Thread: Wall mounting a motorized dish

Hello everyone
Before I start, I would like to say that this site is awesome.. Every time I google something related to true FTA, This site has always had an answer for me so I thank you and I am now glad to be a member

Now that I have that out of the way, I am interested in setting up a 39" KU dish with a motor however, since I live in a building that has a backyard that is shared by the 4 apartments in my building, I don't want to install a mast in the back yard as there are kids from my building as well as 2 other 4 plexes on either side of me (I live in the middle building).



I am however, permitted to install a dish on the side of the building.. Here is where my dilemma is.. I need a dish mount that will allow me enough clearance between the wall and the edge of the dish so that the dish can travel as far east and west as it can without hitting the wall

I would like to make the mount if possible and I am looking for ideas on what materials I should use as well as general Ideas for a mount itself.. I would like to keep this a DIY project if possible but recommendations on retail mounts are welcome as they can give me an idea

Thanks and happy wild feeding

I am however, permitted to install a dish on the side of the building.. Here is where my dilemma is.. I need a dish mount that will allow me enough clearance between the wall and the edge of the dish so that the dish can travel as far east and west as it can without hitting the wall

I have a Motorized Dish mounted to a wall, 2 actually.
I'm just using a "J" Pole that's supplied with the Dish. The Motor pushes the Dish out far enough to clear the wall.

I'm just using a "J" Pole that's supplied with the Dish. The Motor pushes the Dish out far enough to clear the wall.

Are the "J" poles that come with the dishes size specific.. Meaning will the pole for a 1 meter dish be bigger then one for an 80cm dish... If that's the case, it would save me some money

Also.... Would I need a 39" dish in London Ontario ( 43°00′00″N 81°15′00″W) or can I get away with a smaller one like a 33"

Welcome to Satellite Guys!

The majority of 90cm and smaller dishes are usually shipped with a 1 5/8" OD post / mast. Larger reflectors often require a 2 - 2 3/8" or larger post. Don't automatically assume that the dish is supplied with a post. Larger dishes often are not.

If you need a longer mast or one with a unique reach or angle, go to a local muffler shop and they will be able to bend a pipe to meet your specific needs. You should try and provide the OD measurement of the pipe and a simple drawing with bend angles and measurements. I will usually take a manufactured post with me so they feel more comfortable seeing an example of a finished product. Before painting the post, clean with a oil removing agent and primer.

If you are going to the effort of motoring the dish, definitely go for a 36" or larger. You will not regret having the extra gain for any weaker satellites or during poor weather conditions.

The GEOSATpro branded 90cm dish offers a unique solution which allows the "J" pole to be mounted by either end. This will optimized the mount for either vertical height or horizontal reach. BTW.... It is available to be shipped from our distribution partner in Ontario.

Sometimes a couple of pictures help in visualizing the end result. Here is how mine is set up. Under the front porch with this kind of mount. The deck sticks out about six inches and still there is plenty of clearance for my 36" dish.

Oops! Since the forum tells me I can't post links yet (I'm a newbie too), if you go to Flickr and search for user yuccabrevifolia, I put up a couple of pictures of my mount setup there so you can see what the finished product with the J pole would look like.

Thanks Yucca... Nice setup.. What are you using for a motor? I'm not sure weather to go with HH100 or the SG2100.. They are both available at store down the street from me for $70 CAD

Get the biggest dish you can wall mount and match the motor to the size(check shipping costs). At your latitude the dish is going to be quite upright so with the motor there should be no clearance problems

Originally Posted by jscrimshaw

Thanks Yucca... Nice setup.. What are you using for a motor? I'm not sure weather to go with HH100 or the SG2100.. They are both available at store down the street from me for $70 CAD

Glad you like. Beats the heck out of having it on a tripod weighted down with cinder blocks (my previous setup). I've only been into this since about April so it was an experiment turned into a hobby (my wife would probably use the word fascination instead). Wracking my brains about the model, I think it is a HH90. I do remember being surprised that it was an Italian motor. So far it has been flawless. I would buy another in that series if I were in the market.

My experience so far has been that the receiver does matter though in making USALS work. I wish I had known about the wealth of expertise on this forum before I invested in a Viewsat as my first receiver. It didn't play well with the motor, lost settings, and sometimes just refused to move the motor at all. Then I bought a Sonicview 8000 which was much better though will not return the dish to true south once set up no matter what I do. Next time I'll buy whatever these folks are having positive experiences with.

Another thing that made a huge difference for me recently was LNB. I got a Samsonic LNB packaged with the dish. It did OK wth motorized but it was imprecise and frequently had poor signal strength, but a few weeks ago I retired it and picked up an Invacom QPH-031 from Sadoun which made for better signal strength but is harder to dial in an optimal signal.

Just my experience so far being six months into this hobby.

If you check out my avatar, my 36" is wall mounted with a motor. I added a hook above the j-mast, then used a turnbuckle to add extra support. It helps to keep everything nice and plumb and solid.