Pipe for Dish

[Gray1]

Im looking for a 3 1/2 OD pipe for a dish. One of the local farm stores has got
3 1/2 inch glavanized threaded electrical conduit. Salesman says its the same thickness as galvanized water line and just as strong. He says he sold them before
for satellite dishes. Anyone heard of this before. I must confess, all I have ever used
are old ones taken out of the ground.

Thanks
Allen

 

[phlatwound]

I have seen heavy electrical conduit like that before but don't know the specs.

I would just measure the wall thickness, I think typical Sch 40 pipe of that size has about a 1/4" wall thickness, so it would have 3" inside diameter, and 3 1/2" outside diameter.

If the thickness is close to that it should work fine.

 

[Cadsulfide]

Look at my avatar.

My 10' Cm, and both 1.2m DTN's are all mounted on rigid electrical conduit. I have a couple of friends who are retired electricians and bigger packrats than I.

Last week we had a bit of a blizzard in ND/MN with 50mph straight line winds and none of my dishes budged.

Drill a couple of holes near the bottom of the pipe for putting some "anti-twist" lag bolts in before you pour the cement.

 

[Lone Cloud]

I am currently using a 3 1/2 inch pipe with thin walls for my Birdview dish.

I did, however and am an advocate for bending rebars into an "L" shape and having those stick out the bottom of the pipe, and then filling the pipe with concrete. I havent had a bit of trouble with mine, even though the pipe only has a footing of maybe 18 inches - it is 14 feet high, goes through my eaves and the 6 inch Birdview mast sets over it above the roof line.

I have plenty of wind in the canyon I'm in too.

That conduit is strong enough. Fill it with concrete ready mix and steel and it won't go anywhere. Good Luck

 

[Sadoun]

Drill a couple of holes near the bottom of the pipe for putting some "anti-twist" lag bolts in before you pour the cement.

Good advice.

BTW, your dish farm looks awesome.

 

[B.J.]

For my first two dishes, I used that black steel sched 40 stuff. When I moved up here, and was having my house built, since there were all sorts of stuff being delivered, I asked the contractor to get me a length of the sched 40 stuff. What he got me was galvanized. I don't know if it's the conduit you're talking about, but it seemed to be just as heavy duty as the sched 40 stuff I had been using, and since there isn't a pipe dealer within 100 miles of here, I decided to use it.
It has been fine.

 

[Anole]

off topic: paint

Pardon the off-topic question, but are any of you painting your poles at all?

Reason I ask, I'm renovating two old BUDs. Probably 20+ years old.
One is a pretty rusty 3.5" pipe, and the other is a black-oxide coated Birdview 6" pole with some light rust showing through the surface.

From the pictures I've seen of reclaimed BUDs, I would suggest you each give some though to a long-term paint protection to your poles, whatever they may be.

If there needs to be a paint-specific discussion, then someone should open a new thread, and we'll talk about what's good and what's bad.
I got a lot of good advice, both from users here, internet searches, a guy who's been in the industry 40 years, and on IRC.
But, that barely scratches the surface. - - yes, pun intended.

 

[jmc98]

What size is recommended for a 6ft dish

 

[tvropro]

Look at my avatar.



Drill a couple of holes near the bottom of the pipe for putting some "anti-twist" lag bolts in before you pour the cement.

I welded some rebar in an X pattern on my pipe before sinking it, never twists.

 

[Sadoun]

What size is recommended for a 6ft dish

3" OD pipe.

 

[Anole]

twist this:

My 6" Birdview pole was actually in a square-ish hole. Maybe 10..12 inches.
Then, it had a two-foot square pad at ground level, roughly five inches thick.
The pole itself had anti-rotation wings on it, but they were encapsulated by the concrete.

 

[Gray1]

The last pole I put up I used this

RustOleum.com

My neighbor is a welder that works on barges on the river. He gave me a can. He said thats what they paint the barges with. I used this to prime and just plain ole black enamel for paint. So far its held up pretty good.

 

[Pittsville]

Price Check on Aisle C

The last time I checked, the electrical supply house wanted 120 dollars for a piece of 3" rigid metal conduit.

 

[Gray1]

Yep the farm store wants 119.00 dollars for 3" electrical conduit. Being layed off, I'm gonna look around first.

 

[Lone Cloud]

I got my 16 foot pipe from my local scrap metal supply. Cost 55 bucks. I sanded it lightly and sprayed it with cans a gloss black.

 

[SpiffWilkie]

Sorry to threadjack, but since we already have a captive audience, I thought I'd ask. I need to source a pole for my new 10ft CM BUD. I am in need of a 5" OD pole. I have some local friends that are metal workers on the lookout though. What is the minimum depth I need this thing to be buried, and approx how much concrete should I pour below ground level (I'm planning on filling the thing up after it's in, as well?)


Thanks!
Steve

 

[phlatwound]

Sorry to threadjack, but since we already have a captive audience, I thought I'd ask. I need to source a pole for my new 10ft CM BUD. I am in need of a 5" OD pole. I have some local friends that are metal workers on the lookout though. What is the minimum depth I need this thing to be buried, and approx how much concrete should I pour below ground level (I'm planning on filling the thing up after it's in, as well?)


Thanks!
Steve

This might give you some ideas:

Satellite Footprints by Dish Size - Ground Pole Installation, Pad Mount Installation, Wind Loading

 

[Lone Cloud]

Sorry to threadjack, but since we already have a captive audience, I thought I'd ask. I need to source a pole for my new 10ft CM BUD. I am in need of a 5" OD pole. I have some local friends that are metal workers on the lookout though. What is the minimum depth I need this thing to be buried, and approx how much concrete should I pour below ground level (I'm planning on filling the thing up after it's in, as well?)


Thanks!
Steve

The reason I could get away with a shallow 18 inch footing is because mine went through my eaves, and where it did, I used metal strapping and sheet metal screws to give it added twist resistance.

If you are going to have it free standing, with no other support than the footing, you won't get away with a shallow footing. I'd go at least 3 feet down with a 2 foot by 2 foot square hole. I'd either do like I did 3 rebars bent in "L" shape out the bottom, or maybe some bolt heads sticking out the side of the pipe into the footing concrete . Maybe both if it's windy there.

a 5 " pipe full of concrete will, by its mass alone be pretty resistant to any movement, whether twisting or lateral.

Great luck to you. I'm having a good time with mine

 

[SpiffWilkie]

a 5 " pipe full of concrete will, by its mass alone be pretty resistant to any movement, whether twisting or lateral.

That's the exact reason the current pipe is staying in it's old yard. That thing will not move one tiny bit and I'm afraid of how much concrete is lurking below the ground. I told the people they should put a bird feeder on top.

 

[Anole]

recent experiences:

The Birdview I just took down, stood proud with the top of the pole about 6' 6" for 20+ years.
It is a 6" pole about three feet into a 10...12 inch concrete hole. (so, 9'+ overall)
Then, there was a 2x2 foot pad, maybe 4..5 inches thick.
Rock solid! And a bitch to dig out!
Some cement did run up the pole, and that's still there!
After this experience, I will NOT be filling that pole.

My other BUD was 9' in the air, so probably a few more feet into the ground.
It was a 3½ inch pipe.
That one did wiggle just a wee bit, but seemed perfectly satisfactory.
It has also been in service for 20 years.
I had to grind and sawzall it off at ground level, so what I recovered was the 9' section above ground.
My plans are to bury it 3', with 6' showing, and NOT to further reinforce it with rebar nor concrete inside the pole!
The dish 'n motor are the light weight AMCI and AJAK (link in my signature).