Coaxial from Satellite

[BrettFS]

Hi All! Thank you very much for having a place for consumers to post questions. I recently had DirecTV installed and have questions regarding the wiring. A little background. My house is two stories, previous provider was Dish Network, and there were 4 coaxial cables running from the prior satellite to my structured media console.

When DirecTV installed, the technician ran a single coaxial from the satellite to the exterior box at the front of my house (I believe its called a Demarc?) When I questioned on why he didn't just run the single cable to the structured media to avoid running a long coaxial along the side of my house he stated that it needed to be grounded. While I understand it needs to be grounded I have the following questions:

1) Is his reasoning correct? Isn't the purpose of the structured media center to avoid running cables along the side of the house to the Demarc box? My prior satellite was installed at the rooftop at the exact point of a roof attic vent where the cable ran in and then down to the structured media. It is my belief this satellite location was to avoid the running of any unnecessary excess coaxial.

2) Shouldn't the installer have been able to run the coaxial to the structured media and ground it there?

Thank you very much for your help!

 

[alnielsen]

It has to do with electrical codes. You want the grounding to be outside the structure. All the grounds need to be at a single point to prevent differences in potential also called ground loops.

 

[raoul5788]

to Satelliteguys BrettFS!

 

[Jimbo]

It has to do with electrical codes. You want the grounding to be outside the structure. All the grounds need to be at a single point to prevent differences in potential also called ground loops.

IF that's the case, all grounds should be at the Electrical ground point ..... that said, you know they're not ....

 

[Jimbo]

Hi All! Thank you very much for having a place for consumers to post questions. I recently had DirecTV installed and have questions regarding the wiring. A little background. My house is two stories, previous provider was Dish Network, and there were 4 coaxial cables running from the prior satellite to my structured media console.

When DirecTV installed, the technician ran a single coaxial from the satellite to the exterior box at the front of my house (I believe its called a Demarc?) When I questioned on why he didn't just run the single cable to the structured media to avoid running a long coaxial along the side of my house he stated that it needed to be grounded. While I understand it needs to be grounded I have the following questions:

1) Is his reasoning correct? Isn't the purpose of the structured media center to avoid running cables along the side of the house to the Demarc box? My prior satellite was installed at the rooftop at the exact point of a roof attic vent where the cable ran in and then down to the structured media. It is my belief this satellite location was to avoid the running of any unnecessary excess coaxial.

2) Shouldn't the installer have been able to run the coaxial to the structured media and ground it there?

Thank you very much for your help!

Is your media center grounded at the main electrical ?

 

[BrettFS]

Is your media center grounded at the main electrical ?

I would assume so (house was built in 2002) but I do not have the expertise to say yes or no. If the structured media center is grounded at the main electrical could I have the coaxial run directly from the satellite to the structured media and avoid running it along the side of my house to the Demarc box?

 

[BrettFS]

It has to do with electrical codes. You want the grounding to be outside the structure. All the grounds need to be at a single point to prevent differences in potential also called ground loops.

Does the grounding on the outside of the structure need to be made at the Demarc box or can the coaxial be run from the Satellite to the structured media with a grounding point in between? I hope this question makes sense. I had no idea that a coaxial was going to be needed to be run along the side of the house to be grounded or I would have reconsidered making the move to DirecTV.

 

[Jimbo]

Does the grounding on the outside of the structure need to be made at the Demarc box or can the coaxial be run from the Satellite to the structured media with a grounding point in between? I hope this question makes sense. I had no idea that a coaxial was going to be needed to be run along the side of the house to be grounded or I would have reconsidered making the move to DirecTV.

Theres generally always options.

I don't know of an Demarc box for D*, never seen one.
Phone and Internet, yes, but not D*.

IF your media center is grounded to the main electrical ground, you should be good.

 

[alnielsen]

Does the grounding on the outside of the structure need to be made at the Demarc box or can the coaxial be run from the Satellite to the structured media with a grounding point in between? I hope this question makes sense. I had no idea that a coaxial was going to be needed to be run along the side of the house to be grounded or I would have reconsidered making the move to DirecTV.

The grounding point (actual ground rod) should be found near your electric meter. Where the cable gets grounded shouldn't make any difference. A direct strike is going to vaporize most of the wire anyway. For additional safety, I have a ground wire attached to the dish.

 

[Hutch1814]

I'll make it easy for us all, Directv code requires all systems be grounded outside at the the electrical meter.

 

[Jimbo]

I'll make it easy for us all, Directv code requires all systems be grounded outside at the the electrical meter.

Hey Hutch,
How ya been ...

 

[skipthebenny]

I'll make it easy for us all, Directv code requires all systems be grounded outside at the the electrical meter. ?
Exactly. The tech is doing this because he is required to. Otherwise, why would he do the extra work.

 

[Zashel]

the ground *block* has to be on the outside. the actual ground wire can be attached to something inside (theres a few rules to that though). usually just easier to ground outside though, since the rules for how to ground inside are quite... restrictive.

 

[Claude Greiner]

It needs to be grounded at the point of entry per rules.

However it really makes no difference as long as the system is grounded somewhere

 

[Hutch1814]

It needs to be grounded at the point of entry per rules.

However it really makes no difference as long as the system is grounded somewhere

In house techs are required to ground a system outside, if it's inside its a failed QC, only exception is a trailer and those have to be grounded to the frame of the structure

 

[BrettFS]

In house techs are required to ground a system outside, if it's inside its a failed QC, only exception is a trailer and those have to be grounded to the frame of the structure

Thank you very much for your replies.

 

[BrettFS]

It needs to be grounded at the point of entry per rules.

However it really makes no difference as long as the system is grounded somewhere

Thank You!

 

[Satftafan]

You can ground inside the house. I did that all the time when I was a DTV tech. Never had a QC problem

 

[BrettFS]

You can ground inside the house. I did that all the time when I was a DTV tech. Never had a QC problem

Thank you for the reply. Now I am even more confused as I have heard it both ways! If I could ground it inside (or find any other way to have the coaxial not run the length of my house) I would gladly pay DTV to come out and rewire it.

 

[Hutch1814]

You can ground inside the house. I did that all the time when I was a DTV tech. Never had a QC problem

No longer. I'm a QC tech currently and if it's not grounded on the outside and can be photographed outside, it's a fail.