Properly grounding a Satellite dish?

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Joules Watts

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I am attempting to install a Satellite dish to the top of a 2 story home in Florida.
My plan is to mount the dish to the roof, run the RG6 video cable as well as a messenger ground wire from the dish, down the back of the house to a Dbs grounding block located near the bottom.
Then I want to connect the grounding block to a new 8 foot grounding rod with 10 AWG copper wire.
The cables & messenger wire will be exposed and be tacked to the house with coaxial staples.

My questions are: :-?

1. Is a messenger wire from the satellite dish to the ground block necessary?

2. Am I allowed to drive a new grounding rod into the earth or am I supposed to use the house ground?

3. Should the cables be encased by a protective shield?

4. Do I need take any other steps in order to comply with the NEC?s code requirements?

Thank You!
 
Welcome to the forum.:)

Take a look at 810.21 for the grounding requirements for satellite dishes.

You would be well advised to read all of Article 810 in the NEC, this Article deals with satellite dish installations.

Chris
 
You must bond to the building Grounding Electrode System.

If you drive a separate ground rod, it must be bonded to the building GES

I think this is an Article 810 installation, so you might wish to give it a read.


Welcome to the forum!
 
Don't bother with a ground rod at the DBS if you are not going to bond it to the main electrical service grounding system.

Your objective is to create a single point ground. If over 20ft, art 810 requires a ground rod and a 6 AWG bond to the electrical service grounding system.
 
If over 20ft, art 810 requires a ground rod and a 6 AWG bond to the electrical service grounding system.

I use to think the same thing, but Article 810 does not have the 20 foot length restriction for dwelling units like Article 800 and 820 do.

Chris
 
Art 810

Art 810

I should know that. I submitted a proposal that was accepted for the 02 NEC to specify how the bonding connection should be made. There was no reference to 250.8, which meant it could of been done with bailing wire and been acceptable.

Regarding the 20ft, its more important to stand back and understand why this rule is there.
For the 2008 NEC the satellite industry proposed an exception for satellite dish grounding, the CMP exempted. If you have the ROP and ROC, its a good read.
 
Interesting...

I have a DBS dish installed on the SW side of my house, with a 6AWG bondwire running from the DBS and coax grounding blocks, to an 5' rod on the same side of the house. The GEC rod is on the opposite side of the house and about 60' away from the dish rod. I installed this thing myself in 1996 and have not had a problem. However...

So, if I hear you guys right, per 810.21, and 820, I should also connect the DBS rod to the house GES Rod? How? Would I have to trench 60' and bury PVC conduit with a 6AWG copper conductor rod to rod? Or, can I go inside the house and clamp onto the closest copper plumbing pipe (which is bonded to the electrical main panel and ultimately the main GEC)?
 
I have a DBS dish installed on the SW side of my house, with a 6AWG bondwire running from the DBS and coax grounding blocks, to an 5' rod on the same side of the house. The GEC rod is on the opposite side of the house and about 60' away from the dish rod. I installed this thing myself in 1996 and have not had a problem.
Yet. :cool:

Imagine a lightning strike somewhere near your house that generates, oh, let's say, a 20v/per/foot gardient. That means (20 x 60) 1200v between the rods, as well as 1200v between the cable-box chassis and the rest of your system.


So, if I hear you guys right, per 810.21, and 820, I should also connect the DBS rod to the house GES Rod? How? Would I have to trench 60' and bury PVC conduit with a 6AWG copper conductor rod to rod? Or, can I go inside the house and clamp onto the closest copper plumbing pipe (which is bonded to the electrical main panel and ultimately the main GEC)?
Read 810.21(F), (G), and (J). You might be better off without the 5' rod.
 
Thanks.

I looked at 250.52 and 250.64 (A), (B) and (E), as well as 820.100 (D), FPN No. 2. I could find no reference to the maximum length that a bonding jumper could be when connecting two ground rods together to eliminate potential differences. So, it would appear that connecting a buried 6AWG copper conductor to my existing 5' ground rod and then to the main service GEC, would make the installation compliant. The bonding jumper would be about 60' long and I could run it close to the foundation to keep it relatively straight.
 
I just had directv installed and the professional installer put up the dish, poked the coax into the attic vent, but a ground block, and ran the ground to a nearby gas pipe.

yep! Professional installation - im glad I didnt pay for it.


~Matt
 
I just had directv installed and the professional installer put up the dish, poked the coax into the attic vent, but a ground block, and ran the ground to a nearby gas pipe.

yep! Professional installation - im glad I didnt pay for it.


~Matt

Awesome. I like MHs story about the cable guy who connected a ground wire to the cable ground block and just stuck the other end in the dirt.
 
through my experience a ground from the block to a nearby water spicket or the same point the phone companies ground ties in to the service ground. as long as its bonded it should be cool.
 
through my experience a ground from the block to a nearby water spicket or the same point the phone companies ground ties in to the service ground. as long as its bonded it should be cool.

What if the interior water pipes are plastic? What happens if they are changed from metal to plastic in the future?
 
well i always went for the common point of grounds, the phone companies ground meeting up with the supplemental ground rod wire. the water spicket is quick and close sometimes. plastic pipes are too futuristic in some of these homes. when that day comes proper upgrading should be done. cause more then just the satelite dish will need proper grounding.
 
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