Grounding for KU Dish

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PKII

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Jun 22, 2005
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WV
How do I ground a Ku Satellite dish? Is it the same way I would a regular TV antenna? Do I use a Grounding block? Or something else. A diagram or a photo of your setup would be helpful. Thanks.
 
your coax that comes out of your receiver should run through a grounding block
Yes. But what does your setup consist of? Is it just a regular TV antenna ground block? A splitter with a ground connection? I've seen on some sites selling a in-line surge protector. What does your setup involve? I have a grounding rod ready but not sure exactly what I use. Also, is the same used for a C band I currently don't have it grounded at all.
 
it is against electrical code to have two seperate grounding points or rods on your property.....you can NOT ground your satellite dish/system to a grounding rod unless one of the following 2 points are true....

1 - it is the SAME rod that is grounding your homes electrical system

2 - it is tied into the main ground for your homes electrical service with #6 or bigger insulated ground wire

the best place to ground is a copper cold water pipe within 4 feet of entry into the home....
 
it is against electrical code to have two seperate grounding points or rods on your property.....you can NOT ground your satellite dish/system to a grounding rod unless one of the following 2 points are true....

1 - it is the SAME rod that is grounding your homes electrical system

2 - it is tied into the main ground for your homes electrical service with #6 or bigger insulated ground wire

the best place to ground is a copper cold water pipe within 4 feet of entry into the home....

Why is it against the electrical code? So if I have a tv in an out building with its own separate power and antenna. I can't have a grounding rod in the ground near the antenna? I'd have to run a copper wire all the way to the house's ground?
 
your question about a seperate building or dwelling has too many factors/not enough info for me to give you a proper answer....

i dont make the codes im simply telling you what they are....if you are going to use a grounding rod in your yard then it MUST BE bonded/connected to your homes main grounding point/block/rod or whatever the case might be via #6 or bigger insulated wire....

using a seperate grounding rod outside to ground your dishes is AGAINST CODE
 
your question about a seperate building or dwelling has too many factors/not enough info for me to give you a proper answer....

i dont make the codes im simply telling you what they are....if you are going to use a grounding rod in your yard then it MUST BE bonded/connected to your homes main grounding point/block/rod or whatever the case might be via #6 or bigger insulated wire....

using a seperate grounding rod outside to ground your dishes is AGAINST CODE

Well more than 1 rod on my property excludes all other rods I would assume.

Well when the electric guy came he placed a grounding rod at my meter. When the cable guy came he put a grounding rod at my telephone pole. The telephone guy hooked his line to the grounding rod at the telephone pole. I have a rod at my old dish network pole that the Satellite guy said I needed. I have a grounding rod at my out building to connect my outside antenna. And I was thinking about putting one for my C band and Ku band but apparently I have too many rods now. lol

Someone who knows the reason for the code of no more than 1 lightning rod please explain the principle for the requirement so I can figure out my options. Thanks.
 
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If you want to know the proper way (by code) to do this it would be the following....

install a ground block at the point of entry (where your coax enters the building, ground this block to your main electrical grounding point (where your electrical panel is grounded to) with #6 or bigger insulated wire,

Connect your coax to the grounding block, (it has F-connectors on it, so you just screw them in)

Then you need to run a #6 insulated ground wire from the grounding block to your dish,

This cable would most likely need to be in pvc pipe and a minimum 30 inches below ground,
 
Maybe I worded things wrong,

Multiple ground rods are acceptable if they are all bonded together,

You can not have a ground rod at your dish that is not bonded to anything else was the point I was trying to make
 
If you don't bond all the rods together then the odds are you will form a ground loop and grounding to a water pipe is not a good place to ground due to corrosion of the pipes. Run a wire from your grounding block to your electrical box there you should be guarantee a solid ground other wise depending on your soil type even driving a single rod might not give you a good ground. If you really want to know if have a good ground with the rod have your electrician or the power company measure the ground resistivity. I'm also sure that not all the guy's putting in the ground rod at your place had a glue in what they were doing.
With all my dishes (5) none are grounded at the dish, I use grounding blocks in my basement with is then grounded back to my panel. My tower needed a rod down 16 feet and is also tried back to the panel and so far I've had no damage from any storms, and we have some good one's here in Iowa.
 
If you don't bond all the rods together then the odds are you will form a ground loop and grounding to a water pipe is not a good place to ground due to corrosion of the pipes.
Electrolysis notwithstanding, the NEC allows grounding to an electrically conductive water pipe within a certain distance of the entry point (there are some additional requirements about how much electrically conductive pipe must be in the ground). The problem is finding such a conducting pipe anymore as many are using PEX and other non-conducting materials.
 
Hmm. My dishes have a separate ground. My two BUD's are 200 & 250 feet away. I grounded it out there by the BUD's, my TV antenna is grounded of the phone box on the side of my house. I guess I messed that one up pretty bad.
Aren't the poles they are on a ground anyway. I go at down least 3 feet here in Missouri
 
Aren't the poles they are on a ground anyway. I go at down least 3 feet here in Missouri

In a way they are, but the problem is that the steel will rust and then you lost the grounding effect that's why the real good ground rods are made of solid copper and not copper-plated, but you can get them in a lot of different material like hot dip galvanized and solid stainless steel . Most ground rods are 8 feet in length so 3 feet wouldn't even get you any where near what you would need.
 
Electrolysis notwithstanding, the NEC allows grounding to an electrically conductive water pipe within a certain distance of the entry point (there are some additional requirements about how much electrically conductive pipe must be in the ground). The problem is finding such a conducting pipe anymore as many are using PEX and other non-conducting materials.

To add to your posting, when in direct contact with the earth for 10 feet or more, an underground metal water pipe can serve as a grounding electrode and if the pipe is interrupted by something, such as a water meter, you must make it electrically continuous with a bonding jumper. For interior metal water piping that are part of the grounding electrode system, you can generally do so only within 5 feet of where the piping enters the structure.

So he could us a water line, but myself I still would only use a ground rod because at least I know about how it's installed.
 
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All new construction requires the use of the "Ufer" ground in place of a driven ground rod. You can google Ufer ground and learn about it. It is a system of using the re-bar within the foundation for the ground.
Bob
 
All new construction requires the use of the "Ufer" ground in place of a driven ground rod. You can google Ufer ground and learn about it. It is a system of using the re-bar within the foundation for the ground.
Bob

Since most homes don't use or need re-bar in their foundations this system is most likely used for commercial buildings or power stations. It's only one many options that's listed in the NEC for grounding, the only time that I've found re-bar has been in a drive way. instead of concrete wire.
 
The NEC now requires the Ufer system for ALL new construction, including homes.
 
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