My dishes

[Barry Erick]

In this message, the pictures are of my tree mounted 119 dish. Below that dish is my neighbors DirecTV dish pointed at 119, also. As you can see in another picture, the signal level is great.

Next message shows my other dishes.

 

[Barry Erick]

These are my other dishes. The SD for 105 and 110. The installer thought he could hit 119 from here, but the picture of the trees shows a problem: The open space is 101 through 110, with 110 just clearing the tree in the middle of the picture and 119 in the trees. The 61.5 dish is shown and a bird house on a pole. I put this pole in at the request of the first dish installer who wanted to put the dish there. After the second installer put them on the house, we had to find a use for the Quikcrete set pole and to many cardinals delight, we came up with that. Also, next to the SD is my OTA antenna.

 

[boy921]

In this message, the pictures are of my tree mounted 119 dish. Below that dish is my neighbors DirecTV dish pointed at 119, also. As you can see in another picture, the signal level is great.

Next message shows my other dishes.

Outstanding. It is nice to see a tree put to good use. And, before Gary gets the chance, are the dishes trunked? Do you get the wood channel? or am I just barking up the wrong tree?

 

[BFG]

you broke one of the bigest mounting rules. Bad Idea mounting to trees.....

 

[mattb]

Call me nuts, but when I am out driving or whatever, I tend to notice "Dishes" more than anything else and he would not be the first that mounted one to a tree.. Was out in the country last weekend coming back from a drive and spotted a dish mounted in a tree, and the house was burried behind the trees (coudlnt even see it) -- so either someone living in the tree has E* or well you get the idea I have also seen dishes mounted to utility poles, by the edge of the road etc...

 

[Tech27]

Trees provide a very sturdy mounting location. In fact they're perfect. Except that wouldn't pass a QC (quality control) and trees grow over time.

 

[GaryPen]

... and trees grow over time.

That was my first thought.

 

[rvsixer]

And no grounding. I trust the property is self-insured .

 

[webbydude]

Oh yes, let's not forget the absence of strut-mounts for the SD. Hate to see how your roof is holding up to that huge 30 inch "kite"

 

[Barry Erick]

you broke one of the bigest mounting rules. Bad Idea mounting to trees.....

Note the closeup of the mount on the tree. The tree is very old and is not growing like wildfire. The growth around the base has taken place over 5 years, first for DirecTV and I have NEVER lost signal. It is the best in snow. Is the best in heavy rain. Simply the best signal (except for 61.5) of all. Once per year I tweak it, but have never had a signal lower than 100 on Dish or 90 on DirecTV. Normally no trees, but this proves it can be done. I know roofs that are less solid.

 

[Barry Erick]

And no grounding. I trust the property is self-insured .

It is grounded.

 

[Barry Erick]

Oh yes, let's not forget the absence of strut-mounts for the SD. Hate to see how your roof is holding up to that huge 30 inch "kite"

If you saw other threads, I have complained about the absence of strut mounting. My last post on it said I have never seen struts locally, but since that time I have seen 3, but by far and large they do not do it, here.

 

[rvsixer]

It is grounded.

Those are some pretty close-up and high-res shots, I can easily see the coax runs but no ground runs.

 

[Barry Erick]

Those are some pretty close-up and high-res shots, I can easily see the coax runs but no ground runs.

Messenger in the coax.

 

[Hall]

As long as they're mounted low enough so that you can easily re-adjust them, I guess it's not a big deal. They will move though. Trees also sway in strong winds.

 

[rvsixer]

Messenger in the coax.

Doh you got me good didn't think about that . My interpretation of code says #10 and a bonded ground rod if over 25' distance so that's the way I do it.

 

[mudder1310]

Trees provide a very sturdy mounting location. In fact they're perfect. Except that wouldn't pass a QC (quality control) and trees grow over time.

It's not so much that trees grow over time but the points where lag bolts enter the tree are wounds the tree tries to heal. In turn, this will cause knots and the dish to forever work it's way out of alignment. If you can point your own dish it's not a big deal. If I come to your place to repeak your dish it's not staying on the tree.

 

[Barry Erick]

I repeak and while it is a Dish 500, I use only one LNB. I would never put 2 or 3 lnbs on this and expect to keep the shot. With only one it is simply aiming and the only problem would be the tree being struck by lightening or the neighbor building a barn in the line of sight. The bushes get midnight trimming.

 

[Barry Erick]

As long as they're mounted low enough so that you can easily re-adjust them, I guess it's not a big deal. They will move though. Trees also sway in strong winds.

This tree is blocked by others and does not sway or move at the spot the dishes are mounted. I have never lost a signal at this location without one of the other dishes going out. And the others are worse in the snow. I have lost the others due to snow many times and have never lost this one to snow.

And repeaking I do once a year, because the time has come, not from necessity. So the movement is not too great.

The bottom line is these dishes work even though they violate rules.