Switches...should they be inside or outside.

[Mike500]

I'd at least under an eave and preferably in an attic or in a crawl space.

In the case of mounting in an attic or in a crawl space, I'd place grounding blocks outside before the cable enters the house.

I've done humdreds of fulfillment installs with the grounding block exposed to the weather, but for my own, I enclose them in a weatherproof box.

The cable companies, with over 40 years of experience, now universally use the weatherproof box.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Its best to mount the switches inside if possible. You can mount them outside, but I very rarely have them go bad when mounted indoors.

It takes another 10-15 minutes to install a switch indoors, its well worth the extra time and effort to save you from a service call in the future

 

[SimpleSimon]

What Mike500 says is good stuff. Claude's is OK - as long as the grounding is outside, or you don't live in my fire district (because I'm tired of putting out fires caused by stupidity).

 

[Wayd Wolf]

Please explain why, in detail, a ground block is better than a switch for grounding. Both provide an effectively zero-resistance connection between the cable shield and the ground lug.

It's not a matter of detailed explanation. The NEC and the local zoning commission's reasons are theirs. The UL's reasons are theirs. You follow it or you pay the price with a fine, possible legal action. I would ask the NFPA and the UL about this. For that matter, ask Dish Network and DirecTV about it as well.

I do know that we have a VERY high incidence of box failures in cable where the ground block was absent and the splitter was used instead as opposed to failures with proper ground blocks.

 

[Mike500]

Yeah,

This would be a nice addition to use;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5705286189&sspagename=STRK:MESE:IT&rd=1

 

[SimpleSimon]

It's not a matter of detailed explanation. The NEC and the local zoning commission's reasons are theirs. The UL's reasons are theirs. You follow it or you pay the price with a fine, possible legal action. I would ask the NFPA and the UL about this. For that matter, ask Dish Network and DirecTV about it as well.

I do know that we have a VERY high incidence of box failures in cable where the ground block was absent and the splitter was used instead as opposed to failures with proper ground blocks.

That's what I thought. You don't know what you're talking about, nor have you been reading my posts. I already said that:

• the UL wouldn't permit a lug to be on the unit if it wasn't good for grounding.
• that Dish diagrams show use of switch for grounding.
• I am a FireFighter - and former District Chief - I probably have a bit of a clue as to what the NFPA says about such things - which is almost nothing - it refers you to the NEC & UBC.

I know nothing about cable except that it's NOT DBS. We don't have splitters.

 

[Grandude]

I'd at least under an eave and preferably in an attic or in a crawl space.

My only concern with an attic install would be the sometimes very high temps there. If the new DPP44 switch already has an overheating problem, putting it in an attic could be fatal.

In my installation I have a DP34 under the eave and it feeds a second DP34 inside the garage wall where most of my coax cables originate to the various rooms in the house.

My original installation, done by a Dish installer was a SW64 switch tied to the base of the dish on the roof, fully exposed to weather and heat. It only lasted a few months.

BTW, I ran a ground from the first SW, under the eave, to the common house ground but didn't think it necessay to run a ground wire from the second switch. Is my assumption valid?

 

[SimpleSimon]

...BTW, I ran a ground from the first SW, under the eave, to the common house ground but didn't think it necessay to run a ground wire from the second switch. Is my assumption valid?

You should be fine as long as that's a good ground rod it's hooked to.

On the other hand, it's unlikely to hurt anything to ground the indoor one too - just for a little extra protection - although it's possible you could create a ground loop. I don't think I'd bother.

 

[Grandude]

You should be fine as long as that's a good ground rod it's hooked to.

On the other hand, it's unlikely to hurt anything to ground the indoor one too - just for a little extra protection - although it's possible you could create a ground loop. I don't think I'd bother.

Thanks Simon,
I had both switchs grounded at one time but in troubleshooting another problem I disconnected the second one.
House is only four years old so I expect that the electrician did a good job on the system grounding. (I don't think I'll try pulling out the ground rod to see if it is long enough, or damp on the end.)