My Install - Crimp on connectors, and no drip loops

[joeh]

I had dish installed back in the summer of 04. I had already had a pole up from when I had Direct TV. So the installer put the dish on that pole, and as you can see in the pictures attached, he used crimp on connectors, and no drip loops. As I know, you all are great at letting people know what they need to do and so forth. What should I do after looking at the attached pictures? I have the tools and compression ends, but I don't think there is enough rg6 to cut off the ends and put the compressions on. I am also going to put up some pics when the leaves come out on the trees, because I think there going to have to be trimmed this year due to the 10 degrees angle above the dish signal thing.
Thanks

 

[pinkey2u]

Looks like they cut you no slack!!!

 

[RandallA]

I'm not an installer but will give you my "two cents".

The connectors should be in a horizontal position not in a vertical position like the installer left them.

You could make 4 new RG6 cables from the LNB to the ground blocks. Just make them longer to allow to move the runs going into the house. That should give you room to replace all the crimp connectors with the compression connectors.

 

[joeh]

Does the ground rod and wire look OK? I am going to see this summer how I can redo the ground blocks to include drip loops and everything.

 

[pinkey2u]

Does the ground rod and wire look OK? I am going to see this summer how I can redo the ground blocks to include drip loops and everything.

joeh, sorry about my smart a-- remark made above...but I couldn't resist.
I don't know where your ground wire goes too by looking at your pictures? I would suggest speaking to to your local city or county government on the grounding requirements for your satellite dish grounding. They may require you to attach the ground wire to your existing house grounding system...ground rod etc.
I also agree with what RandallA stated about making the four longer RG6 cables to run from the LNB to the ground block fittings. Maybe add a waterproof box so as to mount the ground blocks in a horizontal position. Maybe attach to a treated 4X4 or something of that nature and give yourself plenty of slack in your cable in case a problem that may come up in the future. Good Luck!

 

[bhelms]

joeh - I've seen worse, but I believe any installer with pride in his workmanship would have done a lot better! I don't think there'a a huge issue with the crimp-ons, but no loops and exposed vertically like that concerns me. It also doesn't look like there was any kind of silicone grease or sealant used on them.

I'm surprised by the grounding blocks on the mast. I believe the NEC wants them closest to the point of entry at the house (installers - plz comment). That way they'd also have some protection from the open exposure. Maybe your local code sez differently, tho'. Like pinkey2U suggested, check with your local code office. I also think the dish itself should have a ground. That was the practice 8 years ago when I installed my own. Maybe being mounted to a steel post in the ground obviates that, but I wouldn't count on it if a dish ground is needed (installers?) - look at how rusty the post is!

Here's a link to information provided from one of our forum sponsers. I recognize some of the info and diagrams as being from a dated DirecTV installation manual, but all that should all still be valid:

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/Grounding.htm

I don't know how hard or $$ it would be for you to replace the whole thing, (cables, grounds, etc.) back to the house, but I'd give it serious thought! Are the cables in conduit? I'd also consider that - it would give them more protection and allow you to easily pull more if you ever need them...

 

[joeh]

joeh, sorry about my smart a-- remark made above...but I couldn't resist.
I don't know where your ground wire goes too by looking at your pictures? I would suggest speaking to to your local city or county government on the grounding requirements for your satellite dish grounding. They may require you to attach the ground wire to your existing house grounding system...ground rod etc.
I also agree with what RandallA stated about making the four longer RG6 cables to run from the LNB to the ground block fittings. Maybe add a waterproof box so as to mount the ground blocks in a horizontal position. Maybe attach to a treated 4X4 or something of that nature and give yourself plenty of slack in your cable in case a problem that may come up in the future. Good Luck!

The ground is connected from the ground blocks over to a rod that was drove into the ground. It is showcased in picture number 3, It is sort of blends in with the fence. I am going to do as you all have suggested and make some longer runs from the lnb's to the ground blocks and do the ground block horizontal and maybe get a weather box if i can find one i like.

 

[Hall]

You're further south than me, so your dish doesn't look as high as mine, but I don't think those trees would be a problem from looking at your pictures.

 

[Mike_H]

That method of grounding does not meet national electrical code. The cables should be grounded close to where they enter the building and that ground should be bonded to the ground point for the houses electrical system.

Without the bonding to the house ground system, a voltage potential can be created between the ground at the electrical outlet that the box is plugged into, and the coax cable entering the receiver.

With that said... many installs don't seem to meet that need.

 

[volkodav]

here is what i will recommend. call dish set up service call. have dish come out and ask that tech to run new lines from dish to the house just bury it your self.

you could re do the ground block and ends and extend the lines, but be on a safe side and have the hole thing re installed.

as far as ground on picture the rod have to be 4 ft in to ground we use to put it in 8ft and we stop doing that because secondary ground rod have to be grounded to main ground rod.

that tech have no pride in his work

 

[joeh]

In response to what hall had to say, so that is the reason I get ground loops at times!
and in response to volkodav, will calling dish out to redo it all cost me? and if I call dish there going to send the same people who put the it in the first time, because there the only ones for my town.
And THANKS to everyone for your replies!

