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:
AW-FG0433-6
- Band: 428-438 MHz
- Gain: 6 dBi
- Polarization: Vertical
AW-FG0890-12
- Band: 824-890 MHz
- Gain: 12 dBi
- Polarization: Vertical
AW-FG1922-11
- Band: 1.9-2.2 GHz
- Gain: 11 dBi
- Polarization: Vertical
AW-FG2400-15
- Band: 2.4-2.5 GHz
- Gain: 15 dBi
- Polarization: Vertical
AW-FG3500-12
- Band: 3.4-3.6 GHz
- Gain: 12 dBi
- Polarization: Vertical
AW-FG5800-12
- Band: 5.7-5.9 GHz
- Gain: 12 dBi
- Polarization: Vertical
Related Topics
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Antenna Lightning Protection in depth
The pages below break antenna lightning protection down by band, by antenna class, by application and by how the antenna gets mounted, each with the catalog models that apply.
By antenna type
- Omnidirectional Fiberglass Antenna for Antenna Lightning ProtectionCollinear omnidirectional antennas in a UV-stable fiberglass radome for 360 degree outdoor coverage. This page covers how the class behaves…11 models
- Directional Panel Antenna for Antenna Lightning ProtectionSector / panel antennas delivering focused gain over a defined azimuth, used for base-station sectorization and fixed point-to-multipoint links. This…23 models
- Yagi-Uda Antenna for Antenna Lightning ProtectionHigh front-to-back ratio directional antennas for long-range point-to-point links and fixed CPE. This page covers how the class behaves specifically…6 models
By application
- Antennas for Public Safety / Land Mobile RadioPublic Safety / Land Mobile Radio places its own demands on the antenna: the link budget, the interference environment and…25 models
- Antennas for 4G / 5G Base-Station Coverage4G / 5G Base-Station Coverage places its own demands on the antenna: the link budget, the interference environment and the…12 models
- Antennas for Fixed Wireless BroadbandFixed Wireless Broadband places its own demands on the antenna: the link budget, the interference environment and the physical install…26 models
By installation
- Antenna Lightning Protection outdoor, pole-mountedMounting decides more of the delivered performance than the datasheet gain does. This page covers outdoor, pole-mounted installs for antenna…41 models
- Antenna Lightning Protection desktop / handheldMounting decides more of the delivered performance than the datasheet gain does. This page covers desktop / handheld installs for…5 models
- Antenna Lightning Protection rooftop mast / balconyMounting decides more of the delivered performance than the datasheet gain does. This page covers rooftop mast / balcony installs…4 models
Selection and reference
- How to Choose Antenna Lightning ProtectionChoosing antenna lightning protection is a sequence of constraints, not a search for the highest number on the datasheet. Band…
- Antenna Lightning Protection Specification ComparisonA side-by-side table of every antenna lightning protection in the catalog, sorted so the gain-versus-size trade-off is visible at a…
- Antenna Lightning Protection: Common QuestionsThe questions that come up most often in antenna lightning protection enquiries, answered with the numbers rather than with generalities.