Grounding antenna against lightning?
 

Hey guys,

I installed my antenna on the roof. There was nothing to mount it to so I stuck a fence pole into a concrete base and just placed it on the roof of my house, which is flat with a rubber membrane covering a plywood surface.

Is this now a magnet for lighting? Should I be running some kind of grounding wire from it to the water main?

Thanks

Yes, ground both the mast and coax to your house ground rod, (separately), not the water main.

Thanks rickbb. How do I ground the coax? Would a grounded surge protector power bar work?

Have a look at this thread... http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=901 Particularly post #20

If you need more specific info, feel free to ask detailed questions.

Great info. Thanks for pointing me to it!

If the antenna is outside, the coax shield should be grounded with a grounding block that is connected to the house electrical system ground with 10 gauge copper wire for electrical safety and to reject interference. For further compliance with the electrical code (NEC in the US), the mast should also be grounded in a similar manner to drain any buildup of static charge which will tend to discourage a strike, but the system will not survive a direct strike.

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...psnmldb36b.gif

http://forum.tvfool.com/attachment.p...0&d=1466357601

I consider grounding the coax with a grounding block of primary importance for personal electrical safety. The antenna coax is connected to AC operated equipment which usually only has a 2-wire power cord instead of a 3-wire power cord. If the equipment becomes defective, the coax grounding will help protect you from electrical shock. I have had three close calls with electrical shock, so I'm a little more cautious than most.

case history:
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/81-o...ml#post1457594

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/81-o...ml#post1457668

I remember back in HS 40yrs ago, we were taught to ground to the "Street side" of the water meter. What changed that?

Plastic water pipe.

It is still permitted to use metal water lines for grounding, see NEC section 810.21 for the specific details.

Rabbit73:. Excellent post. That makes it Crystal clear. Much appreciated.