Grounding an Antenna/DTV System (1 Viewer)

I have the following setup and was wondering where I might need to add ground wires to it, and to see if there is some good information anywhere relating to the mechanics of grounding and why it is necessary (not my area of expertise!)

I have a DTV multi-satellite dish and an over-the-air antenna. It goes something like:

Antenna -> 2GHz Splitter (A/B)
Splitter Out A -> Diplexer A
DTV Out A -> Diplexer A
Splitter Out B -> Diplexer B
DTV Out B -> Diplexer B

Each diplexer goes to (obviously) a matching diplexer indoors that splits the signal back into the dish/antenna inputs on Samsung HD receivers.

My original setup just added a grounding block between the antenna and the first splitter. I figured I should read up on it soon, especially before thunderstorm season hits here in the midwest!

Also, can a ground (or lack thereof) influence the reception on the over-the-air antenna?

Thanks!

There must be a grounding block between the dish and your equipment. The outside piece should have a bare wire going from it to your house ground. If it does not, you could fry everything that you have.

Once that is done, you should be ok. All of you inide coax cables will run a common ground throughout all of your gear.

Glenn

Hmm...

I don't think there is any sort of grounding wire coming off of the dish. I watched the technician install everything (been about a month now) and I didn't see anything like that. Is there a particular place on the dish it might come from?

Do I not need anything between the air antenna and the rest of the system, then?

Also, you say it should go to the common house ground. Since the dish is located nowhere near the rest of our equipment, is there something else I could ground it to? Or...?

Sorry for the somewhat dumb questions. I know very little about wiring -- in case you can't tell.

Better to ask than to be sorry!
The dish has to be grounded in case it gets zapped by mother nature. A singe bare wire that is connected to any metal part of the dish or the stand would run down the side of your house and eventually go to the house ground wire. (which should be noticable) They drove a stake into the ground when the elecric wires were put into your house.

The outside grounding block just makes it easier. The grounding wire can stop there, and another one would run over to the house ground, and your coax cable would plug into it too (One going up to the sat, and the other going into your house).

If there is no grounding wire you could be in for some serious problems. If they connected it to a water pipe of something else you could get a 'ground-loop' which can/will screw your signal up.

The same goes for your air antenna, but they could have connected a ground wire between their dish and your antenna, which hopfully had been grounded previously.

BTW, if it is not grounded they are violating the law - and should know better.

Glenn