Okay to connect ground to ground for TV antenna coax messenger wire?
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Okay to connect ground to ground for TV antenna coax messenger wire?
Is it okay to connect ground to ground in a case such as this? To be more precise, I'm considering connecting #10 copper insulated ground wire from the empty top screw on the higher of the two ground blocks to share the clamp on the lower ground block.
Best I can see, the ground block for the TV antenna is just attached to the siding and the messenger wire terminates there. Maybe that is enough to safely discharge any static electricity from nearby lightening? But from what I'm reading it really should be properly grounded.
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Another way of posing the same question... will doing this
1) in any way compromise the ground for the Internet cable? I.e., somehow impede or prevent an electrical surge that goes through the Internet coax from traveling as it should to the ground for the entire house?
2) send any electrical surges UP the coax to the antenna?
1) in any way compromise the ground for the Internet cable? I.e., somehow impede or prevent an electrical surge that goes through the Internet coax from traveling as it should to the ground for the entire house?
2) send any electrical surges UP the coax to the antenna?
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Connecting all of the grounds together on the outside of the house is the right thing to do. It prevents ground loops and also prevents most of the energy from any lightning hits to not route through your indoor equipment.
#5
But do not use a wire larger than the smallest.
An antenna ground should be #10 at the minimum and I use #8.
The cable companies are supposed to bring their drops in near the electrical service and then connect to that ground. Many.... like it appears in your case.... bring the drop in in an arbitrary location and set a small ground rod or push the ground wire into the ground as a "ground". I wouldn't recommend connecting to the cable ground unless it's a known good ground.
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The lower of the two ground blocks, which is for the coax running to the house from the pole across the street for cable tv/internet (I'm only using the internet service), looks to be grounded properly: https://i.imgur.com/m5yNw2t.jpg
The messenger wire for the antenna coax is definitely a lighter gauge than the one for the coax for the internet. The latter, which runs to the electrical service panel for the house, looks like it uses a thick steel coated wire. So match that thicker gauge wire that runs to the service panel, right?
Edit: Sorry, see my other reply to you, I'm confused!
Last edited by rogbngp; 02-19-18 at 07:35 AM.
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IRT to PJmax:
Thanks! It looks to me like dish installer just terminated the coax messenger wire from dish to that ground block, and that's it. He didn't even strip the wire where it connects with the ground screw on the dish mounting frame. I need to check to see if he stripped it where it attaches to the ground block, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't do it there either. So I need to get metal-to-metal connections there.
But think the upper ground block shown in my picture is just attached to siding and that's it. I see no indication of it being attached to a ground rod.
I guess I could drive a ground next to the house there, but there are a lot of tree roots right in that area. I could rent a sds drill from Home Depot, but if it is safe to just connect ground to ground here it's a lot less hassle.
Thanks! It looks to me like dish installer just terminated the coax messenger wire from dish to that ground block, and that's it. He didn't even strip the wire where it connects with the ground screw on the dish mounting frame. I need to check to see if he stripped it where it attaches to the ground block, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't do it there either. So I need to get metal-to-metal connections there.
But think the upper ground block shown in my picture is just attached to siding and that's it. I see no indication of it being attached to a ground rod.
I guess I could drive a ground next to the house there, but there are a lot of tree roots right in that area. I could rent a sds drill from Home Depot, but if it is safe to just connect ground to ground here it's a lot less hassle.
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IRT to Austin Block:
Thanks! But the messenger wire from the roof (upper of the two ground blocks in the picture I posted) is a smaller gauge (probably #10) than the ground wire that runs from the lower of the two ground blocks (which is for the internet coax coming from the pole across the street) to the service panel (probably #8). Your'e saying match the gauge of the messenger wire then?
Thanks! But the messenger wire from the roof (upper of the two ground blocks in the picture I posted) is a smaller gauge (probably #10) than the ground wire that runs from the lower of the two ground blocks (which is for the internet coax coming from the pole across the street) to the service panel (probably #8). Your'e saying match the gauge of the messenger wire then?