Having a nice open area for weather station siting, I decided to install my VP2 according to NWS standards (anemometer at 33 feet). I constructed a steel triangular lattice tower for station mounting. Having heard that static buildup can increase the chances of a lightning strike, I decided good grounding was important. I connected two grounding rods to each leg of the tower with #4 solid copper wire. The station ceased transmitting yesterday, so I went to investigate. Upon opening the transmitter cover and touching the battery, I received a significant electrical shock. It would seem that static had accumulated between the ISS and the structure it is mounted to. Is it ok to allow such static to accumulate? If not, how can I ground the ISS? It would seem to me that the ISS is completely isolated from the structure it is mounted to. All sensor mounting is plastic. Even where steel bolts are used, they hold plastic to the tower. The wire which goes up to the anemometer is, of course, insulated. With no electrical connection between the weather station and the structure it is mounted to, how can static accumulation be prevented? I find no green ground screw inside the transmitter cover.
Davis tech support suggested contacting a licensed contractor to help with grounding issues, but I'm not sure where to find a contractor familiar with the internal circuitry of a VP2.
As a side note, the station resumed transmitting after draining the charge.