bad influence?

[zamar23]

Dee,

See my above post to resolve most of your current issues. As to static electricity, its getting higher when the air and skin is dry, so maintain higher humidity in your premises with a humidifier like its done in electronics manufacturing to avoid static discharge damage to parts, and wear cotton only socks. It helps also wearing thin rubber (surgical) gloves while working with electronics. Many sensitive computer and electronics components can be easily harmed by static.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Dee-Ann, you're talking about the wires from your FTA receiver to the dish that's shocking you? If so, you need to get someone to come over and trace it down and see if there's a bad place on it somewhere. You shouldn't be getting shocked at all.

Yes, the black wires that hook to the dishes. when I touch the metal ends of the wires it stings, I'm pretty sure it's electricity, it feels a little like one time I tripped on a phone wire and pulled it from the wall. I tried to hook the wires back into the wall and while I was doing it the phone rang. It stung me pretty good, made me vow to never mess with phones again.

This is sort of like that but much weaker. It doesn't really hurt much, it just surprises me more than anything and makes me drop it.

Isn't there supposed to be electricity in them? I keep seeing talk about 18 and 13 volts on here. That's more than a car battery isn't it?

Oh yes, I almost forgot, another one that shocks me is internet wire. I have cable internet and I've taken it loose a few times to move things around and that one really stings like the dickens. I can see sparks on the internet wire when I touch it to things. I really don't like touching that one.

I thought all wires have electricity in them, isn't that what they are for?

 

[Dee_Ann]

Dee,

See my above post to resolve most of your current issues. As to static electricity, its getting higher when the air and skin is dry, so maintain higher humidity in your premises with a humidifier like its done in electronics manufacturing to avoid static discharge damage to parts, and wear cotton only socks. It helps also wearing thin rubber (surgical) gloves while working with electronics. Many sensitive computer and electronics components can be easily harmed by static.

LOL! Humidity is never an issue here. It's usually hovering around 150% humidity here on the Gulf Coast. I'm like a 5 minute drive from the Gulf of Mexico.

There is no escaping it unless you drive 400 miles north. Or more.

I soooo hate the humidity here, it's just brutal. And combine that with gruesome high temperatures 11 months of the year, well...

I really want to move back up north. I love the cold. I hate the heat. Sigh........

 

[Jim S.]

I don't know what the threshold voltage for a normal person to feel electricity is, but it's certainly well over 18 volts. The telephone ring signal is 70 volts average, with higher spikes.

At any rate, the outside connector on all of your coaxial cables should be at the same voltage as the ground, for all practical purposes. Evidently the cable ground is connected to the hot side of your electric system somewhere rather than neutral, but I'm puzzled as to how this could be happening with both your fta systems and your internet connection, since at least some of your devices' power supplies should isolate them from a direct connection. Are all of your cables grounded at the same point? They SHOULD be, which could theoretically allow one device to energize all of them, but a lot of do-it-yourselfers don't ever ground coaxial cables at all.

It sounds to me like you need an electrician. The cable company could probably diagnose the problem, but unless its their equipment causing it they won't fix it for you.

 

[Dee_Ann]

I don't know what the threshold voltage for a normal person to feel electricity is, but it's certainly well over 18 volts. The telephone ring signal is 70 volts average, with higher spikes.

At any rate, the outside connector on all of your coaxial cables should be at the same voltage as the ground, for all practical purposes. Evidently the cable ground is connected to the hot side of your electric system somewhere rather than neutral, but I'm puzzled as to how this could be happening with both your fta systems and your internet connection, since at least some of your devices' power supplies should isolate them from a direct connection. Are all of your cables grounded at the same point? They SHOULD be, which could theoretically allow one device to energize all of them, but a lot of do-it-yourselfers don't ever ground coaxial cables at all.

It sounds to me like you need an electrician. The cable company could probably diagnose the problem, but unless its their equipment causing it they won't fix it for you.

I have no idea how this old house it wired.
It's like 50+ years old I think. One time when my modem went bad I changed it out myself, when I was at the cable company I told them the wire shocked me and the girl told me not to touch the wires. I'm ok with that. The internet wire really stings pretty good. I do not like touching that one at all, it makes my arm vibrate.

 

[Jim S.]

I'm going to have to suggest that the girl at the cable company doesn't know what she's talking about. Even if there were a legitimate reason for them to be providing power via their cable lines, which there really isn't in a residential setting, the center conductor should be hot and the metal connector on the cable should be grounded. Do you get a shock from the cable when it's NOT connected to the modem? If you do, it sounds like the cable company could be the source of the problem. Either that, or the cable ground is bonded to the hot line of your electrical service rather than the ground. You really need to get the problem sorted out. I'm surprised any of your equipment is working.

