Brooklyn Grounding Question
 

Hey there,

My situation is similar to: http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=8916

I'm in NYC (Brooklyn) too and am about to mount a Antennacraft HBU22 on the roof of our building. It's a 4 story brownstone with nearly direct sight of the Empire State from the roof.

My question is - what's the best way to ground the antenna and/or mast? I'm I don't have any actual dirt anywhere around the building - we live in a concrete jungle! I don't see any of the antennas or dishes on our roof currently grounded. Is it neccessary? I was going to buy a grounding block and send a ground right before it enters my window on the second floor. But it's in an interior shaft and doesn't face the street. I might be able to send it back over the roof and towards the street.

Other options are a fire escape that doesn't touch the ground or potentially sending it down into the basement of the building where the pipes are.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

If you lived in an open field, with no electrical service, a new ground rod driven into the earth would likely be the best option. But most OTA TV antenna installations are not out in an empty field. The ideal ground connection point is the existing electrical service ground. In a single family home, it's usually easy to locate. It's adjacent to the electrical meter in most cases.

In your case, the best (though likely not easiest) ground connection would be to the existing building electrical service ground. I expect that in a multifamily building, you'll need to work with the manager or super'.

I have no doubt that most antenna masts and down-leads are not grounded... and that they work fine for their entire life-span. Still, I recommend that you make the effort, as an 'insurance policy' in the unlikely event there is an electrical fault or thunder storm.

Don't use the fire escape as a ground.

http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=901