COMMUNICATION SYSTEM COMPRISING LIGHTNING PROTECTION

摘要

At least the power portion of the transmitter and the front end of the recei ver of base station of a wireless communication system (70) are advantageously co-l ocated with the antenna (or antennae), typically atop a tower or other elevated feature. Such co-location however exposes the electronics to lightning damage. This is avo ided by placement of the electronics and antenna (101) into lightning protection app aratus that is transparent to rf radiation during lightning-quiescent conditions but is a F araday cage during a lightning strike, reverting to the transparent condition at the con clusion of the strike. This is achieved by placement of the electronics and antenna inside a housing that comprises a dielectric chamber (11, 12) filled with ionizable gas in contact with electrodes (14, 15) selected such that, during a lightning strike, current c an flow between the electrodes.