Antenna grounding

[redcentinela]

I live in PR and thinking about a DN subscription. Well, I've always seen that all the installers here in PR doesn't ground the antennas at all, not even run a ground cable to the main electrical box chassis, not even a ground block for the coaxial cable as well. I think this is a negative point against DN in PR. Is it the same in USA? I am asking because is a requirement to ground all antennas according with the US Electrical Code that says "Note to Satellite TV System Installer: This reminder is provided to call the satellite TV system installer’s attention to Article 820-40 of the National Electrical Code (NEC) that provides guidelines for proper grounding and, in particular, specifies that the cable ground shall be connected to the grounding system of the building as close to the point of cable entry as practical." Any comments are welcome.

 

[cparker]

The antenna should be grounded. If it is close to the electrical box it is easy. Mine was on far opposite corner of the house. I put in a new ground rod right below the dish. I think it was 8 feet long. ALL the way into the ground. Then I ran a piece of #6 copper wire around the house and connected it to the main house grounding rod and also to my new grounding rod. This is called "bonding" the ground rods. Grounded dish antenna to the new grounding rod. Done.

The bonding wire does not have to be buried as deep as a wire that carries current. I only buried mine about 4 inches deep.

OH... and use BRASS grounding clamps if you are going to bury them.

 

[redcentinela]

It is ok if you install your own antennas!! But if you subscribe to DN, the installer install all the equipment and should install the ground also, something they are not doing it. That is what I am talking about!!

 

[hudgreen]

Aww to ground or not to ground,blah blah ford chevy Ginger Marry-ann
Its been asked about on here, explained, argued,defended ect...
heres the skinny in my opinion
If the install location has an open ground ( no third wire) type of electrical service then grounding the sat systen will only cause problems like other components hooked to it or pluged into the same plug strip, feeding current back through the system
some times the only way to make them work , besides rewireing the whole house, is to not ground it.
If it has modern electrical service then grounding the system is a good thing

 

[redcentinela]

hudgreen, is is not the installer's problem if the house has the third wire connected or not. If the installer concerns about it, there is a little gadget that you connect to any electrical outlet that fits inside your pocket and will tell you if the so called third cable is connected or not. If there is any electrical issue in that house, it is installers responsability ( again that is if the installer check the electrical system for ground problems) to tell the owner to fix it before installing any antenna or satellite receiver. Do you you think that DN will involve itself in that type of compromise? Hell no!!! All they want to do is subscribe, install the equipment and antenna and then the monthly payment.

 

[SaltiDawg]

hudgreen, is is not the installer's problem ...

redcentinela,

I'm not seeing your point. Nobody is going say that an installer does not have to meet appropriate electrical code requirements. You say that "all the installers here in PR doesn't ground the antennas at all, ..." I suspect that is an exaggeration, but I think that you know that.

What are you trying to accomplish in this thread?

 

[redcentinela]

It is because you don't live here in PR. Both main service providers DN and DTV, just plain and simple DON'T GROUND at all any antennas they install and it is been done for light years. Just ask in another forums if you like to anyone here in PR and will tell you that. What I try to accomplish is that anybody from DN read this and take actions to to remedy this lack of compromise to their clients. I don't know the requirements an installer should have in order to install antenas but here in PR , dealers subcontract people with no studies. And dealers know that perfectly and what they do, nothing because dealers save money by not investing in grounding cables, grounding blocks or any hardware needed for that. If you can install and aim an antenna, you can be hired.

 

[dvrexpander]

Grounding a antenna that points rather high in the sky is a good idea... grounding a Dish Network Sat dish is just a waste of time and doesn't support any purpose.

Look at what the dish is made of, some of it is plastic so think to yourself- does it really matter to ground with plastic parts? lol

If the ground point is farther away from the dish than what the smallest cable run to a receiver is then its a even bigger waste of time.

 

[SaltiDawg]

So those guys that write the NEC don't know what they are talking about? The center wire and also the shield are both connected at one end to the receiver iside your viewing room and at the other to the switch/LNBs on your rooftop antenna.

I trust you are not a EE. lol

 

[kalone]

So those guys that write the NEC don't know what they are talking about? The center wire and also the shield are both connected at one end to the receiver iside your viewing room and at the other to the switch/LNBs on your rooftop antenna.

I trust you are not a EE. lol

Lexington is about 380,000 people and alot of E* and D* I have been looking around and I have looked at over 200 dishes and none that I have checked are grounded including mine.

 

[SaltiDawg]

Lexington is about 380,000 people and alot of E* and D* I have been looking around and I have looked at over 200 dishes and none that I have checked are grounded including mine.

What the heck does that have to do with anything. There's a right way and there's a Lexington way?

Are you suggesting that there is no requirement to ground the Dish?

