SuperDISH Ground Mounting

Scott Greczkowski

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Sep 7, 2003
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Newington, CT
As you may have seen I would like to ground mount my SuperDISH, because here in Connecticut it is already getting cold I wanted to put my pole in the ground for the SuperDISH before the ground really starts freezing.

Because of type 1 and type 2 each use a diffrent size mounting pole I was not sure which pole to put in.

The best be is to put in a 2" pole now and if you get a type 2 SuperDish to bolt a 2-3/8" pole over the top of the 2 inch pole.

Dish Network is actually recommending the following for the pole.

2" OD and 2-3/8" OD, 14 gauge wall. It's actually galvanized tube, not pipe

So there you have it.

I will plant my pole this weekend. :)
 
Scott Greczkowski said:
As you may have seen I would like to ground mount my SuperDISH, because here in Connecticut it is already getting cold I wanted to put my pole in the ground for the SuperDISH before the ground really starts freezing.

Because of type 1 and type 2 each use a diffrent size mounting pole I was not sure which pole to put in.

The best be is to put in a 2" pole now and if you get a type 2 SuperDish to bolt a 2-3/8" pole over the top of the 2 inch pole.

Dish Network is actually recommending the following for the pole.

2" OD and 2-3/8" OD, 14 gauge wall. It's actually galvanized tube, not pipe

So there you have it.

I will plant my pole this weekend. :)


It's already plenty cold out here. I walk my dog at night and it's under 30, although it feels much colder than that. Hope the cementing goes ok.
 
From what they said on the retailer chat it seemed like the Type 2 would be in limited quantities and only in markets that needed a superdish ASAP for locals. So I would assume if you arent in a market that has locals on 105 you would be getting the type 1.
 
Scott Greczkowski wrote: "It's actually galvanized tube, not pipe"

What's a good source for this type of pole, Home Depot or similar?

Also, my DISH 500 is pole mounted now, but it's like 5 feet off the ground. I would like to minimize the visual impact of the SuperDISH by mounting it waaay down low to the ground and planting shrubs all around it (except in the LOS, of course). Is it OK to mount the SuperDISH maybe 2 feet off the ground?
 
Not sure where to get the pole but I will be checking around this weekend. :) Got to get my pole in the ground before everything freezes.

You can mount your SuperDish anywhere you want as long as your getting a good signal.

Be aware though if you put it low to the ground that if you get some snow and it drifts you might find yourself with no TV. :)
 
Scott Greczkowski wrote: "It's actually galvanized tube, not pipe"

Actually its more like a hollow cylinder.
 
"It's actually galvanized tube, not pipe"

Thats actually the actual wording I got from an actual engineer who actually works at Echostar. :)

(I couldnt think of anymore actually words for that sentence) :D
 
Scott Greczkowski said:
"It's actually galvanized tube, not pipe"

Thats actually the actual wording I got from an actual engineer who actually works at Echostar. :)
From what I've learned, that is the correct term. Tube is structural, while pipe is a fluid container. Tube has tensile and yield ratings, while pipe has internal pressure ratings. Tube is sized to the OD, and pipe is sized to ID.

1026 DOM
OD 2"
14 Gague = .083 Wall
ID 1.834

SuperDISH Intall Guide
To meet requirements of withstanding 100 m.p.h. wind, attachment to a wall must withstand a 220 lb. force applied in any direction to the end of the mast.
 
You can get pipe from businesses that sell fence, especially those that specialize in fencing.

The best solution in the case that you do not know what size of pole or which SuperDish would be used would be to get the 2 3/8" pole then have an adapter made for the 2" dish just in case that is the type of SuperDish you end up getting. The 2 3/8" poles are easier to find anyways therefore you may end up paying less for that size of pole in which would make up for the adapter.

You could also get U-bolts for mounting additional Dish500 dishes to the pole off to the side (if the big dish is not in the way of the signal and high enough off of the ground).
 
Anonymous said:
SuperDISH Intall Guide
To meet requirements of withstanding 100 m.p.h. wind, attachment to a wall must withstand a 220 lb. force applied in any direction to the end of the mast.
[url=http://retailer.echostar.com/forms/Equipment/superdish/SuperDISH_InstallGuide.pdf]SuperDISH Install Guide[/url] said:
These instructions cover wall mounting only. For other mounting options (for example, pole mounting, non-penetrating mounting) see DNSC training material, which is also available on the retailer website.
Does anyone have a link to the DNSC training material?
 
Scott Greczkowski said:
I do not see anything additional regarding the superdish on the retailer website.
Strange. A disclaimer in the installation guide pointing to instructions that don't exist. :?

Thanks for looking.
 
It's concrete, and concreting. Cement is an ingredient in concrete. Just a helpfull tip from someone who knows better ;)
 
FWIW, here's what I would do...

Concrete in a commonly-available 2" inside diameter iron pipe with a threaded end up. The outside diameter of the pipe will be about 2 3/8" and you'll be ready if that dimension is needed.

If the outside diameter needs to be 2", thread a commonly available pipe adapter that converts to 1 1/2" pipe and install a short "nipple" of that size. The outside diameter of that pipe will be about 1 7/8", probably close enough to the needed size. If it really needs to be a bit bigger, wrap a shim of thin plastic or sheet metal around the post before installing the dish.

This solution is inexpensive, allows both diameters and will be VERY sturdy. Virtually no deflection will occur in the pipe for ground-mounted satellite dishes.
 
AllieVi said:
The outside diameter of that pipe will be about 1 7/8", probably close enough to the needed size. If it really needs to be a bit bigger, wrap a shim of thin plastic or sheet metal around the post before installing the dish.

The actual outside diameter of a 1.5" pipe is 1.90". If you wrap that with one layer of 18-gauge galvanized sheet metal (.0516" thick), you end up with an outside diameter of 2.0032", which should be WELL within tolerance to mount the skew bracket. If you protect the edges of the sheet metal from the weather (with caulk, for example), it should last a long time. To roll the sheet metal to fit tight on the pipe, cut it a little shorter than the circumference of the pipe, (which is 5.97", so cut it around 5-7/8"). Then use a smaller dowel, say 1" O.D., to roll the sheet metal. It should be a perfect snap fit over the pipe.

Brad
 
You might find this link helpful. The DirecWay dishes are also very large, and this is a description of one customer's pole installation for that system:

http://www.broadbandreports.com/faq/2689
 
Brad, I ended up shearing me off a piece of .045 galvanized sheet metal.
I had to use an old sheet metal roller to form it, wasn't easy but I got it done, the shop I work in isn't really a sheet metal shop. With some addtional blacksmith type work to it, I formed me a pretty nice sleeve.

Thanks
 
John Corn said:
Brad, I ended up shearing me off a piece of .045 galvanized sheet metal.
I had to use an old sheet metal roller to form it, wasn't easy but I got it done, the shop I work in isn't really a sheet metal shop. With some addtional blacksmith type work to it, I formed me a pretty nice sleeve.

Thanks

John,

A much easier solution would be to go to the auto parts store and buy the split sleeve already formed, with an inner diameter of 1-7/8" and an outer diameter of exactly 2 inches. It is sold as a tail pipe adapter sleeve for about $1.50. I've actually seen them at Pep Boys.
 
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