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 Posted:  Wed May 13 2020, 01:52am | | | Posted by: Dave3825us | Posts: 1219
| | | | Old Display Name: Dave
| |  Premium Member | Joined: Fri Mar 24 2006, 10:47pm
| | Was wondering what those of you with rooftop antenna do as far as grounding / lightning arrester.
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| | Posted: Wed May 13 2020, 01:16pm | | | Posted by: Darkstar350 | Posts: 811
| | | | | Location: Central Nassau
| | Joined: Mon Aug 18 2014, 10:57pm
| Ideally - any outdoor antenna should be grounded to an 8ft copper grounding rod drilled into the ground connected with a copper grounding wire of a certain thickness
Better off connecting the ground wire with clamps or something because soldering it may not be effective against an actual strike
Check with the local electrical codes as well
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| | Posted: Wed May 13 2020, 01:38pm | | | Posted by: Dave3825us | Posts: 1219
| | | | Old Display Name: Dave
| | | Premium Member | Joined: Fri Mar 24 2006, 10:47pm
| Right, but as far as grounding it, there are different things out there.
like this
[link]
or this,
[link]
The first one I am not sure about but the second looks like it only grounds the outer shield of the coax. Either way if lightning strikes, it will destroy the scanner on the other end. And if a scanner antenna with a metal center conductor was to get hit, I don't see how this would help since it grounds the outer shield and not the center conductor. Maybe it helps discharge static. Now that I own a house I have to deal with homeowners insurance and need to follow nec regulations. All I have found is stuff saying to ground as close to where the coax enters the home and no sharp bems in the ground wire. I need to figure out what style is better to have. I was hoping to see what other here use. I have something I want to throw up on the roof but if I dont ground it now it will get forgotten about. Unfortunately I do not have an attic so I need to do this right. I know a lot about a lot but not much about this. | | Back to top | | |
| | Posted: Thu May 14 2020, 04:51am | | | Posted by: thehawk | Posts: 134
| | | | | | | Joined: Tue Jan 20 2015, 10:02pm
| The first one you listed grounds the shield 100% of the time, as far as the center conductor goes it will short to ground through the gas tube if the breakdown voltage is met of the gas tube. The second one i believe only grounds the shield but i could be wrong. If you end up driving a ground rod specificaly for your antennas you must connect it to your electrical ground rod.
"The National Electrical Code (NEC) in section 810 requires that the antenna mast and the coaxial cable be bonded to the home’s ground electrode system (GES), which is usually the ground rod installed at the power meter and breaker box. There are other options listed in Section 250 of the NEC, but the GES is preferred. A separate ground rod is not required, and is not recommended. If a separate ground rod is used, it must be connected to the GES with a minimum 6 AWG copper conductor. The ground for the mast should be as direct and short as possible, with minimal bends, using a minimum of 10 AWG copper wire (or 17 AWG copper-clad steel or bronze wire). It can be connected to the GES using a split bolt connector available at most hardware and home centers. The coaxial cable that comes from the antenna also needs to be connected to the GES. This is accomplished by using a ground block located as close as possible to where the coaxial cable enters the building. The ground block then is connected to the GES using 14 AWG or larger with as short of a run as possible, and again with minimal bends. A separate split nut can be used to bond the coaxial cable ground to the GES.
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| | Posted: Thu May 14 2020, 12:57pm | | | Posted by: Dave3825us | Posts: 1219
| | | | Old Display Name: Dave
| | | Premium Member | Joined: Fri Mar 24 2006, 10:47pm
| I have to re read this after my second coffee. I have a long ground rod in ground where electric comes into home. Optimum seems to have a ground block on their line connected to it. I have to look because I am not sure this ground rod is connected to my electric system. I know inside my home there is a heavy copper wire attached to the water line.
I was planning for now to throw up a R/S Sputnik 20-176 on a short pvc mast either off the chimney our the pvc waste vent line from upstairs bathroom. Old cable install had a coax line come thru the wall into the computer room on second floor. I think I will use the gas arrestor at the antenna and a ground block where the coax comes in. I need to see if the ground wire from the ant can connect to the ground block and then run down to the ground rod or if it needs to be 2 seperate lines running down to the ground rod..
[ Edited Thu May 14 2020, 12:57pm ] | | Back to top | | |
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