5 LNB installation problems

[mercury]

Has anyone had to refuse installation of the 5 LNB dish because there was no safe way to mount the hefty hardward on the house? Last month I had an installer come out and tried to talk me into installing the new 40-50 pound dish using two screws. I sent him away and decided I'd sink a steel pool in the ground and have it mounted there. So the next guy comes out and tells me that two screws would have never held and either drill in my stucco or mount using a steel pole. Turns out my concrete footed pole wasn't stable enough either for the new dish. I'd need to redo my work by sinking a 12 foot pipe about 3 feet down, properly filled with concrete, then attach the pipe to my eves using a large U-bolt to minimize wind enduced occillation.

So at this point, given the effort involved to install, I've cancelled the installation(after all, its only 5 channels). Anyone else had to turn the installers away because the hardware couldn't be safely mounted?

 

[Proc]

Anyone else had to turn the installers away because the hardware couldn't be safely mounted?

I was scheduled to be one of the first to get the dish back in October. However, I have the dish on my garage in the back yard. I have several layers of shingles on the roof and the guy didn't bring long bolts, only the short ones and was afraid it wouldn't hold. He also was afraid that the dish up on the garage, open to the elements, namely wind, would make it tough to keep up there. So, we decided against it and I kept the Triple LNB dish up there. I was planning on going to the AT9/5LNB dish in the spring and pole mount it in the ground and trench it back to the house.

Are you saying your pole mount wasn't stable enough???

 

[little dish guy]

What kind of roof do you have? Most roofs (except tile/slate) should be just fine if you use two monopoles to make it a tripod affair. The 9ft tall pole would certainly have to be strapped to the house, unless it was maybe 4” schedule 80 or larger .
Bob

 

[ArtWIS]

I have my 3 lnb dish mounted to a free standing steel pole that held my 10' C band rotating dish. It's a 4 inch diameter thick walled steel pipe in the ground with concrete underground. This pipe rises approx 6' above the ground. Use the kind of concrete mix you can buy at a hardware store and mix yourself. Make sure the pipe is plumb! That will hold the 5 lnb dish easily.

 

[mercury]

What kind of roof do you have? Most roofs (except tile/slate) should be just fine if you use two monopoles to make it a tripod affair. The 9ft tall pole would certainly have to be strapped to the house, unless it was maybe 4” schedule 80 or larger .
Bob

I have a concrete tile roof with little in the way of wooden eves. No option there.
I called D* today to find out why they decided to use one big dish as opposed to two light weight ones. The CSR didn't know and it seems like this is the way of the future for them. I remember years ago D* selling itself on the fact it was using a small pizza size dish that was easily installed. Now I think they'd have to sell it on the idea more is better.

As other posters said, installation using a steel pole, sunk 3 to 4 feet and U bolted to the roof seems like the only sane way to go. Due to line of sight issues, I'd need about 12 feet of pipe to have proper clearence. All in all, way too much trouble for 5 channels, especially when I get Networks in HD anyway.

 

[bigoledude65]

New Poster Here!

Hello, everyone. Top of the day to you all and a Happy New Year!@party
I'm scheduled for an install of the 5LNB with (presumably) an H20 on 13Jan06 by D*. Sure hope I get an educated installer, after reading from all the dissatisfied D* customers. I was an existing D* customer of about 5 yrs. and am upgrading to HD. I'm watching a (barely) 2 yr. old Hitachi Ultravision 65S500 rear projection. I have a dual LNB 18" dish with mounting bracket screwed to wooden house siding now, and it's always worked great. So, I need a pole in the ground, secured to the house eve to mount the 5LNB to? What do y'all think on this ?. What size pole, diameter, etc.?
I'll keep you posted on how this all works out. I've really enjoyed reading this group. Thanks to everyone, especially you pros!
How 'bout them Horns!!:clap
Rick

 

[mercury]

Hello, everyone. Top of the day to you all and a Happy New Year!@party
I'm scheduled for an install of the 5LNB with (presumably) an H20 on 13Jan06 by D*. Sure hope I get an educated installer, after reading from all the dissatisfied D* customers. I was an existing D* customer of about 5 yrs. and am upgrading to HD. I'm watching a (barely) 2 yr. old Hitachi Ultravision 65S500 rear projection. I have a dual LNB 18" dish with mounting bracket screwed to wooden house siding now, and it's always worked great. So, I need a pole in the ground, secured to the house eve to mount the 5LNB to? What do y'all think on this ?. What size pole, diameter, etc.?
I'll keep you posted on how this all works out. I've really enjoyed reading this group. Thanks to everyone, especially you pros!
How 'bout them Horns!!:clap
Rick

For new installs is there a choice between the 3 LNB's which give you HD without the HD Local channels or do new customers have to take the 5 LNB heavyweight?

