Grounding Attic Discone Antenna?

[Chief359]

Hello All, I'm sure this has been asked a hundred times. Do/Should I ground my attic antenna. Not so much for lightning/static protection, but more for reception purposes. I have a tram 1410 with an additional grounding coupling. Should I utilize the ground or not?

If I do utilize the ground, there is not much to ground to in the attic. Should I ground to my home electrical system? Would this possibly create interference? Is it safe? Does it technically create one big antenna? There are also two vent pipes which are metal which I could use also. The junction box is about 10ft, the vent pipe is about 20ft.

Thanks in advance.

 

[prcguy]

Grounding a Discone will do nothing for reception and if its in an attic there would be no reason to ground it for lightning. I find nothing in the NEC that requires grounding an attic mounted antenna, however there is wording about grounding metallic objects in the home "likely to become energized". So if your attic antenna can fall and hit something in the attic that would energize it, then ground it to NEC article 810 specs.

Hello All, I'm sure this has been asked a hundred times. Do/Should I ground my attic antenna. Not so much for lightning/static protection, but more for reception purposes. I have a tram 1410 with an additional grounding coupling. Should I utilize the ground or not?

If I do utilize the ground, there is not much to ground to in the attic. Should I ground to my home electrical system? Would this possibly create interference? Is it safe? Does it technically create one big antenna? There are also two vent pipes which are metal which I could use also. The junction box is about 10ft, the vent pipe is about 20ft.

Thanks in advance.

 

[spongella]

Can't think of a reason to ground an attic discone.

 

[mmckenna]

NEC doesn't require it.
But it won't hurt. A wood/shingle/tile roof will not automatically protect the antenna from a lightning strike. The bolt of energy has traveled thousands of feet through the air, a piece of 3/4 ply and some shingles isn't going to really slow it down.

And, direct lightning strikes are not the only concern. Nearby strikes and induce a lot of energy into nearby antennas, cables, towers, masts. Grounding is a good idea.