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[KI7AAR]

So I've been on the road most every week for the past few months and missing alot of radio time.  Setting up a remote rig is on my mind but, Eastern Washington can get pretty some pretty good lightening storms.  I disconnect antennas, tuners, etc. when hitting the road to protect my gear but, it's a little hard to remotely connect to your gear if it isn't plugged in. 

To make it worse my house is carved into a huge hillside rock and a good ground really isn't available.  (A side story; The XYL went to plant flower last spring and hit rock everywhere at 3" so she has about a hundred potted flowers now.)   The ground rod at the antenna goes down about a foot and then takes off diagonally under a tree after hitting solid rock.  The three rods at the entry point to the shack are 4 - 5' deep but they are just in pockets of dirt and decomposing leaves (soon to be dirt) between rock and the foundation.

So how do you remote folks deal with lightening protection?  Is a remote rig in my future at this QTH or should I just save this idea for the next QTH that might actually have a decent ground?  Thanks for any advice that you can offer.

[AA4HA]

It is a similar problem for many mountaintop repeaters (I have done a few out in that part of the country). We put down lots and lots of radials, even across bare rock or under a very thin layer of dirt; it is tedious to do (hand digging).

I might suggest installing a remotely controlled antenna relay that leaves (by default) your antenna disconnected and switches the radio in to a dummy load when not in use.

[KI7AAR]

Thanks, AA4HA.  I'm a little weak on radials, have three 20' radials at the antenna ground. It's a non-resonant inverted L with an AH-4 remote tuner. There is so much brush that it would be challenge to do several radials.  Since this a temporary (rental) QTH I don't want to clear the property.  We recently relocated and plan to buy a house in the spring so maybe I'll just wait until I can do it right at the new QTH.

I like the remote relay and dummy load idea and I'll save that one in back of my mind.

73s

[F1RAF]

You might use the Paradan disconnect device that permits to disconnect antenna, shorten coax and put everything to a ground when 12V is off. I have been using use a pair of those but haven't yet faced to a real thunderstorm at my station.
https://paradanradio.com/t/lightning-surge-supression

[AA4PB]

The relay is a good idea to protect against induced currents from a lightning strike to a nearby object but I wouldn't count on the relay's small "open circuit" spacing to provide much protection against a strike to the antenna or tower. It might be better to have the relay connect the antenna to ground when not in use, or a double-pole to put the antenna to ground and the radio to a dummy load.

[WD4HXG]

I prefer using ‘definite purpose contractors’. The contacts
are beefier and when the contacts are open there is a
much larger gap between the contacts. Wire it so if there
is an AC Power failure it fails open. If you use field mills or
other lightning detectors you can have the lightning detection
system refuse to gate power to the contactors or relays
until the electrical storm has moved out of range.