How to Install a Ground-Mounted Satellite Antenna

Sometimes due to the construction of your home or just out of personal preference, you will have to install your satellite antenna in the ground. Here's how!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2 Bags Of Premixed Concrete
• Galvanized Iron Pipes
• Shovels
• 2-by-4 Boards
• 5-gallon Buckets
• U- Clamps
• Carts Or Wheelbarrows
• Common Nails
• Hammers
• Levels
• Hammers
• Shovels

1. Choose a site that will be free from major dampness year round and one that qualifies for a line-of-sight view to the satellite you wish to use. See "eHow to Determine the Best Location for Your Satellite Antenna."

2. Collect the following tools and materials: a level; two 80-pound bags of pre-mixed concrete; a shovel; a 5-gallon bucket; a 3.5-foot length of galvanized pipe (2 or 2 1/2 inches in diameter); two stainless or galvanized U-clamps with nuts; four 18-inch sections of 2" x 4" lumber; and a wheelbarrow.

3. Nail the four pieces of lumber together to form a square.

4. Excavate a hole in the ground the size and shape of a five-gallon bucket.

5. Collapse one end of the pipe to prevent rotation, and center the pipe in the middle of the excavated hole with the collapsed end of the pipe entering the dirt.

6. Place the wood frame over the excavated hole such that the hole is in the center, and set it firmly in the ground. Place a light coating of oil on the wood to make it easier to remove from the concrete.

7. Tap the side of the frame facing the satellite view slightly into the dirt. The bubble of the level should read half a bubble off in the opposite direction. This will help provide for drainage.

8. Mix the two bags of concrete with water in the wheelbarrow according to the manufacturer's instructions.

9. Pour the concrete mixture into the hole and around the pipe evenly up to the surface of the square lumber edge. Remove any excess concrete with a piece of wood or shovel to ensure that the surface of the concrete pad is flat.

10. Make sure the pipe mast remained level. If not, re-position it now. Continue to check as the concrete hardens.

11. Remove the wood square after the concrte hardens and proceed to attach the antenna, mast and foot base to the pipe by placing the U-bolts around the pipe and through the holes in the antenna foot base.

12. Level the antenna mast and dish and proceed with the manufacturer's instructions on wiring and tuning the antenna.

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure your system is well-mounted. System movement can reduce signal reception to the point of complete loss.
• Make sure that the growth of new foliage does not interfere with your system.
• During installation, the antenna foot will be attached to the outside of the pipe using the U-clamps and bolts. The clamps should fit snugly around the pipe and enter easily into the holes provided in the antenna foot base with minimum sliding.

on 11/22/2005 The National Electric Code requires that the antenna structure be grounded to protect the installation from lightning. A 6AWG copper conductor may be used to connect the Antenna Metal Structure to the building ground system, if it is less than 20 feet. Keep the run as straight as possible.

If the distance exceeds 20 feet, a UL listed ground rod may be installed near the antenna, but the ground rod must be bonded to the building ground with 6AWG minimum copper conductor. A 10AWG copper conductor or larger may connect the antenna to the driven ground rod.

Where the coaxial cable enters the building, a coaxial grounding device must be installed to ground the shield. It must be connected to the building ground with a 14AWG or larger copper conductor.

It is strongly advised that a quality surge protection device (listed by UL1449 Revised) be used to terminate the coaxial cable at the satellite receiver. The surge protector should provide for the power connection, telephone connection, and local antenna connection, if needed. If a local antenna is used for TV reception, it must be grounded in the same manner as the satellite dish.