I have a semi-urban hunting location that I would like to monitor remotely. I have an elevated (~20ft) box blind I am installing off-grid solar system (specs below) in. The purpose is to power a small consumer-grade 4 camera NVR security system using a cell hotspot for connection to the world (and instant notifications of intruders!).
I have all of the above squared away for the most part, but I am concerned that I might want to add fuses and or extra lightning rod type feature to the setup to protect it properly. Prior to this, I've had a game camera and small solar panel combo mounted on a 2x4 post at the top of this blind for 2 years without any sort of surge-related issues. There are lots of tall trees around. Here's a pic:
The new solar setup I've installed is a 180 watt panel and 2 deep cycle 12 volt batteries and renogy controller and inverter. The panel is mounted to 2x4 frame which is ratchet strapped to the blind (didn't want to put a bunch of fastener holes into the blind itself.
Specific questions:
- Would adding fuses in line with the power supply for the nvr provide any lightning protection?
- Would adding a lightning rod to the blind be prudent?
- Should I consider myself lucky that my previous game camera setup survived unscathed for 2 seasons?