 

[topcats69]

If anything a ground will help prevent static build up in the coax line. I was told by my installer it would help prevent the receiver chassis for becoming charged if there was a short.

 

[kalone]

What the heck does that have to do with anything. There's a right way and there's a Lexington way?

Are you suggesting that there is no requirement to ground the Dish?

No just not sure if I complained about my installation it would do me any good.

 

[lineman20109]

Grounding a antenna that points rather high in the sky is a good idea... grounding a Dish Network Sat dish is just a waste of time and doesn't support any purpose.

Look at what the dish is made of, some of it is plastic so think to yourself- does it really matter to ground with plastic parts? lol

If the ground point is farther away from the dish than what the smallest cable run to a receiver is then its a even bigger waste of time.

The only plastic part on a dish is the outer cover on the lnb. As a former power company troubleshooter, I have seen the damage caused by surges and lightning strikes. I can safely say that grounding a dish or CATV/antenna coax that comes into the home is highly beneficial to the homeowner. If you do drive a separate ground rod for the dish, BE SURE to bond it to the homes ground rod(s) too, you don't want to cause a difference in potential which could damage appliances and electronics in the home.

 

[dvrexpander]

The only plastic part on a dish is the outer cover on the lnb. As a former power company troubleshooter, I have seen the damage caused by surges and lightning strikes. I can safely say that grounding a dish or CATV/antenna coax that comes into the home is highly beneficial to the homeowner. If you do drive a separate ground rod for the dish, BE SURE to bond it to the homes ground rod(s) too, you don't want to cause a difference in potential which could damage appliances and electronics in the home.

I've installed thousands of Dish's for people over the years, some grounded (cause it was close enough to ground) others or most weren't just for the fact they were too far away. I've never ever seen a system harmed by no ground connected. The only time i've ever seen a lightning issue that took out something was when the dish was grounded right to the rod so it didn't help it, if anything it harmed it.

Rule of thumb here.. ground it if you want and if its close but as a installer, if its not close enough say shorter distance to a grounding point than the smallest length of cable run from the dish to the box then it won't get grounded.

 

[SaltiDawg]

...
Rule of thumb here.. ground it if you want and if its close but as a installer, if its not close enough say shorter distance to a grounding point than the smallest length of cable run from the dish to the box then it won't get grounded.

Nonsense. The National Electric Code (NEC) exists to prevent fools from doing things that may result in harm to people or harm to distribution systems or equipments. It's people that propose their own approaches based on uneducated reasoning that cause people or equipments to be harmed.

 

[dvrexpander]

Nonsense. The National Electric Code (NEC) exists to prevent fools from doing things that may result in harm to people or harm to distribution systems or equipments. It's people that propose their own approaches based on uneducated reasoning that cause people or equipments to be harmed.

Code is one thing but if you can't ground you CAN'T GROUND... I guess you would require people to get a ground rod installed right next to the location the dish must go each time huh? Dish/Direct would stand to lose a large amount of money and customers in doing so. NEC Code tells you how and where to ground... pretty much it.

Again, I've not seen one pc of Sat equipment harmed when not grounded...but I've seen many that were grounded to a NEC point that did have something fried..imagin that.

 

[redcentinela]

dvrexpander, that is the problem, no ground at all, not even a ground block for the coaxial cables. If you have any elecrician training, you must know that any antenna must be grounded. NEC tell you that. It is not your problem like you say if something is fried more often when grounded than when not. All installers must follow the NEC code.

If somebody goes to the court to demand the provider to install ground to the satellite antena according with NEC, guess what the decision is going to be? you don't go against the law, you follow the law, if the NEC is wrong, providers should get together and show proof , evidence that support why the NEC is wrong. If providers show with conclusive evidence that NEC is wrong, the competent court will dictate to amend the NEC and that's it.

My point here is that the providers here in PR and possibly in USA also don't even do the minimal effort to ground the equipment they install, as I said before, not even a ground block.

 

[Mike_H]

Again, I've not seen one pc of Sat equipment harmed when not grounded...but I've seen many that were grounded to a NEC point that did have something fried..imagin that.

Some people just don't get it. NEC grounding rules have absolutely nothing to do with protecting equipment and have everything to do with protecting people.

p.s. just slamming a grounding rod into the ground next to the dish isn't sufficient. That ground rod must also be bonded to the homes existing ground system. If not, you could create potentially lethal voltages in the equipment.

 

[redcentinela]

Here is another thread opened regarding this. Apparently there are various opinions. All I can tell you this: DN and DTV as part of the antenna installation training, they have a manual that describes "how to ground a . If DN says dishes should be grounded, why the hell installers don't do it? In this thread http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/220054-dish-not-grounded.html also talks about this and about a DN subscriber's complaint regarding an ungrounded dish, and DN resolved and grounded the dish free of charge. So, who is right, DN or the installers?