How To Ground A TV Antenna (Easy Methods)
Properly grounding a tv antenna is crucial to the proper functioning of many antennas. You may wonder why? Well, because:
A. It protects your equipment from nature. Thunderstorms and other static building up somewhere could directly hit your antenna which will cause great damage to your appliances.
B. In many places, you are legally obligated to ground your antenna so no questions there.
C. A properly grounded TV antenna works at peak performance. Your antenna is paired up with your TV or an amplifier. These appliances leak out which are very minimal and cannot be undetected however they can crawl up the antenna coaxial cable and get inside causing interferences and reception issues. Grounding makes that go away.
To improve quality of your TV output and the quality of signal, you should probably get an amplifier.
Things needed to ground a tv antenna
You are going to require two copper grounding wires. They should have the thickness of at least #10 American Wire Gauge (AWG) but less thick than your house ground wire. The ground wire’s thickness can range from #6 to #2)
There are 2 types of these grounding blocks: Standard and Coaxial Lightning Arrester. For most people, the standard should work but those that live in thunderstorm prone areas should go for the latter.
And finally you need a coaxial cable while installing a coax grounding block.
How to ground a tv antenna
Step 1: Mounting the Antenna
Ideally, you want to mount your TV antenna in a place which sound structural. However, make sure that where you are mounting, there is a direct path for transmission from the broadcast towers to reach your antennas without interruption for stable and clear connection.
Once you have found the perfect place, it is time to mount your antenna. Using your mounting hardware, mount the antenna of your TV to the side of your house or the rooftop.
Follow the instruction that was given to you with the antenna in order to safely and securely install it. If you mount on the rooftop, surely use a roof sealant to reduce the chances of any water corroding the screws.
Step 2: Locating the Grounding Conductor Wire
Go to the electrical panel of your house. You will see a solid copper wire attaching to it that runs outside. This is the wire that we will be using to connect a grounding rod. Locate the “Power Service Grounding Electrode System” and fix a ground clamp on it.
The size of the clamp, as I said above, depends upon the wire’s thickness which can wary from #2 AWG to a #6 AWG depending upon where you live.
Step 3: Properly grounding a TV Antenna Mast
When you are attaching the grounding wire directly to the antenna mount using a bolt, check that the wires are in direct contact with the mount. If you are using a mast clamp, check if it is fitted securely and so it will not detach.
Step 4: Grounding of the Coax Cable
Now, ground the Coax cable of your TV antenna’s. Use the shortest possible route and try to avoid using any sharp objects that may cut it. These cables can build up an electric charge so be careful.
That is it! You have successfully grounded your TV.
A few things to note:
Conclusion
And that is about it. Hope this article helped you out and I wish you the best of luck in the grounding of your tv antenna process. If you have any queries lingering in your mind, then feel free to comment them below. We will get in touch with you.