 

[woodybeetle]

As an installer in this field, let me offer you my apologizes. This dish is not grounded as per NEC, not installed as per DISH Net guidelines and is overall a piss poor job. 1. The ground blocks must be near the house ground(NEC)
2. The use of an additional ground rod is not acceptable unless an electrician installs and backbonds it to the house ground. 3. Oh forget it, this install is so bad I will be showing it to my installers so they know what a chargeback looks like.. I RECOMMEND YOU CALL DISH AND TELL THEM TO COME AND FIX IT. By the way, did you know that you the homeowner also get fined by the NEC if caught breaking the code.

 

[volkodav]

In response to what hall had to say, so that is the reason I get ground loops at times!
and in response to volkodav, will calling dish out to redo it all cost me? and if I call dish there going to send the same people who put the it in the first time, because there the only ones for my town.
And THANKS to everyone for your replies!

there is not much you can do what i mean by that is you have the service for a while so they probably will charge you $29.00 for SC if you have protection plan if not then it will be $99 but since they didn't ground it you may argue with them and they probably can drop charge. worth a shot.

 

[joeh]

Thanks for the replies. I am just going to be fixing it myself. So let me make a list here to make sure I will be covering everything, and be getting it fixed correct.
1. Move ground block to the entry at the house, and run that ground wire to the ground rod that my electrical meter/panel box is connected to.
2. Do I need to run a ground wire from the dish itself to the ground rod from the panel box?
3. Redo the ends at the dish, with compression ends, and make drip loops and use some 3 ghz barrel connectors in a weather box.
Am I missing anything else?

 

[joeh]

3. Oh forget it, this install is so bad I will be showing it to my installers so they know what a chargeback looks like..

Great I'm now a ginny pig for woodybeetle! :river

 

[volkodav]

trust me your install is not that bad. my favorite one was when black dual RG-6 messenger was ran like a Christmas lights in front of the house windows. or 20 unit apartment building with 40 satellite dishes in it

 

[bmxcookie]

This does not look like a DNSC (Dish Network Service Corp) job. I would say it was a retailer or sub-contractor. Yes, the ground blocks, which do not look like high frequency or UL listed, should be vertical, weather booted, and crimp on connectors are not to be used outside at all! In fact, DNSC techs are not issued crimp on connectors, only snap and seal compression fittings. As far as the grounding goes, the ground blocks should be within 25 feet of an NEC ground source. An example would be main electrical box, electric meter, or cold water pipe. The pole mount is not a proper NEC ground. These cables should have been run from the pole to the hose and then ground blocked near an approved NEC ground. And finally, 4 inch drip/service loops are standard behind the dish and exterior connections like switchs and or ground blocks. Is this the only place where line of site could be acheived or could the dish have been put on the home? I am a DNSC FSS-III tech and if I had done this job and then got inspected, I would probably loss my job. This is a terrible install!!!

 

[joeh]

trust me your install is not that bad. my favorite one was when black dual RG-6 messenger was ran like a Christmas lights in front of the house windows. or 20 apartment complexes with 40 satellite dishes in it

I'm glad my install isnt that bad!

 

[joeh]

This does not look like a DNSC (Dish Network Service Corp) job. I would say it was a retailer or sub-contractor. Yes, the ground blocks, which do not look like high frequency or UL listed, should be vertical, weather booted, and crimp on connectors are not to be used outside at all! In fact, DNSC techs are not issued crimp on connectors, only snap and seal compression fittings. As far as the grounding goes, the ground blocks should be within 25 feet of an NEC ground source. An example would be main electrical box, electric meter, or cold water pipe. The pole mount is not a proper NEC ground. These cables should have been run from the pole to the hose and then ground blocked near an approved NEC ground. And finally, 4 inch drip/service loops are standard behind the dish and exterior connections like switchs and or ground blocks. Is this the only place where line of site could be acheived or could the dish have been put on the home? I am a DNSC FSS-III tech and if I had done this job and then got inspected, I would probably loss my job. This is a terrible install!!!

Yes, due to all the large tress around, that was the only place the dish could be installed, as I did not want it on the roof. It was a local sub-contractor, and it was never ever inspected what so ever.

 

[joeh]

This could be a good excuse for me to talk the wife into letting me get a HD TV and get HD service, since a new dish would have to be installed.

As for my real reason for this reply, How could I get a better installer, not sub-contractors. There is only 1 sub-contractor in my town here, so it is going to be them doing the re-work of it if i did call dish and get a service contract to come out and redo it.