"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...

snip


Well, if you're going to go through all that trouble to install a
proper ground, you can do as well using Unistrut instead of a 2x4.
http://www.unistrut.us

Unistrut is wonderful. About 20 years ago, I used to engineer installations
in a big government lab in San Diego and it was the customer's preferred
method for anything structural that didn't involve concrete. :-)

I learned you could do anything with Unistrut. It's the Erector Set / Lego
Blocks for grown-up kids.

"Sal"

On Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:08:23 -0700, "Sal" wrote:

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
.. .
Well, if you're going to go through all that trouble to install a
proper ground, you can do as well using Unistrut instead of a 2x4.
http://www.unistrut.us

Unistrut is wonderful. About 20 years ago, I used to engineer installations
in a big government lab in San Diego and it was the customer's preferred
method for anything structural that didn't involve concrete. :-)

I learned you could do anything with Unistrut. It's the Erector Set / Lego
Blocks for grown-up kids.

"Sal"

Agreed. However, you have to be careful using Unistrut for outriggers
on towers. Unistrut doesn't do well when twisted (in torsion) by a
top heavy antenna. The only way that seems to work well on a tower
are two 1 1/2" channel Unistrut outriggers, with a connecting pipe for
mounting the antenna, dish, or whatever. A single outrigger usually
results in a the antenna twisting around in the wind. (1 1/4" will
work with light antennas).

Something like this:
http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv44/ahwwwjeah/My%20Tower/DSCF6120.jpg
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Thanks for all the info

I am going to ground out the satellite dish to the tower.

Now it is grounded to my new plazma and I would feel more comfortable with
it grounded to the tower. Don't want nothing happening to that new plazma.
Now of course if it ever got hit by lightning I would imagine the receiver
would get fried, maybe not the tv, the coax goes into the receiver, then
into the yamaha sourround sound then into the tv. A jolt has to stop
somewhere along that line.





"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:08:23 -0700, "Sal" wrote:

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
. ..
Well, if you're going to go through all that trouble to install a
proper ground, you can do as well using Unistrut instead of a 2x4.
http://www.unistrut.us

Unistrut is wonderful. About 20 years ago, I used to engineer
installations
in a big government lab in San Diego and it was the customer's preferred
method for anything structural that didn't involve concrete. :-)

I learned you could do anything with Unistrut. It's the Erector Set /
Lego
Blocks for grown-up kids.

"Sal"

Agreed. However, you have to be careful using Unistrut for outriggers
on towers. Unistrut doesn't do well when twisted (in torsion) by a
top heavy antenna. The only way that seems to work well on a tower
are two 1 1/2" channel Unistrut outriggers, with a connecting pipe for
mounting the antenna, dish, or whatever. A single outrigger usually
results in a the antenna twisting around in the wind. (1 1/4" will
work with light antennas).

Something like this:
http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv44/ahwwwjeah/My%20Tower/DSCF6120.jpg
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

" Tuuk" wrote in message
...
Thanks for all the info

I am going to ground out the satellite dish to the tower.

Now it is grounded to my new plazma and I would feel more comfortable with
it grounded to the tower. Don't want nothing happening to that new plazma.
Now of course if it ever got hit by lightning I would imagine the receiver
would get fried, maybe not the tv, the coax goes into the receiver, then
into the yamaha sourround sound then into the tv. A jolt has to stop
somewhere along that line.

I know what an opto-isolator is. (Provides a signal path with a short-range
modulated light beam -- no copper connection) I don't know if any have been
designed/sold for lightning protection.

Anybody?

"Sal"
(KD6VKW)

On Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:10:30 -0700, Sal wrote:

" Tuuk" wrote in message
...
Thanks for all the info

I am going to ground out the satellite dish to the tower.

Now it is grounded to my new plazma and I would feel more comfortable
with it grounded to the tower. Don't want nothing happening to that new
plazma. Now of course if it ever got hit by lightning I would imagine
the receiver would get fried, maybe not the tv, the coax goes into the
receiver, then into the yamaha sourround sound then into the tv. A jolt
has to stop somewhere along that line.

I know what an opto-isolator is. (Provides a signal path with a
short-range modulated light beam -- no copper connection) I don't know
if any have been designed/sold for lightning protection.

Anybody?

"Sal"
(KD6VKW)

These fine folks make a heavy duty 75 Ohm protector:

http://www.alphadeltacom.com/

On 9/27/2011 1:10 PM, Sal wrote:
" wrote in message
...
Thanks for all the info

I am going to ground out the satellite dish to the tower.

Now it is grounded to my new plazma and I would feel more comfortable with
it grounded to the tower. Don't want nothing happening to that new plazma.
Now of course if it ever got hit by lightning I would imagine the receiver
would get fried, maybe not the tv, the coax goes into the receiver, then
into the yamaha sourround sound then into the tv. A jolt has to stop
somewhere along that line.

I know what an opto-isolator is. (Provides a signal path with a short-range
modulated light beam -- no copper connection) I don't know if any have been
designed/sold for lightning protection.



Typical optos can stand off 5kV or so. Speed is a problem There are off
the shelf opto isolator widgets for things like RS232 and phone lines
that are fairly inexpensive. Get to RF, though, and the price goes way up.

If you need more, you go to a fiber optic link of some sort.

On Tue, 27 Sep 2011 07:53:06 -0400, " Tuuk" wrote:

Thanks for all the info

Y'er welcome. Now, if you want a usable answer to your question, it
might be helpful if you describe the tower, what manner of DBS dish,
and some of the distances involved.

I am going to ground out the satellite dish to the tower.

If your unspecified type of tower is properly grounded, the tower will
protect the dish from a direct hit. Still, it's a good idea to ground
everything to reduce the effects of induced currents from a nearby
hit.

Grounding the dish is probably a good idea. Grounding the LNB at the
dish is a bad idea. Depending on model of LNB, many of them have no
DC connection between the LNB case and the dish ground. This is not
for lightning protection but to prevent ground loops. In general, you
want to do it the way the installation manual suggests and the NEC
electrical code demands, which is a grounded barrel connector
somewhere close to the utilities ground.
http://www.dbsinstall.com/whatis/Whatisgood-5.asp
Such a ground is NOT to protect against lightning, but to protect
against getting electrocuted if the satellite receiver magically loses
its protective AC ground and leaks some 117VAC onto the coax.

This discussion has some good comments on DBS dish grounding.
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=16300

Now it is grounded to my new plazma and I would feel more comfortable with
it grounded to the tower. Don't want nothing happening to that new plazma.
Now of course if it ever got hit by lightning I would imagine the receiver
would get fried, maybe not the tv, the coax goes into the receiver, then
into the yamaha sourround sound then into the tv. A jolt has to stop
somewhere along that line.

The general idea is to give the current a better path to ground than
through your expensive electronics.

Incidentally, I just found this on using wood for mounting:
http://www.dbsinstall.com/diy/GroundPostInstallation.asp

What's inside a Polyphaser cellular lightning protector:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/lightning/index.html
Note the 4 ceramic spark gaps in series. You get 4 hits, and then it
shorts out.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558