It should be grounded, simple as that; all outdoor Antennas need to be grounded, and if you are wondering what it means to ground an outdoor antenna, then read on. It simply takes the metal part of the electrical equipment and then secures it in the ground.
Yes, it needs to be adequately grounded to prevent high voltage from destroying the antenna in case of lightning. The grounding work includes the metal part of the equipment right into the earth, which implies that the connection will be semi-permanent.
This is helpful as it creates a conducive electrical path, allowing current to be conducted.
Why Do Antennas Have to Be Grounded?
The first reason why antennas have to be grounded is for safety purposes. The antenna is metallic; hence, it is likely to come alive. Because the antenna is connected with a faulty device, which leads to a live voltage being produced, the voltage can cause an accidental power line that is rather dangerous. This is not something new; it has happened several times.
The second reason is protection against lightning. You can not predict where lightning will strike, but you can prevent the adverse effects of a device being struck by lightning. You need to properly bond the TV antenna, the mounting pole, and the conduit, and this results in a low resistance path right to the earth through the grounding conductor when lightning strikes.
If you do not provide this path for the lightning, be assured that the lightning will find its way into your house, which is very dangerous and can cause death. Note that the antenna does not work so that nothing happens when lightning strikes but ensures that a lightning strike’s effects and dangers are reduced.
How to ground an outdoor antenna
The fact is all antennas have to be grounded into the earth. Use the copper round wire and clamps when you are grounding the antenna into the earth. There are different ways of grounding an antenna right into the earth, but the basics are the same regardless of your country.
Firstly, you need to look at the image of the antenna and the grounding process. This is of great help as it will significantly help give you a glimpse of how it will look like once the installation process has been done and finished. In this way, it will make it easy, and you will be well aware of the results you are trying to achieve.
Secondly, when starting the grounding process, make sure you know where the TV antenna will be mounted according to your preferences or the setup. Choosing a location that will give the antenna good structural support is of paramount importance. In addition to that, make sure that you determine which area will result in you getting the best signal from the transmission broadcasting tower.
When the previous stage is properly done, you now reach this stage where you can directly mount the antenna safely. First, make use of the unit provided with the mounting tools. Then, use the tools provided to mount the antenna safely to the ground.
The next step is to find the house’s service grounding conductor. At this stage, you can locate the conduct near the metal that controls the power or check it up in the basement where your electrical panel is. Now you take the copper wire and join it to the ground rod or plate.
You can now see the system grounding conductor and put a suitable ground clamp on it. Again, you can source information from the internet, giving you a good guide on what kind of clamp to choose for your wire.
Use the solid copper wire, which is a #10AWG minimum. It is usually 1/10tg inch in diameter. Remember to use a solid wire instead of a standard one because it later becomes brittle quickly over time.
Finally, connect the antenna to the earth. At this stage, join a coax grounding block to the end of the wire. The importance of the block is that the coax cable has static electric charge building up. This will result in making the charge disappear. In most cases, the coax block has two coaxial connectors and one opening, which will be used as the door of the wire going into the ground.
Please take one of the connectors and then lead it to the antenna at the house’s roof. And the other one on the block should be directed to the tuner, usually found inside the house. Ground the antenna’s mast, which is not a hard thing to do. Please make sure that the cable is connected vertically; this is terrible because water can trickle down and gets into the connection.
It would help to connect the AWG wire to the mast using a mast ground clamp. The solid copper’s one side should be attached to the earth quickly. Use different clamps for the two.
What if Coaxial Joint Cannot Be Unscrewed?
If you want to install the coax cable, make sure to get the right tools. Those materials include a few connectors and a coaxial tool. Also, keep in mind to get the RG-6 connectors which lead to less noise.
When cutting the cable, make sure to leave some room for errors at the stage. Inside the cable, you will find a skinny copper wire in the middle as it has a shielding of foil.
Ensure that the coaxial has a stripper for the cable’s outer layer. The tool’s stripper should be clamped down and used around the cable to turn it around.
When you rotate it, pull off the piece of the outer layer that you snipped off from the cable. When the cable’s outer layer is removed, you will see the foil covering the copper wire.
After this, clamp the foil layer into the stripper; rotate it a few times. Do not use too much force because the thin wire inside can come off with the foil. It can disrupt the process.
You can see the copper wire sticking out of the cable; make sure the end of the cable is pushed up to the connector. Then, continue until the copper wire goes all the way through the connector. Compress the connector to the cable as hard as you can. It should not come off or become loose at any cost.
Tips When Grounding the Antenna
The first tip is to avoid buying coated or painted antennas; if you buy such, scrape it off where the metal parts meet. In another instance, you can paint it later after the bonding is done.
Secondly, the ground wire needs to be fastened adequately to the side of your house. Again, this is something you have to make sure about.
What happens if you don’t ground your antenna?
Grounding the antenna will help keep lightning from hitting it. During a Thunderstorm, anything that isn’t grounded will get a static charge. As the charge builds up, lightning will start to follow it. So grounding the antenna drains off any charge that might attract a strike by making it less likely that a strike will happen.
How do you ground an outdoor WIFI antenna?
When you ground an outdoor antenna, you should ground the antenna mast and put in a lightning surge protector that is grounded. If you want to ground the mast and surge protector, use 10 AWG or thicker wire. Make sure that you’re grounded in a good place, too.
How do I protect my outdoor antenna from lightning?
In order to protect your equipment from voltage surges caused by nearby strikes, you should ground the coax cable with a coaxial lightning surge protector. This will not protect your equipment from a direct strike. Protect yourself from a direct hit by putting an arrester on the antenna mast.
Does grounding antenna improve reception?
No, grounding the antenna doesn’t help the TV work better. As a general rule, though, it doesn’t do much to help people get the job. The main reason for grounding the TV antenna system is to keep people safe. There will be less damage and less risk of fire if lightning hits the TV antenna if you ground it.
Why do antennas need to be grounded?
Grounding will get rid of static electricity, and it will also protect the mast if the antenna comes into contact with live wires. Grounding Conductors should be used to connect outdoor masts to the building’s Power Service Grounding Electrode System in a safe place.
What gauge conductor is used for outdoor grounding?
If you want to ground your home, you should use 16-gauge wire. 14 gauge is usually used for circuits that can handle up to 25 amps. They usually need 12 gauge copper wire to ground.
How many radials do I need for a vertical antenna?
There must be at least 30-60 radials that are 65 feet long. It’s clear that there isn’t a consensus among vertical antenna manufacturers. If you need a number to start with, twenty 32-foot radials will be enough for most vertical antennas to work with.
Conclusion
Outdoor antennas need to be grounded; they should be grounded to the earth for two reasons, safety, and lightning. In terms of safety, the antenna is metallic; hence, it is likely to come alive. For lightning, it ensures that the effects that may result from lightning are reduced.
I believe by now you must have an idea and even be able to mount an antenna to the ground all by yourself. In addition to that, you can choose to get someone who has done this before to do it for you or ask for assistance for the exact tools and equipment you might need to do this job. They can also tell you where to buy the materials required for this exercise.
