Grounding sat dish and cable

Q

qwerty12345

Member
My Satellite Setup
Various FTA Boxes, Triax 1.1m motorised
My Location
Fermanagh
Hi all,

I just lost an LNB to static on the lead in cable from my dish, I was swapping the cable over into a 2nd STB and saw a little flash of static electricity and that was that :mad:

My question is, how do I go about grounding the lead in cable and / or dish. Do I put in a ground rod at the dish? Are there any ready made connections for grounding the coax?

Any help or suggestions gratefully received.
 
Were the boxes powered down while you were doing the cable swapping?
 
Then it probably wasn't static but energy from the 13/18v used to power and switch the LNB.

Providing special earthing features for the cabling/dish end of a simple domestic Satellite system is generally unnecessary and would not have stopped the effect you experienced.

Always power down before connecting dish cables.
 
hello
i don't know what a stb is??
but take an ohm meter and see if the metal part of the lnb is the same as the dish base .
if the dish is not run some stranded cable from the lnb where the f-connoctor is and let the braded part wrap arround the f-connector before taping it.
if you can run it to a copper pipe like a water foucet that is outside it should ground the lnb on the dish.
another would be to wrap the brade on the f connector in the house and run it to the house ground as well.
or it there is a ground on the metal box like a screw wrap the brade arround a loosened screw on the box and ground it to the house ground center pin
on the mains plug.
just a few ideas
ralph:)
 
Actually, are you 100% certain the LNB is u/s?

I ask because it seems to me to be more likely that you've activated short-circuit protection in the STB.

Unplugging it from the mains for a short while then rebooting it might well clear that condition.

I certainly see no merit in attempting to create additional local earthing or bonding.
 
ralphmagno said:
i don't know what a stb is??
Click to expand...
Hello Ralph

It's one of the abbreviations used in the UK. STB = set top box. Any receiver (satellite or terrestrial) that plugs into a TV or radio,
 
PaulR said:
Hello Ralph

It's one of the abbreviations used in the UK. STB = set top box. Any receiver (satellite or terrestrial) that plugs into a TV or radio,
Click to expand...

And in true British quirky fashion, by far the vast majority do not go on top of the (TV) Set anyway!
 
Dont blame the British, its an Americanism I believe. LOL
 
Hi Tivu, I take your point about it being best to keep boxes off when swapping cables. The LNB is completely dead however, it was an inverto black ultra. I've never seen this happen with another make of LNB so perhaps that particular type doesn't take well to being mucked about. For as long as I have been messing about with FTA reception I have been getting shocks from satellite boxes, maybe it's just me! ( isnt there a condition where some people conduct better than others, something to do with skin resistivity) so im thinking maybe I need to ground things.

I think that grounding blocks with F connectors are fairly common in the states but I have never seen them here. Im wondering would it do any good to ground the coax where it enters the house - there is a 4 foot rod nearby that I have used in ham radio set ups.

I might add that the box I was plugging into - an Edision piccollo has a two pin euro plug with no ground. Wonder was that the problem?
 
Regardless of the plug, I think you'll find most STBs are two-wire only, being of Class II/ Double Insulated construction.

I think most of us will have got tingles when mucking about with our kit!

Sorry about the LNB, though.
 
The majority of receivers should shut off supply to the tuner if a short circuit occurs on the cable. It's just unfortunate that your LNb may have suffered.

For a single domestic connection, I wouldn't bother going down an earthing route. For several pieces of class 2 equipment, you can earth bond for dissipation of touch current leakage; but again I wouldn't bother ;) ... Just make sure you unplug the unit before connecting any cables :)

If you do consider bondage :p you need to get a sparky to check, test and sign the work off. Cheaper to buy another LNb ;)
 
All of my European sourced stb's have two pin leads and obviously it's very easy to reverse the phase on plugging in to the mains. I don't think it makes that much difference if it's double insulated however. I have on occasion taken off F connectors from LNB's while the stb is on without problem or inducing a short circuit cut out. I'ts not something I'd recommend though.

Tivù said:
I think most of us will have got tingles when mucking about with our kit!
Click to expand...

Oh, to be a teenager again!!
 
sonnetpete said:
Oh, to be a teenager again!!
Click to expand...


Do you know, that was entirely unintentional, but your warped response has got me in hysterics :-lmao
 
The primary circuit in a receiver's switch mode power supply has to have RF bypass capacitors on each leg of the input to the receiver's chassis to conform with EU RF Interference specifications.

There will be some leakage of high impedance current through these, and this can pop off components in LNB's and DiSEqC switches sensitive to these currents during removal of the LNB plug with the receiver switched on. I know - it knocked out the first port of a DiSEqC switch I had when carelessly removing an F plug with a receiver on standby.
 
hello to all
set top box
i must have been tired didn't think of it.
short circut protection didn't think of that as well
all are good ideas.
hope he gets it sorted
ralph
 
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