Satellite Dish Installation - No Grounding

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Jon456

Senior Member
Location
Colorado
Homeowner is renovating a cottage/guest house on his property. Just had a satellite dish installed on the edge of the roof. Besides the fact that the cable runs were an absolute mess (with a lot of it tangled in runs of Romex), there is not a single ground: nothing on the dish mast and nothing on the three coax cables from the dish. There is no intersystem bonding termination.

To make this compliant, I believe I need to do the following:

1. Attach a 10 AWG copper GEC from the mast to the GES.

2. Install an F Grounding Block (triple or quad port, depending on what I can get) at the cables' point of entry to the structure and connect with a 10 AWG copper GEC to the GES.

Questions:

1. Do I need a separate grounding electrode near the dish? (The dish is approximately 25 - 30 feet from the service sub-panel.)

2. Can the GEC for the mast also be used for the F Grounding Blocks? My guess is that it's ok, but that the GEC would need to be continuous. But I can't find a specific reference in section 810.21.

3. After entering the structure, the coax cables make a straight run toward the sub-panel. Is it acceptable to run the GEC along the same path? Would any separation be required (or recommended) between the GEC and the cables?

4. Is it permissible to bring the GEC into the sub-panel and connect it to the internal grounding bar? Or would it have to be connected to the GES outside the sub-panel?

Is there anything else I'm missing?

Closing comment: I suspect this is the norm, not the exception, for satellite dish installations. This was not the work of a handy man; this was a "professional" installation by a major satellite service provider. How do they get away with these violations?
 

bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Closing comment: I suspect this is the norm, not the exception, for satellite dish installations. This was not the work of a handy man; this was a "professional" installation by a major satellite service provider. How do they get away with these violations?

One reason is the FCC prohibits state and local jurisdictions from requiring licensing, permitting, or any other regulatory oversite of satellite dish installers and installations.

See the following link for details: http://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Bryan,
I don't understand your comment. The link you provided says:
Q: What types of restrictions are prohibited?
A: The rule prohibits restrictions that impair a person's ability to install, maintain, or use an antenna covered by the rule. The rule applies to state or local laws or regulations, including zoning, land-use or building regulations, private covenants, homeowners' association rules, condominium or cooperative association restrictions, lease restrictions, or similar restrictions on property within the exclusive use or control of the antenna user where the user has an ownership or leasehold interest in the property. A restriction impairs if it: (1) unreasonably delays or prevents use of; (2) unreasonably increases the cost of; or (3) precludes a person from receiving or transmitting an acceptable quality signal from an antenna covered under the rule. The rule does not prohibit legitimate safety restrictions or restrictions designed to preserve designated or eligible historic or prehistoric properties, provided the restriction is no more burdensome than necessary to accomplish the safety or preservation purpose.

As I read more it does say they can't require permits, or fees, so I guess there would be no way to enforce the code rules.
 

bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
About six years ago, the state of Florida tried to regulate "dish" installation contractors with licensing, permitting, and inspection requirements. The FCC blocked the legislation and more or less ordered the state attorney general at the time to publish an order prohibiting these activities in local jurisdictions.

There have also been a dozen or so lawsuits filed by homeowners & condominium associations claiming deed restrictions and other covenants were not allowing them to install dish systems on their buildings. In every case, even those involving historical districts, the ruling sided with the FCC guidelines.

I frequently see satellite dishes "grounded" to hose bibs, A/C disconnects, and even pool cages. Unfortunately, there isn't much I can do about it as a municipal code official...
 

Jon456

Senior Member
Location
Colorado
Could someone please weigh in on my questions regarding this particular installation?

Perhaps I shouldn't have hijacked my own thread with the closing comments. :eek:hmy:
 

gary

Senior Member
Location
California
Occupation
Retired electrical contractor / general contractor
To make this compliant, I believe I need to do the following:

1. Attach a 10 AWG copper GEC from the mast to the GES.

2. Install an F Grounding Block (triple or quad port, depending on what I can get) at the cables' point of entry to the structure and connect with a 10 AWG copper GEC to the GES.

Questions:

1. Do I need a separate grounding electrode near the dish? (The dish is approximately 25 - 30 feet from the service sub-panel.)
Answer: Definitely not. If you did decide to install a separate ground rod near the dish you would also need to bond it to the service ground with #6 CU.

2. Can the GEC for the mast also be used for the F Grounding Blocks? My guess is that it's ok, but that the GEC would need to be continuous. But I can't find a specific reference in section 810.21.
Answer: Yes it is OK and does not need to be continuous.

3. After entering the structure, the coax cables make a straight run toward the sub-panel. Is it acceptable to run the GEC along the same path? Would any separation be required (or recommended) between the GEC and the cables?
Answer: Doesn't matter.

4. Is it permissible to bring the GEC into the sub-panel and connect it to the internal grounding bar? Or would it have to be connected to the GES outside the sub-panel?
Answer: I believe this is OK.

Is there anything else I'm missing?
Answer: You seem to have a better grasp of the requirements than most dish installers!
 
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