Outdoor TV antenna grounding question

[Joev1973]

Ok Hello all and thanks for having me. I need some advice and joined this forum hoping to be pointed in the right direction.

First off I am not an electrician and dont know the first thing about grounding or wiring.

I will try to explain it the best I can.

I recently moved to Middle Tennessee in a very rural area. No cable tv or internet is currently available at the home we purchased with a few acres. Did I mention cell phones barely get a signal out here and only ar&t work we had to switch over upon moving here.

I bought a small indoor tv antenna and stuck it in the window and we were able to pull in only 4 channels. On some days if I rescan we can get 7 or 8 but can rarely watch them as they pixelize and disaapear.

I talked to a couple people at a local market who have old school tv antennas (not cheap modern chinese crap) and are picking up 50-70 channels from nashville and even some from Huntsville Alabama.

I stopped by my nearest neighbors house to see his set up and he does in fact pull in far more channels than I imagined.

Out in my yard I have a antenna mast tower approx. 20 ft high with no antenna on it. Its heavy duty and in the perfect place on the property to pull in a signal from Nashville 60 miles away to the north.

100 ft from the antenna mast is my living room wall where our tv is located.

So I went to channelmaster.com and purchased the longest range outdoor antenna they had (after weeks of researching antennas) I will attach a photo of the antenna. Its rated at 100 miles, im aware its debatable if a vhf signal can reach an antenna at 100 miles but I wanted the best chance at doing so. The transmission towers im after are 60-70 miles and Im getting a few with a $20 walmart indoor antenna. Buying this big boy for outside and having it high up on a mast has to increase my chances to pick up the signals.

The antenna I purchased does not have a motorized rotor as I didnt want to run electricity to the mast. Just point it in the degrees of Nashville and bolt it down as my neighbors have done.

I purchased the antenna and a pre amp booster suggested for my zip code by channel master. The pre amp does not require its own electric as it works by taking electric it receives from the coaxial cable it uses to attach to the antenna. Antenna and booster arriving tomorrow.

I then started thinking about the need for grounding the antenna and the coaxial cable so purchased a coax ground block and a spool of #10 solid copper grounding wire. I also purchased a 5 ft copper grounding rod to ground both the antenna mast and the coaxial cable at the mast and have 120 ft of burial coaxial cable running to the house under ground.

I thought everything out carefully as fas as parts and supplies I would need. Today I went out and sunk the grounding rod into the soil near the mast leaving only the top 6" sticking up so I can attach my copper.

I came in the house and started reading a little about grounding to make sure I would do it right and now I am not confident that I am.

Most articles I find pertain to antennas mounted on the roof of the home. And the antennas are grounded to the homes main ground under the electric panel outside of the house.

My antenna is going to be on a stand alone mast 100+ feet away from the house all by itself out in the field nowhere near the homes main ground.

The electric panel and main ground for the house couldn't be any further away than they are, completely on the opposite end of the property's. Im talking polar opposites!

I am also now reading that 8' ground rods are needed?

So keep in mind this antenna is on a stand alone mast and not powered. The little booster add on is powered but from the coaxial cable that carries a charge from inside the house where an ac adapter is plugged in that the coaxial cable runs through.

I had it all planned out for a clean neat install of an antenna that besides the coaxial just had 2 U clamps . Now this simple tv antenna is turning into a whole big thing.

Can someone tell me that its ok to ground the mast (pictured) and coax to its own grounding rod and not have to buy a country mile of copper wire and dig for a week to tie it in to the main ground of the home. I have to make sure this is safe and will work.

I know to an electrician this stuff sounds simple but again I am no electrician and I will appreciate whatever advice you can give me.

Also I would like to place the full blame for this project getting started on Eva Gabor. With only 4 channels I got hooked on Green Acres and devoloped a little crush on Miss Gabor. Now they switched networks and the new transmitter with green acres is a little further out. If you ever saw Miss Gabor you can understand my urgency.


Thanks to anyone who helps bring Eve Gabor back into my life.

 

[Joev1973]

Im not done yet, i also have the bedroom tv to do, which currently gets 0 channels as its on the opposite side of the house and an antenna in the window wont pick up the 4 i was getting in the living room.

I purchased an amplified splitter from channel master with the antenna, it takes the signal at the main tv and boosts it to push to other rooms

Now that I have it powered up and working i will buy some more coaxial to run some to bedroom.


Also out on the tower is a channel master pre amp thats boosts the antennas signal and sends it to the house.

Anything past the first TV the signal will loose db so the amplified splitter is supposed to make up for the loss by boosting it inside

For everything from channel master it was if i remember correctly $270

Then another $100 approx on burial coaxial and grounding supplies. So lets say total $400 with odds and ends.

My direct tv paymemt back home was $160 per month. They charge you for packages they make you pay rent on equip and to get that one extra channel you like you have to pay more to add another package of channels.

$400 a 1 time fee will save in the long run vs paying for satellite.

Now that i had a few minutes to relax and flip through all these channels im amazed all this is out there that nobody knows about.

