AT9 Pole Mount - Now or wait?

[Proc]

This is a question for the installer gurus or those who happen to know...

Due to a tree and line of sight issues on the house roof, I have my Triple LNB mounted on the garage roof and the coax air-run back via the air to the house (about 35 ft.). I want to upgrade to the AT9 and put it in ground and get rid of the thick air-run coax.

Questions...

• Should I call and get the pole mount now? Its winter and the ground is a bit hard, so is putting a pole in now a bad thing? Should I wait for spring?
• Trenching the coax. Should the coax lines back to the house be dug down a few inches or should they be put in conduit? Is conduit really necessary?
• Can a pole mount and AT9 install be done in the same visit, or does the pole/concrete have to set up for a day before the dish is mounted?
• What type of charge do the local installers usually charge to install the pole (with a 35 ft. trench run back to the house)? Just looking for a ballpark figure.

Thanks for answering any of these. I do appreciate it. I've got the H20 and want to get this AT9 pole install done and be done with it.

 

[boba]

I would say wait for the thaw, I would charge extra for frozen ground. Conduit offers protection so it usually saves in the long run. Bury 4 lines even if you don't need them now.

 

[dragon002]

proc,

wait till spring.

 

[Proc]

proc,

wait till spring.

dragon0002...congrats on the Steelers! There were so many Steeler fans in Motown last week...it was crazy. The restaurant my wife, son and I were in near the airport was packed with black and yellow-clad fans!

I was thinking that spring would be the right time. Conduit or no conduit? And what kind of charge does your company lay out for an install like this (trying to get a ballpark figure).

 

[herdfan]

Conduit is cheap. If you are handy and know where you want the dish and know for sure it has a clear shot, install the pole and the conduit before the installer comes. Just make sure the pole is plumb although a good installer can do better with an off-plumb mast than a DIY'er.

 

[dragon002]

if you dont go the condiut route, make sure you use direct burial cable

 

[Proc]

...know where you want the dish and know for sure it has a clear shot...

I know where I want the dish, but need a signal meter to make sure I can get in all 5 satellites.

 

[boba]

I know where I want the dish, but need a signal meter to make sure I can get in all 5 satellites.

Your Phase 3 looks at 101 to 119, the AT9 looks at 99 to 119 so there is only 2 degrees of difference.

 

[Proc]

Your Phase 3 looks at 101 to 119, the AT9 looks at 99 to 119 so there is only 2 degrees of difference.

I am hoping that the garage itself won't be an obstacle to my pole mount and the 5 birds. The D* tech I had over back in October wouldn't put the AT9 on the garage due to its weight and it being in the open subject to wind (that and the fact he didn't have long enough bolts to go through two layers of shingles on the garage roof.

 

[woodybeetle]

my suggestion to any DIYer is to put the pole in yourself, in the spring, make sure the pole is atleast 24 inches in the ground, 2 bags of fast dry cement, plumb and level, run the 1 inch conduit yourself 18 inches under the ground and use a long radius bend at both ends. the average installed would try to charge you a huge amount for the work 200+ if the conduit is 1 inch he can fish the 4 wires through with no problem, if he says it cant be done, call another tech, the first one is just foolish

 

[dragon002]

woody,

he who do own pole mount also do own conduit fish....old chineese proverb.....LOL

also 18 inches down????a bit of overkill, dont you think. 6 is MORE thad enough.

 

[HCI]

Your Phase 3 looks at 101 to 119, the AT9 looks at 99 to 119 so there is only 2 degrees of difference.

2 degrees?

The phaze 3 is centered at 110 then the other 2 fall in.
The AT9 is centered at 101 cause the 99 and 103 have a smaller signal arc.

 

[Mike500]

Black polyethylene plastic pipe (Lowes or Home Depot) is a lot cheaper and better than grey glued together PVC conduit, which always leaks and fills with water underground.

All of the phone and cable companies and fiber optic companies used polyethylene flex tubing. It totally waterproof and easy to pull wires trough. There are no ridges to hang, like on glued pvc joints. Just end the pulls in an enclosure like a weatherproof junction box. Seal the ends where the cables enter and exit with pliable duct seal.

Belden even recommends this method in their technical bulletins.