Skip to content
Request a Quote

Technical Library

Antenna Lightning Protection and Grounding

An elevated antenna is frequently the highest conductive point on a structure and therefore a preferred lightning attachment point. A correct protection and grounding scheme protects both equipment and people.

Overview

This guide explains how antenna lightning protection are engineered, where they are deployed, and how to choose the right model for a real installation. Lightning protection does not affect RF range but a poorly grounded site will repeatedly lose equipment to surges, so it is integral to link availability over time.

Recommended Antenna Types

The following antenna classes are best matched to antenna lightning protection:

Omnidirectional Fiberglass Antenna

Collinear omnidirectional antennas in a UV-stable fiberglass radome for 360 degree outdoor coverage.

Directional Panel Antenna

Sector / panel antennas delivering focused gain over a defined azimuth, used for base-station sectorization and fixed point-to-multipoint links.

Yagi-Uda Antenna

High front-to-back ratio directional antennas for long-range point-to-point links and fixed CPE.

Applications and Use Cases

Antenna Lightning Protection support a range of deployments. The most common are:

  • Public Safety / Land Mobile Radio
  • 4G / 5G Base-Station Coverage
  • Fixed Wireless Broadband

Mounting and Installation

Mount a surge arrestor at the building entry point, bond the mast and all connector shells to a single-point ground, and keep ground conductors short and straight to minimize inductance.

Lightning Protection and Grounding

Use a coaxial surge arrestor matched to the operating band, a dedicated ground bar, and a low-impedance bond to the building grounding electrode system per the applicable standard.

Standards and Compliance

Designs and deployments in this area commonly reference:

  • NFPA 780 lightning protection
  • Motorola R56 grounding
  • IEC 62305

Selection and Comparison

When narrowing down a model for antenna lightning protection, weigh these trade-offs:

  • Gas-discharge vs. quarter-wave arrestor
  • Single-point vs. multi-point ground
  • Bonding vs. earthing

Typical gain for this category is n/a, usually terminated in a n/a connector, though the interface can be customized.

Recommended Antennas from astronwireless.com

The following models from our catalog match the requirements discussed above:

Related Topics

Find Your Antenna

Specify your exact requirements and get a matched recommendation:

Antenna Configurator

Specify your requirements and get a matched antenna recommendation in seconds.

Advanced filters (dimension limits)

Submit Your Inquiry

Technical Parameters
Business Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Which applications are antenna lightning protection best suited for?

Common applications include Public Safety / Land Mobile Radio, 4G / 5G Base-Station Coverage, and Fixed Wireless Broadband. Lightning protection does not affect RF range but a poorly grounded site will repeatedly lose equipment to surges, so it is integral to link availability over time.

How should antenna lightning protection be mounted?

Mount a surge arrestor at the building entry point, bond the mast and all connector shells to a single-point ground, and keep ground conductors short and straight to minimize inductance.

Do antenna lightning protection need lightning protection?

Use a coaxial surge arrestor matched to the operating band, a dedicated ground bar, and a low-impedance bond to the building grounding electrode system per the applicable standard.

Which standards apply to antenna lightning protection?

Relevant standards and references include NFPA 780 lightning protection, Motorola R56 grounding, and IEC 62305.

How do I get a quote for antenna lightning protection?

Use the antenna configurator on this page to specify your frequency, gain, polarization and mounting requirements. Submit the inquiry and an engineer from astronwireless.com will respond within one business day with matched models and pricing.