Cable grounding question

dlwilkes45

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Pub Member / Supporter
Mar 21, 2007
21
3
North Carolina
Had tech out two weeks ago and replaced the dish, cable to the house, and removed the DPP44 switch because of recurring signal losses. Today another tech showed up to bury the orange cable. Did an o.k. job on the digging but after he was gone I noticed that the ground wire on the orange wire has been cut off and is not attached to the connector block on the side of the house. The connector block is however grounded to the service panel for the house. Was curious if this is acceptable or should the orange cable ground wire be attached to the block. I'm no electrician, but have always been told that ground wires are there for a reason.
 
just the ground on the wires coming from the dish to the house need to be connected to the ground block any wires going into the home do not
 
It should be connected. If he took the time to install the ground block, why not connect the ground wire?
Is it cut to short to attach it?
Check out at the dish, it might not be connected there either.
 
It should be connected to the ground block. At the dish on the pole, we are supposed to put a ground strap around the pole and attach the messenger wire to that.
 
It should be grounded to meet DNS standards, but it really does not matter. If lightning strikes your dish, that wire has no chance.
 
Had tech out two weeks ago and replaced the dish, cable to the house, and removed the DPP44 switch because of recurring signal losses. Today another tech showed up to bury the orange cable. Did an o.k. job on the digging but after he was gone I noticed that the ground wire on the orange wire has been cut off and is not attached to the connector block on the side of the house. The connector block is however grounded to the service panel for the house. Was curious if this is acceptable or should the orange cable ground wire be attached to the block. I'm no electrician, but have always been told that ground wires are there for a reason.

Okay to simply answer the question, the answer is no not by NEC regulations it doesnt have to be. The main ground which should be the #8 copper wire going from the ground block to the meter or main electrical ground is what it truly important for lighting. The tiny messenger is there to prevent and or discharge the static electricity that might build up on the dish. So all in all you and or your family are safe and if a dish qc guy checks it the guy that didnt connect it could get a charge back for it because per DNS it should be!
 
Eric is correct. It only discharges static electricity from things like wind. The static electricity we are preventing is equal to you running you socks over the carpet and shocking your brother. It was only some DNS lawyers reading of the NEC that has made it mandatory. And in addition, since this is a pole mount, it is grounded, except not by the 8 ft depth required for a grounding rod.
 
Thanks to all for the replies. I just decided to splice into the cut off ground wire and finish the run to the grounding block. Seemed simpler than having to deal with another call to the installer and having them come back out and possibly replace the cable. Again, thanks for the valuable info. Great site.