"floating" roof-top mast invisible to lightning?

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wx_junkie:

Hi folks... I hope this will find a good number of readers in this category.

I'm going to be mounting a wireless weather stations sensor suite on my roof using a metal antenna tripod with a 10-foot mast (also metal).  My question to the group is, because the sensors are wireless and I am not running cables down and inside the house, or otherwise grounding the mast, is the mast for all intents and purposes "invisible" to lighting, or will I now have a lighting rod on my roof?

Here is my psuedo-scientific reasoning.  When a thunderstorm passes overhead, the bottom of the cloud is positively charged.  This in turn pushes any positive charge on the ground away, leaving a net negative charge.  Once the differential builds up to a certain point, the discharge happens as lighting, and usually to a tall object, as it is the closest path to the "negative ground".  But with my roof-top mast that is isolated (unless my asphalt shingles conduct when they get wet...), the positive cloud-base cannot push the positive charge on my mast away to net a negative charge, because there is no path for it to do so.  So in essence, it remains neutral, and I am no more likely to get struck.

Does this theory hold water at all?

Thanks very much,

Ray

ArmySlowRdr:

Sounds good but I'm not too scientifically inclined.

Hopefully others will weigh in as I am about to move my anny up to the roof perimeter also using one of Ambients mounting arms with extension.  The anny looks made of plastic. just the poles are metal--about 7 feet are so in length. Is also wirless.

WeatherHost:

Quote from: wx_junkie on July 03, 2012, 03:41:11 PM
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or otherwise grounding the mast, is the mast for all intents and purposes "invisible" to lighting, or will I now have a lighting rod on my roof?
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I believe you'll want the metal mast grounded.

You might want to look at 1-1/2" Schedule 80 PVC pipe and see if it will be strong enough to stay upright in your winds.

wx_junkie:

Quote from: WeatherHost on July 03, 2012, 04:03:19 PM
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I believe you'll want the metal mast grounded.


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Thanks, but... you make no mention of the background behind this.  I could be completely wrong with my analysis and reasoning, and if so, I'm hoping someone can rationalize why and how.  But as I stand now, I see a grounded metal mast to be worse than an ungrounded one.

Ray

ocala:

I can't answer your question but pretty much everything outside is prone to being hit by lightning. I don't know why your mast would be any different. From cows, trees, and homes, to planes, trains, and automobiles.
I don't think anything is lightning proof.
As for a lightning rod I would stay away from that. That attracts lightning.
Hopefully someone can answer your question.

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