Big dish base

RimaNTSS hit it on the head. The frost line in our area of PA can range from about 6" to 18". Not sure how they get such a big difference for our area but they do so... :rolleyes

The first c band dish I installed was mounted using concrete anchors on an existing huge slab previously occupied by a shed - that one definitely wasn't going anywhere. When I planted my first pole in the ground I dug down to 24" to be past the frost line. The top of hole was a bit under 2ft and the bottom a bit over 2ft (bell shaped). Not exactly even all the way around because our ground is full of large and small rocks. I had to dig some out but left others jutting out to give the concrete something to bite into. I used (16) 40lb bags of 1101 Quikrete and rounded the top off with a dome to let the water run away. That pole has been up since late 2015. It has held the 8ft dish and now my 10ft Sami and it is still solid and plumb. :)
Very good. But i prefer not to plant the mast. I want to be able to remove the mast in case i need it. What do you think of these anchors ?
 
Very good. But i prefer not to plant the mast. I want to be able to remove the mast in case i need it. What do you think of these anchors ?

Which anchors? I'm not seeing a link or pic?

P.S. My rescued dishes came with bare poles so i just sunk what I had. If I was doing a completely new dish install I would likely sink some threaded rods in concrete and add an adjustable plate just in case. My other pole in ground installs have all gone fine and lasted though. ;)
 
But i prefer not to plant the mast. I want to be able to remove the mast in case i need it. What do you think of these anchors ?
So, where is the problem, then?! Just make the mast removable and with adjustable plumbness, like I have made in several installations. IMG_20220823_194917a.jpg
 
Which anchors? I'm not seeing a link or pic?

P.S. My rescued dishes came with bare poles so i just sunk what I had. If I was doing a completely new dish install I would likely sink some threaded rods in concrete and add an adjustable plate just in case. My other pole in ground installs have all gone fine and lasted though. ;)
 

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This picture is for a pole of wich dish size ? Maybe i could do this for a 3.7m dish ?
Currently, there is 1.8m Channel Master installed, but if I had 2.4m antenna that would certainly easily fit on the same pole. The base is about 1 meter deep and holds almost 1 ton of cement. And anchor-bolts (as on your picture) are used. I think it is possible to make the same type of mount for your 3.7m mesh antenna.
 
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I used that type for my first dish on the existing shed slab. They have held up well considering they were installed in, I believe, 2014. If you are pouring new concrete I would use the J bolts that John (JFOK) suggested. Sink them in the concrete immediately after you pour and make sure they line up with your dish base as there is no going back once it sets. Here is a Google search to show what they look like. Make sure you get large long ones designed for weather exposure that will support the weight and wind load the dish will have against it during storms.

 
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The size, shape and amount of concrete in the base will depend on your soil compaction in addition to the dish wind load and that's usually calculated by a professional engineer. If you don't know or can't afford to have soil compaction tested, and its expensive, I would calculate like the base is going in beach sand to error on the safe side. You must have rebar in the concrete otherwise it will probably crack and fail at some point. The rebar also needs to be wired together where they cross paths.

I've done a number of big dish installs and 3.7m was the smallest. Most were in the 5 to 9m range. Unfortunately the 3.7m was on top of a sleeved sched 80 pole 9ft in the air and the base would be much larger than a dish sitting right on the pad, so if I found the specs for that one it would be way too large.
 
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