A certified installer returns to a worksite three weeks after installing an early streamer emission (ESE) lightning rod: the visit costs several hundred euros, takes half a day — and the lightning rod was working perfectly. This scenario is repeated every storm season , throughout Europe and internationally.
868 MHz radio monitoring is a game changer. The Contact@ir , developed by LPS France , allows remote verification of the status of a lightning protection installation compliant with IEC 62305 (and its national application NF C 17-102) — without systematic travel, without additional tools, from a smartphone.
In this article, discover how this radio architecture works, what concrete advantages it brings for compliance, and in which cases the Contact@ir MD (with integrated SIM) takes over on isolated sites.
Why does NF C 17-102 mandate regular monitoring of lightning rods?
NF C 17-102:2011 standard (French equivalent of IEC 62305-3 for early streamer emission lightning rods) requires periodic maintenance of lightning protection installations:
- Annual inspection required after each storm season
- Visual inspection and measurement of earth resistance
- Lightning strike counter reading (via Compt@ir or equivalent)
- A documented report that can be sent to the insurer or the client
The problem: without remote monitoring, each check requires a physical visit . On multi-site installations (industrial park, telecom antenna network, university campus), the cost of preventive maintenance visits can represent 30 to 50% of the annual maintenance budget.
868 MHz radio supervision directly addresses this constraint: it allows us to know before moving whether an intervention is really necessary.
The Contact@ir architecture: three components, one coherent logic
Contact@ir system is based on a radio architecture with three complementary components , each adapted to a specific usage context.
Contact@ir — the transmitter integrated into the lightning rod
The Contact@ir is the transmitter installed directly on the PDA (early flashing device lightning rod) or the ESE. It transmits the electrical status of the lightning rod via 868 MHz radio: presence of voltage, strike count, circuit integrity.
The 868 MHz frequency (European ISM band) offers excellent range in urban and industrial environments, without requiring local network infrastructure.
Dongl@ir — the mobile receiver for field operations
The Dongl@ir is a portable receiver (range ~100 m) used by the technician during their visits. It connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth and displays the data transmitted by the Contact@ir in real time.
- Scale-free diagnosis : reading data from the ground
- Saves time : validation in seconds
- Traceability LPS France mobile application
Rout@ir — the fixed receiver connected to the LPS Manager cloud
The Rout@ir is the fixed gateway (range ~300 m) that continuously transmits data from the Contact@ir to the cloud, via WiFi or LAN. It directly feeds the LPS Manager , enabling continuous monitoring without on-site presence.
On a network of 20 geographically dispersed lightning rods, a single LPS Manager dashboard displays the status of each device in real time — including automatic alerts in case of detected impact .
Contact@ir MD: the solution for isolated sites
Some sites have neither WiFi nor LAN available: high voltage pylons, wind turbines, water towers, telecom relays in the mountains, isolated industrial installations in sub-Saharan Africa or Latin America.
For these contexts, LPS France has developed the Contact@ir MD : a variant with integrated SIM (eSIM IoT) which transmits directly via mobile network (2G/4G), without any local infrastructure required.
- Operational as soon as it's powered on, plug-and-play
- Compatible with all operators (international roaming)
- Ideal for multi-site asset portfolios in constrained environments
- Data is sent to LPS Manager exactly like Rout@ir
NF C 17-102 compliance: what supervision changes in concrete terms
Beyond operational comfort, radio supervision has a direct impact on the documentary compliance required by the IEC 62305 and NF C 17-102 standards.
Interventions triggered by data, not by a schedule
Supervision allows us to move from systematic preventive to condition-based maintenance based on data : we intervene when necessary, not because a date dictates it .
According to field feedback from European and North African installers using Contact@ir , 40 to 70% of annual preventive visits prove unnecessary after deployment of monitoring.
Time-stamped traceability for audits
Every measurement, every alert, every impact is time-stamped and archived in LPS Manager. In the event of a regulatory audit (DREAL, insurers, ISO 45001 certification), the manager can present a complete and irrefutable history.
No more need to search through paper report sheets signed by different technicians over 5 years.
Post-impact alerts: intervene at the right time
After a storm, NF C 17-102 recommends checking if the installation has been impacted. Contact@ir + LPS Manager automatically detects and notifies as soon as an impact is recorded: the maintenance team receives an SMS or email alert, with the timestamp and estimated intensity.
Result: zero missed impacts, zero unnecessary travel between two storms.
Typical use cases in Europe and internationally
The Contact@ir system is deployed in very diverse contexts, across several continents:
- Industry and energy : refineries, power plants, wind farms (Spain, Portugal, Morocco)
- Telecommunications : network of relay antennas, transmission towers (Belgium, Switzerland, Senegal)
- Tertiary buildings : university campuses, hospitals, data centers (France, Ivory Coast, Canada)
- Public infrastructure : water towers, wastewater treatment plants, bridges (Algeria, Brazil)
In all these contexts, the constant is the same: dispersed sites, limited teams, and a documented compliance obligation . Contact@ir precisely addresses these constraints.
Integration with LPS Manager: monitoring becomes management
Contact Contact@ir alone is a diagnostic tool. Combined with LPS Manager , it becomes a true lightning-fast asset management system:
- Map view of all supervised facilities
- Automatic maintenance scheduling based on collected data
- Generate IEC 62305 compliance reports in one click
- Multi-technician, multi-client, multi-site management
- Mobile application available on Android and iOS
For installers managing dozens of sites, Contact@ir data into concrete and traceable intervention decisions .
Conclusion: Radio supervision, an investment that pays for itself quickly
Contact@ir system represents a modest initial investment compared to the savings generated: less unnecessary travel, targeted interventions, continuous documented compliance.
For installers and managers of lightning installations subject to IEC 62305 / NF C 17-102 , it is also a way to offer their customers a differentiating value proposition: intelligent maintenance, triggered by data, not by the calendar .
Discover the entire Contact@ir System range on lpsfr.com, or start managing your installations today with LPS Manager .
