Thread: Advice on extending my C dish pole

I have an 8 ft Unimesh mounted on a tripod of a 4.5" O.D. pipe. The total height from the ground is approximately 5 ft (may be 6 feet, I haven't measured yet). I like to extend the pole height by 2 to 3 feet using a pipe extension of the same O.D. as the existing one. The chalenge is in keeping the extension plumb and stable, depending on the method I'll use to join the extension to the existing pole. Any ideas/advice on how to join the pipe extension to the existing pole?

I'm thinking of using a sleeve with bolts. Any other ideas? Thanks.

Personally the only way I would do it is have it welded.

I guess my question is why with only a 2-3 feet addition as I'm not sure what you'd gain by doing all this work.

Sergei, right now I'm barely getting 103W over the edge of my roof (I'm only getting the strongest TPs, i.e., Ion). With 2 to 3inch snow accumulation, I loose signal completely.

ACRadio, I have no means of welding the pipes together (I don't have the tools). Thanks.

Mobile welding trucks could roll right up and get it done in a few minutes. Check out Craigslist or a local trader paper. In my area there are dozens of vendors.

Is your existing tripod concreted into the ground...or is it some kind of ballasted setup?

Either way, don't forget that raising your dish even just a couple of feet, will add a LOT of tipping/spinning force to your mount. If it is marginally stable now it's only going to get worse.

By "sleeve" were you thinking of a piece of "splice" pipe with an OD big enough to fit over your existing 4.5" pipe, adding another 2-3' piece of pipe into the top of the splice, then through-bolting both pieces?

That could work if the "splice" is long enough, remember that top piece (that your polar mount actually sits on) is the one that needs to be dead plumb, if the lower piece is a little off plumb it does not matter.

Another method would be to find a pipe with an OD small enough for a good fit inside of your existing 4.5" OD pipe. This piece could go all the way to the bottom of your vertical tripod pipe, then stick your 2-3' above that, then you would add a length of 4.5" OD pipe to the top of that, and through bolt top and bottom.

As said earlier welding is preferable, unless possibly you have a really good drill, some really ni$e drill bits, and plenty of time on your hands. Just the bolts/hardware required would probably pay a good chunk of a portable welder's bill.

But no matter what, your base MUST be stable.

If that pipe actually measures 4.5 inches OD then it's likely schedule 40 4 inch pipe, which is 4.07 ID. Other sizes above and below that aren't sized to be anywhere near a "slip fit" even in schedule 80 pipe? Doesn't look to be an easy fix with existing pipe sizes. Looks like the nearest slip over piece is still 5/16" (.310") larger than your 4.5 OD mount you have now.



Steel Pipes Dimensions - ANSI Schedule 40

Steel Pipes Dimensions - ANSI Schedule 80

A picture of your setup would sure help. But myself I'd cut the pipe off at around 4 foot mark and get a piece that will fill tightly over it to the height you need, maybe 6-8 feet and have the section you cut off rewelded to the top for the dish mount. Have some holes drill and nuts welded on to the new section and after a few months rusting it'll never move.

I've got a 10ft Winegard dish, a 7.5ft SAMI dish and a 6ft Janiel Junior dish and ALL of those use 3.5 OD pipe, which is actually 3 inch schedule 40 pipe. How many dish brands actually use 4.5 inch pipe mounts???

And Sergie, the post I made above you noted that there isn't anything close enough to his current pipe size to make it "fit tightly" as you put it? The closest I saw was 5/16 inch LARGER than the OD of his current 4.5 inch mounting pipe.