Ground Pole Mount - Grounding Block Necessary?

[sansabar]

I've always used a grounding block with my sat runs but they have always been roof mounts. I've just done a yard pole mount of the new slimline dish and I'm trying to avoid any unnecessary splices of cable runs. Since the dish is grounded with 3 1/2 feet of earth and 120 lbs of Quickrete, do I need the additional grounding block?

[funners]

I've always used a grounding block with my sat runs but they have always been roof mounts. I've just done a yard pole mount of the new slimline dish and I'm trying to avoid any unnecessary splices of cable runs. Since the dish is grounded with 3 1/2 feet of earth and 120 lbs of Quickrete, do I need the additional grounding block?

i don't believe so.. i live in a apt complex with a pole mount and i don't have one and i have no problems and i even have the window adapters which tend lend to problems that way

[JeffTex42]

The HR20 doesn't care :). This belongs in the general forum.

[K4SMX]

The HR20 doesn't care :). This belongs in the general forum.
Well even though it's in the wrong forum, your pole s/b grounded at the dish with an 8' ground rod, and you should have the grounding block grounded to your service ground before your cables enter your house. If you have no nearby service ground, it is permissable to run a #6 solid copper wire to it from your grounding block, which BTW, is not usually designed to accept #6, so you'll have to file it down a bit. Something smaller than #6 is better than nothing, but I think it's supposed to be #6.

The concrete will conduct a lightning strike, but a ball of it only 3' deep does not constitute a sufficient electrical ground. It's certainly safer than having an ungrounded dish on the top of your house, however, as is frequently found to be the case.

The wire to your service ground is designed to prevent transient voltage differentials between different points in the system which may occur in a nearby lightning strike from damaging your equipment.

[Tom Robertson]

Simple guidelines for the highest chance of success:
Ground the dish (concrete and pole is not suffcient)
Ground the phone system
Ground the coax as it enters the house
Ground the switches
Ensure the outlets are properly wired and grounded
Tie together all grounds correctly.

Sure, things might work with any or all these not done correctly. Why tempt Murphy to invoke his law upon something as important as HDTV! :)

Cheers,
Tom

[bt-rtp]

Posts #4 and #5 are exactly correct.

The purpose of grounding is to provide an intentional path of least resistance for an electrical discharge to earth.

An electrical charge can manifest from various sources or conditions. The most common is from static electricity in the atmosphere. Static electricity can be very powerful. It destroys countless amounts of electronic equipment. It's probably the single most common cause of the failure of electronic devices.

Another cause of an electrical charge is the failure of an electrical device in a dwelling where AC current is directed to the ground for protection from electrocution.

You just can't put too high of a price on proper grounding. A whole house transient voltage surge suppresser (TVSS) like a Leviton 42120 is also a good investment.

[sansabar]

Thanks. Redid everything today and added the additional grounds. Better safe than sorry.