Pole Size question

[Farmer Fran]

Ok first off let me say Hello. Hello

I tried searching but my search-fu sucks on forums for some reason.

The question. I currently have Dish Network HD and Locals. It was installed 3 years ago this November as part of the (then) HD only package with locals and DVR.

I am switching to DirectTV and am wondering if the current roof mount will work with the DirectTV dish.

Is the pole on the roof for Dish network the same size as the pole for directtv?

Thanks in advance and sorry of this topic has been already discussed.

 

[harshness]

No.

The current DIRECTV "Slimline" (a misnomer by any stretch of the term) mast is 2" OD versus the 1-5/8" OD mast that DISH uses.

 

[Farmer Fran]

TY. One more thing, they both point in the general same direction, right? I want to burry the pole my self (no more holes in the roof) and have a good spot to put it.

 

[raoul5788]

TY. One more thing, they both point in the general same direction, right? I want to burry the pole my self (no more holes in the roof) and have a good spot to put it.

to Satelliteguys!

Go to Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com It will show you where you need to be for a good los. The satellites you are looking for are at 99, 101, and 103. You may need to see 119 if your local sd channels come from there. Even if you don't care about the sd channels, Directv requires a los to the satellites that your areas uses. There are ways around that requirement, though.

 

[harshness]

Without knowing what DMA you're in, we can't ascertain what slots you need to see.

 

[raoul5788]

Without knowing what DMA you're in, we can't ascertain what slots you need to see.

Didn't I already say that?

 

[mdram]

directv will do a ground mount.
i requested it and got it

and it was not an extra charge

 

[Joe Diamond]

IF the DISH rig is in a good spot there are ways to adapt a Directv mast. As mentioned by others the mast sizes can differ but...the most recent Slimline = 2" mast / 18" round SD mast =1.66) and the wise installer carries clamps and or adapters to fit the dish to whatever mast is securly mounted. Think muffler clamps and or lag bolts or carriage bolts. While the correct mast ships with the dish, sometimes you do not want to wreck out usable material to install identical stuff.

As a generalization, the DISH.."fleet" has a wider arc of sat positions but much overlaps Directv..but slightly lower el in some places. So use dish pointer.com to get your local line of sight (LOS) for Directv

DISH uses good cable so all that stuff is good as is.

Joe

 

[Joe Diamond]

THIS IS RE: Putting in the pole yourself

No problem!
However remember you are not building a fence.

The pole should be pretty close to plumb. And most important...you must dent it, bend it or put a bolt through it in the concrete to keep the pole from spinning in the wind. Just beat some big dents into the part of the pole going into the concrete.

+

DO NOT run cable through the concrete.. Use conduit or trowel a groove to allow the cable to make a gradual bend to the soil.

+ Protect the cable both where it goes into the ground and comes out at the building. Weed eaters will put you out of business. Think 18" of conduit at each end. Underground conduit couldn't hurt...flooded cable is the correct material for UG runs but is hard to find in short runs.

Joe

 

[harshness]

Didn't I already say that?

Not specifically. At issue is that the typical prospective customer doesn't know whether SD locals come from 119W or perhaps on one of the birds at 99W or 101W or not at all. IIRC, the DIRECTV website is not forthcoming with such information so if you aren't prepared to interpret GCT's spreadsheets, you'll need to employ the assistance of someone who can. For that, the DMA must be known.

I'd confirm this if the site wasn't down.

 

[Daddy Dithers]

Don't know how it works in other areas but our QC people won't pass any type of modification to an 1 5/8" mast or pole done to accept a Ka/Ku dish. Ain't saying it can't be done with the right stuff and be made sufficiently stable...works better with masts than poles. The smaller poles are usually too tall as is and move too easily in the wind. If LOS allows it, shortening a small diameter pole will make it much more stable. Works much better done in the other direction-using an existing 2" mast or pole modified to accept the smaller dishes.

 

[raoul5788]

Not specifically. At issue is that the typical prospective customer doesn't know whether SD locals come from 119W or perhaps on one of the birds at 99W or 101W or not at all. IIRC, the DIRECTV website is not forthcoming with such information so if you aren't prepared to interpret GCT's spreadsheets, you'll need to employ the assistance of someone who can. For that, the DMA must be known.

I'd confirm this if the site wasn't down.

It's EXACTLY what I said, but I didn't make it sound "high falootin" like you often do.

 

[Joe Diamond]

I can see that ...a little....especially putting the bigger rigs on the smaller mast. But if you encounter a secure set up that is well weather proofed and stable mechanically I would not screw with it and risk causing a leak. QC for an employer is a different thing than QC for a contractor.

Joe