Calculate the height
A lightning rod is a mast from a conductive material. Mast driven in the ground, and quite deep. If you build a lightning rod for all the rules, its lower end should be recessed to the aquifer. The height of the lightning rod is calculated as follows. Imagine that dug into the ground the pole is the height of the cone. The apex of the cone coincides with the top point of the pole, the angle between the height and generatrix is 45°. All that falls inside this cone will be protected.
Select a location to install the pole. Guide from this point on the ground straight so that all the buildings were inside the imaginary cone. The longest of these lines will be equal to the height of the aerial part of the mast. To that value add to the depth of the pit to the aquifer.
The cross section of the imaginary cone is an isosceles right triangle. All calculations can be performed by using the Pythagorean theorem.
Materials
The material from which you will make the lightning rod must be electrically conductive. Most suitable ordinary iron pipe. The part can be painted for corrosion protection. The end that will be at the top, leave not. Sometimes in the villages you can see the wooden lightning rods, which only the upper part is made of metal. It is believed that the wood moisture begins to conduct electricity. This is not true, because the rain water practically does not conduct current. But the wooden parts can be used. On the wooden pole should fill the long pieces of metal wire or metal tape. This is best done using the most common nails. Need more stretching pieces metal wire and the supports for them. The amount of stretch marks consider the condition to damage one of them or even multiple pole fell.
The ends of the metal wire should go into the aquifer.
The installation of a lightning rod
Iron mast should stand strictly vertically. Below to do additional metal loop. This will improve the protective properties and will make the mast more stable. Streamers attach to the mast and to the stakes with screws.
A lightning rod without a mast
To put a separate lightning rod is not necessary if you have a house with a high roof. In this case, the lightning rod is the highest point of the roof (e.g., spire). But you need to make a ground connection, that is simply attach to the edge of the roof a metal wire, the other end stretching to the ground.
