welding a dish

[Techfizzle]

it took me 2 days straight to get my dish back in tracking order

now the dish has always been somewhat loose with the bolts tightened they just dont grip well.

would it hurt just to weld the dish to the pole?

 

[Pismire]

My goodness Jed, just buy some new bolts.

 

[Mr Tony]

boy that would be a B**ch to move if it gets off the arc again after a windstorm

 

[delta_charlie]

it took me 2 days straight to get my dish back in tracking order

now the dish has always been somewhat loose with the bolts tightened they just dont grip well.

would it hurt just to weld the dish to the pole?

Welding might be ok if you can be sure you have the tracking on the spot as after you weld it you will not be able to adjust it any more. Any chance the poll is moving in the ground/concrete?

Why are the set bolts not gripping well? Are they stripping out? Bottoming out?

Perhaps a new set of bolts with a point ground at the tip might help.

BTW I also have a dish that needs welding. In my case it is the elevation that has a bracket that will not tighten. In my case it is an oversize hole in a thick part of the bracket that lets the dish move up and down more then it should.

Got to run, DC

 

[Techfizzle]

it just becuase you have a flat surface of the bolt trying to grip the round surface of the pole, that just doest give it a good grip

 

[Inno]

It has worked fine for thousands of dishes for over 2 decades, I don't know why yours would be any different.

The end of the bolt will actually dig in to the pole slightly when tightened securely.

I would highly recommend NOT welding it for the above mentioned reasons.

Another thought.........your mount, is it the correct size for the post you have? Or are you trying to put a 3.5" mount on a 3" pole or something similar?

 

[sergei]

Now are we really sure he even has the bolts ( long enough) in the mount and of course are they ALL tighten down using a wrench!

 

[turbosat]

Inno I had one like that, it was supposed to be the right size but was actually very generous on its inside measurements. Was sold as a universal polar mount, for converting small fixed c-band dishes , I still have it. I put longer bolts in the polar mount cap and made it work for c-band but it never was that great for ku (thats why its sitting on the ground rusting lol). The longer bolts, and maybe grinding the end of them to a taper may make his sit tighter.

 

[scopx]

You do not indicate if welding by gas or electric. If by electric, be forewarned that that electronic sensors and devices do not like currents floating about! (Found out hard way when fried a solid state glow plug controller on diesel pu.) Was doing small electric welding on back bumper.
It prob would be wise to remove all before welding.

 

[HIFI]

Now are we really sure he even has the bolts ( long enough) in the mount and of course are they ALL tighten down using a wrench!

nobody ever told him he had to use a wrench!

 

[Techfizzle]

yeah the pole was used for a winegard 10 footer it took a 4" pole. Since it was doubled walled, when i got my perfect 10, i cut the outer wall. that gave me 3.5"od which the perfect 10 sit on fine.
This dish's pole mount is 4"od, so it wouldnt go on a 4" pole. So it would have to go on a 3.5" od, unless they made some oddball 3.75"od pole??