 

[Lak7]

I would call an Electrician ASAP.
I'm sure you are aware that you should have your Sat Boxes powered down / un-plugged when connecting or disconnecting cables.
You should not feel any electricity when touching the cables.

 

[mikelib]

Dee,
It sounds like your electric wiring is not ground correctly and you might need an electrician to fix it.

The LNB side of the cable has the screw on connection which is connected to the outer braided wire of the cable. The cable goes in to the house and is connected to the set top box. The set top box is plugged into the wall outlet and the outlet should be properly grounded. The ground connection should be at zero volts. As you can see the ground is extended all the way out to the LNB side of the cable connection. If the ground wire is broken or wired incorrectly it is possible to get AC voltage on that wire. When you say that it stings you it leads me to believe its AC voltage.

Is the Internet connection that you say gives you the shock, be trace back to the modem (or another electric device, where the internet wire is connected to) and see if it is plugged to the same electric outlet?

If they are connected to the same electric outlet the problem might be only in that outlet. If they plugged into different outlets it might be a house wiring problem.

It is wise to make sure that the electric wiring is ground correctly; you should never get any electric shocks. Maybe one of the forum members is an electrician and can advise you. I worked for the phone company and I am somewhat familiar with electric wiring. I am not advocating that you yourself fix it; I am just helping to see if you can narrow the grounding problem down.
Mike Lib

 

[zamar23]

Dee,

We're determined to keep you alive at any cost. Especially at 150% humidity its not an easy task to fight with all these wiring shocks. Don't touch anything, unless your neighbor gives it a try.

 

[Dee_Ann]

I unscrewed the wire for my internet (Road Runner cable) outside and it shocks me there. And that's the first connector in the wire from the pole, it's hooked to nothing at all then, not touching the house except by a loop thingie on the wire and a hook screwed into the boards. Touching that center wire inside the black wire shocks me pretty good. I do NOT like that at all.

So I know it's not anything to do with my house.
Also I had the box out back replaced after hurricane Rita and about 4 months ago a tree limb fell on my power wire. I called the electric company and they came out and cut the wire then cut the limbs away. It damaged the power meter box and they made me call an electrician to have it repaired. Then he called a city inspector to come check the repairs, he called the electric company back out to put my wires back up.

The tree did not touch the road runner wire at all and no one messed with it during the repairs. My internet has always worked great except when we have storms and the power goes out everywhere. Then it quits working.
My dad bought me a generator to run the house on during hurricanes.

But nothing else in the house has ever shocked me and my house is all electric. Only the internet wire, the satellite wire and the phone wire (when we had one).

 

[1ADAM12]

If your cable from the isp is giving you a shock outside the house, and the cable comes from a pole, you may want to call the electric utility company. They can check to see if all the utilities on that pole are properly grounded.

 

[Dee_Ann]

If your cable from the isp is giving you a shock outside the house, and the cable comes from a pole, you may want to call the electric utility company. They can check to see if all the utilities on that pole are properly grounded.

Ok, I will do that tomorrow. And I don't know if it makes any difference but I don't get TV on it, just internet. It's like $100 a month for basic cable and internet. That's just too rich for me. Besides, the cable tv around here is terrible, fuzzy pictures, poor selections. It's a big rip off. But the road runner is great, I can't complain about it at all. Well, yes I can. They have the audacity to charge me $10 a month for NOT having TV! Can you believe that? Is that even legal? Charging me for something I'm not getting? Personally I think it's theft what they do. But the people at the cable office just stare at me with blank eyes when I complain about the fee. They tell me to pay it or do without. :rant:

 

[1ADAM12]

Ok, I will do that tomorrow...... But the people at the cable office just stare at me with blank eyes when I complain about the fee. They tell me to pay it or do without. :rant:

Just ATT DSL now for me. $19.95/mo. Cell phone and FTA, just make it on a cops salary.

Both Cable and Telephone on a electric utility pole depend on the power companies grounding system. Somtimes the ground is good enough for the power company but can be 90 vac to a good earth ground.

With all the lightning you get down there, be a benefit to drive a ground rod close to your dishes, Telephone, cable and power meter. With everthing tied together at that point, it's safer.

 

[mikelib]

I unscrewed the wire for my internet (Road Runner cable) outside and it shocks me there. And that's the first connector in the wire from the pole, it's hooked to nothing at all then, not touching the house except by a loop thingie on the wire and a hook screwed into the boards. Touching that center wire inside the black wire shocks me pretty good. I do NOT like that at all.

