Great Grounding article

[SATDIESEL]

Here is a great article about the importance of grounding. This is not to start another thread of everyone's opinion on grounding. This is for whoever is interested, and especially for the yahoos that don't know or care about grounding, ...like ignorant installers.

http://www.copper.org/applications/electrical/pq/casestudy/Satellite_Grounding_A6069.html

[SimpleSimon]

Arrgghhh! Once the NEA sees this, it's over! Installers will be required to dig 100' wells to pass grounding muster - after all, a satellite dish is a satellite dish - 'cause "size doesn't matter". :D :lol:

Actually, it's quite an interesting article. I've done some computer center work - but nothing like that!

[waydwolf]

The important note in all that article is the resistance. No one ever seems to bother checking that it is below 25 ohms. Thankfully, most electricians do their job right. More or less.

[Mike500]

The important note in all that article is the resistance. No one ever seems to bother checking that it is below 25 ohms. Thankfully, most electricians do their job right. More or less.


The NEC 2002 allows for the placement of a second grounding electrode connected with a #6 conductor and spaced 8 ft apart to comply with it's exception for the 25 ohm requirement.

I don't particularly like the "exothermic weld" connection (Rrico is one brand), although it is allowable under the NEC. The connection becomes brittle and likely to crack. I prefer Thomas and Betts or Burndy "C" taps placed with either the TBM5S, TBM6S, or TBM8S crimping tools.

I expecially like the solid copper plate electrode with 2 sq. ft. of surface area buried 30 inches deep.

[Strong]

.... This is for whoever is interested, and especially for the yahoos that don't know or care about grounding, ...like ignorant installers.
...
Or companies spending $50m+ to install 10K+ satellite systems in the state of FL.

Here in the sunshine state (which is the lightning capital of the US), the Florida Lottery is currently being converted to satellite (DirecWay). All of the retailers that sell the lottery will have to be converted to either satellite dishes or antennas to receive signals from stores with dishes.

Guess how many ground blocks are being used? Zero, zip, nada.

The big boys with the big bucks didn't see any point to ground the coax with ground blocks, and presumably Hughes/DirecTV signed off on that decision.

I said it before and I'll say it again, if the rules for grounding were universally understood and consistently applied, the home satellite industry would be dead in a few short months. DirecTV, etc pays lip service to grounding, but they as well as installation companies know that 'correct' grounding is not always feasible, practical or enforceable.

No installation manager wants to hear that a job can't be done because a job can't be properly grounded. No customer wants to hear that they may have to have major construction work done in order to have a satellite system installed. I won't even mention the grounding issues re: apartments.

[SimpleSimon]

I agree that the NEC rules for grounding are way restrictive. I also consider it massive overkill, although when a 'legal' ground is handy, that's my preference.

For static drain (which is the main purpose here), a ground rod DOES work - and work well.

The NEC rules are intended to prevent ground current loops, which are generally not an issue when working with RF transmissions. The power to the LNBF comes closest to being a problem - but it's low-voltage DC where the voltage potential is most important, not the ground reference on the far side of the receiver's power supply.