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Pole Mount

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directvfreak

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Oct 12, 2005
361
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Columbus, Ohio
When I get the new AT9 dish installed, i want it mounted on a pole and not drill holes in the house. What size pole do I need and I asuming it needs to be exactally level?

Thanks!
 
IF the installer agrees to do the pole mount make sure it is sch40 galvanized steel pipe.

I think I read its 2" OD - but I know someone will come in a clarify this point.

Also make 100% sure it is mounted into the ground at least 2.5 feet (or below your frost line) with high-tensile concrete; there are numerous how to sites on the proper method.

Not only does the post need to be level but also plumb.

DO NOT use wood or a fence post. Wood post can twist over the seasons and result in your dish no longer pointing in the correct direction. Fence posts are too thin and can bend easy.

Good luck!

EDIT - added frost line blurb.
 
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"High tensile concrete"??? There is no such thing. In fact, all concrete is fairly weak in tension. That is what rebar is used for. Concrete is only strong in compression. As for the strength to use in this application, just about anything will do. Size is more of a consideration. You should make it big enough to provide adequate weight to resist overturning. As for the depth, you need to get below the frost line to avoid heaving. So, the farther north you are, the deeper you should be.

(Yes, I am a civil engineer )
 
OK I guess I should say HIGH-PSI concrete?

I think the typical user knows what is meant here. I mean heck, EVERYTHING has a given tensile strength (the greatest longitudinal stress a substance can bear without tearing apart) so high-tensile concrete would just be the best load bearing version.

Don't buy the cheap crap.

http://www.quikrete.com/catalog/Quikrete5000Mix.html

As for the depth I gave a minimal starting point and said he should go to a proper site to determain what is right for his app. We all know about the frost line, but as you say its different for some and thus he still needs to visit a site or professional to assist his planning.
 
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The problem with mounting a pole in concrete is when the ground around the concrete shrinks up due to the lack rain your pole can become loose. If I were doing it I would dig down below the frost line, pour a half bag of Quickcrete ( for your footing) in the hole, get a nice straight treated 6x6, level and plumb the 6x6, and fill the rest of the hole with pea gravel. That way if the ground shrinks the pea gravel will compensate for it and your post will not become loose. I did a 16x24 deck years ago and never had a problem with the posts moving. My posts haven't twisted over the years either.
 
wolfman said:
The problem with mounting a pole in concrete is when the ground around the concrete shrinks up due to the lack rain your pole can become loose.
Click to expand...

Thats why you follow the satellite post mount how-to and install a "brace" or counter on or through the pipe. I placed two of them on my BUD install and it is still true 12 years later. Pea gravel is a must to aid in proper drainage.
 
NEW! This new dish from DIRECTV encompasses three LNBs to recieve 101°, 110°, 119° degree satellite, plus the new Ka satellite (99°, 103°) for local HD programming. Dish requires use of H20 receiver

• To be used to pick up high definition local channel programming from DIRECTV
• Four outputs carrying satellite signal from all Five satellites in the sky
• Heavy duty j-mount with 2" outer diameter mast opening
• Must use H20 satellite receiver to watch local channel HD programming (where available)
• Capable of receiving DIRECTV satellite signals on the Ku band (101°, 110°, 119°) and Ka band (99°, 103°)
• Dish surface area dimensions: 25.5" (h) x 29.5" (W)
• LNB arm with LNBS attached extends 23.5" from the dish surface area
• Weight: 32 lbs (including J-mount mast, dish surface, LNBs, arm and pole attachment)
 
Plumb, is more or less level on a vertical instead of horizontal plane. (Use a level on two sides of the pole to make sure it is straight up and down--bubble on level should be in the middle of two lines)

