[scott784]

Thanks for your quick reply. I haven't done the exact measurements.

However, let's say the length (to include going around all the corners of the house) is at least a total of 100 feet from the base of the antenna mast to the electrical power box on the back of the house. What size grounding wire is required for that? How many feet off the ground must this grounding wire be? Must it remain the exact same height around each corner of the house? How is it best secured to a home (vinyl sided with a concrete slab)? What if there are obstacles, such as my back patio with door, or if I ran the ground wire around the other side of the house, how about the front porch as an obstacle? With this ground wire being so long, would it create its own electrical problems? What is the best strategy to use to find a qualified electrician who performs this type of work? What is a reasonable price to pay for all of this ground wire, plus a ground block, and bonding the ground rod (at the mast) to the main electrical system?

Also, this is a follow-up question to what I asked you earlier. Is it your position that a separate grounded antenna/mast (not tied in with the main electrical ground) is worse than no ground at all? I ask that question because of the information you posted earlier about the imbalances it creates when an antenna/mast grounded system is not tied in with the main ground.

That's a lot of questions and you may not be able to answer all of them adequately. However, as you can see, this is the type of issue that the average (non electrical person) like myself is confronted with if I choose to follow NEC code, to the letter.

Lots of complexities, different schools of thought, and unknown costs involved. I guess that's why many people just throw their hands up and forget about grounding (at least when the electrical box is not close by). On a positive note, I've learned a few things along the way by checking into all of this.

PS I forget to mention there's not only a coax cable running down my 30 foot mast but also a rotator wire.