C Band Dish Installation Update

[JFOK]

Hi All,

Started work about 2 weeks ago transplanting my dish from its 20 foot high perch of 16 years, to a more manageable height of 7 feet.
I dug a hole 3.5 feet deep with a diameter of 2.5 feet. I widened the very bottom to 3.5 feet to make a stable cement base. I then added a layer of crushed stone followed with cement...two 80 pound bags and seven 60 pound bags. Before the cement hardened I added three, 12" j-bolts in a pattern to match my tripod base holes.
Just finished a restoration of the tripod...new rustproofing ( Rustoleum Rust Reformer) and a new coat of Rustoleum black gloss paint.
I'm now in the process of removing the galvanized satellite pole I'm going to use, from my old Radio Shack satellite dish mount. Tough going...2 rusted bolts removed and of course, one bolt that won't budge. Going to use PB Blaster on that one and hope for the best.
I'm running out of "good weather time" here on Cape Cod. The days are getting shorter and colder and I don't see myself aligning this dish in another month...too damn cold. I'll have to wait until spring if I don't get the dish pole mounted in the next few weeks.
Will keep you all updated as progress...or lack of occurs.

John

 

[RT-Cat]

Nice start.
Winter is a bitch.
Watching for your updates.

 

[bpalone]

For the rusted bolt, sometimes heat will help. Even a Burnzomatic torch will heat enough, just be careful. Things are hot and flammable stuff tends to ignite. If totally refuses to cooperate, then the Oxy-Acetylene torch works wonders. Another option is a cut off wheel on a Dremel.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[JFOK]

Hi All,

Here's the latest...
The tripod has been bolted to the concrete pad and the pole added to tripod and plumbed...all is good.
My question now is...how do I get my 7.5 mesh dish mounted to this pole which is approx. 8 feet tall, without taking it apart ?
Is there a safe way or do I have to take the dish apart and mount the polar mount on the pole, then re- assemble the dish ?

 

[RT-Cat]

This is how I got my 10 footer up all by myself.

 

[KE4EST]

You could fashion a Gin Pole also.

 

[Cham]

I use a tractor with a front-end loader...Often move the dish, mount, and supporting structure all at once!

That's quite a lot of scaffolding there John, should work though. Make sure you tie the top of the scaffolding, opposite to where the dish is being lifted from, to a tree or something stationary as a counterpoise.

Be safe!

 

[JFOK]

Thanks for all your suggestions, but I don't have the time to build a gin pole or a scaffolding set up...cold weather is just around the corner. Want to get this dish up and running before it gets too cold.
Guess I'll just disassemble it from its polar mount and reassemble it once the mount is on top of the pole.
Better safe then sorry.
Thanks again.

 

[Titanium]

Three guys will have no problem placing your dish on an 8' pole. Two lift and one up on a step ladder guiding the mount onto the pole. Done it with two, but the risk of damage increased greatly!

 

[JFOK]

Hi Brian,

I thought about the three guy lift idea, but was wondering if lifting the dish that high over our heads might set us all off balance resulting in a crash landing for the dish.

John

 

[primestar31]

Hi Brian,

I thought about the three guy lift idea, but was wondering if lifting the dish that high over our heads might set us all off balance resulting in a crash landing for the dish.

John

Brian is right. On my install, I was the guy on my ladder, and my WIFE and son were the two guys on the side. We all lifted a 10ft dish up 8 feet and installed it on a pole.

3 adult men shouldn't have any issues doing this.

P.s. NO beer until it's DONE! lol

 

[waylew]

P.s. NO beer until it's DONE! lol

That takes all the fun out of it

 

[fred555]

When its time to trim the tops out of the tall trees, I cant work up the courage to start climbing unless I have a few beers first.

 

[primestar31]

When its time to trim the tops out of the tall trees, I cant work up the courage to start climbing unless I have a few beers first.

What you need, is a few BEARS underneath you, and then you'll have NO problem climbing that tree! lol

 

[armadillo_115]

Only 8 ft high? Flat bed trailer would be good to stand on if you don't want to chance ladders.

 

[RT-Cat]

When its time to trim the tops out of the tall trees, I cant work up the courage to start climbing unless I have a few beers first.

That reminds me of working with a couple of hippies that could not climb the power tower without their wacky-grass. They only lasted about three weeks. That was way back in the early 70's......

 

[JFOK]

Hi All,

Just a quick update.
I've had the flu for about 2 weeks now losing valuable set up time for dish. Unless the weather remains milder than usual in the next few weeks I may have to wait until spring to finish my dish set up. I have several guys available to help me set dish on pole, I just need to feel better first.

John

 

[FTA4PA]

Hi All,

Just a quick update.
I've had the flu for about 2 weeks now losing valuable set up time for dish. Unless the weather remains milder than usual in the next few weeks I may have to wait until spring to finish my dish set up. I have several guys available to help me set dish on pole, I just need to feel better first.

John

I know how you feel. We have had the stomach bug here. Just getting back to things myself. Supposed to be fairly nice here next week after a cold weekend so hoping to get my dish stuff done before cold sets in. Hope you feel better and can do the same.

 

[Vroom Vroom]

How did most installers do it? 3-man crew?

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

 

[Titanium]

Most residential installs back in the day were with 2 or 3 man teams. The grunts were #2 & 3 (often day players) and usually were the diggers, cement mixers/haulers and cable trenchers. If the pole was too tall or the dish too heavy, we would pull out the gin pole or the boom truck.