Newbie appreciates advice--towers

[Mark_G]

Hi, I am completely new to this, so pardon if any of my questions seem silly.

We're building a weekend house deep in the woods of NY State. There's elec and phone, but no cable--so I am trying to get a better understanding of what we should be looking for equipment & provider-wise.

I had a local company come out to give us information where to mount the dish(es), and it turns out, because of the tree cover and hilly terrain, that we're limited.

The best location is at an elevation of about 20' off the ground, right next to a 24" dia+ mature pine tree, downhill 120' from the house.

The installer feels that mounting the dish directly to the tree is our best option, though he said that he wd get in trouble with Hughes as they forbid this kind of installation.

If we go the route of a 20' tower, I am concerned about co$t, and also that installation w/concrete pad will certainly disrupt the roots of this tree--which we see as a more invasive (worse) situation.

I would appreciate any suggestions for alternatives. Are there masts that can be installed and partially supported by a neighboring tree? Or should we carefully encircle the tree with some kind of clamp, to give stability but not harm the tree?

Equipment-wise, we are thinking abt Satellite HD, possibly preparing for Satellite Internet, and Sirius. So thoughts on those choices welcome, too.

In our area there is only one independent store left that sells and installs satellite equipment. So there is a paucity of information--really surprising to me.

Thanks in advance for feedback.

--Mark

 

[primestar31]

Hi, I am completely new to this, so pardon if any of my questions seem silly.

We're building a weekend house deep in the woods of NY State. There's elec and phone, but no cable--so I am trying to get a better understanding of what we should be looking for equipment & provider-wise.

I had a local company come out to give us information where to mount the dish(es), and it turns out, because of the tree cover and hilly terrain, that we're limited.

The best location is at an elevation of about 20' off the ground, right next to a 24" dia+ mature pine tree, downhill 120' from the house.

The installer feels that mounting the dish directly to the tree is our best option, though he said that he wd get in trouble with Hughes as they forbid this kind of installation.

If we go the route of a 20' tower, I am concerned about co$t, and also that installation w/concrete pad will certainly disrupt the roots of this tree--which we see as a more invasive (worse) situation.

I would appreciate any suggestions for alternatives. Are there masts that can be installed and partially supported by a neighboring tree? Or should we carefully encircle the tree with some kind of clamp, to give stability but not harm the tree?

Equipment-wise, we are thinking abt Satellite HD, possibly preparing for Satellite Internet, and Sirius. So thoughts on those choices welcome, too.

In our area there is only one independent store left that sells and installs satellite equipment. So there is a paucity of information--really surprising to me.

Thanks in advance for feedback.

--Mark

Trees move in the wind. Even trees that large. IF you mount a dish to it, it could work, but the slightest movement with pixilate your picture. You probably wouldn't be happy. I've done it in the past, but I wouldn't recommend it.

You have multiple choices:

1: This is a weekend house, why go there and watch TV? Get out and enjoy it. Cost = $0

2: Install a standard antenna on a mast, and use OTA tv. $200 or cheaper.

3: Get a dvr for your weekday house, record shows when you are gone, and watch them when you get back.

4: Put a dish on a 30' guy-wired, concreted into the ground tower (probably at least $500 to have this installed, unless somebody buys a used tower off Craigslist, and you install it yourself. Do NOT strap it to the tree, as it'll move, and cause the same problems as just putting the dish on the tree.

5: Chainsaw! Cut down trees to open the treeline, and insert seperate dishes on polemounts for each satellite you have to aim at. (This is what I've done, and I'm in the middle of a 4 acre lot, with solid 85' trees at all points in the way of the sats.)

 

[Mark_G]

Thanks for the review, primestar31. It reconfirms my concern that the tree may not be an acceptable option, though it really is one huge pine tree.

I wd like some more feedback on the tower option. I know that I don't need 30' elevation -- might be able to get away with as little as 10 or 15'. Are there under 20' towers that can be installed that don't need guy wires--that would not work. And I would prefer to avoid the concrete pad, unless that's a must. And what mfr(s) should we look at? I was told by the satellite co that a tower wd cost more like $2K?

Thanks for add'l information.
--Mark

 

[primestar31]

Thanks for the review, primestar31. It reconfirms my concern that the tree may not be an acceptable option, though it really is one huge pine tree.

I wd like some more feedback on the tower option. I know that I don't need 30' elevation -- might be able to get away with as little as 10 or 15'. Are there under 20' towers that can be installed that don't need guy wires--that would not work. And I would prefer to avoid the concrete pad, unless that's a must. And what mfr(s) should we look at? I was told by the satellite co that a tower wd cost more like $2K?

Thanks for add'l information.
--Mark

10' would only require a pipe, around 4-5 inches, such as well casing, like used to be used with older C-band large dishes. http://www.satelliteguys.us/c-band-satellite-discussion/151173-how-deep-hole-21-pole.html I'd still guy wire it. The top can have a smaller pipe mounted inside it, and a smaller dish mounted to that. This pipe would have to be cemented into the ground, below frost level, say 4 feet at a minimum. You could do this work yourself fairly cheaply. Cheap and hiring somebody for this kind of work do NOT go together! They see "weekend house" people, and their eyes light up like slot machines! Locals think if you have the money to build a house for weekends, you have enough for them to cheat (overcharge) you out of at every chance. ( I have a weekend house myself, so I know, and learned to do nearly everything myself at 1/4 or less the cost they charge)

Free standing towers are much more expensive than one that mounts against a house, or is guy wired, as they are built much stronger. . They must be cemented into the ground OR can be set on pipes driven (pounded) into the ground dirt at least 6 feet down, and then guy wired at each 10' section top. Towers typically come in 10' sections, and 30' is pretty standard minimum. As most towers were originally designed for a standard OTA type antenna, and are mounted with bracing brackets at the eves of a house, which is usually right around 20', or 3/4 the height, which makes a natural brace point. http://www.antennasystems.com/towers.html OR http://www.solidsignal.com/cview.asp?d=commercial-equipment&c=Antenna Towers&mc=05

Typical cost for each 10' section of a standard cheapest tower, is around $100-$150 WHOLESALE. The top 10' section, is built different than the bottoms, so as to allow a mast pipe. YES, if you have a company install the tower for you, expect at least $1,000 for them to do so.