Re the comment

>        There is probably not that much to worry about on a clear day except
>for damage to FET's, but be sure to look out for
>unsettled weather so you can live to tell about it.

I am putting together a small network of PIC data loggers, at the top of
ten foot poles, RS485 networked together, buried power and net cables.
What should I worry about re lightning, etc, and how do people typically
protect devices (not to mention the expensive PC at the end of the network:
I did absorb the advice about opto-isolation for the PC).  Pardon me if
this is a previously beaten horse, I'll search the archive too.

Bruce