Anyone's gear actually been hit by lightning?

FlightAware ADS-B Flight Tracking
16

the earth wire is the absolute must - and no insurance will ever pay anything without:

Suitable as ground conductors are:
– a single solid wire with a cross-section of at least 16 mm2 copper, at least 25 mm2 aluminium or at least 50 mm2 steel.

https://www.kathrein.de/fileadmin/media/content/07-Satelliten-%20und%20terrestrische%20Empfangssysteme/antenna_earthing.pdf

http://electrical-engineering-portal.com/lightning-and-surge-protection-for-cable-networks-and-antennas-for-tv-part-2