I am installing a new outdoor antenna and need to figure out how to ground it. I have been attempting to do some research here and on the web and am a bit confused. My plan was this (also discussed with the guy at my local electrical supply store): Run copper ground wire from antenna mast to an 8ft copper ground rod I will install directly below the antenna then run the coax from the antenna down to the grounding block that will also be attached to the grounding rod. Am I grounded properly? I don't think so by what I am trying to understand via this forum and the web. I see no other ground rods on the exterior of my 50's era home. I"m not confident in attaching to any plumbing as I doubt anything in this home is done to current codes/standards.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Ground rod at base of mast is a must. You should also connect that grounding rod at mast to the grounding system of the house using #6 wire, it should run to the grounding system in your breaker or fuse box. You should be able to find your house grounding conductor at the breaker box and you could connect to it either in the breaker/fuse box or on it's path to another ground rod (in or out of the house) or near water pipe as it enters house.

...You should also connect that grounding rod at mast to the grounding system of the house using #6 wire, it should run to the grounding system in your breaker or fuse box. You should be able to find your house grounding conductor at the breaker box and you could connect to it either in the breaker/fuse box or on it's path to another ground rod (in or out of the house) or near water pipe as it enters house.

Thanks for the response John.

There is my issue. MUST I connect to the breaker/fuse box? It would be difficult to get to and I cannot even find where it grounds. The pipe is not an option either I don't think.

If I were able to finally locate the grounding of the breaker/fuse box, can the #6 line from the ground rod I am installing be bent in 90 degree bends (I read that the line down from the mast should not include any sharp bends and I don't see how to get to the other side of my home without several sharp bends)? And should that line be coated?

Sorry for the dumb questions. I'm not trying to be lazy about it, I just know nothing about electrical work and so on.

You have to connect it to your "ground electrode system" which includes the box that the electrical meter is in, the ground electrodes, and the cold water pipe within the first feet of its penetration into the building in order to meet the requirements of the code.

You have found an acceptable ground connection point. I don't know the mandatory minimum bend radius for groundwire, but if there is one, then it is violated reguarly, but he mattress tag police won't do anything to you if you have a 90 degree bend in it.

According to the electrical code and to be safe you must connect the ground rod at the mast to the grounding system in your house. That is only done well and correctly if you connect it to the point that is in your fuse or breaker box or at the point the fuse or breaker box is grounded (another ground rod or the water supply pipe coming into the house) or to the wire connecting those two points.

If you weren't connecting to the fuse box or to its grounded point or to the wire connecting the two then it wouldn't be to code and it wouldn't be fully effective. At your fuse box you might see a single wire go to a grounding rod (it will go through the basement wall if the rod is outside), you could connect to that grounding rod or the wire connecting to it. If you have city water then look at the water meter, there would be a wire clamped to the pipe there which is your house electrical ground and you could connect there or to anywhere along the wire (you would use a split bolt connector, you won't cut or disconnect any existing grounding wires) between the water meter and fuse box.

The grounding wire for the mast and where it runs can't have any sharp bends in it, it can have curves. If you need to change its direction at a right angle then just let it follow the curve created by the wire, think like the curve of a 5 lb. coffee can at smallest.

Insulated #6 wire is common, you will find it stranded for ease of use. The insulation is needed for safety and durability and ease of installation.

Your questions are not dumb, they are valid and important.

just to pick a few nits, so someone won't connect a ground to the wrong place.

Cold water pipes are no longer considered adequate electrical system grounding points.
WHY ? Far too many utilities are using plastic pipe for water service and for the main to house service pipe. Just because your house has copper or older galvanized steel water pipes does not mean it's still metalic pipe beyond the perimeter wall of your house. IF you know from first hand experience that your supply line is metalic, then it can serve as an additional ground, but your primary ground should be an 8' driven rod or rods. 30 years ago the electricians working on my house made that mistake. I actually dug a small hole in the front yard and exposed the supply pipe - Plastic - no electrical ground at all. The newer electrical codes now make this official - no new cold water pipe grounds.

just to pick a few nits, so someone won't connect a ground to the wrong place.

Cold water pipes are no longer considered adequate electrical system grounding points.
WHY ? Far too many utilities are using plastic pipe for water service and for the main to house service pipe. Just because your house has copper or older galvanized steel water pipes does not mean it's still metalic pipe beyond the perimeter wall of your house. IF you know from first hand experience that your supply line is metalic, then it can serve as an additional ground, but your primary ground should be an 8' driven rod or rods. 30 years ago the electricians working on my house made that mistake. I actually dug a small hole in the front yard and exposed the supply pipe - Plastic - no electrical ground at all. The newer electrical codes now make this official - no new cold water pipe grounds.

That is a good point.

In this case a 50's house, if it is city water it may very likely have the metal water service pipe be the grounding electrode for the house.

In any case the mast grounding electrode should be connected to the the grounding bar in the fuse box or to the house grounding electrode (either a ground rod inside or outside of the home or the metal water pipe on the incoming side of the water meter). Just connecting to metal water pipes or to a grounded wire somewhere in the home electrical system would not be to code or adequate (though probably better then no connection at all).

Metallic plumbing in a house should be grounded even if the water service pipe isn't the grounding electrode, that still wouldn't make connecting to it for this purpose the right thing to do.

I would expect any municipal water department that removed enough metallic pipe from the water service pipe so that it would no longer serve as a grounding electrode would have notified the home owner to provide for a good grounding electrode before the removal.

The ground rod for the house should be right below the electric meter; thats where they all are in this area.

The ground rod for the house should be right below the electric meter; thats where they all are in this area.

The electric meter would have a ground rod below it. Depending on the location of the fuse/breaker box it might use that grounding electrode solely but it could use another additional grounding electrode elsewhere especially the metallic water supply pipe.

Anyone going into the insides of your fuse/breaker box should do so with caution and a good amount of electrician experience, or find someone who is.

To add a grounding conductor (the #6 wire to antenna tower or mast) it can be added outside the breaker/fuse box either at the grounding electrode (the grounding rod near meter or fuse/breaker box (could be inside or just outside house at that spot) or at the water supply pipe from the outside before the water meter.

It is important to not disconnect or disrupt any existing connections (unless you have significant electrician experience) you don't want to end up with a worse grounding connection for your house. You can add a grounding connection to a ground rod with a ground rod clamp or to a water supply pipe with a grounding clamp, don't substitute other things like hose clamps for this purpose. Clean the grounding rod or water supply pipe to shiny metal. You could also connect to the grounding conductor (the #6 wire that connects your breaker/fuse box to the ground rod or water supply pipe before the water meter) somewhere in its path, you should do so with a split bolt connector, don't cut or disconnect this anywhere but you can strip the insulation to make the connection, then tape it up with electrical tape.

Chris,

If your wiring is that iffy, you might consider learning how to pull Romex. That's the first thing I did to My Old House. There are a LOT more electrical fires than there are lightning fires. :eek:

Here's a real good primer on antenna grounding, complete with pictures. :)
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/basics.html
Pay special attention to the grounding block that everyone has forgotten to mention.

I found this to be a good source for all those little bits and pieces you'll need for the project.
http://www.summitsource.com/

Good Luck,
Walt

Grounding the antenna mast and antenna cable ground to a 8' metal rod will work. I will not meat code, but it will be good enough to make the setup safe.

Grounding the antenna mast and antenna cable ground to a 8' metal rod will work. I will not meat code, but it will be good enough to make the setup safe.

No, it won't. If anything energizes the mast, the unbonded ground rod will do very little to keep the current from flowing through your equipment.