Is it true that there is a difference between sharp and blunt rods?

Absolutely. This question was posed as far back as the time of Benjamin Franklin and really only started to be answered in the 1980’s and 1990’s. A landmark study by Prof Charlie Moore et al on a mountain in New Mexico has demonstrated comprehensively that blunt rods are superior to sharp rods. The reasons relate to the amount of space charge over the rod – sharp rods produce so much that the space charge inhibits the capture of a lightning strike. LPI’s market-leading air terminals all use the blunt rod principles from this landmark study. In fact, LPI was the first company to fully embrace this important concept.