Bonding/ grounding your dish, tips you needs to know

[cablewithaview]

From time to time, the question comes up, "How to best ground my satellite?". I have seen some really bad installs over the years from a little unapproved 4 ft rod with aluminum wire for grounding which is a no no.

I've seen people use a ground block under a trailer and use what we (CATV & Bell) call a (bug nut) as a grounding clamp to the trailer frame, yet another no no. That clamp or bug nut is actually used to tie off lashing wire at each pole, which is used by bell and cable.

Also, NEVER under any circumstances ground to a gas meter, this is NOT a ground but an explosive situation waiting to happen.

So here is a little something about bonding and a picture of a proper way to ground your dishes:

Bonding is the way all conductive cables and equipment are continuously connected to the ground electrode.

The electric electrode is the preferred method to bond the cable.

Proper bonding and grounding is intended to equalize and limit the potential between conductive surfaces.

The ground block is the demarcation point between the inside and outside wiring.

Bonding to metal conduits or galvanized power mast pipe is accomplished with a perforated galvanized ground strap that encircles and fastens to the couduit.

Bonding to the power company decreases the difference of potential.

The bonding wire size for RG-6 cable should be no smaller than 12 gauge.

The ground wire should be as short as possible---preferably under 10 ft.




NOTE: House box is optional, I also go a step further and use grease on the threads and grommets to keep moisture out.

[ayan17ian]

what does grounding do? does it dissipates electrical surge/lightning or eliminate ingress??! i have seen a lot of grounding connections but i can't barely understands how it works in the systems.. i see some households don't have it & others do have, but still they a comparable service situation.. is it better to use the grounding system inside the household premises or do it from the distribution taps????

[cablewithaview]

dissipates electrical surge/lightning

Some houses did not have a ground off the meter at one time. All newer stuff for the past 25 years or so does have the ground off the meter to a rod.

You always want to bond ever so many poles so any electrical issues have a way to travel off the cable to ground. As mentioned, grounding is intended to equalize and limit the potential between conductive surfaces. So yes you must ground at the house as well for that reason.

[helter]

Kudos view. <cabletechs.org 4 life>

Seen the gas meter grounded, seen the ground to air/dirt. But one thing you did not mention and I see often in WA, is the messenger ground. I am not sure why sat techs feel the need to use a steel support wire as a copper ground wire, but it's not legit folks. If the wire they ground is part of the double cable they run from the sat to the box, its not likely a ground wire. It's usually a support wire for aerial cable installations. I assume for companies that run a separate return cable. All I know is I see at least one cable install a week converting back to comcast where I work, that they did not hijack cable's ground, but instead grounded a steel support wire to the dish and to their double ground block, which still is not actually grounded.

[cablewithaview]

I don't know if these sat installers realize a 16 or 18 gauge piece of steel isn't the way to ground? Now I have seen at one time that wire be copper but it is still to small to ground. Anything under 12 gauge copper is NOT consider ground. We have been known to use 6 gauge copper at times for RG 11 and multiple outlet installs but the 12 does fine under 10 ft.

Concerning gas meters, some people think the copper wire run with the pipe to the house is for ground, WRONG! The copper running with the pipe is used for locating the natural gas line and usually is coated.

cabletechs.org

[cablewithaview]

Here is something to add, an article from Jonathan Kramer himself concerning grounding, link:
Give Me Your Bond :: Communications Technology

Nice article and has become a conversion piece in a Canadian board concerning grounding. Their are some difference between the USA and Canada concerning grounding, so for our Canadian brothers and sisters, check your local electrical codes.