[mythtv-users] Antennas

Joseph Fry joe at thefrys.com
Sat Nov 16 09:48:08 UTC 2013


> To be clear then either of the two leads from the antenna can be
> grounded or must it be the one going to the shielded side of the coax?

If you switch to using coax, just get a grounding block, they are a
buck or two and make it easy to ground your cable.  But yes, the
shielding on the coax is the part you want grounded.

> Further, my system ground is on the other side of the house, but there
> is a water faucet near the antenna. If I clamp on there then the
> system will be one?

You would want to talk to an electrician to determine if it is safe to
assume that your home's plumbing is grounded at the same spot as your
electrical system.  On many older homes it was done that way, but not
all of them, especially since PVC and PEX plumbing as become common.
You need to make sure your grounding your antenna and coax at the same
reference voltage as the electrical system in your house.

There are ways to check with a volt meter, open your electrical panel
and find the ground terminals (all the wires connected to it should be
uncoated).  Run a wire from an open terminal, to somewhere near the
plumbing you want to use as your ground.  Finally connect your
voltmeter between the wire and the plumbing.  If it reads 0 mv, it
means either a) the plumbing and electrical share a common ground, or
b) the plumbing is not grounded at all (not a good thing).


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