I should have done this a long time ago.
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Age 45 so no young buck lol feeling

Joe have you ever wanted to be an electrician I would hire you just for your work ethics well done my friend
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Joe you got to be a young buck, I’m tired just looking at all the work you got done in a short period of time. It would have taken me at least a week or two

Not a young buck lol age 45 and 25 of them on an assembly line in Ohio getting beat up making Chevy's. They closed the plant and I owe 5 years to the company thats why Im down here In Tennessee I took a transfer to get my time in.

Also my company currently has a strike going on so I have energy balled up and free time thats how the antenna got done quick.

We moved to a very rural area to enjoy privacy and peace and quiet. The little things I didnt consider and took for granted were internet cable etc. And its hardly quiet with 4 roosters crowing and 8 guinea foul screaming like firetrucks all day lol if you have never heard a guinea foul youtube "guinea fowl alarm call"

You do give up amenities to live away from civilization. At least now I can flip through some channels lol

 

[Joev1973]

A view from the top. I loosened the bolts gave it a few bumps towards 55 deg. Came in ran scanner no change. Somewhere out in that direction over mountains lies Nashville and my signals. Maybe thats as good as it gets. Im not done trying tonight im gping to research online reading about angle such as tilting the front at 5 or 10 degrees up. And in not complaining. Three's company is on i will take that. Last night i couldn't watch anything.

 

[Megawatt]

A view from the top. I loosened the bolts gave it a few bumps towards 55 deg. Came in ran scanner no change. Somewhere out in that direction over mountains lies Nashville and my signals. Maybe thats as good as it gets. Im not done trying tonight im gping to research online reading about angle such as tilting the front at 5 or 10 degrees up. And in not complaining. Three's company is on i will take that. Last night i couldn't watch anything.

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You are persistent, when you get this job done. What’s our project to do ? LOL

 

[Joev1973]

You are persistent, when you get this job done. What’s our project to do ? LOL

Next? Thats easy!

Turning this planter into a chicken condo! And that story is more entertaining than eva gabor channel !

Here is the short version.
I have a spoiled rotton chicken (a sicialan buttercup) in a dog cage in my living room and she cant go back in the coop as 30 other birds wont let her. I tried several times to return he to the flock and they peck her unmercifully. So my wife ordered me to build her her own coop. And this my sound like an exaggeration but when you go to the fridge she jumps up and down like a begging puppy for corn. She goes nuts as soon as you open the door. My next project is getting her back outside in her own chicken condo.

Hey you asked !

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[Megawatt]

Next? Thats easy!

Turning this planter into a chicken condo! And that story is more entertaining than eva gabor channel !

Here is the short version.
I have a spoiled rotton chicken (a sicialan buttercup) in a dog cage in my living room and she cant go back in the coop as 30 other birds wont let her. I tried several times to return he to the flock and they peck her unmercifully. So my wife ordered me to build her her own coop. And this my sound like an exaggeration but when you go to the fridge she jumps up and down like a begging puppy for corn. She goes nuts as soon as you open the door. My next project is getting her back outside in her own chicken condo.

Hey you asked !


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You go my man and you’ve already started the coop

 

[Joev1973]

Next? Thats easy!

Turning this planter into a chicken condo! And that story is more entertaining than eva gabor channel !

Here is the short version.
I have a spoiled rotton chicken (a sicialan buttercup) in a dog cage in my living room and she cant go back in the coop as 30 other birds wont let her. I tried several times to return he to the flock and they peck her unmercifully. So my wife ordered me to build her her own coop. And this my sound like an exaggeration but when you go to the fridge she jumps up and down like a begging puppy for corn. She goes nuts as soon as you open the door. My next project is getting her back outside in her own chicken condo.

Hey you asked !


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Well an update and some potentially GREAT news

First i received my ground bolts and got both the mast and coaxial grounded. After reading how lightning does not like 90 degree turns i shortened the copper wire to make it a straight path.

Lightning will be a factor here storms are wicked and gulf fed.

I filled in the hole and its a done deal.

Moving on...

I habe been up on the tower several times trying to get the perfect signal with digital compass. I still coult not get wjfb channel 44 with MEtv and eva gabor.

I can pick up signals from every tower up there some as far as 80 + miles but cant get channel 44.

Last night doing some research into "fcc repack" i found some hopeful information.

Channel 44 is currently operating on a "low power transmitter" temporarily until this friday oct 18 when its transition is complete.

This friday the move should be complete and channel broadcasted over channel 25 at full power (950kw) whatever that means. The good news is i get channel 25 and its a religious channel and this friday it switches over to wjfb whicj has 6 channels coming with it. Example
25.1
25.2
25.3
25.4
Etc

So this is what iunderstand from reading fcc stuff regarding this channel. And this explains why my antenna cant currently tune it in as its on low power mode until friday.

Fingers crossed

 

[Megawatt]

Well an update and some potentially GREAT news

First i received my ground bolts and got both the mast and coaxial grounded. After reading how lightning does not like 90 degree turns i shortened the copper wire to make it a straight path.

Lightning will be a factor here storms are wicked and gulf fed.

I filled in the hole and its a done deal.

Moving on...

