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ABS UK

What lightning protection for a 4 metre steel pole with 4G camera and solar panels installed?

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I have a 4m steel pole with 4G camera and solar panel located on a hillside in Scotland and want to protect against lightening damage. Do I need to install a lightening arrestor to the pole, a lightening 'defuser' or dissipation array, surge protection, or should I set up a separate pole close by (how far) which is taller and has copper wire earthed to the ground? Thanks for your help and advice.  

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Hi. There is no point in any protection ... not down to ground anyway  

 

With your system being solar and 4g you have nothing leaving the pole..... no other equipment to be damaged by lightning strike via cable  

so I would concentrate on how to connect your equipment to a steel pole.

don’t have any contact with equipment and the pole either make heavy plastic brackets to mount you equipment off the pole or another way is to fibreglass 2ft of the top of pole so as your clamps are not in contact with it  

use plastic boxes for your cables and one for mounting your battery in

 

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Thanks for your suggestions. Unfortunately the whole assembly is metal and prefabricated with steel brackets and frame. I was thinking of installing a second steel pole, with more height, close by with copper wire down the middle and earthed to draw any lightning strike away from the camera pole. Do you think this would work and if so how far away should it be sited and any other considerations? Also I see online there is a Chinese company selling 'prevention' systems (looks like an upside down brush) which attach to the camera pole, not sure if anyone has experience with these and if they work? 

Thanks

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1 hour ago, ABS UK said:

Unfortunately the whole assembly is metal and prefabricated with steel brackets and frame.

Ok.  But you can still isolate the equipment from the pole ... either with fibreglass over the bracket areas or using plastic or rubber spacing 

1 hour ago, ABS UK said:

I was thinking of installing a second steel pole, with more height, close by with copper wire down the middle and earthed to draw any lightning strike away from the camera pole. Do you think this would work and if so how far away

This would also be pointless. In fact in would make your problem worse..... not that you have a problem to start with. 
we have lots of PTZ cameras on poles all over the uk .... not one has been hit by lightning 

 

your building a self contained pole system .... nothing leaving the pole. So nothing will protect your camera or solar from direct hit

using another pole with copper or brass strike ground carrier will only give lighting more area to hit being next to another pole but if you had a strike it would only go to ground and back up the other steel pole. 
 

you don’t need to waste money 

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