I currently have HD, use the 3 LNB dish which is larger than the pizza dish, but not by that much. I've had mine mounted to my roof, with three screws and its held just fine and its taken a number of storms with winds of 50+ mph.

The Horns were impressive. I am a Buckeye fan, watched the September game against UT and knew that USC would have their hands full.

 

[Digital Dude]

Why doesn't someone come up with a way to add a dish like the Starchoice 60E for the new birds and a multiswitch to handle the signals?

 

[bigoledude65]

For new installs is there a choice between the 3 LNB's which give you HD without the HD Local channels or do new customers have to take the 5 LNB heavyweight?
I currently have HD, use the 3 LNB dish which is larger than the pizza dish, but not by that much. I've had mine mounted to my roof, with three screws and its held just fine and its taken a number of storms with winds of 50+ mph.
The Horns were impressive. I am a Buckeye fan, watched the September game against UT and knew that USC would have their hands full.

I'll talk to the installer 'bout it when he gets here. I would hope the locals via DTV would have better pic quality than OTA. For one ex., NBC comes in crappy (almost unviewable) where I live. What do y'all think about the HD locals via DTV? Sounds like the 5LNB is the way to go.
Yeah, it'll be interesting to see if V. Young goes pro or not. I wish he would then Houston should take him 1st and pass on R. Bush! WooHoo!! Bush was barely a factor in the rose bowl.

 

[shakeyblack]

should I worry

I'm getting my upgrade next friday and I'm getting the new 5LNB Satellite I have a wood shake roof out here in Bakersfield CA should I worry about this big A-- thing on my roof? Or will it be okay?

 

[dragon002]

I'm getting my upgrade next friday and I'm getting the new 5LNB Satellite I have a wood shake roof out here in Bakersfield CA should I worry about this big A-- thing on my roof? Or will it be okay?

guy,
there were PLENTY of primestar dishes mounted on roofs, eaves and walls. and i didnt see a blizzard of dishes falling from the sky! as long as you roof or wall mount in wooden structures, all three points must be stud bolted and pre drilled with at least 2.5 inch lags. and ive been argued with before, use a QUALITY pressure treated 4X4 post, 24inches in the earth with at least 2 ,80 lb bags of concrete mix, the pole will out last you.
for the naysayers out there, im president of our midget football program for 2006-07 and we are re lighting our field, 40 foot 4 inch poles with 5 hubbell sportslighters per pole, these things weigh 42 lbs each and are 22 inches across, guess how far the concrete base goes down.................................... 6.5 feet!!!!! and only 12 inches around, and that was certified by an electrical architect. we are also getting "pro style goal posts", the pro style is cantilevered forward, and they only have to be in the ground 7 feet and 24 inches around
so you all are worried that a 4 foot pole mounted 2 feet in the earth standing 4 to 6 feet tall is going to move??

IF the pic took these are our south towers, 75 feet tall , 6 feet square the bases are 10 feet square, 15 feet deep. the birds nests on these are 20 feet wide and 6 feet deep.

by the way guys this is donora pa's historic LEGION FIELD. never heard of it?? bet you have. this is joe montanas home high school field, ken griffey sr, stan muscial, arnold galliffa (all american) , bimbo cecconi (all american) also played here.

 

[little dish guy]

Others have brought this up before, but a Ka upgrade to an existing dish would still require the same size dish with a Ku 101 feed for alignment purposes. Why not get the 5-LNB thing with all the latest technology?
Bob

Why doesn't someone come up with a way to add a dish like the Starchoice 60E for the new birds and a multiswitch to handle the signals?

 

[Wafflekyd]

Has anyone had to refuse installation of the 5 LNB dish because there was no safe way to mount the hefty hardward on the house? QUOTE]

I let them put my A3 (AT9) dish on my roof. I helped the guy find a roof joist beneath the shingles and plywood and he anchored into that as well as into the surrounding plywood using lag bolts. The guy was conscientious with sealing the whole thing and used ample silicone on the bolts and base plate.

This roof section is in a fairly protected area, with another building and roof just to the north and the roof the dish is mounted on blocking the wind from the south.

After he mounted the dish I went up and cheked it and it was very solid. I'll be very surprised if this roof install presents any problems.

A roof install can work, depending on what kind of roof you have and its location.

