Surge arrester for RF transmission line

A surge arrester for coaxial RF transmission lines comprising a metal body having a longitudinal hole therethrough and having a coaxial connector at each end of the metal body, a continuous smooth one-piece center conductor axially disposed in said hole and connected at its ends to said coaxial connectors, the center conductor being substantially cylindrical except for a flat surface at about its center, the center conductor having chamfers at its ends in order to minimize susceptance of the arrester, and a gas discharge tube orthogonally disposed and spring mounted between said center conductor and said metal body, the longitudinal hole having one diameter, the substantially cylindrical center conductor having another diameter, the ratio of the diameter of the center conductor to the diameter of the longitudinal hole being such as to provide a minimal VSWR value.