grounding block necessary?

[paragon]

I had an install a couple weeks ago and I just realized that my installer didn't install a one of those 4-wide coax grounding connectors to connect the four coax cables to. He did run a grounding wire from the dish (compressed underneath a bolt) to my SWM8's grounding connector. The other SWM8 grounding connector is grounded at my electrical box.

Is this ok or should I call DirecTV and ask them to come out?

[TigersFanJJ]

You are ok. That is what the grounding connectors are there for.

[JDubbs413]

Haha my dish isn't even grounded right now. I have to manually ground it out whenever there is a storm coming or make a new ground (which I plan to do eventually).

If I connect it to the houses' electrical ground for some reason there is interference on all my HD channels.

[Mertzen]

In this case you would have to check local codes to see if they allow grounding off the switch.
Are all outside connectors weather proofed?

[PCampbell]

Yes it is. It should be connected to the COLD water pipe if you have copper pipes. If not an 8' grounding rod diiven into the gronnd. I see no problem grounding the switch but local codes may say no. I grounded the switch and it works well for me.

[paragon]

In this case you would have to check local codes to see if they allow grounding off the switch.
Are all outside connectors weather proofed?

It looks like the local codes follow some national standard. Hopefully that means I'm ok. Yes, all outside connectors are weatherproof.

[2dogz]

It looks like the local codes follow some national standard. Hopefully that means I'm ok. Yes, all outside connectors are weatherproof.

That would be the National Electrical Code (NEC). All communications cable must be grounded within a couple of feet of its entrance of the dwelling. Only your local building inspector, fire department, and homeowner's insurance claim agent really care. So should you. It a safety kind of thing.

[paragon]

That would be the National Electrical Code (NEC). All communications cable must be grounded within a couple of feet of its entrance of the dwelling. Only your local building inspector, fire department, and homeowner's insurance claim agent really care. So should you. It a safety kind of thing.

All the cables come into the house and goes right down the wall to the grounding point, so I think I am ok.

[HawkEye19]

That would be the National Electrical Code (NEC). All communications cable must be grounded within a couple of feet of its entrance of the dwelling. Only your local building inspector, fire department, and homeowner's insurance claim agent really care. So should you. It a safety kind of thing.

According to some isnstallers in this thread, the NEC does not matter all that much.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=138959

[TigersFanJJ]

According to some isnstallers in this thread, the NEC does not matter all that much.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=138959

Only one person in that four page thread spoke as though the NEC doesn't matter. He wasn't speaking for anyone else. Please don't spread it throughout the forums as though most installers on this site think this way. :nono2:

[n3ntj]

I had an install a couple weeks ago and I just realized that my installer didn't install a one of those 4-wide coax grounding connectors to connect the four coax cables to. He did run a grounding wire from the dish (compressed underneath a bolt) to my SWM8's grounding connector. The other SWM8 grounding connector is grounded at my electrical box.

Is this ok or should I call DirecTV and ask them to come out?

I would have D* come and install a coax ground block and bond this to the main electrical service ground (using a new clamp, 2 wires under the same ground clamp at the ground rod is not permitted).

If the coax ground block is over 20' from the main electrical service ground, a new 8' ground rod should be fully inserted into the ground at the ground block and bonded to the main electrical ground. This bonding is done to prevent a potential voltage difference b/w the two ground rods.

I don't have a SWM, but do these have a built in ground block?

[TigersFanJJ]

I don't have a SWM, but do these have a built in ground block?

Yes, they were designed to ground the system through the SWM. Here (http://www.techtoolsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2038&gclid=CPfXoaX3l5ICFQFjxwod2Bvj_w) is a picture of a SWM. It's my understanding that some local codes do not allow grounding the system using a switch as a ground block, but most areas do allow it.

[freerein100]

The NEC is a general guideline, local codes can be more or less strict. It is not law.

[paragon]

The NEC is a general guideline, local codes can be more or less strict. It is not law.

Yes, I was saying that my local codes basically say "follow NEC guidelines"