Making a Primestar Plumb

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mastermesh

SatelliteGuys Pro
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Apr 18, 2006
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What's the best way to do this? I now have a compass, a mini-level, and will probably be making trips to the hardware store to get pvc piping and stuff. So far, I have a couple of 6 metal "nipples" (or at least that's what they had on the name for the thing in the store) - that is more or less a galvanized steel mini-pipes that look like the stuff you use to to connect a couple of pieces to a drain pipe from a bathroom sink. I also have a plastic pvc thing to connect these two parts. The first mini-pipe is inside of the base of the primestar. The second one was on a pole that's in a flower garding in the front yard. I also tried mounting the second one on a really heavy old junk camera tripod that I have. I had some string with bricks (the kind with the holes in them) tied to the back to counterbalance the primestar so that it's sitting level on the pvc mount without moving. I was using duct tape to mount the poles to the pole in the ground and the tripod (using almost a half a roll) to make it super level and steady.

I'm thinking what I need to do is forget this mini stuff and and just go buy some really long pvc pipe, and as suggested in another thread elsewhere, and fill it with concrete to make it super wind resistant. Otherwise I thought about just getting metal pipe instead of pvc since it'll be sturdy and heavy already, but that is probably more expensive of a way to go than pvc + cheap bag of concrete.

I'll hold off on that wind resistant stuff for a while until I get the pole where I actually know it'll be on a permanent basis. I'm thinking my next line of attack will be putting the primestar on the roof. My wife is hesitant about letting me do that for making the house look too gawdy.... so going on the side would be better.

I was trying to keep the thing close to the ground, either on a pole in the yard or tied to the front porch like the 18" dish is right now so that aiming it won't require a lot of ladder climbing - especially since I don't own a ladder yet. I would be borrowing one. The previous owners of the house were Christmas decoration freaks and have some 2x4s stacked two high in 3 places across the front porch, so I'd probably use that with the mini pipes, either drilling in to the 2x4s with an oversized drill bit or something if I do mount to the roof. Any other suggesstions on how to mount that heavy thing to a roof?
 
I think you will save time and money, in the long run, if you go with the steel pipe and concrete and have it done with.
(Just my opinion)

Depending on which Primestar (Channel Master) dish you are using, remember that

PIPE is measured on it's INSIDE DIAMETER

TUBING is measured on it's OUTSIDE DIAMETER.

Tubing is generally more expensive, but sometimes you just have to have a specific dimension.
 
If you decide to mount the dish on your house you might want to get a roof mount for your Primestar dish. They look alot like the roof mount pole/brackets that Dish and Directv use, just bigger. I got one through an ebay seller because they were close by. I'm sure the satellite dealer/supporters on this site can get one that would work for you as well. That way you just have four screws to mount the bracket on your roof or wall.
 
hmm?

Would a Skywalker adaptor pipe work with the existing mount? http://www.a1components.com/stores/ItemDisplay.asp?store=2&col=&loc=site&item=4292

I don't really want to lose the existing mount since the 18" does bring in something... but it might be easier to find an 18" mount than a huge primestar mount?

Plumbing pipes seem to fit it snug... may just go to the hardware store and buy some of those... rig it up somehow with a hinge and some shims or something?
 
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The skywalker looks great. It just isn't large enough diameter for a primestar dish. The plumbing pipe that fits snugly should work fine if you can somehow get it to be plumb, level and stable. I don't like heights so I personally would look for the quickest and easiest way to mount a dish. I have my dish network dish on the edge of my roof, but the primestar I mounted just a few feet off the ground. I also sent you a PM with a possible source for a roof mount.
 
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