What are the advantages and disadvantages of a roof mouted motorized dish
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There's no advantages for a motorized roof mounted dish, versus one mounted on a ground pole. There are however MANY disadvantages, here's a few:
1: Mount could leak during rain, and you won't discover it until it causes expensive damage.
2: BIG windstorm could rip it off the roof, then cause even more damage as the dish skitters to who knows where.
3: It can be hard to get the whole thing installed and peaked properly, because the average homeowner doesn't have the proper equipment to do it right once and DONE. So, many trips up a ladder, make tweaks, climb down, check tv, is it ok? Back up the ladder! WHOOPS, I fell off the roof!
1: Mount could leak during rain, and you won't discover it until it causes expensive damage.
2: BIG windstorm could rip it off the roof, then cause even more damage as the dish skitters to who knows where.
3: It can be hard to get the whole thing installed and peaked properly, because the average homeowner doesn't have the proper equipment to do it right once and DONE. So, many trips up a ladder, make tweaks, climb down, check tv, is it ok? Back up the ladder! WHOOPS, I fell off the roof!
Lots of disadvantages. Only two pluses that I can see to are roof install:
1. Allows someone who doesn't otherwise have a clear view of the arc to put up a dish.
2. Depending on your neighborhood, it would keep the kids away (think vandals
)
Best to avoid it if possible.
1. Allows someone who doesn't otherwise have a clear view of the arc to put up a dish.
2. Depending on your neighborhood, it would keep the kids away (think vandals
)Best to avoid it if possible.
High winds on the roof could knock the dish out of alignment, then it's up to the roof you go. It can happen on the ground too, but much safer and convenient. As was said by FTA4PA you might consider putting it on the roof if there major obstacles to the satellite.
Pole mounts have the least moving parts too in comparison with J mounts have extra bolts to deal with that can cause the dish to shift, loosen, etc.
Believe it or not there is an old colonial house in the next town with a 10 foot dish mounted on the roof ! I could not sleep nights if I lived in that house.
Pole mounts have the least moving parts too in comparison with J mounts have extra bolts to deal with that can cause the dish to shift, loosen, etc.
Believe it or not there is an old colonial house in the next town with a 10 foot dish mounted on the roof ! I could not sleep nights if I lived in that house.
Do you know that the J pole is plumb?
Another thing to consider is that if you can get your tripod mount to be level in the east/west axis, you can compensate for it not being level in the north/south axis by adjusting your motor latitude. (That's what I did for my J pole, which is a GeoSatPro J pole that theoretically can be plumbed no matter how unstraight the foot plate is, but I evidently have bent the hell out of something because it just isn't happening.)
Get 3 cheap magnetic levels and stick them to the tripod 120 degrees apart. Level the tripod! (Definitely keep it on the ground.)
Tip: Grab the best large 'professional' level the store has. Compare the cheap levels to the 'professional' level and buy the 3 most accurate cheap levels.
Tip: Grab the best large 'professional' level the store has. Compare the cheap levels to the 'professional' level and buy the 3 most accurate cheap levels.
I'm thinking of mounting a fixed dish not on the roof but on a gable. I don't like putting holes in the roof. This option will save 75 feet of coax to run it to the nearest clearing in the woods for that sat. If you need to mount one up high consider the gable instead of the roof. This setup may also provide some protection from wind.
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Lots of disadvantages. Only two pluses that I can see to are roof install:
1. Allows someone who doesn't otherwise have a clear view of the arc to put up a dish.
2. Depending on your neighborhood, it would keep the kids away (think vandals
Best to avoid it if possible.
this where i would mount the dish on the roof
do you adjust the motor latitude up or down or can you adjust dish elevation up or down ?
The motor elevation is adjusted to compensate for the pole being out of plumb. Warning: this only applies if the pole is out of plumb EXACTLY in the North/South axis. It will not correct for any East/West leaning.
As in any motorized dish install, a perfectly plumb mast is the key to successfully tracking the arc. Attempting a motorized install on anything but a plumb mast is a sure recipe for frustration and aggravation!
You are likely to find that the existing DirecTV j-pole mast on the roof is too short to allow clearance of the dish from contacting the roof when mounted on a motor. Most motor designs lower the dish about 6".
As in any motorized dish install, a perfectly plumb mast is the key to successfully tracking the arc. Attempting a motorized install on anything but a plumb mast is a sure recipe for frustration and aggravation!
You are likely to find that the existing DirecTV j-pole mast on the roof is too short to allow clearance of the dish from contacting the roof when mounted on a motor. Most motor designs lower the dish about 6".
I only have one dish on the roof, and it's there only because it was the only location from where I can see the eastern horizon without a building or tree in the way. (30W) In order to keep the dish solid I attached a 20' heavy walled 4" steel pipe to the side of the roof and have it attaching to a larger pipe that is drilled and tapped with bolts to fine-tune to keep the mast vertical. The bigger pipe sits on a wheel rim bolted to cement blocks.
Tri-pods, at least the ones made to hold up TV antennas, are not really stable enough for larger FTA equipment.
Tri-pods, at least the ones made to hold up TV antennas, are not really stable enough for larger FTA equipment.
this is the tripod i bought http://sadoun.com/Sat/Products/Install/EZ463A-3ft-tower.htm that when i tighten the bolts to the 2" mast the mast still moves thus the reason i was considering a roof mount
Looks like your house is one story and mount is very near the edge of the roof? If so and the mount is plumb then it might be workable. You would have fairly easy access to the dish by just putting a ladder against the house. Not much worry about clearing snow/ice off dish in Texas.
Not the best way but if you don't have any options for a ground mount then it might be worth a shot.
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line of site issues is the big one
live in an area that you can't put a pole mount in
one disadvantage (depending on area of location) is it can be a bitch to clean the dish if there is snow on it
one advantage for the wife would be she might be able to cash in that life insurance policy when you fall off the roof
Cham is right. I would not use a tripod designed for an OTA antenna for an FTA motor/dish combo. KE4EST is correct .... make a permanent pole install.
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