 

[dishcomm]

I'm getting my upgrade next friday and I'm getting the new 5LNB Satellite I have a wood shake roof out here in Bakersfield CA should I worry about this big A-- thing on my roof? Or will it be okay?

hope you ddin't allow the tech to put that dish on your roof......properly securing the .....wood shake roofs are a no no with me..will not mount them there for stability issues..I like a nice solid mount that will not have me going back out for realigment reasons..Plus most shake roofs I have seen do not have plywood or OSB sheeting under the roof covering..just slats nailed ot he rafters.....shakes nailed ot he slats..This is not a strong enough roof system to support a dish a that catches alot of wind.

 

[joeb2112]

Both the tech and I cancelled my install today due to his concerns of mounting the AT9 on the SE corner of my two story home. Since I have a spanish tile roof - the overhang under the rain gutters would not allow for the bracket to be mounted securely.
Looks like it's either a tripod install or a pole install ( they stated it's only 3 1/2' tall )
More importantly - it was to be his first AT9 install - we'll see if I get the same installer next Monday..

 

[bigoledude65]

Both the tech and I cancelled my install today due to his concerns of mounting the AT9 on the SE corner of my two story home. Since I have a spanish tile roof - the overhang under the rain gutters would not allow for the bracket to be mounted securely.
Looks like it's either a tripod install or a pole install ( they stated it's only 3 1/2' tall )
More importantly - it was to be his first AT9 install - we'll see if I get the same installer next Monday..

UPDATE!! Got my HD upgrade on 1/13/06 as scheduled, with a 5LNB dish & H20 receiver. So far, so good. My only complaint is that it takes too long for picture acquisition on channel changes. It's taking a full 6 seconds from pic loss to pic acquisition on a channel change. It doesn't sound like much until you experience it. Takes "forever" to channel surf. Oh, well, maybe it'll get quicker as the technology improves.
The guy installed the dish on the roof, on top of composition shingles, using lag bolts and tar seal tape. Hope it stays up there the first time a storm blows through. At least it's only a single story house. He said he does it all the time with no problems so far. My installer seemed pretty experienced with the equipment and, especially, the dish and tuning (aiming) technique. After he aimed it, he didn't have to go back and do anything else to it. Hope it stays that way.
I want a second RC24 remote so I called D* and the csr's sending me one for $16. Not bad, considering they're $29 on-line.
Later,
Rick

 

[achin13707]

Hello,

I have a question on this 5 LNB mount. With the main mounting point and the two stabilizer arms, what is the minimal surface dimension of the area do I need to mount the dish. I'm thinking of just building a flat platform to mount this dish but I don't have a clue as to how big to make this area. Can someone provide this to me. Thanks in advance.

 

[kadafioutlaw126]

I need help

listen i live in miami, fl and im new to the HD programming.I wanted to get it installed last week, but the guy told me that due to the hurricanes down here if they were to put it on the side of the house a strong wind would knock it down including the wall.He told me that the best thing that I could do is install the pole myself.He said that if I get direct tv to install it it would cost me $100 for the pole and $52 an hour.I just wanted to know the correct lenght and width of the pole i have to get.The direct t.v lady told me that the pole should be 6ft and 1 1/4 inches wide.I wanted to install it on the side of my apartment in the ground. p.s The kinda of satellite that it is is a ka/ku and it weights 40lbs.so please if u know what size pole i need im me or email me.oh iwas goin to dig a hole in the dirt, but i wasnt going to put down any c ment.The ppl at direct tv told me to put it 2ft into the ground and have 4ft coming out of the ground.please if any can help please im or email me thanx

 

[SF Bay Area]

..The kinda of satellite that it is is a ka/ku and it weights 40lbs.so please if u know what size pole i need im me or email me.oh iwas goin to dig a hole in the dirt, but i wasnt going to put down any c ment.The ppl at direct tv told me to put it 2ft into the ground and have 4ft coming out of the ground.please if any can help please im or email me thanx

Here is what I did...I bought a 5 gallon bucket, a bag of cement and a 2" OD metal fence pole 6 feet long at Home Depot. The 5 LNB antenna requires a 2" pole OD.....I stuck the pole in the bucket and filled it up with cement..Next day I dug a 2 foot hole in the ground with a clear southern exposure and dropped the bucket with the pole in it and made sure the post was straight..I then mounted the 5 LNB antenna on the pole and it has given me perfect reception now for 6 months..

 

[cookpr]

Jesus....you got to be kidding me on all these installs!!!! I thimk most people would be saying F it and going with cable....D* needs to hurry with that slim dish, as I for one, would not be going through all that trouble to mount a dish "for them", so I can "pay them" for their service.

Thats asking an awful lot of theor customers....