How to protect a SAT receiver from lightning strikes

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BEFORE YOU START
  • The below describes how to reduce the impact of a lightning strike on a satellite receiving equipment. It does not guarantee the avoidance of damage to the equipment.​
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Context of the lightning strike on a house

Lightning strikes on exposed houses with or without lightning protection systems could lead to many damages especially to electronic equipment. It typically damages:
  • The lightning protection device itself when fitted
  • Circuit breakers and switches
  • Lights, especially LED's and CFL's
  • Socket outlets
  • All appliances: fridge, TV set, SAT receiver, Audio equipment, etc.
  • Even roof tiles...
The lightning strike in this particular case came through the SAT dish on the roof down to the TV and audio/video equipment through the SAT cable and destroyed the receiver. 
The receiver in turn damaged the TV set through the HDMI cable connection.
None of the equipment was operating at the time this happened, the lightning found its way to earth through the neutral wire.

The damages can be costly and include:
  • Replacing the TV set
  • Replacing the receiver
  • Replacing the LNB
  • Replacing the HDMI cable
  • Repainting the wall
  • Etc.

How to protect the satellite receiver from lightning

There are lightning protection devices (lightning protector, lightning arrester) specially designed for coax RG6 or RG59 cables and that mount inline with the cable.
Simply fit a lightning arrester within the cable itself or at the entrance of the receiver.
The receiver lightning protector has no impact on the signal strength or image quality.
It has a built-in F-plug on one side and a female F-connector on the other side in a manner to be installed without the need for any tool.
The ones that are more efficient do have a ground wire connector.
That's it!.

See also...