Grounding a BUD

[Dishman Dan]

I need info and input on proper grounding of a BUD. Someone says just use a grounding block on the coax and a ground rod. I also heard that the pole should be grounded. Well more protection should be better than less. Any ideas are greatly appreciated! :

 

[Techfizzle]

pole should be grounded?? uh its in the ground so the dish an pole are grouned only needs to be grounded when mounted on wood or something

 

[SatelliteAV]

The NEC handbook provides the the electrical code requirements. You might also consider discussing local requirements with an electrical contractor.

NEC code would require that a grounded post to be tied into the structure ground. Failure to bond the grounded dish to the structural ground could result in a dangerous or possible lethal grounding / voltage potential.

 

[Dishman Dan]

I was scratching my head about grounding the pole too! I am rusty on the NEC since I put aside becoming an electrician some 25 years ago! We did some electrical upgrades on our farm a few years ago and some of the grounding requirements were quite unique and questionable why! I was hoping to find an old thread or 2 on grounding on this site but I always get sidetracked while digging up older postings!

Thanks!

 

[sergei]

If you go with a ground rod at the dish then you have to run a cable from it back to you fuse box ground other wise you will have a ground loop. And remember anything could be picked up from the dish to the house by the cable. Grounding at the dish will not guarantee that you have a good ground.
All four of my dishes cables are grounded with grounding blocks and the ground wire goes straight to my fuse box. All my cables go into a surge protector for each dish and each receivers are on UPS for maximum protection.
Whatever you decide, just make sure you ground it. Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

 

[goaliebob99]

Nice Dish farm.

 

[KE4EST]

+1

 

[14karat]

The final decision on mine...(basically straight out of the NEC guidelines)
8ft ground rod at each dish. The dish and pole are bonded to the ground rod.
All ground rods are connected via #6 thhn (or larger - 2 #8s in parallel will also work) back to the service entrance ground rod (at the meter).
All coax is ran through ground blocks and grounded BEFORE entry to the house ground (it can go back to the service entrance as well...)
Receivers, etc, are plugged into surge suppression strips (which are plugged into grounded outlets - of course.)
The only gotcha I've ran into thus far is the actuator and servo controls. I'm looking a options there, but so far - it's looking pretty expensive...
Anyone have some inexpensive ideas for those?

 

[sergei]

You just need to get a surge protector which is designed to work on a C-Band system, Panamax is one type, what's the cost of getting a good protector compared to buying another receiver. Or you could also use the Panamax Mod-SPKP to protect the wires by itself..see the attached PDF file.
Just make sure you ground it.

 

[14karat]

A C-band capable suppressor would be better than what I've got - I haven't ran across any tho... Do you have a link to one?
I've actually considered the SPKP. The best route to go with it would be combined with the M8-HT with the SPKP module. The M8-HT is $80 and the SPKP is $50 and I'd need (at least) two of them so I'm at about $260 (+ whatever shipping would be...)
Or I could drop the M8-HT and go with the M4-EX for $35, so then I'm at ~$170...
Either way, what I'm actually looking for are modules I can install at the dish, and from what I gather, I can't do that with the SPKP...(at least without killing the warranty...!)
I think Black Box may have something... I need to check them out...

 

[sergei]

I guess I'm not sure why you want them at the dish and not inside, outside at the dish they would not even come close to giving you maximum protection and that goes for any type mounded at the dish. You can also add small cable surge protectors for the LNB's for a few dollars.

 

[14karat]

As far as I can figure it, best case is both ends... but should the feedhorn take a direct hit, (and assuming the servo conductors held together,) the voltage comes right into the house before finally being shunted to ground... I'd rather it shunt to ground as soon as possible and leave the in-house protection to pick up the pieces...
But... I know... if lightning can jump from a mile in the sky, it can jump across a 2" wide arrestor...!!!

