New to FTA since June 2014, My Dish Farm & FTA Project.

[Titanium]

The GEOSATpro 1.2 is a great quality dish that I worked with the manufacture to design. It will perform quite well as a miniBUD

Make sure the metal post is at least 55mm OD and 2 feet tall. The way the j-post is installed in the photo, the reflector will likely contact the bottom of the post or hit the wall (depending on the satellite elevation). If the post is 55mm, suggest that you reinforce the tube with a plug like Boris suggests before tightening the 1.2 u-bolts to prevent collapsing the undersized post. Also consider adding a third u-bolt and a strip of adhesive backed sandpaper (stair tread no-slip) to add friction and reduce the amount of u-bolt torque needed to secure the mount from rotating. Anything smaller than a 55mm OD post will require shims to securely clamp with the u-bolts.

Edit: Not a good idea to mount on 2.5" PVC. This will twist under load and you will have much frustration keeping it aimed.

 

[Christopher Cromwell]

I was looking to buy a 5' tall 2.5"OD PVC pipe, at Lowes, I wont use quite all that much. But I was thinking of using 4 metal straps that tighten the PVC to the metal mount, as I don't think Lowes has U-Bolts longer than 3", but I will keep looking. Going to Lowes now.

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[Christopher Cromwell]

Sounds all good Titanium! Thanks!

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[Christopher Cromwell]

I ended up buying a 5 foot long 2 inch OD PVC pipe. The 3 inch OD pipe would have been too big for the 4- 2 inch OD U-Bolts I bought. Lowes didnt have a 2.5 inch PVC pipe anyway.

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[Christopher Cromwell]

Looks like I will be using shims, but I got kind of a PVC pipe end to put in the metal post to keep it from crushing hopefully.

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[Christopher Cromwell]

Added a piece of stud for the one lag screw. Since the other 4 lag screws are in studs already as far as I can tell, the mount should be secure enough.

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[Christopher Cromwell]

I am waiting for a roof pitch pad to arrive this coming week, I will bolt up an additional brace into this stud when I get there.

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[Christopher Cromwell]

I wonder if this light will serve as a good conical scalar ring? Lol! :-D

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[Titanium]

Christopher,

Respectfully submitted by a satellite technician with 30+ years experience, 2" PVC will weave, sway and stagger like a drunken sailor in a mild wind. Friends don't let friend use PVC.

I would sleeve the outside of the existing post with 2 3/8" galvanized fence post, drill through and insert 3 bolts perpendicular to each other within the 8'" - 10" vertical sleeve. Only extend the post high enough to clear the bottom of the J-post. Even 3-4' of 2 3/8" galvanized fence post will sway in mild to moderate wind. Imagine what PVC will do.

 

[Christopher Cromwell]

@Titanium thanks for letting me know before I mounted the PVC up. I will call Lowes and see if they have a galvanized fence post. The original j-pole is the small 1" variety. Maybe I can still use the large U-Bolts you mentioned earlier to secure the fence post onto the j-pole with sandpaper. I dont have anything to cut through that steel however. PVC would be easier for me to cut to length.

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[Christopher Cromwell]

Just called Lowes, they dont carry the galvanized fence post in the OD that I need. And they want alot of money for it. I can't be running all over town without much money to spend looking for one. So I don't know..........:-/

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[KE4EST]

What size are you wanting to use? I have done like Brian said and used 2 3/8 fence post a few times, and got it at Lowe's. Well maybe Home Depot a time or two, and it was not expensive.

 

[Titanium]

The smallest OD mast used by DBS/DSS is 1 5/8" and the mast is your photo looks to be a 2".

Never been to a Lowes or Home Depot that didn't carry a 2 3/8" galvanized fence post. Cost about $14-$17
Lowes link: http://www.lowes.com/pd_578801-215-12277_4294612426
Home Depot link: http://www.homedepot.com/p/YARDGARD...nized-Steel-Terminal-Post-328942DPT/100322399

 

[Christopher Cromwell]

I aligned the J-pipe, it was off level, as you can see, the dish will be looking right through the big trees. I tightened everything down, and measured the j-post, it's the 1-5/8 inch variety. I added a smaller piece of metal, dont know if its galvanized or not.

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[Christopher Cromwell]

I will head to Lowes and see what I can find. They told me they aren't sure if they can cut a pipe like that to size, much less have it all fit in my wife's little Honda.

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[Christopher Cromwell]

Any chance I can just use a 2" bolt on adapter I saw on one of the satellite websites? It bolts on the lip of the existing J-pole.

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[Christopher Cromwell]

This is the east side of the house where the 1.2M dish is going to go. The majority of the winds come straight from the west and break over the higher peaks of the house. So the winds really wouldn't be much of a factor being that's its sheilded.

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[KE4EST]

Any chance I can just use a 2" bolt on adapter I saw on one of the satellite websites? It bolts on the lip of the existing J-pole.

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The ones I have saw in the past would not be be long enough to properly mount this dish to.

 

[Christopher Cromwell]

Ok, maybe not.

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[Titanium]

I will head to Lowes and see what I can find. They told me they aren't sure if they can cut a pipe like that to size, much less have it all fit in my wife's little Honda.

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Do not use an adapter. Like KE4EST correctly stated, you likely need height and not just a size adapter. Plus 2" is too small to get a good secure mount with the 1.2m mount. How do you know at this time the right length to cut the pole? You are putting several carts before the horse. Once you know the correct length, take a hacksaw with you to the store. 30 seconds of sawing in the parking lot, you will have the correct length and driving down the road.

Wait until you have the 1.2m dish delivered and determine how long of extension is needed to clear the post base or the wall when the dish is adjusted to the minimum and maximum elevation angles for the highest and lowest elevation satellites that you might try aiming at. If you are thinking of adding a motor add 1 extra foot of height to the pole extension.