Removes all the worries about grounding, wind, etc. Grounding the antenna will actually help prevent lightning from striking it. During a Thunderstorm, anything conductive that is not grounded, will collect a static charge So grounding the antenna, drains off any charge that might build up attracting a strike. Also an ungrounded antenna, that builds up a charge, can cause silent damage to your equipment, as this charge will discharge down your coax when it builds up a high enough potential, and do 'silent' damage to your TV tuner.
You'll just find your TV can no longer tune to any channels. Have you ever heard anyone saying, that after a thunderstorm passed through town, that their TV was no longer working. This can be the cause. It's very important that all antennas and structure wiring be grounded.
A metal mast should be grounded. At a minimum, use 10 gauge solid or stranded wire run directly to an 8 ft. No sharp turns in the wire. You should also have a good surge arrester on your incoming coax or lead-in wire. It, too, should be grounded. If you're able to "bond" the ground rod to the house's incoming utility grounding system, do it.
If it means running wire feet around the perimeter of the house to reach the electrical ground, I personally wouldn't fool with it. Grounding the mast and antenna does NOT increase the chances of a direct lightning strike. Quite the opposite. The difference is that the TV set has quite a bit of resistance which will allow a static charge to build in the antenna while a ground wire can dissipate a small charge before it becomes a problem.
BTW, Did you know that lightning can actually go from the ground to the cloud? What we know about lightning. An electrical charge develops in sky mostly in storm clouds , as the charged area moves with the cloud an opposite charge intensifies in the ground underneath. These electrical charges send out 'feelers' as they try to get together, as these feelers ionize the air the conductivity of the air is reduced and finally the two charges come together and pass a huge amount of electrical energy.
The huge current flow induces electromagnetic field voltage and current in nearby wiring, a voltage spike that will burn outlets and jap anything that is connected. My take on this; grounded objects with relatively low resistance to ground are the ones that usually get hit That's why you're safer in a car rubber tires , wearing rubber boots, etc. Grounding the antenna is a catch 22, if grounded the electrical charge can intensify more than the house roof itself due to the low resistance path to ground increase your odds of getting hit?
If ungrounded the coax shield connection between the antenna and your electronic device TV provides a path to ground at the electronic device. A surge protector may help prevent damage from the voltage spikes in the electrical wiring, but this doesn't help with the coax itself.
My opinion, leave it ungrounded and disconnect electronic equipment from the coax and electrical power during a severe storm overhead or very close by, at least it will save the electronics. Nothing can really protect you from the possibility of getting a lightning hit, but the overall odds you will not be are in your favor. Electricity follows the path of least resistance, as does lightning. Grounding a tower lessens the electrical potential voltage between sky and the ground. It does this by providing a stream of electrons to pass through the tower's lightning rod into the sky.
It does this anytime the electrical potential is strong enough to move electrons. Even with a benign looking cumulus cloud, the electrons will stream if they can through the air and toward the cloud. This stream of electrons may or may not cause lightning to strike the tower and a lightning rod isn't used to direct where lightning strikes.
A lightning rod, or grounded tower, is used to reduce the electrical potential between the cloud and ground. I apologize that I am unable to offer a link to where I have acquired this information; you'll just have to trust me on this one.
Providing a stream of electrons is likely to lower the resistance to the cloud about to strike lightning, but some evidence shows that greater charges existing in nearby structures may cause lightning to make a diversion. It will,. In the field of electrical installations, to ground an antenna is to establish a connection between the antenna and the literal ground. Although DIY grounding is easy to do with some general research provided below , we recommend that you hire the services of a licensed electrician.
The professional will either inspect your homemade grounding system or do the grounding for you. In this article, we describe the normal grounding process. If, however, there is a water line beneath your house, contact a professional for help. By the way… any links on this page that lead to products on Amazon are affiliate links and I earn a commission if you make a purchase. Thanks in advance for your support! House wire is already pre-installed in your house and is made of a thick piece of copper metal that is connected to a metal rod beneath the earth.
Before you begin installing your TV aerial, identify the location of the house ground wire and inspect it for any signs of corrosion. If your wire is damaged, do not attempt to repair it yourself. Get it replaced by an electrician, as faulty repairs can lead to catastrophic damage to your house. You need two copper cables with a minimum thickness of 10AWG. These copper wires must, however, be smaller than the house ground wire which is usually between AWG.
The first grounding cable connects to the antenna mast and the second connects the coaxial cable to the ground. A mast clamp is used to attach a ground wire to the antenna pole. The clamping device can be either a pipe clamp or a ground strap. Piper clamps were originally intended for joining grounding rods, but they have gained popularity as superb mast clamps.
Another way of attaching a grounding cable to the antenna without a clamp is to attach it to one of the bolts on the antenna rod. Note: If the area on the antenna that the grounding wire should be attached to is painted or coated, scrape the paint off so that it comes into direct contact with the ground wire.
This device is used to ground the coaxial cable of the antenna. It is technically known as the antenna discharge unit. This is the most common grounding block used in homes. It is located at the point where the coaxial cable enters your house. The grounding block allows any static electricity to discharge from the coaxial cable, while the broadcast goes on uninterrupted. To install the standard grounding block, attach one side of the coax cable to this block.
Attach another, separate piece of coax cable to the other side of the block, then connect it to the television. The grounding block has two holes with clamping screws to facilitate this kind of installation. The coax lightning arrestor is for homes that are at a high risk of a direct lightning strike. The lightning arrestor is filled with gas that ionizes when lightning strikes. They are the fastest and most secure VPNs in the industry.
These are the national codes, so be sure to check with your local State or Province for any regional type codes that must be adhered to for your specific location. These two concepts serve two different roles and are often confused. Grounding and bonding are probably the least understood and improperly implemented part of an electrical system.
Electricity takes all available paths proportional to the resistance and the source of its creation. Failure to properly ground metal parts to the earth could result in high voltage being applied to metal parts if lightning strikes. Therefore, it is extremely important that all the metal parts of your TV Antenna hardware are bonded together and that a grounding conductor wire is installed to connect your TV antenna to your grounding rod or ground plate.
The NEC requires that the antenna mast be grounded directly. Depending on your geographic region this could vary slightly, however, the basic installation remains largely unchanged. Either way, I think this image will serve as a very useful tool to help visualize the basic connections needed to properly ground an outdoor TV antenna.
Determine where you will mount your antenna — mount your TV antenna in a location that will provide you with good structural support. Whatever location you choose, be sure to also consider the direction of your transmission broadcast towers so that you have the clearest line of sight possible. Securely mount your antenna — using the provided mounting hardware, mount your TV antenna to your rooftop or to the side of your house as illustrated in the picture above.
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