Time to move the dish

[schlever]

Well its time to think about moving the dish. Its in a good place, but limits access to the other parts of my side yard. I have 2 options I'm considering. (1) is to move it upwards by about 3 feet. This should give me a better line of sight to the eastern portion of the arc (I'd clear a hedge and the corner of my shed for sure), in addition to better access to my side yard. The issue here is I have an overhang on the house that may affect reception. (2) is to move the dish about 10 feet over and up higher to clear the fence. Here I'd be closer to high fence and may be in line with my neighbors roof peak.

Either way, I'm going to need a new pole. So I'd like to know what your all using for those. I plan on burying it in concrete and securing it to the house wall with a bracket to make sure it doesn't sway at all.

Comments ???

 

[cracklincrotch]

I just moved my dishes from the front of my house to the back after using a miter gauge and a laser after dark.

I determined what sats I'd get by finding out the minimum elevation for a particular sat would be before I'd clear the roof. Anything above that elevation I knew I'd get.

If the roof blocked a sat that I wanted, I raised the miter gauge and laser until it didn't anymore and I knew I'd have to mount the dish at that height at minimum. If I could see the laser dot, I know I couldn't see the sat with a dish.

So what I'd do is get the elevation for the lowest sat on your horizon and see what you'd have to do to get it. Then you know anything else should be fine so long as you don't have a lot of tall trees/buildings nearby. Again, if you could see the laser dot on something, it won't work.

My $0.10.....

 

[delta_charlie]

---cut---

Either way, I'm going to need a new pole. So I'd like to know what your all using for those. I plan on burying it in concrete and securing it to the house wall with a bracket to make sure it doesn't sway at all.

Comments ???

Hi, I have used polls like you described for years to hold all sorts of ham radio antennas and now FTA dishes. Setting the base in concrete and using angle steel brackets mounted to the house up as high as you can will make for a very strong and stable mount. Just make sure you use a bigger poll if you are going to be using a motor. I have a 1 5/8 poll up now holding a 80CM dish and found it was not stiff enough for a motor. Go with a 2 3/8 galvanized fence post.

A plated muffler like clamp can be found at Home Depot and can be used to clamp the poll to the angle steel. If you use galvanized angle steel you will have a long lasting setup.

Let me know if you would like to see some pictures of the setup.

Later, DC

 

[schlever]

Hi, I have used polls like you described for years to hold all sorts of ham radio antennas and now FTA dishes. Setting the base in concrete and using angle steel brackets mounted to the house up as high as you can will make for a very strong and stable mount. Just make sure you use a bigger poll if you are going to be using a motor. I have a 1 5/8 poll up now holding a 80CM dish and found it was not stiff enough for a motor. Go with a 2 3/8 galvanized fence post.

A plated muffler like clamp can be found at Home Depot and can be used to clamp the poll to the angle steel. If you use galvanized angle steel you will have a long lasting setup.

Let me know if you would like to see some pictures of the setup.

Later, DC

Thanks guys, some pics would, as always, be appreciated.

I'm wanting to keep the location if possible where it is, but move it up a bit, so will go with the 2 3/8 fence post and some brackets. I'll drop some batteries in the old laser level one of these nights when I have some free time and play with it to see. Other than access issues, I'm getting some real crappy signals in the middle of the arc, and have noticed some of the trees across the street have grown a bit this year, so that may be the problem. I think a few extra feet upwards on my part will suffice, as by the time the trees grow that much, we'll have upgraded houses.

 

[cracklincrotch]

I think the clamp that Delta_Charlie is talking about is actually a split flange. Any decent automotive place will have them. Even crappy tire has them though you'll have to browse for yourself - they won't know what you're asking for. But then you probably already know that, just like everybody else.

They're about $5, and generally look like the attached pic. When doing exhaust systems, you usually need two to attach two pieces of pipe. One clamp on one pipe, second on the other and a gasket in between. Then stick some bolts between them and tighten em up. Voila - one pipe.

 

[delta_charlie]

Hi all, here are some pictures of my poll mount setups.

Underside of the angle steel and the muffler U clamp. Note - the ones you might find at an auto parts store will be plain steel. You should be able to find some plated steel models at home depot. The plated will last longer.

Under beam version.

Wall mount version.

Grounding clamp also from Home Depot. Thick copper grounding wire hooked up to a full 8 foot ground rod hammered all the way down into the ground.

I really like being able to keep the mounts off of the roof. I also like the direct path to ground - both the base of the poll and the ground rod offer a serious ground.

Hope this helps, DC

 

[schlever]

Thanks DC it does. Now time to make a trip to the home center and grab some supplies ...... then to find some time to actually do it

 

[Anole]

Delta Charlie recently had a nice variation on an old favorite, the soda straw inclinometer.
Putting it on a camera tripod was helpful.

See also earlier article:
ThisBUDsForYou and his soda straw inclinometer

Might be easier than firing up your laser in the night and freaking out the neighborhood. -
Easier to see the trees in the light of day, than after dark, too.


By the way, I always thought your dish location and installation was inspired.
Made a good avatar, too!

 

[delta_charlie]

---cut---

Might be easier than firing up your laser in the night and freaking out the neighborhood. -
Easier to see the trees in the light of day, than after dark, too.


By the way, I always thought your dish location and installation was inspired.
Made a good avatar, too!

Hi all, I just had the vision pop in my head of somebody seeing the laser and calling the swat team.

Having the swat team show up at your door with a very serious look on their faces might not be too good

Later, DC

 

[schlever]

thanks Anole. Its probably going to stay in the same place, just get bumped up a foot or two so that I can get to the compost bin and water barrels more easily. By putting it on a pole , it will also move in towards the house by about 6 inches, which will help in the 'space' department as well.

 

[cracklincrotch]

Having the swat team show up at your door with a very serious look on their faces might not be too good

Especially if you have a bunch of dishes in the yard. Your neighbours may think you're weird as it is without that happening.

 

[schlever]

Especially if you have a bunch of dishes in the yard. Your neighbours may think you're weird as it is without that happening.

They already think I'm wierd for having 'such a big dish' on the side of my house. One of them even asked why it moves While the others usually just ask if I'm hacking dish and bev ......

 

[Anole]

Invite them in and show them what FTA is all about.
For the more interested, invite them back the day you relocate your dish.
Have a BBQ in the back yard.
Ya might have a convert in the the bunch.
And we might get a newbie member.