 

[pendragon]

As far as I can figure it, best case is both ends... but should the feedhorn take a direct hit, (and assuming the servo conductors held together,) the voltage comes right into the house before finally being shunted to ground... I'd rather it shunt to ground as soon as possible and leave the in-house protection to pick up the pieces...
But... I know... if lightning can jump from a mile in the sky, it can jump across a 2" wide arrestor...!!!

I was a chief engineer at a radio station 25 years ago, and these institutions have a great desire to stay on the air in spite of having tall stingers sticking out of the ground begging Zeus to 'hit me'. The solutions are very impressive, but massive and quite expensive. I went ahead and grounded the dish and pole with a rod and bonded the whole thing to the service entrance ground. The dish came with arrestors for the motor drive, so I used those, but I doubt they are of any value.

Realistically nothing that is practical is going to do more than perhaps bleed off some static charge and offer a little protection from a nearby strike. I recall a friend's power line being hit quite a distance from their service entrance and they got to replace all their internal house wiring, to say nothing of electrical and electronic components. When it comes to grounding, focus on electrical safety.

 

[14karat]

Thanks Pendragon,
That's more or less the way I see it. My goal is to try and keep as much of it out of the house, although I know a direct (or even close) hit is pretty much going to do whatever the #*(( it wants...

 

[Radioguy41]

pole should be grounded?? uh its in the ground so the dish an pole are grouned only needs to be grounded when mounted on wood or something

Not really. This is the C-band forum so we're talking big dish, which needs to be concreted in, not a pizza dish. A concreted in pole is not grounded until a grounding rod is installed and connected.

 

[Cadsulfide]

This topic is a good candidate for a whole string of threads.

I'm a big fan of grounding before the house. Gound blocks at the dishes and the house. Not sure anything that normal people could afford would hold off a direct or near lightning strike .

Did I accidently imply that we are a normal bunch?

 

[Dishman Dan]

If you go with a ground rod at the dish then you have to run a cable from it back to you fuse box ground other wise you will have a ground loop. ]


Does how far away the BUD is from the breaker box determine how large the ground wire should be??? My BUD is around 275' from my house. We put in (2) 200 amp services in a grain dryer and had to ground each one back to the main meter disconnect. It is a pretty good size ground conductor for that and I think that there is still a roll left.

 

[14karat]

Dan,
I'm pretty sure the NEC calls for #6 or larger when bonding ground rods together.
Here's a link...
Grounding Satellite Dish and Lead-In Cables

 

[Dishman Dan]

Thanks!!! Great info! I better get busy and finish up my ground!

 

[SatPhreak]

I have used a panamax surge protector with a module for all the wires running from the house to the dish (actuator, skew and coax) along with the dish being grounded with a rod and ran back to the service entrance. The dish was grounded and ran to the service ground when I bought the house, but I added the panamax inside the house to try and protect my receivers and stereo and tv. I paid a lot for the extra protection but IMO it was worth a few hundred dollars since panamax would repair or replace the inside equipment in the case of a strike and my home insurance would only cover the dish (not even the LNB or accuator). Luckily it never got hit when I had my BUD, but I keep the C band module for the future when I get another BUD.

I accually had two pizza dishes and a bud at the time and my tv was plugged into a separate electrical circuit so I needed 3 surge suppresers from panamax to cover my entire HT system ( 1 SatMax for Cband, 1 Sat max for DBS and 1 with only electrical surge for the tv). I believe the entire system cost me around $400-450 dollars, but in order to protect the $3500-5500 investment that my house insurance would not cover from a lightning strike I believed it was worth it. The Panamax warranty would cover up to $25000 in house equipment in the case of a strike, but not the dishes the lnbs or accuators. Kind of pricey, but if I got hit the only cash I would need to spend was for the lnbs and accuator.

I did get an electrical surge that messed up my cd player and they asked for a wiring diagram of the system interconnect and to send the modules in to them and they returned me new modules and paid for for cd player repair. This was not a lightning strike , but if it was they would pay the repairs on you equipment but you would need to purchase new surge protectors. Well worth the thousands I would be out from a direct hit IMO.

This is only my 2cents and I don't work for, or own shares in said company.