I have a 9' solid steel panel dish that I don't want to commit into the ground for now. Yet I feel the itch to get started as attempts for C using smaller dishes is not yielding results. Does anyone have any pics or plans for a temporary above ground mount I might be able to construct from lumber? This dish must weigh 500-600lb.
Above ground BUD mount
- Thread starter DefCon4
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that such a heavy dish for a temp mount. if you was to do it with that dish i would make one out of steel kinda like linuxman made for his , its a non pen mount with braces. another option would be to locate a mesh dish in the 7 1/2 ft range to mount temp they are lighter and wouldn't require such heavy bracing.
i wouldn't recommend a wooden mount for a heavy dish
i wouldn't recommend a wooden mount for a heavy dish
After looking at some old windmills and water towers, I came up with a drawing of a mount using 9 4x4x10' lumber, but I have no way of calculating the required footing of the structure, wind-loading, center of balance, etc. I think you're right and wish for a wire-mesh freebie. Thanks for your response.
Unless your situation prohibits you from digging a hole in the ground, I suggest doing a normal in-ground install but keep the top of the concrete 4 inches or so below grade. Later, if you decide to move or get rid of the dish, it will be relatively easy to cut the pipe off below grade and restore the site to its original condition - cheap and easy compared to fabricating a temporary mount for a 9 ft. solid dish.
GrumpyGuy, congratulations on your win!
I had thought I, too, was lucky to have received this heavy dish and 2 Houston Trackers for free. It turns out the Trackers have bad power supplies, but I can fix those. Now I need to reconsider this dish in favor of something easier to manage. The frame alone is so heavy it will require 2-3 people to lift and bolt it onto the swivel.
Thanks for the below grade concrete suggestion. Great idea!
I had thought I, too, was lucky to have received this heavy dish and 2 Houston Trackers for free. It turns out the Trackers have bad power supplies, but I can fix those. Now I need to reconsider this dish in favor of something easier to manage. The frame alone is so heavy it will require 2-3 people to lift and bolt it onto the swivel.
Thanks for the below grade concrete suggestion. Great idea!
Do you have some pictures or brand info on this nice dish?
Shots from the front and from the back side would be interesting.
Is it motorized or fixed only?
Maybe after test-driving a little light-weight dish, you'll decide where to put the big one permanently.
Best of success!
Shots from the front and from the back side would be interesting.
Is it motorized or fixed only?
Maybe after test-driving a little light-weight dish, you'll decide where to put the big one permanently.
Best of success!
Congratulations to you too, Defcon! Two Trackers and a 9 ft. dish for $0, great score.
Also, it is encouraging to learn of yet another Satguy with "troubleshoot to the component level" skills. It would be great to see a future thread on your power supply repairs.
Also, it is encouraging to learn of yet another Satguy with "troubleshoot to the component level" skills. It would be great to see a future thread on your power supply repairs.
I would go with the metal NP roof mount for temp use. I have a commercial one that could easily support a larger dish than currently on it. These things are really built strong and disassemble in about an hour. Best of all, they're out there for free.
Anole, thank you for the encouragement.
This wonderfully durable, but heavy dish is the Model Beta9 with an F/D ratio of 0.3 made by Laux Communications of Ohio. It came equipped with a Chaparral Corotor Feedhorn with Echostar badged C and Ku LNBs.
I hope to post pictures soon.
I go back to electron theory and vacuum tubes. My problem today is getting replacement parts, as everything is modular throwaway. I certainly will post results of any repair findings so others may benefit. I posted an earlier request for schematics, but got no responses, so I'm reverse-engineering now.
Heavy Dish
You do not want to mount that on a standard wood based construction roof, bad things will happen. It is too heavy and a high wind will over load the roof and you will have some major damage done. That type of dish needs to be put in concrete and if height is needed for line of site a heavy duty pipe needs to be used and reduced down at the dish mount to accept the mount. If you have high wind in your area at least a yard of steel re-enforced concrete should be used or it will move in the ground on you. Solid dish's are big wind catchers, I had a 10 ft solid fiberglass on a 13 ft pole and a yard and half of concrete to keep it in place and until the ground settled it still moved in the heavy wind.
You do not want to mount that on a standard wood based construction roof, bad things will happen. It is too heavy and a high wind will over load the roof and you will have some major damage done. That type of dish needs to be put in concrete and if height is needed for line of site a heavy duty pipe needs to be used and reduced down at the dish mount to accept the mount. If you have high wind in your area at least a yard of steel re-enforced concrete should be used or it will move in the ground on you. Solid dish's are big wind catchers, I had a 10 ft solid fiberglass on a 13 ft pole and a yard and half of concrete to keep it in place and until the ground settled it still moved in the heavy wind.
The manual recommends filling a 4x4' hole 3' deep. That calculates to 48cu ft or 1.8cu yd. It also recommends filling the Sched 40 pipe mast with concrete. Luckily I'm not in a tornado or hurricane zone, and the hail is never bigger than 1/4 inch.
using some rebarb
Tom
You might want to consider using some rebarb that is welded or runs through the bottom of your pole to stop it from turning in the cement in strong winds.
Tom
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