milt007 said:
Thanks for all the input. Another confusing thing is the way they are always changing the requirements. I know the laws of physics in regards to electrical engineering don't change.I'ld like to know who sits around and thinks this stuff up. For example the last post quoted the owners manual as specificly stating that a switch CAN take the place of a ground block. I just went to dishnets tech portal and looked at the posted owners/installation manuel for the same reciever and guess what...now it states that a multiswitch CANNOT be used as a ground block and the instructions are for ground blocks ONLY. By the way I had an Interesting experience a few years ago. After going through the SBCA classes I asked the instructor in private if grounding the system INCREASED or DECREASED the risk potential to the equipment, home, or occupants and guess what...he carefully looked around to make sure there wasn't anyone around.and admitted that it INCREASED risk. I was suprised that he was so honest.
lightning capital of the world is about an hour from me, so we learn a bit more of this than some, as i get one of MY dishes (installs, not my house . . lol) hit on average every third year.
the purpose of the ground is to reduce the likelihood of collected static electricity at the dish, as that is what invites the cloud and the earth to commune so loudly. this from a guy who does rods on tall buildings all over florida, but he adds proviso's.
the nature of this ground working for reasons way beyond this forum and my lowly head is that the rod at its highest point needs to taper smoothly to a fairly sharp point, as it is the nature of this point to disperse all the excess electrons that invite the strike.
ergo, his opinion was that a grounded dish might actually be of benefit towards reduced possibility of lightning, that it definitely wouldn't increase chances of being hit, but that the only way it really would affect things to the benefit of the homeowner would be to top the dish with as nearly plumb a rod with a sharp point as E* could afford to place there.
which i don't see happening
he closed our lunch by picking up the check (making him a GREAT expert . . hehe) and by saying that the ludicrous rhetoric about the ground saving anything should a strike actually happen was just that, ludicrous . . .