18" from the center or 32" diameter.
NEC requires minimum 10ga copper or 8ga aluminum or 17ga copper clad steel for the antenna grounding conductor.
I would go with your second choice. Why? Because your utility meter and the ground rod appear to be very close by. You need to ground the antenna, mast and coax (via a lightning protector) to that common ground point. It is your best option to have an effective ground, reduced electrical noise induced into your system. There are many discussions about grounding and bonding on RR if you have more questions, you can look at what has been suggested. One important point, when adding your ground wire #12 or larger to the existing rod, use a clamp to add your wire to the rod or a clamp to add your wire to the existing bare solid ground from the meter can. Never disconnect the ground rod or wire from your meter can, even temporarily.
True. Please tell Dish Network installers!
DirecTV and Dish installers must go through training and they are taught to use green 10ga copper wire for grounding. Many are or were certified by the SBCA (Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association) and I was an SBCA certified trainer for instructors at one time. If anyone finds a Dish or DirecTV installation that does not comply with NEC you should contact the installation group and complain, demanding it be brought to NEC standards. I've had to do that many times.
It does but it satisfies NEC.
That just means he wears a cape.
Is all this for the goofy looking mag mount in the first post????
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Someone should have had an intervention early on in this thread. I would have ditched the mag mount and gone with a Discone or anything else. All you would have needed was the mast and in the end you could have enjoyed better performance.What?
View attachment 145051
Better safe than sorry. You never know when I might stick a 20ft extension on there for a little more reach
And any excuse to fire up the tools.
Wow, hook some coax up to that thing, then rotate the wings for best reception!
The reason I'm questioning the 17 guage copper clad steel is that it is probably a poorer conductor than 12 or 14 gauge copper wire, which is a lot cheaper and more available...
The part of NEC that deals with antenna grounding is Article 810. 17ga copper clad steel is a much worse conductor than the other choices but I think its only used as a messenger wire that is molded into various coax cables and its steel for strength to hold up aerial runs of coax. There is no reason to go out of your way to find it, just use 10ga copper.
