OTA antenna ground to Cox Cable Coaxial cable?

Question

I am in the process of terminating my Cox cable TV but keeping Cox internet and Cox Phone.&nbsp;&nbsp; The coax enters the house where it splits to the cable modem and to the TVs. I am putting up an OTA antenna.&nbsp; In the box on the side of the house where the Cox Cable has it's connections (that then go into the house) it is written "grounded at pole". I have an OTA Antenna I will put up. It says it needs to be grounded. Can I use the same ground the Cox Cable was using by connecting to the Cox Coaxial Cable outside the house? Thanks

bruce · Answer

You can build a grounding post.&nbsp; It's just a copper post driven into the ground.&nbsp; Well, it's not that simple because it has to extend below the frost line and not contact or damage the other utility systems buried in your yard.
I'm not an electrician but those are 2 things I can caution.&nbsp; Your best bet is to hire a certified electrician because they'd have all the answers.
You'd also have to consider any future insurance claims if lightening did strike your antenna and destroys equipment and appliances in your home due to being improperly grounded.

bruce · Answer

Every house has a grounding post...why not use that?&nbsp; It should be near your power meter.
With your idea, if lightening strikes your antenna and the resulting surge discharges to the public-utility pole, you'd be responsible for any damages.

kj32 · Answer

Appreciate your answer. I had seen advice before but none said exactly by the power meter. I thought they meant near the main fuse boxes in the house. I found the ground connection there. The problem now is that it's exactly on the opposite side of the house and carport (in the middle of our yard) from where I wanted to put the antenna. Really only one TV is important for that antenna so I planned on putting it on a mid level porch near it. Unless I put the antenna on the roof the house will block the most important direction it needs to face. That would also be a much more complicated installation. Can I tap into other things connected to that ground or does it have to be a dedicated connection? Thanks

kj32 · Answer

Where I live&nbsp; within 2 feet&nbsp; you hit rock so putting in one of those posts would be quite an undertaking. The house electronics are already grounded to that outside pole but an antenna needs to have it's own separate wire going the ground on that pole? For example, the Cox Cable internet/TV connection is grounded on that pole. Aren't they all still interconnected?

bruce · Answer

The house electronics are already grounded to that outside pole 
What outside pole...the public-utility pole?&nbsp; Your house has its own ground near your power meter.&nbsp; Utility poles have an earth ground to discharge lightening.&nbsp; Your house is not grounded to the utility pole.
There's a lot of metal atop of utility poles and that elevated metal can create a hazard by potentially attracting lightening.&nbsp; If lightening strikes a pole, the surge will discharge at the utility pole via its ground...and not through the electrical coaxial cable you're connecting from the pole to your house.&nbsp; The ground at the&nbsp; pole is only providing an easier path for the lightening to discharge.
By creating the hazard in the first place, the utility companies are only protecting your house from lightening strikes at the poles.&nbsp; That's why they gave you a "heads up" about the other end of that coaxial cable being grounded at the pole.
Houses don't normally get struck by lightening...unless there's a metal object on top of them (weather vane, metal chimney, antenna, etc).&nbsp; The reason to ground those things is to keep the discharge away from your home wiring system.&nbsp; You keep it away by providing an easier path for the discharge to flow into the earth.
You don't want to be "interconnecting" earth grounds...or safety grounds...with electronic grounds.&nbsp; Electronic grounds are used to make your electrical appliances work.&nbsp; Safety grounds, on the other hand, are used to dissipate damaging electricity.&nbsp; You don't want to interconnect or mesh these conductors together because you wouldn't know what path the damaging discharge would take.&nbsp; Discharge it into the earth as opposed to daisy-chaining throughout your household.

Forum Discussion

OTA antenna ground to Cox Cable Coaxial cable?

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