Grounding dish/cable from roof????

[axle]

I want to attach my dish to my roof and bring the coax into the basement through a chase. There are no obvious sites (pipes etc; all plastic) to ground my coax cable and dish. Do I have to run a ground cable to the ground? This would look terrible. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks

[drjake]

Grounds do not go to "ground". You need to ground to a cold water pipe or conduit. Although not recommended, you can run the ground wire in the chase and connect to a pipe in your basement. Note that this grounding is not designed to protect against lightning, although many people will tell you that it does. It is designed to dissapate static electricity. To protect against lightning, you need at least an eight guage wire and adeqate lightning arrestors.

[Ryan]

In fact, grounding the dish itself without an adequate lightening suppression system may actually promote lightening strikes.

Usually, grounding the cable via use of a grounding block attached to a cold water pipe in the basement is the recommended method.

I don't know if there is a resident grounding expert here, but I know there is a vast amount of grounding discussion over at dbsforums.com .

[Lightnin1]

This issue comes up all the time over at dishretailer.com

Did you ever really think of why a dish needs grounded. It is not for lightning strikes I assure you. Did you ever see a dish that was struck by lightning? NO. Because there would be nothing left of the dish or what it was attached to.

The real reason for grounding is to prevent electrocution. What if a receiver malfunctions and sends 120 volts through the coax? Or what if joe homeowner is putting xmas lights up on his house and just happens to contact the light with the dish and sends 120 volts to the dish? A bad scene.

The grounding requirements per the NEC or national electric code are:
The dish must be grounded to a metal pipe or electrical service raceway, or the electrical service ground of the dwelling which is attached to a copper ground rod no shorter than 8 feet in length driven into the earth.

[jim]

What about a dish thats gounded to a vent pipe? My dish is actually attached to the vent pipe (with the chimney mount kit, I used it to attach it the vent pipe) and additionally I ran the ground to the vent pipe as well. The vent pipe is short and solid, that dish is not going anywhere in a storm!

[zimm0who0net]

Originally posted by jim
What about a dish thats gounded to a vent pipe? My dish is actually attached to the vent pipe (with the chimney mount kit, I used it to attach it the vent pipe) and additionally I ran the ground to the vent pipe as well. The vent pipe is short and solid, that dish is not going anywhere in a storm!

In an older house this is probably OK.  Newer plumbing systems frequently put PVC in the vents (even though what sticks out of the roof might be metal).  Test it...

[Bill D]

Originally posted by Ryan

Usually, grounding the cable via use of a grounding block attached to a cold water pipe in the basement is the recommended method.

.

Actually you will want to do the grounding outside the house, otherwise bringing it into the house could possibly cause a fire.
Try an outside pipe, or use a grounding pole

[jim]

Yes I tested it, it is a very good ground. House is about 50 years old, so no PVC on this pipe. The shortness of the pipe, combined with its solid positioning has given me a very reliable dish installation. Maybe I will upload a pic. I have an 8 way diplexor on the roof right next to the dish.