installer wouldn't install

[Sean Mota]

Test 1,2,3,4,5

Testing on this thread. We had a problem with it. It is now fixed.

 

[The Stone Man]

Klatu forgot to ground Gort, and look what happened to Washington, DC.

1951 "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

 

[TheForce]

sat4me-
The problem you have is that you don't understand how a ground system works for static electricity as in a lightning strike. It appears that you believe a #10 copper or aluminum wire is meant to carry the full power of a lightning bolt to the ground during a direct hit. You are not alone as many people disrespect the need for grounds because they don't understand and laugh at the #10 wire notion that it is supposed to be able to carry the power of a lightning bolt. What this wire is meant to do is keep the small static charge build up drained off from corona points on the antenna that attract the huge powerful lightning. If the antenna structure is allowed to build up a static charge it will be more likely to atract the powerful bolt of lightning. You install a good ground to keep the charge drained off. I explain it to lay people as it is like a mask that allows your antenna to "hide" from the thunderstorms. IF you haven't done this ground effectively, nothing will keep you safe when that bolt of lightning strikes in a direct hit. You will be toast!
The secondary reason to install a good ground on your antenna structures is to prevent static discharge damage to your electronics. These discharges are mostly silent and have no other symptoms other than the device no longer works. The electronics tech will often surprise the victim with a (somewhat inaccurate statement) claim that you got struck by lightning. You will be surprised because you won't recall any other symptoms. I believe these techs know better but love to dramatize their analysis.

 

[RazorFace]

Bullsh!t about the distance I am 20 miles from towers and that is close. 20-30 is the perfect distance for a good OTA directional antenna. The rated "fringe" distance on my medium directional antenna is 50 miles. And it is not even a large directional. I have mine in the attic, one story house with 2 story houses around me. I think hes full of it.

I will need to put the antenna in my attic (there's one there now, but it's a 25 year old UHF/VHF - not sure if it will be adequate).

What model is your antenna? While I don't have two story houses around my home I do have tall (70'+) trees about 80' distance from the house. I was considering the Channel Master 4228.

Mykyl

 

[sat4me]

sat4me-
The problem you have is that you don't understand how a ground system works for static electricity as in a lightning strike. It appears that you believe a #10 copper or aluminum wire is meant to carry the full power of a lightning bolt to the ground during a direct hit. You are not alone as many people disrespect the need for grounds because they don't understand and laugh at the #10 wire notion that it is supposed to be able to carry the power of a lightning bolt. What this wire is meant to do is keep the small static charge build up drained off from corona points on the antenna that attract the huge powerful lightning. If the antenna structure is allowed to build up a static charge it will be more likely to atract the powerful bolt of lightning. You install a good ground to keep the charge drained off. I explain it to lay people as it is like a mask that allows your antenna to "hide" from the thunderstorms. IF you haven't done this ground effectively, nothing will keep you safe when that bolt of lightning strikes in a direct hit. You will be toast!
The secondary reason to install a good ground on your antenna structures is to prevent static discharge damage to your electronics. These discharges are mostly silent and have no other symptoms other than the device no longer works. The electronics tech will often surprise the victim with a (somewhat inaccurate statement) claim that you got struck by lightning. You will be surprised because you won't recall any other symptoms. I believe these techs know better but love to dramatize their analysis.

Don,

Fantastic to have a very intelligent explanation of why to ground.
I never said that grounding was not a good thing to do and yes, I'm fully aware that the reason to ground is to disapate the static from the devise. Wind blowing across the dish surface can cause enough static to be a problem, so I do understand what the #10 wire's purpose is.

My point to PSB is he is painting a DOOM picture of certain destruction if the dish is not grounded. Perhaps that could happen, although I've not been able to verify this as an actual event anywhere.
There are millions of antennas, dishes, what have you, that are either not grounded at all or improperly grounded, and yet the cases that there have been destruction or loss of life is not been publicized.

There are other solutions to protect equipment if a NEC ground source is not available. My opinion was to display that the need to protect all pathways is important as well. The #1 cause of property and injury is the telco connection and that has been ignored completely.

So, in all, grounding is VERY IMPORTANT, just look at the full picture and decide as a consumer what your level of protection should be.

 

[jeremys]

waited like 15 min on hold @ installs inc and then left a message with my cell number. no call yet.

I'll just put this on hold for a couple months and wait until I can call installs/voom and a human answers. By then, I will own an HDTV and will have been watching INHD & HDNET for a month and will be craving more 720/1080 media. I wonder if they will still let me rent equip by then.

jeremy

 

[PSB]

I ground to local and NEC code because I sign my name on the workorder that I have done so, a few months ago I was asked up to the state board of electricity to help with the research they are doing on the new NEC code for satellite, we talked about apartment installs and they told me in no uncertain terms that a surge protector does not make an installation to code, and confirmed that an apartment install should not be done unless it is to code period, this was from the person who is in charge of NEC code interpretation in this state. Thats my reason for grounding to local and NEC code. As for fires caused, of course it can happen if the dish comes into contact with anything electrical! If it falls onto power lines.....and just because it has never happened does not mean we should forget the law? Now whats your excuse for not grounding to code....................................

 

[022266]

I have to agree with PSB on this issue. I had an apartment install today and thankfully the apartment was on the end by the utility ground. I hate to turn down apt installs, but have due to no ground point.

I have had issues where landlords / managers say NO DRILLING!, but were OK with me using "C" clamps on the balcony rail to secure the mast foot ( 2 work great ).

again, apartments are easy installs, but Grounding them to code makes it hard to do. PSB is right HACK installers will do them in a min., but customer will pay for it in long run.

GOOD POST and link PSB I printed that to carry with me in the field.

 

[jeremys]

installs is going to send another installer out. The bad news is, the will charge me $45 if they can't get LOS.

For my $45, I hope he puts some effort into it and actually tries to get a signal.