The tree did not touch the road runner wire at all and no one messed with it during the repairs. My internet has always worked great except when we have storms and the power goes out everywhere. Then it quits working.

Ok you isolated one of the problems, it sounds like you have a defective pole tap (box on pole where your internet cable is screw to). The tap is suppose to block any voltage from the main trunk cable (the cable that is strung between the poles, they have power on them to power the trunk line amplifiers). A call to the cable company should take care of that, also I would take 1Adam12’s suggestion and have the utility company check the pole ground out.

So I know it's not anything to do with my house.

Also I had the box out back replaced after hurricane Rita and about 4 months ago a tree limb fell on my power wire. I called the electric company and they came out and cut the wire then cut the limbs away. It damaged the power meter box and they made me call an electrician to have it repaired. Then he called a city inspector to come check the repairs, he called the electric company back out to put my wires back up.

My dad bought me a generator to run the house on during hurricanes.

But nothing else in the house has ever shocked me and my house is all electric. Only the internet wire, the satellite wire and the phone wire (when we had one).

Now let’s talk about the shock from the cable wires. Now the cable wire going to dish if you disconnect the wire from the back of the set top box and go out to the dish and take it off do you still get a shock? Do you get a shock taking off the cable wire at the set top box?? We can figure this out, looking forward to your answers, and feedback on the dish cable.

 

[GreatFTA]

Reckon it the grounding problem? Like the house she lives in isn't fully grounded, as far as electricity is concerned?
Dee-Ann why don't you talk to a power company, as 1Adam12 suggests. It would be very wise and for your protection. If any of your equiptment isn't grounded properly (tv, stereos, satellite equipment, etc) you are flirting with a dangerous situation. It won't cost anything to get the power company to check out your house wiring to the meter.
Let us know what you find out...

 

[GreatFTA]

Good grief, the internet cable shouldn't be shocking her either! The ground wire from the meter to the ground could be broken. There is a 5 or 6 foot grounding rod in the ground that the ground wire from the meter go to. Without this ground wire, even touching the case of any equipment could shock you. Every thing electical need to be grounded!

 

[GreatFTA]

The reason I think her house may not be grounded is when she mention that the cable from the receiver to the dish shock her when she touches it (the part that screw into the lnb). I worry it could destroy her electronic equipment.
I don't believe static electricity would have anything to do with this. Dee-Ann has to be really fired up to get shock like that. Unless she's just a electrifing person to be around with, LOL!
You don't shock any body you touch, Dee-Ann?

 

[GreatFTA]

And she mentions that her father allowed her to use a generator to run electricity in her home. Could be that the ground wire where the generator was attached to could be loose. Wouldn't hurt to check that out too.
Sorry, guys, for me to make this a multi posts on this issue but grounding is VERY serious subject to cover. I don't want anything bad happen to Dee-Ann or her home.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Wow! That's a lot of info there to read over!
I'll call my dad tomorrow too in addition to the cable company and see if my dad can find anything wrong. He has a meter to check things with. I can't recall what it is but I've seem him put the wires from it into outlets when he hooked up my generator. He had the electrician install a big lever on my electric that I flip to change between power from the city or from my generator. The house can't run on both at the same time and it is supposed to keep men working on wires from being zapped by my generator.

I never use it except during hurricanes when everything goes off.
I flip the lever, start the generator then tough it out until the power comes back on. It only lets me run a few lights and the icebox, maybe a few fans too.

If things get really bad I can go over to their house, he just installed a huge generator that runs on natural gas and starts up all by itself, it runs *everything* in their house, both air conditioners, everything. So when things get bad they never even notice. Well, except for the tv quits now if it rains a little. My dad hates the new digital tv. I can relate. Fluffy white clouds knock out White Springs tv. Very annoying.

With the old tv you could get it as long as the tv station was running.

Ok ok, I'm babbling on now.

But I will try to get these things checked out soon.
Thanks guys for your advice! I will follow it.

edit: Oh and here's a pic of the latest little ugly stepchild to take root in my backyard. I guess I should be happy my house faces North. These things would be horrible in my front yard.

nite nite all, I'm just too tired to go on tonight.

 

[turbosat]

Dee you'll have to call that one Stubby, haha. That's the shortest pole I've seen a dish on.
It's a great dish though, got 2 of them. One is not hooked up right now, the other is pointed at
AMC5 for the horse races. Very good gain on those 84e dishes.