Andy Cowley wrote in message I still don't believe there is an effective method
of lightening protection for an amateur station that will accept a
direct strike and survive.

There is, but most hams don't do it. Costs money, and everything has
to be set up just right. It's done the same way all other 24 hour
radio/tv stations, etc do it. How many commercial radio stations have
you heard that go off the air when lightning strikes their tower? Not
many I bet. We would never have reliable broadcast TV in this town if
that were the case.. :/ MK