Storm preparation for C-Band dishes

[mc6809e]

I'm finishing our preparations for hurricane Florence and have a question about my dishes. During thunderstorms I move my C-band dishes to the furthest west they'll go (about 135W for me) and the only problems I've ever had were because of lightning, not the high winds. However, with the prospect of sustained tropical storm force winds beginning Friday night and no way to take the dishes down or a place to store them, what's the consensus on the best procedure for storm prep? Should I put the dishes in bird bath position and use locking bars to keep them there (as well as removing the center plates on the solid steel panel dishes so the 8 to 12 inches of rain won't fill them up) or something else?

I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[dl76]

I parked mine on 135 last hurricane / storms that hit us here in central SC. Made it thru gust up to 75 mph. It swayed big time though. Think I am going to park mine on 78 west. What you guys think?

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[Magic Static]

The big boys point them due south or straight up. Least amount of wind resistance in that position. But if you can take them down pull the LNB supports off and lay them face down and secured, all the better.

 

[wvman]

The big boys point them due south or straight up. Least amount of wind resistance in that position. But if you can take them down pull the LNB supports off and lay them face down and secured, all the better.

Wind resistance is reduced greatly when the wind cuts across the dish instead of straight on. Not nearly as much surface area to catch the wind that way. I saw a UFI fiberglass dish once that took a straight on hit with wind gusts at 65mph. All four mounting flanges that held the dish to the mount made a convex dimple about a foot in diameter where the flanges contacted the reflector.

The reflector had 4 great big dimples in it. It cracked the dish in 4 places and the dimples were permanent. I can imagine what it would do to an aluminum mesh dish.

 

[primestar31]

I also suggest you make some permanent marks from polar mount to pole, just is case they get spun on the mount. Of course HOPEFULLY, that's the worst that might happen to them this time...

Of course, you could slightly loosen the polar mount, and then the dishes will naturally turn OUT of the worst of the wind no matter which direction it comes from, or switches to. That's how electric wind generators work.

 

[wvman]

I also suggest you make some permanent marks from polar mount to pole, just is case they get spun on the mount. Of course HOPEFULLY, that's the worst that might happen to them this time...

Of course, you could slightly loosen the polar mount, and then the dishes will naturally turn OUT of the worst of the wind no matter which direction it comes from, or switches to. That's how electric wind generators work.

All my dishes are stationary and pointed at SES1, Galaxy 16, 17,19 and SES-2, so they are basically looking south anyway. I have one 12.5 footer in the middle that could hit the dish on either aide should it come loose. I don't think we're going to get the really high winds here, but I'll give the new bolts a tweak later this evening.

 

[mc6809e]

Thanks for the information guys. When I posted the question I had already removed the center plate and put the 8ft Sadoun dish in bird bath position. Now all my C-band dishes look like bird baths (with the center plates removed from both solid dishes).

I removed the actuators from all of them and used 1½" X 2" angle iron to make the locking bars, 2 on each of the 8' solid and 7½' Unimesh dishes and one on the 6' solid dish.

 

[martin-f]

The reflector had 4 great big dimples in it. It cracked the dish in 4 places and the dimples were permanent. I can imagine what it would do to an aluminum mesh dish.

The old Paraclipse is as tough as a old boot


Here in the UK we don't get storms like you get them, hope all dishes and people stay safe .

 

[Brct203]

The old Paraclipse is as tough as a old boot

.

Isn't that banned by the Geneva convention?

 

[martin-f]

Isn't that banned by the Geneva convention?

It should be, i am just restoring one at the moment lovely dish.

 

[wvman]

The old Paraclipse is as tough as a old boot


Here in the UK we don't get storms like you get them, hope all dishes and people stay safe .

Forgive them, for they know not what they do. Poor Paraclipse.

 

[dl76]

I'm finishing our preparations for hurricane Florence and have a question about my dishes. During thunderstorms I move my C-band dishes to the furthest west they'll go (about 135W for me) and the only problems I've ever had were because of lightning, not the high winds. However, with the prospect of sustained tropical storm force winds beginning Friday night and no way to take the dishes down or a place to store them, what's the consensus on the best procedure for storm prep? Should I put the dishes in bird bath position and use locking bars to keep them there (as well as removing the center plates on the solid steel panel dishes so the 8 to 12 inches of rain won't fill them up) or something else?

I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks.

We got lucky here in central South Carolina, Were getting alot of rain. Wind gust to 30 mph. I able to watch the c band dish tonight. Hopefully your ok mc6809e.

