thoughts.

Thanks,
EE

 

[VEBill]

The concept of diverting lightning towards a more tempting target is generally valid, but the implementation details are critical.

Here's a view of NASA's 'Lightning Towers' to show an example:

Right off the bat, you need to follow the current from your lightning rod to ground. Then consider parallel conductors (i.e. the coaxial cable) as acting like the other half of a single-turn transformer winding. Then imagine the resulting huge spark (maybe 40cm in length) arcing from the transmitter end of the coax cable.

While the main strike can essentially vaporize smaller hardware, the currents induced into nearby conductors are fully capable of destroying electronic equipment.

So, what other measures are you considering?

Also, does the system have solar panels and outdoor sensors?