SATELLITE DISH GOUNDING AND BONDING

[gds3]

I INSTALL SATELLITE TV DISHES AND CAN'T SEEM TO FIND DEFINITIVE LANGUAGE AS TO THE PROPER GROUNDING AND BONDING OF DISHES. THE LOCATION OF THE DISH IS OFTEN A DISTANCE FROM THE ELECTRIC GROUND ROD. WE USE A #10 GROUND WIRE BUT IS THERE A DISTANCE LIMITATION FOR THIS SIZE WIRE ?? MY COMPANY DISCOURAGES THE INSTALLATION OF OUR OWN GROUND ROD. ANY THOUGHTS OR DIRECTION WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED....


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[ October 14, 2004, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: don_resqcapt19 ]

 

[dereckbc]

Re: SATELLITE DISH GOUNDING AND BONDING

First turn off the CAPS, no need to shout.

The answers are in NEC 820. There are size and distance restrictions, and special requirements for using a seperate ground rod. You cannot just use a seperate rod, it has to be bonded the the AC service electrode.

Do not have my code book handy, so go look it up, or I am sure someone will spell it out.

 

[gds3]

Re: SATELLITE DISH GOUNDING AND BONDING

Thank you,Dereck,for the prompt reply. I understand the need for bonding to the ac electrode. My biggest concern was the size of the grounding conductor relative to the distance to the ac electrode. Sorry for the caps.....Just makes it easier for us old folks to type without our glasses on !!

 

[hurk27]

Re: SATELLITE DISH GOUNDING AND BONDING

Gds3
The idea is to create a path for lighting out side of a building and to do this you have to try to keep all conductors that inter a building to a single entrance point. Then ground all these conductors at this point on the outside of a building to Earth. The problem is when a dish is placed at a distance from the service and just grounded to a local rod it causes a difference of potential between the service electrode and this dish electrode. So now the lighting will try to seek a better grounding which will be the neutral supplying the equipment connected to this dish. which will pass through the building. This would not be good for the equipment or the tenets.

820.40 requires that the grounding conductor be insulated 820.40(A)(1)

and also requires it to be made of copper, or other corrosion-resistant conductive material, stranded or solid.820.40(A)(2)

The grounding conductor can not be smaller than 14 AWG. It has to have a current-carrying capacity approximately equal to that of the outer conductor of the coaxial cable. The grounding conductor is not required to exceed 6 AWG but can be Most RG6U would be around a #10AWG wire but I would run a # 6. 820.40(A)(3)

The grounding conductor has to be as short as practicable. should not to exceed 20' in length.
820.40(A)(4) The exception to this allows where a dish is located away from the service electrode (farther than 20') then a grounding electrode has to be installed and a grounding conductor install between both electrodes and this conductor cannot be smaller than a #6 awg.
There is more to the requirements but you need to get a NEC or copy this section from a library.

[ October 15, 2004, 12:43 AM: Message edited by: hurk27 ]

 

[dereckbc]

Re: SATELLITE DISH GOUNDING AND BONDING

gds3, do you have a copy or access to the NEC? 820 is a little long to re-print here. If not I am sure someone will be happy to copy and paste off of CD.