Now, why is it I always read stuff on here and everyone makes it more difficult than it really is. All you need is a 2" pipe, depending on how high you want your dish, 5-8 foot in length, you want to dig a hole 2-2 ½ feet deep, get 80 pounds of quickcrete--don't matter how expensive it is, because it is quickcrete after all--mix it in a wheel barrel (or other large container), stick your pipe into hole, dump concrete into hole, use pipe to stamp concrete--don't do this to much, just want to make sure there is no air pockets around pipe, get as straight as possible by using your eyes, let go of pipe and walk away for 2-3 minutes. Now come back to pipe with level and check two sides that are perpidicular (90 degrees from each other standing at pipe, put level on right side, then put it on side facing you or side away from you) to each other, and make sure it is plumb. Once it is straight, leave it alone, wait 2-3 days before mounting dish. You are done.

This would be the best way to do it, you’d want to do it 2-3 days before the installer comes to your house, if you want the installer to do it, it will cost you more money, but if you’d like, you can always have the installer do it, so you don’t have to worry about getting concrete and a piece of pipe. The installer, because they don’t have 2-3 days to wait, will dig a hole, put pipe in, put concrete in hole, pore water in hole, mix it around a little, let it sit for a little while, while they do other things, then mount your dish on the pole and finish hooking everything up. This way, is not the best way to utilize concrete, chances are not all of it will get mixed properly, and it will not be as strong as being mixed outside of the hole and given the chance to setup properly, but it will work for what it is needed for.
 
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I am looking at a pole mount this spring with a run of about 35-40 feet back to the house.

Questions:

--How deep do I need to bury the coax?

--Can the coax be buried by itself?

--Or, does it need to be inside conduit of some sort?
 
My original installer from bluegrass satellite just took a pole and pounded it onto the ground. Is that considered to be improperly installed?
 
Proc said:
I am looking at a pole mount this spring with a run of about 35-40 feet back to the house.
Questions:
--How deep do I need to bury the coax?
--Can the coax be buried by itself?
--Or, does it need to be inside conduit of some sort?
Click to expand...

Pretty much all of my outdoor wiring is burried in conduit - its cleaner, and if I ever need to change / replace anything - its MUCH easier to do so.

Depending on where you are, is how deep it should be. Typically, if you have an 8 ft pole, about 2.5 feet should be burried (or 30%)

If you want to get REALLY clever, run a 1" (or 1 1/2") PVC type conduit out to the pole, and then use a 90 degree elbow to bring the conduit up in the middle of the pole. You will have to dig quite a bit deeper where the pole will be to acomplish this, but, it will make running cables to the dish easy, and clean.

One quick trick to to running cable inside of a conduit, is to get a nice long piece of rope / twine / etc, and tie a few knots in it, and place it in one end of the conduit. Attach a vacuum / shop vac to the other end, and voila, you have pulled the twine through the conduit, then use the twine to pull the cables through. (I've pulled 4 00 wires through a 3" conduit this way, works perfectly every time)

I've run 120v wiring to various areas of my landscape for lighting, (and its good for my psychotic xmas lights display too) and I just use 3/4" PVC conduit, its quick, cheap, and easy. This year I (almost) damaged a section of the wire due to too many amps, and it was VERY nice to be able to pull it out and replace it in a few hours.
 
Anyone know where I could find a 2" OD pipe longer than 6ft? I know solidsignal.com offers a 6ft pipe, but that won't work for me. Is this something a hardware store would carry? Thanks
 
directvfreak said:
My original installer from bluegrass satellite just took a pole and pounded it onto the ground. Is that considered to be improperly installed?
Click to expand...


well to be installed PROPERLY it has to have at least 1 80# bag of concrete in the hole.
 
Proc said:
I am looking at a pole mount this spring with a run of about 35-40 feet back to the house.
Questions:
--How deep do I need to bury the coax?
--Can the coax be buried by itself?
--Or, does it need to be inside conduit of some sort?
Click to expand...


3 inches

yes as long as you use flood cable (direct burial coax)

and always bury 1 extra, youll thank me later. and NO UNDERGROUND connecters, straight shots ONLY.
 
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