Dish on a wooden post, NO!???

[RT-Cat]

A friend of mine stated he had a problem with an installer when it came to connecting the dish to a treated 4 X 6. The installer said on a roof, on the side of the building, or on a steel post. Not on a treated 4 X 6. His reason was the wooden post could/would warp and the signal would be lost.
Is this a fact on a Dish network install or was this just something from one installer?

R.T.

 

[skynetamit]

It will warp, the tech is right.

 

[HIFI]

It will warp, the tech is right.

:up

 

[whatchel1]

A friend of mine stated he had a problem with an installer when it came to connecting the dish to a treated 4 X 6. The installer said on a roof, on the side of the building, or on a steel post. Not on a treated 4 X 6. His reason was the wooden post could/would warp and the signal would be lost.
Is this a fact on a Dish network install or was this just something from one installer?

R.T.

Sure could. I have 1 on a fence but it a a junction which gives it a large T shape where they come together. I plan on removing it at some point. But as it is on 77 (only) which has nothing that I view not a super big hurry to move it.

 

[Frank7004]

I disagree. I've been to several Dish's that were on a treated post that were just fine. -been there for years. I'm not an old school dish installer, but I think Ive been doing this long enough to know what "works" and what doesn't.

FWIW, Dish now "allows" the use of a treated post as long as a fascia plate is used.

Also, the poles provided by Dish are thin and are now found to be snapping off at the ground...and the bottom line is they also are piles of junk.

 

[boba]

I disagree. I've been to several Dish's that were on a treated post that were just fine. -been there for years. I'm not an old school dish installer, but I think Ive been doing this long enough to know what "works" and what doesn't.

FWIW, Dish now "allows" the use of a treated post as long as a fascia plate is used.

Also, the poles provided by Dish are thin and are now found to be snapping off at the ground...and the bottom line is they also are piles of junk.

My experience is depending on weather, free standing wood posts will need peaking every 3-6 months. You are looking at a satellite about the size of a van 22,000 miles out in space.

As a note thin wall galvanized tubing will rust, ground level becomes the fulcrum point of a lever and pressure from wind will bend or break pipes. How long depends on your climactic conditions, maybe Frank should change to thicker pipes.

 

[kenskibum]

I had trouble with a treated 4 x 4 warping. Even added a couple guy wires to keep it in the right position, but that didn't work for long. Now I have a metal post and all is well.

 

[tempVAdish]

They should be on a metal post, but as was stated above, I have one on a 4x4 post & has been for 4 years w/o issue.

 

[mdram]

my original dish was on a 4x4 treated, in concrete. lasted for several years
when i upgraded to dvr they put the new dish on a metal one, the new installer said he wasnt allowed to install on wood
the post is still there and solid as a rock

 

[skynetamit]

Wood warps, it's that simple...

 

[Jim S.]

A small dish has sloppy focus, it's that simple... You're going to need a lot of warpage to lose the signal.

 

[dishnet_tech]

I disagree. I've been to several Dish's that were on a treated post that were just fine. -been there for years. I'm not an old school dish installer, but I think Ive been doing this long enough to know what "works" and what doesn't.

FWIW, Dish now "allows" the use of a treated post as long as a fascia plate is used.

Also, the poles provided by Dish are thin and are now found to be snapping off at the ground...and the bottom line is they also are piles of junk.

Fascia plate (or unimount) only approved on 4x4's that are secured top & bottom (as in a deck for example) - no "freestanding" 4x4's (a wooden post in the yard). The reason for the secure top and bottom requirement is because it would make no sense to use a fascia plate on a freestanding 4x4 because the post will still warp and twist regardless of the fascia mount. The fascia mount is used to allow you to get the required number of lags (6) in the footplate, something you cannot do on a 4x4 without it. At least that's the rule here.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

My experience is depending on weather, free standing wood posts will need peaking every 3-6 months. You are looking at a satellite about the size of a van 22,000 miles out in space.

As a note thin wall galvanized tubing will rust, ground level becomes the fulcrum point of a lever and pressure from wind will bend or break pipes. How long depends on your climactic conditions, maybe Frank should change to thicker pipes.

Frank works for Dish. If he started using his own poles instead of the "approved" ones that Dish currently uses, he would be "auto-failed" in a heartbeat on inspection. Dish's policy bluntly speaking is "we don't care if it's messed up, dammit, you'll use it".

 

[RT-Cat]

Thanks for all the info on the subject. The installer was here today and attached the dish to a block of cement! That may sound funny, but it is to get it working and to allow miss dig to get there and stick their flags in the ground. The pole setters will be back in a few days to finish the job. I told the very good installer it was a good thing they had to call miss dig 'cuz there is a gas line very close to the dish location.
That 722K sure is a nice box. I have a question about channels that I will put in another post.
RT

 

[Frank7004]

Not my install but this 500+ had been there for a long time, no warpage and still had signal strengths within dish specs.

1k4 added.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[skynetamit]

A small dish has sloppy focus, it's that simple... You're going to need a lot of warpage to lose the signal.

You are right, it's gonna take a lot to lose signal.

But would you rather have a signal at 95 or a signal at 75?? They both work, up until a cloud comes in and takes up 50 of it.. Then the dish on a steel pole w a 45 signal will be working and your wood post install w a 25 signal will not...

Facepalm...

 

[navychop]

..... it was a good thing they had to call miss dig 'cuz there is a gas line very close to the dish location.....

Might want to dig VERY carefully, even if away from the markings. In my experience, those "Miss Utility" types are way off with the paint stripes.

 

[dishnet_tech]

Not my install but this 500+ had been there for a long time, no warpage and still had signal strengths within dish specs.

1k4 added.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

This would be an auto-fail for mounting where I work..and they'd have something to say about how that cable at the top of the post goes across to the house like that.

 

[lineman20109]

Might want to dig VERY carefully, even if away from the markings. In my experience, those "Miss Utility" types are way off with the paint stripes.

In Virginia, anyone that digs on the property, except for the property owner, is required by law to call Miss Utility. And they can be way off at times, also.

 

[navychop]

In Virginia, anyone that digs on the property, except for the property owner, is required by law to call Miss Utility. And they can be way off at times, also.

Yep. I know. Live there, done that more than once. And the call is simply a CYA. It is NOT accurate. And I'm under the impression that as the property owner, if I don't call, I'm responsible for any and all damages.