I habe been up on the tower several times trying to get the perfect signal with digital compass. I still coult not get wjfb channel 44 with MEtv and eva gabor.

I can pick up signals from every tower up there some as far as 80 + miles but cant get channel 44.

Last night doing some research into "fcc repack" i found some hopeful information.

Channel 44 is currently operating on a "low power transmitter" temporarily until this friday oct 18 when its transition is complete.

This friday the move should be complete and channel broadcasted over channel 25 at full power (950kw) whatever that means. The good news is i get channel 25 and its a religious channel and this friday it switches over to wjfb whicj has 6 channels coming with it. Example
25.1
25.2
25.3
25.4
Etc

So this is what iunderstand from reading fcc stuff regarding this channel. And this explains why my antenna cant currently tune it in as its on low power mode until friday.

Fingers crossed

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We are proud of you and good luck

 

[Joev1973]

Just installed a distribution amp inside and ran the antenna to the bedroom. That was the worst reception in the house being on the wrong side for an indoor antenna to get reception. Was worried about loosing reception running more coaxial but thats what the amp is for.

Got all the same channels in bedroom despite more coaxial.

Friday I will do a rescan and hopefully my favorite channel will appear. Fingers crossed

 

[Megawatt]

Just installed a distribution amp inside and ran the antenna to the bedroom. That was the worst reception in the house being on the wrong side for an indoor antenna to get reception. Was worried about loosing reception running more coaxial but thats what the amp is for.

Got all the same channels in bedroom despite more coaxial.

Friday I will do a rescan and hopefully my favorite channel will appear. Fingers crossed

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As hard as you have worked you deserve all channels including HBO,CINAMAX etc good job

 

[Zerax]

Great work Joe ! I'm sure nobody will notice the nails you've used to hold that amp on the wall.

Oh ! btw... did you know that here in the UK we can get the boxed set of all Green Acres episodes for less than £60... just saying...

 

[Joev1973]

Great work Joe ! I'm sure nobody will notice the nails you've used to hold that amp on the wall.

Oh ! btw... did you know that here in the UK we can get the boxed set of all Green Acres episodes for less than £60... just saying...

Lol the nails are tiny picture nails and the amp is mounted behind a 55" tv, the amp came with 2 big lag bolts that I didnt want to screw into the wall for the purpose of the little amp.

Nobody can see the amp unless you move the tv. The picture nails just keep it out if sight and hidden.

It's not just green acres its the whole channel im after. Should have it friday we shall see!!

 

[Megawatt]

Lol the nails are tiny picture nails and the amp is mounted behind a 55" tv, the amp came with 2 big lag bolts that I didnt want to screw into the wall for the purpose of the little amp.

Nobody can see the amp unless you move the tv. The picture nails just keep it out if sight and hidden.

It's not just green acres its the whole channel im after. Should have it friday we shall see!!

Joe yup are doing great and don’t let these guys get to you their just picking LOL

 

[Joev1973]

Great news!!

Today was FCC repack day and the day to rescan the tv. The eva gabor channel MEtv as of 30 mins ago (just in time for green acres) finally comes in crystal clear!

Almost 50 channels and the best was saved for last !! Now all the hard work paid off! Finally! Eva Gabor !! My wife is thrilled. But not as thrilled as me!!

I believe that if more ppl knew what was transmitting for free over the air nobody would pay for cable. You wouldnt believe all the channels we get and most are channels i previously paid for with direct tv!

Anyhow thanks for all your help and advice with the grounding rod.

 

[Megawatt]

Great news!!

Today was FCC repack day and the day to rescan the tv. The eva gabor channel MEtv as of 30 mins ago (just in time for green acres) finally comes in crystal clear!

Almost 50 channels and the best was saved for last !! Now all the hard work paid off! Finally! Eva Gabor !! My wife is thrilled. But not as thrilled as me!!

I believe that if more ppl knew what was transmitting for free over the air nobody would pay for cable. You wouldnt believe all the channels we get and most are channels i previously paid for with direct tv!

Anyhow thanks for all your help and advice with the grounding rod.


View attachment 53245

Great news!!

Today was FCC repack day and the day to rescan the tv. The eva gabor channel MEtv as of 30 mins ago (just in time for green acres) finally comes in crystal clear!

Almost 50 channels and the best was saved for last !! Now all the hard work paid off! Finally! Eva Gabor !! My wife is thrilled. But not as thrilled as me!!

I believe that if more ppl knew what was transmitting for free over the air nobody would pay for cable. You wouldnt believe all the channels we get and most are channels i previously paid for with direct tv!

Anyhow thanks for all your help and advice with the grounding rod.


View attachment 53245

Great news Joe that makes me want to try the same thing. I hope You and your wife enjoy all them channels and you beat the system congratulations

 

[Joev1973]

Great news Joe that makes me want to try the same thing. I hope You and your wife enjoy all them channels and you beat the system congratulations

If you decide to "cut the cord" trust me and use channel master. Most of the antennas on the market are junk. I learned this the hard way. Outdoor antennas are always better than indoor antennas. You can see how close you are to your local transmission towers at tvfool.com or antennaweb.