[TowerTalk] Station grounding in a steel enclosure?

[trentkd5ia at aol.com]

My remote station is approaching completion.  A 70' tower, wireless internet, solar power and RemoteRig with a TS480 is all operational.  Still in progress are the antennas to be mounted, and lightning protection.  I have a question about grounding.  The electronics are housed in a valve box--a galvanized steel cylinder 5 feet in diameter and 4 feet tall, with 3 1/2 feet of that in the ground.  A removable steel lid covers it.  All cables are in PVC pipe and enter the housing under ground level, and the valve box is 12 feet from the base of the tower.

The grounding system will consist of 9 ground rods, 3 connected to each leg of the tower and extending out from the tower.  The valve box will also be connected to the grounding system.  Polyphasers will protect against surges.  

My question is, can I install the surge protectors inside the steel housing, or should they be mounted outside the valve box?  I'm thinking that the steel cylinder possibly acts as a Faraday cage, and the grounding connection and surge protection should be attached on the outside wall of the housing.  Any comments or suggestions, please?

Thanks!

Trent K5XM   on the windy and lightning prone West Texas plains