Grounding Question(s)

I can not seem to find any listings for massachusetts electrical code(s)
for grounding an OTA antenna.

To be used for an Eave/gable mounted CM 4221 with a 5' mast

From what I can find it is recommended that I should ground the antenna,
the mast & the RG-6 with a grounding block.

ALL should be attached to a grounding wire in the most direct route.
With it ALL going to a ground rod in the earth.

Questions:

1) What gage ground wire should be used? i.e: 10AWG, 8AWG, 6AWG

2) Should I use a copper ground or Aluminum?

3) Stranded wire or Solid?

4) what length ground rod? How deep in the ground?

All input is greatly appreciated!

~J~

"JER67" wrote in message
...
I can not seem to find any listings for massachusetts electrical code(s)
for grounding an OTA antenna.

To be used for an Eave/gable mounted CM 4221 with a 5' mast

From what I can find it is recommended that I should ground the antenna,
the mast & the RG-6 with a grounding block.

ALL should be attached to a grounding wire in the most direct route.
With it ALL going to a ground rod in the earth.

Questions:

1) What gage ground wire should be used? i.e: 10AWG, 8AWG, 6AWG

#10 copper or #8 Aluminum


2) Should I use a copper ground or Aluminum?

Either are acceptable


3) Stranded wire or Solid?

Nothing in the NEC that prohibits or recommends either.


4) what length ground rod? How deep in the ground?

Try to use your existing ground rod at your electrical service entrance. If
this is not possible due to distance - install a 8' ground rod as close as
possible to the antenna.
YOU MUST CONNECT THIS GROUND ROD TO THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE GROUND ROD USING
A #6 COPPER WIRE. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS NOT TO DO SO.



All input is greatly appreciated!

~J~

On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 18:04:02 -0400 JER67 wrote:
| I can not seem to find any listings for massachusetts electrical code(s)
| for grounding an OTA antenna.
|
| To be used for an Eave/gable mounted CM 4221 with a 5' mast
|
| From what I can find it is recommended that I should ground the antenna,
| the mast & the RG-6 with a grounding block.
|
| ALL should be attached to a grounding wire in the most direct route.
| With it ALL going to a ground rod in the earth.

Ground the mast and antenna frame together and lead that down to a
ground rod. Keep it away from other metal, but it can follow the
mast if the mast goes into the ground.

Ground the coax arrestor to the same ground rod, but via a separate
wire to the rod.

To prevent building up ground differential charges between antenna
coax and power connections, the electrical service ground rod should
be connected with this. Or just share the same one (but don't share
the ground wires electrical service uses).


| Questions:
|
| 1) What gage ground wire should be used? i.e: 10AWG, 8AWG, 6AWG

This isn't electrical service ground, so smaller isn't such a big deal,
but larger is better to some degree. You have to consider costs, too.
Big wire costs big bucks. But in this case you are doing 2 things.
One is keeping the antenna from building a charge that could bring in
more lightning. And


| 2) Should I use a copper ground or Aluminum?

Whatever avoids an unlike metal joint. Else copper.


| 3) Stranded wire or Solid?

Stranded.


| 4) what length ground rod? How deep in the ground?

8 feet deep is a good idea. There are probably not specific requirements
for an antenna purpose. Power purposes do have this requirement, but that
is in part for other purposes.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|

On Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:04:02 -0400, JER67 wrote:

I can not seem to find any listings for massachusetts electrical code(s)
for grounding an OTA antenna.

What's the difference between a grounded antenna on top of your house and
a lightning rod? None! After being hit twice within the first year I
grounded my antenna and once having the picture tube literally explode
while I was watching TV. I have never grounded another antenna. That was
in 1969. Even using taller antennas than the one that was hit I have never
been hit again. Some people say I'm lucky. I say it's because my antenna
is no longer a lightning rod. I'll put it another way. I haven't had to
push another on fire TV out the front door cutting the crap out of my feet
again on the broken picture tube glass.:-)

--
Want the ultimate in free OTA SD/HDTV Recorder? http://mythtv.org
http://mysettopbox.tv/knoppmyth.html Usenet alt.video.ptv.mythtv
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
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What would be the reason to connect the ground rod he puts in, to the
electrical service ground rod?

If the distance is too great it wouldn't it
be crazy to ground the two rods together?

Would it matter as long as he uses a ground rod going into the earth?

Brian

It would be a very long run if I tried to ground it to my panel or water
service.
like i.e.: 100 feet

With a deep ground rod would it not protect me from lightening?

