? about pole mount

[db54]

? about pole mount, magnetic deviation and long cable run

I'm having my directv system installed this weekend and according to my azimuth reading with my compass, the dish will have to be mounted in my backyard in order to get a clear line-of-sight.

I would like to go ahead and set the 1 5/8 pole and have it ready when the installer arrives. Is this a wise idea or could there possibly be a deviation in my reading and the installers?

 

[walkerjs]

If you've done your homework as far as determining all the numbers (azimuth, elevation, tilt if dish is oval) based on your location, and also corrected for magnetic deviation for your location then yes having the pole set and levelled is probably a good idea. Prior to my install I determined fairly accurately where the dish should go (I live in an apartment with a balcony) but when the installer came he told me that the satellites were somewhere else and that I would have to do the pole-in-a-bucket type mount (can't bolt it to the building according to my lease terms) and put it in a rather inconvenient place. I decided to build the pole/bucket myself and while I was at it take a crack at pointing the dish myself. Turned out that my initial calculations for where the satellite should be was dead on and I was able to mount the dish where I wanted to in the first place.

The key is to really do your homework. A handheld GPS comes in handy since it will tell you precisely where you are and there are websites that you can plug your lat/long into that will tell you exactly what direction to point the dish. Couple that with a compass corrected for magnetic deviation, or use the GPS to determine true bearing and all you need to worry about is if it clears trees or buildings.

Of course, caveat emptor. What worked for me might not work for others. The guy downstairs from me had D* installed shortly after I did (probably because my dish proved that it was possible from where we are), and when I talked to his installer he told me he was off initially until he actually pointed the dish, so who knows?

 

[db54]

thanks walker. i hadn't even thought about the magnetic deviation. According to Directv's chart, the azimuth for my location is 227.7. Do you know if the deviation is figured into this setting? I believe that the correct deviation for my location is +9 and if i need to add 9 to the 227.7, then that puts me having to move to another location in the yard in order to get the satellites because at about 240 degrees, i have a tree which could obstruct the view but it doesn't have hardly any branches or leaves.

By moving further out into the backyard, i will have in excess of 125-150 run to the receivers. At what point in the cable run does the signal show noticeable degrading?

 

[Neutron]

I have mine, since our townhouse has a small backyard/fenced in patio, mounted on a 4X4 that is in one of those post setters that screws into the post and has a 24" spike that goes into the ground. It's nice and sturdy. I'm going to make it even sturdier by using the fence for support.