1/2 wave Silver Rod, static build up and lightning

Hi,
I’ve taken the plunge to get back into CB.
I’ve gone for my old basics to start with.
Initially, I’m going to mount a 1/2 wave Silver Rod on a six foot pole in the garden about 30m from the transceiver.
Until I find the best location for the antenna, I’m adopting the
“Poke the six foot pole through a heavy outside pub table with a cast iron umbrella stand at the bottom to secure it.
I’m thinking of the dangers of close lightning strikes and static build up.
I always disconnected my old sets from the antennas when not in use.
Would it be any help to attach an earthing rod to the base/bracket of the antenna or would I be actually “inviting” lighting to say “oooh, a nice pointy thing attached to earth”?
What do you guys think?
Cheers,
Jim
26 CT 3427

Don't think I'd be overly concerned here in the UK. If you get a direct strike it wouldn't matter a toss because there's not enough metal in the antenna or the pole not to get blown to bits in almost an instant. If you're doing proper lightning protection it needs to be far more substantial than the bit of 6mm or 10mm earth wire into a thin ground rod many people think sufficies. Towers use wide and thick copper straps.

Thanks Northern Crusader,
I’ll keep it disconnected while I’m not using it as normal and keep a eye on the weather..!
Cheers
Jim
26 CT 1327

If there's DC continuity to earth from the radiator (which there is on many 1/2 waves, but not all), ordinary static will leak away without doing anything else. If there is a thunderstorm nearby I'd disconnect the power as well as the antenna, because near misses can put voltage spikes or induce current in wiring, but you'd be unlucky to have even a near miss.

Years ago when I was a kid, I had an old valve driven HF receiver.
I stretched out a copper wire from my bedroom window to a wooden post on the shed.
The wire just went straight into the set into a terminal. There was an Earth terminal next to it but I didn’t earth it.
One night there was a close lighting strike, and I saw and heard an arc jumping from the antenna terminal to the earth terminal.
I presume it was earthed through the mains power supply.
That memory has always stayed with me.
Also, many years later, operating with a Silver Rod during a thunderstorm...heaven knows why? But I remember the the RX chat disappearing into the back of the box then a buzzing sound rising in tone until there was a close lightning strike, then the channel opened up.
I disconnected very quickly after that..!
Cheers
Jim
26 CT. 3427