Apartment dish installation...

[rachel85704]

Okay, so, I have an installation scheduled soon for DIRECTV. My issue is that the apartment complex that I live in will only allow a dish to be installed to my deck railing if I can provide them with proof that the dish won't go flying off of the railing in a storm (Monsoon season is the main concern in Tucson). So my question is, what would they use to put the dish on my railing and is there any documentation online that I can print out and provide to the office that will detail the type of weather conditions that it can withstand?

A tripod isn't really an option for me for two reasons: One is that the overhang on my deck would likely block out the signal and the other is that even if I could get a signal despite that, there's a tree in front of my apartment that would block it if the dish isn't positioned high enough.

 

[raoul5788]

There may be some sort of documentation out there, but I have never heard of it. Maybe another member has. Can you post a picture of your deck showing the railing and a view to the southeast? Oh, and to Satelliteguys!

 

[rachel85704]

They've only allowed one person to have a dish installed to his railing and he provided what one guy at the office described as a "book" detailing what the brackets/railing etc. could withstand... And every person that wants to have one put on their railing has to do the same, which is really pretty stupid, but whatever.

Anyway, here's the pictures. One is of the railing, obviously. The others are of the tree directly in front of my apartment (which is the direction that the dish needs to face) and right above the tree.

And thanks for the welcome!

 

[raoul5788]

How good are you with a pruning shears? Just kidding, of course! Depending on how high the dish needs to be to clear the tree and how big the porch area is, you may be able to use a non penetrating mount. It's a flat base with a place to mount the pole. It may be the best solution if the installer can't use the railing. Here is a link to what they look like:http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...t-with-2-OD-(FRM200)&c=Mounting Supplies&sku=

 

[Jimbo]

I can't believe that they are actually allowing you to use the rail, usually they don't want anything attached to the railing for fear it puts a hole in the balcony structure ....

I would go with what Raoul suggested if you have the room.

 

[jdspencer]

Or this might work.
DIRECTV SLMTRM Railmount Short Brace Long Brace and J-Mount Mast For Slimline Dish (SLMTRM) - DIRECTV Slim Line - SLMTRM -
This clamps onto the balcony railing.

 

[Contractor]

The installer will need to use u-bolts to install it to the railing. He might charge you extra for it, but it'll keep it from going anywhere.

http://www.vernk.com/images/Coldfire/Construction/Parts/Coldfire_Ubolts_LoRes.jpg

 

[Jimbo]

Or this might work.
DIRECTV SLMTRM Railmount Short Brace Long Brace and J-Mount Mast For Slimline Dish (SLMTRM) - DIRECTV Slim Line - SLMTRM -
This clamps onto the balcony railing.

The installer will need to use u-bolts to install it to the railing. He might charge you extra for it, but it'll keep it from going anywhere.

http://www.vernk.com/images/Coldfire/Construction/Parts/Coldfire_Ubolts_LoRes.jpg

I would imagine the U Bolts come with the set up in Chips suggestion.

 

[rachel85704]

Thanks for the responses so far... Do any of you that have responded know where I can find information on what those clamps/bolts can withstand? I need to prove to my rental office that they can withstand high winds.

I appreciate the help.

 

[raoul5788]

Specifically no, but grade 8 bolts/clamps would be the strongest you are likely to find. The manufacturer may have some information on their website.

 

[rachel85704]

I should have been asking these questions earlier but I've been really busy and haven't had the time (Just started a new job and all that).

I know nothing about dish installation (obviously) as other places that I've lived have been more lenient about where and how I can have a dish installed and I've never run across major LOS issues.

So, it may be a dumb question, but does the pole have to go straight up on a non-penetrating roof mount? Or could it be made to curve out so that it goes under the deck over-hang and then up, over the tree? And how high can it go?

I'm getting DIRECTV for free and was informed just the other day that my installation is today and my 4 hour time-frame starts in just over 2 hours (so I'm running out of time to figure this all out).

 

[rachel85704]

So, they came and they went. The only way that they'll be able to get a signal is if they use an under eave mount. Which I have to get permission for, so the install was put on hold until I can.

How many holes will they have to drill into the beam to install the dish using that mount? If it matters, it'll be a Slimline dish. Also, and again this may be a stupid question, but is there an option that would allow them to install the dish without drilling any holes? Like, a bracket that could be secured around the beam?

I have to wait until the manager is in the office to get approval for anything other than a tripod and I'll need to provide her with all of the information that I can about how it'll be mounted.

 

[JerseyMatt]

Even grade 2 (the 'weakest' ones) bolts have tensile and shear breaking strength measured in TONS. The building would fall down long before the dish and its mount were subjected to even ONE ton of wind load. With the small area of the dish, that would take winds of over 175MPH to create one ton of wind load on the dish. Just as a comparison, if your building is 30 feet tall and 100 feet long, that same wind would put over 300,000 lbs of load on the building, most likely reducing it to a pile of rubble. Basically what it comes down to here is the owner is doing his absolute best to be a jerk.

I would suggest asking the neighbor who has the dish how he went about it. What he showed them, his argument, etc.

 

[JerseyMatt]

Ahh dumbass I didnt see the second page.. If they are giving you this much of a hassle over a railing clamp mount (which is no-drill), they are NEVER going to let you use an under-the-eave. They must be drilled (8 bolts), no way around it. If it needs to be that high, I think your only option is a railing mount with a tall pole. But again you have to be careful it doesn't go above your balcony ceiling into your neighbor's view. A sled/tripod is out of the question because they'll tip over with a long, off-center pole.

 

[harshness]

The sheet metal solutions aren't good enough by themselves and I'd doubt that they are "engineered" to an extent where you could obtain performance characteristics.

You could probably use them, but it would have to be in combination with struts and the combined setup would have to be documented.

They do represent a creative use of muffler clamps though.

 

[jdspencer]

Thanks for the responses so far... Do any of you that have responded know where I can find information on what those clamps/bolts can withstand? I need to prove to my rental office that they can withstand high winds.

I appreciate the help.

I'd be more concerned about the construction of the railing to be able to hold the mount.