Your input is appreciated!

~J~


---------------Brian Wrote------------------

What would be the reason to connect the ground rod he puts in, to the
electrical service ground rod?

If the distance is too great it wouldn't it be crazy to ground the two
rods together?
Would it matter as long as he uses a ground rod going into the earth?

Brian

On Fri, 3 Aug 2007 05:09:19 -0400, (Metro-
West-) wrote:

What would be the reason to connect the ground rod he puts in, to the
electrical service ground rod?

If the distance is too great it wouldn't it
be crazy to ground the two rods together?

Would it matter as long as he uses a ground rod going into the earth?

Brian

My understanding is that if the rods are apart, and the ground is "not
very conductive" there will be a difference in potential between the
two. This will cause an actual flow of electricity, which can cause
all sorts of problems for you, including hum in any audio.

Bonding the two rods together makes the "system" equivalent to a
single point ground.... always the proper way to ground.

In the area where I live, it's unlikey that situation will occur (very
moist ground), but I bonded my two ground rods together anyway.

--
Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

On Aug 3, 2:58 am, Wes Newell wrote:
On Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:04:02 -0400, JER67 wrote:
I can not seem to find any listings for massachusetts electrical code(s)
for grounding an OTA antenna.

What's the difference between a grounded antenna on top of your house and
a lightning rod? None! After being hit twice within the first year I
grounded my antenna and once having the picture tube literally explode
while I was watching TV. I have never grounded another antenna. That was
in 1969. Even using taller antennas than the one that was hit I have never
been hit again. Some people say I'm lucky. I say it's because my antenna
is no longer a lightning rod. I'll put it another way. I haven't had to
push another on fire TV out the front door cutting the crap out of my feet
again on the broken picture tube glass.:-)

--
Want the ultimate in free OTA SD/HDTV Recorder?http://mythtv.orghttp://mysettopbox....yth.htmlUsenet alt.video.ptv.mythtv
My serverhttp://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
HD Tivo S3 comparedhttp://wesnewell.no-ip.com/mythtivo.htm

The problem with the term "lightning rod" is that it is the opposite
of what common sense says it to be. Lightning rods (good ones at
least) don't attract lightning, they disperse the local static charge
in the air to AVOID causing lightning to strike. This is a good thing.
Yes, this is true. One college I went to was on top of a mountain that
receives many lightning strikes every year (its literally in the
clouds), but the college hardly ever sees a direct strike on the
buildings. Its because they have many (as in one every 20') lightning
rods on top of every building. The golf course I worked at (in that
area) actually had a meter to warn when the static discharge was
building up (i.e. when current was running through the lightning
rods). Again, though, it has to be a good lightning rod for it to work
correctly.
The problem then becomes, How do I make a GOOD lightning rod. The key
is the tip (that sticks up in the air) should be a sharp point, not a
rounded (or in the case of an antenna, a flat-top pipe) tip. So, if
you antenna is attracting lightning, it is not a good lightning rod.
The fix would be to attach a sharp conductor (metal) to the top of the
antenna mast that runs down to ground. An alternate option would be to
erect a separate lightning rod that is higher than the antenna mast.
This could be either right next to the antenna or on the other end of
your house. As long as it is higher than the top of the antenna mast
(or anything else sticking up) then it will work.

Do I have a lightning rod at my house? No, but I don't live in a high
lightning strike area to even worry about it. My antenna is also lower
than my ridgeline on my house, so its not a primary attracting point
for lightning. I should also mention that my father-in-law also has an
antenna that is not grounded (mine IS grounded by the way). When I
mentioned that he should ground it, his response was, "Why?, its works
doesn't it?" Can't argue with that logic, I guess. He has also never
had a TV blow up, but he has had at least four pre-amps burn out
(presumably from lightning) in the past 5 or 6 years. I think there
are other factors at work on his system too though to cause this.

This isn't directly related, but I thought that I should mention this.
(btw, I can back up this information with Physics experiments if you
would like proof of my claims.)
DougS

I doubt that satellite installers ground the dishes to the main service
ground for the house.

If they even ground them at all

Brian

On Fri, 3 Aug 2007 12:22:11 -0400, (Metro-
West-) wrote:

I doubt that satellite installers ground the dishes to the main service
ground for the house.

If they even ground them at all

Brian

I think you're right. After my DirecTV installation I checked it
out.... no ground at all. I downloaded the installation manual from
the DirecTV web site and it clearly stated the grounding requirements,
giving instructions on how to do it, so I added the ground system
myself.

--
Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/