B737 CAPT COMPLAINT REGARDING DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH ATC FOR WX DEV AROUND SEVERE WX CONDITIONS WHEREIN THE ACFT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

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LIGHTNING STRIKE. NO DAMAGE FOUND BY MAINT INSPECTION. WE WERE VECTORED THROUGH HVY RAIN. ONBOARD RADAR SHOWED GREEN RETURNS ONLY. AFTER LNDG; I LOOKED AT THE SATELLITE RADAR PICTURE. WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH A WELL ESTABLISHED LINE OF WX SHOWING A LOT OF YELLOW RETURNS ALONG ITS CTR. I SHOULD HAVE GONE IN OPS IN GRR BEFORE DEP AND LOOKED AT THAT PICTURE. OUR ONBOARD RADARS ARE VERY; VERY OUTDATED LIMITED TOOLS BECAUSE OF ATTENUATION IN HVY RAIN AND DIFFICULT TILT MGMNT (AS DEMONSTRATED BY MANY INCIDENTS/ACCIDENT). SUGGEST: SATELLITE WX PICTURE ON BOARD (MUCH-NEEDED TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT). HEARD OF SEVERAL OTHER LIGHTNING STRIKE RPTS THAT DAY. OTHER ISSUE: ATC CONGESTION DURING BAD WX IS BECOMING A SAFETY ISSUE. SEVERAL TIMES WE HEARD; 'DON'T CALL ME; WE'LL CALL YOU' FROM BUSY CTLRS. IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO REQUEST WX DEVS IN A SKY CROWDED WITH AIRPLANES. SEVERAL TIMES WE WERE DENIED OUR REQUEST FOR DEVS. PROPER SOP REQUIRES DECLARE AN EMER TO FOLLOW WX SEPARATION ACCORDING TO FOM. HOWEVER; IN SPITE OF THE BEST CLRNC; HOW MANY PLTS WILL MAKE THAT DECISION? MOST ROUTINELY FLY CLOSER TO TSTMS THAN ALLOWED. SUGGESTION: LESS FLTS AUTH IN AIRSPACE (I KNOW; BIG DOLLARS; BUT SAFETY FIRST).