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I am installing a new external TV antenna on the back of my house. The house grounding block is about 100 ft away from the new antenna, around the other side of the house. There is an existing exposed 6AWG ground wire that runs through my basement (serves, I think the gas meter on the other aside of the house).

Trying to tun 100' of 6 AWG ground wire from the antenna to the existing house grounding block, making a number of 90 degree bends in doing so, does't excite me (and I'm not sure that all those 90 degree bends are good for it).

I can run the antenna grounds (mast and coax) to a new ground rod. It would not be difficult for me to run a ground wire from that rod to the existing 6 AWG ground wire running through the basement. Can I (should I) do this - clip the new ground wire from the rod to the existing 6AWG wire in my basement, thus bonding the house ground to my new rod. It's sure much easier than trying to run that wire outside the house with all its 90 degree turns.

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  • Hello, and welcome to Home Improvement. Good question; let's see if one of our experts can answer.
    – Daniel Griscom
    Commented Mar 16, 2019 at 17:26
  • When you say "clip", what sort of connector are you planning to use to make this connection?
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Mar 16, 2019 at 20:31
  • You have no other grounding terminals in that area of the home? Say metal conduit, water pipe, grounded outlet? As far as 90 degree bends, it is wire, and I would only be concerned if there was a potential of the wire being clipped, snapped, cut, etc.
    – Jeff Cates
    Commented Mar 16, 2019 at 22:22
  • @JeffCates -- he needs to run to the GEC/bonding network not an EGC here to avoid an EGC/GEC multiplexing issue (250.121)
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Mar 17, 2019 at 1:47

2 Answers 2

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For lightning protection, the antenna and mast should be connected directly to a ground rod. Use straight runs and avoid splices.

Even nearby lightning, as opposed to a direct hit. creates very high magnetic and induced electric fields, so avoid sharp bends in the ground wire and do not run near or parallel to other wiring.

Ground wire and rods are fairly inexpensive and are easily installed. Note that the size of the ground rod(s) depends on soil conductivity -- check local conditions.

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You need the connection to the grounding electrode system; the rod itself is optional

You need to use a wire to connect the antenna ground to the grounding electrode system as per NEC 810.21(F)(2) point 1 given that's what's readily accessible and you can't really reach an intersystem bonding termination sanely from the antenna location. I would use an Ilsco GTT-2-2 or Blackburn GT-2-2 tap connector to make the connection between the new wire, a 10AWG minimum bare copper wire, and the existing 6AWG bonding/grounding wire that you found near the new antenna location.

You can also add a ground rod here, but it's completely optional; your existing grounding electrode system can ground an antenna, just like it grounds your power system. If you do add a ground rod, I would run a 6AWG wire from the new rod to the existing 6AWG wire as well with another GT(T)-2-2 tap connector to make the connection.

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