SuperDish mast material

Consumers are NOT and I repeat NOT going to pay those kind of outrageous prices to put in their own SuperDish. They will find pipe cheaper than this or get the 2 3/8" pipe and attach the mount with U-bolts to the pole.
 
Stargazer said:
Consumers are NOT and I repeat NOT going to pay those kind of outrageous prices to put in their own SuperDish. They will find pipe cheaper than this or get the 2 3/8" pipe and attach the mount with U-bolts to the pole.
I'm a consumer, and I'm considering it. That's one of the reasons I posted.

Will the cheaper pipe or tube handle the wind load associated with SuperDish?

Ham operators and BUD owners have purchased this type of mast material for years. Does FSS require similar materials to maintain signal strength?

[TowerTalk] The Great Mast Debate
Texas Towers 2.0" Dia x .250 wall x 20' Galvanized Mast Fy = 87000psi
Fmax = 52200 psi Mmax = 28000 In-Lb
Weight 93.5 Lbs, Safety Factor 1.67 EI = 1.56E+07
Mast projected area 3.3 SqFt

ASTM A53 pipe, 3.5" Sched 40 (4" OD)
Weight = 151.6 Lbs, Safety Factor = 1.54 EI = 8.75E+07 Area =
5.8 SqFt

ASTM A106 pipe, 2.5" Sched 80 (2 7/8" OD)
Weight = 153.3, Safety Factor = 1.67 EI = 5.58E+07 Area = 4.8 SqFt

6061-T6 Tubing, 2.5 " Dia x .500 wall
Weight = 75.4 Lb, Safety Factor = 1.67, EI = 1.67E+07 Area = 4.2 SqFt

6061-T6 Tubing, 3.0" Dia x .250 wall
Weight = 51.9 Lbs, Safety Factor =1.5, EI = 2.06E+07 Area = 5.0 SqFt
 
John Corn said:
Being a machinist by trade, another suggestion would be contact your local steel company.
Thanks for the suggestion. That would save the shipping cost. I'll see if I can locate any in my area. :)
 
The problem is the 2.375 diameter mast (Type 2). It might be a little tougher getting this diameter, but it's worth a call.

My dish 500 is mounted on a 1.910 diameter piece of conduit, the SuperDish (Type 1) should mount on it. I also made a sleeve and have it ready to mount in case I get the 2.375 diameter SuperDish.
 
I prefer 6061-T6 aluminum tubing. It is light weight, easy to handle, and will never rust. Here is an example of a kit that I found on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3052922441&category=32848&rd=1
 
Mike, do you have any idea what the price difference is between a 2" pipe (tubing) 10 to 12 ft long as compared to steel?

I agree aluminum would work well. I need to call the local steel company as well, I'm just to curious.
 
John Corn said:
The problem is the 2.375 diameter mast (Type 2). It might be a little tougher getting this diameter, but it's worth a call.
Aluminum 6061-T6
2" Schedule 40 pipe
OD 2.375
ID 2.067
Wall Thickness 0.154

I don't know the psi for the pipe. Sorry.
 
Property Value Notes
Brinell hardness 95 500 kg load; 10mm ball
Elongation
% in 2 inches 12 1/16" thick sample
Elongation
% in 2 inches 17 1/2" thick sample
Endurance limit
KSI 14 Based on 500,000,000 cycles of completely reversed stress using the R.R. Moore type of machine and specimen
Modulus of Elasticity
KSI x 10^3 10 Average of tension and compression moduli. Compression modulus is about 2% greater than tension modulus
Ultimate
KSI 45
Ultimate shear strength
KSI 30
Yield
KSI 40


Chemistry information for alloy 6061 Aluminum
Element Percentage
Al 98
Cr 0.04 - 0.35
Cu 0.15 - 0.4
Fe 0.7 max
Mg 0.8 - 1.2
Mn 0.15 max
Si 0.4 - 0.8
Ti 0.15 max
Zn 0.25 max
 
I have 2 3/8 OD chainlink fencepost already in place as a leftover from a Starband install. Will the installer have the U-bolts necessary if I end up with a type I dish? (I'll warn him on the pre-install call I guess).

Note: I don't mind doing self install at all (which I did with my Starband) but the SuperDish is a bit of a new animal and if I end up getting an install as part of a Dish package then... heck... let the guy that installs them all day long do it!
 
Does Dish not provide the pole if you're having it installed in the ground. I currently have my Dishs installed on the ground but it's really sloppy. I didn't bother with it much since i didn't think it'd be there for long. If i get the superdish installation do you think they'll install the pole or am i better off buying my own. No way I'm paying $100+ for one.
 
Dish Network will put the pole in themselves when they come out to do the install. Some are wanting to put in the pole ahead of time to cut down on install time and to put in the SuperDish themselves.
 
I am a professional installer and one who has installed for Dish. For the low ball installs, I use the least expensive chain link fence galvanized with a 16 guage wall. Adequate, but not what I prefer for my own personal use. I perfer aluminun with at least a 12 guage or closed to .125" thick wall. I have used stainless steel, but that's heavy and expensive. Overall, 6061-T6 aluminum is my pole of choice.

For low ball installs that have to only survive the "charge back" period, I will still use the chain link fence post. The earlier Primestar poles were very heavy guage. The latter ones were 16 guage.
 
For something that is going to be free and to keep the prices down, this is understandable. I think that some customers would be willing to pay extra to get a heavier guage that would last longer so a choice may be good, although some customers would get upset saying that the better pole should be included in the free install. This is why some installers may not give some customers a choice because they do not want the controversy.
 
I had quite a few stainless steel and aluminum poles like this one on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32848&item=3054555968

I offered it to all, who needed pole installs. One one person opted for a stainless steel pole on the beach on the ocean front.
 
These metal tube specifications are giving me a headache. Here is what I have so far:

STEEL
C1026
4130 Chrome Molybdenum
  • ASTM A519 Cold Drawn Seamless (CDS)
    ASTM A513 Type 5 Drawn Over Mandrel (DOM)
    heat treated/normalized
    Corrosion prevention treatment: Hot Dip Galvanized[/list:u]
    ALUMINUM
    6061-T6
    • ASTM B210 Aluminum Drawn Seamless Tubing
      ASTM B483 Drawn Structural Tube[/list:u]
      Does anyone have experience purchasing from Metal Supermarkets?

      Any enlightenment on these materials is welcome.
 
Anonymous said:
These metal tube specifications are giving me a headache. Here is what I have so far:

STEEL
C1026
4130 Chrome Molybdenum
  • ASTM A519 Cold Drawn Seamless (CDS)
    ASTM A513 Type 5 Drawn Over Mandrel (DOM)
    heat treated/normalized
    Corrosion prevention treatment: Hot Dip Galvanized[/list:u]
    ALUMINUM
    6061-T6
    • ASTM B210 Aluminum Drawn Seamless Tubing
      ASTM B483 Drawn Structural Tube[/list:u]
      Does anyone have experience purchasing from Metal Supermarkets?

      Any enlightenment on these materials is welcome.


    • About Metal Supermarkets, I talked to the Albuquerque store, His price was a bit higher than I could get the 6061-t651 tube for out of the Pacific Northwest. (I was looking for 240' of 1" od, .187 wall) 4130 is probably overkill for mast.
 
I wouldn't be to concerned with the properties of the metal.
It's the wall thickness and length, buy the cheapest piece you can get! (aluminum, steel).
I honestly might consider a thicker wall thickness on a twenty foot length and at what point do you have to add a guide wire to it?
 
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