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[mc6809e]

We're doing well so far. Heaviest weather is supposed to come thru this area beginning later this evening and tomorrow. We've had light to moderate rain and wind here but nothing heavy yet. Just saw an update on the storm that said it was moving west at 2 miles per hour. Going to take a while to get thru.

My C-band dishes are still in bird bath position and this morning I took down the 1m fixed dish I had aimed at 125W. In the past it has been hit (but not damaged) by falling limbs from a maple tree that's behind and above it. It only took a couple of minutes to take it down and won't take long to put it back up. Better that than taking a chance on losing it.

Hope everyone else in the path of this storm is doing OK also.

 

[dl76]

We're doing well so far. Heaviest weather is supposed to come thru this area beginning later this evening and tomorrow. We've had light to moderate rain and wind here but nothing heavy yet. Just saw an update on the storm that said it was moving west at 2 miles per hour. Going to take a while to get thru.

My C-band dishes are still in bird bath position and this morning I took down the 1m fixed dish I had aimed at 125W. In the past it has been hit (but not damaged) by falling limbs from a maple tree that's behind and above it. It only took a couple of minutes to take it down and won't take long to put it back up. Better that than taking a chance on losing it.

Hope everyone else in the path of this storm is doing OK also.

For sure a slow moving storm. I haven't lost power yet. Not in a flood zone ethier. Weather man says we suppose to get light to moderate rain for next day or so , squalls of wind up to 35mph. All that rain NC and SC has to go somewhere.

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[wvman]

We're doing well so far. Heaviest weather is supposed to come thru this area beginning later this evening and tomorrow. We've had light to moderate rain and wind here but nothing heavy yet. Just saw an update on the storm that said it was moving west at 2 miles per hour. Going to take a while to get thru.

My C-band dishes are still in bird bath position and this morning I took down the 1m fixed dish I had aimed at 125W. In the past it has been hit (but not damaged) by falling limbs from a maple tree that's behind and above it. It only took a couple of minutes to take it down and won't take long to put it back up. Better that than taking a chance on losing it.

Hope everyone else in the path of this storm is doing OK also.

My wife's stupid cousin and husband decided to ride out the storm. They live in Wilmington two blocks from the beach. Haven't heard a word from them since the hurricane made landfall. What pisses me off is they have two grandchildren with them. It's one thing to endanger your own life, but to put two kids, six and seven years old in danger is something else altogether.

I can't believe they were stupid enough to do something like that. It's hard to tell how this mess is going to turn out. Hope and pray is all we can do.

 

[FTA4PA]

My wife's stupid cousin and husband decided to ride out the storm. They live in Wilmington two blocks from the beach. Haven't heard a word from them since the hurricane made landfall. What pisses me off is they have two grandchildren with them. It's one thing to endanger your own life, but to put two kids, six and seven years old in danger is something else altogether.

I can't believe they were stupid enough to do something like that. It's hard to tell how this mess is going to turn out. Hope and pray is all we can do.

Definitely not the best choice. Best wishes that they made it through ok.

 

[Lone Gunman]

I'm in the central part of Virginia and about 80 miles north of the NCarolina line and I can't believe this storm is going to go around us? We've been getting some rain but not much more than normal for our area and the winds aren't any more than about 20 mph up to this point. It might get worse, but if the forecast that I've seen is accurate then this will all be a "nothingburger" for us in the end. Let's hope so anyway!

 

[wvman]

Definitely not the best choice. Best wishes that they made it through ok.

I appreciate that. Who knows how they are since no one can get ahold of them. It's pretty frustrating.

 

[wvman]

I'm in the central part of Virginia and about 80 miles north of the NCarolina line and I can't believe this storm is going to go around us? We've been getting some rain but not much more than normal for our area and the winds aren't any more than about 20 mph up to this point. It might get worse, but if the forecast that I've seen is accurate then this will all be a "nothingburger" for us in the end. Let's hope so anyway!

It's been a nice day here, light breeze and pretty mild, but it's starting to cloud up. We'll see how much rain we get out of this.

 

[FTA4PA]

My wife's stupid cousin and husband decided to ride out the storm. They live in Wilmington two blocks from the beach. Haven't heard a word from them since the hurricane made landfall. What pisses me off is they have two grandchildren with them. It's one thing to endanger your own life, but to put two kids, six and seven years old in danger is something else altogether.

I can't believe they were stupid enough to do something like that. It's hard to tell how this mess is going to turn out. Hope and pray is all we can do.

I appreciate that. Who knows how they are since no one can get ahold of them. It's pretty frustrating.

Any word from Wilmington?