Anyone have their dish mounted on a tree?

[xpressinstalls]

five gallon bucket
80 pound bag of concrete
1 5/8" O/D pole (chain link line post)

Mix your water and concrete together in the bucket a little at a time, then flatten one end of the pole to keep it from spinning inside the concrete. Make sure the bucket is on a level surface and insert the flattened end of the pole all the way to the bottom, now plumb the pole. Keep a check on the plumbness of the pole until the concrete sets up enough that you don't have to worry about it moving. Ready to use next day, or you can use fast setting concrete for same day use.

 

[criznag]

five gallon bucket
80 pound bag of concrete
1 5/8" O/D pole (chain link line post)

Mix your water and concrete together in the bucket a little at a time, then flatten one end of the pole to keep it from spinning inside the concrete. Make sure the bucket is on a level surface and insert the flattened end of the pole all the way to the bottom, now plumb the pole. Keep a check on the plumbness of the pole until the concrete sets up enough that you don't have to worry about it moving. Ready to use next day, or you can use fast setting concrete for same day use.

Thanks a ton for this information - but keep in mind some of these terms I have never heard before - for example - how do I flatten one end of the pole? What is meant by "plumbing" the pole, for example, what is the plumbness? Thanks again, I really appreciate this information.

EDIT: Maybe I should just buy the stuff, some quick setting cement, and have the installer do it - he'll know if I can even get a line of site so I could return the stuff if not as well..

 

[Jimbo]

criznag.

I am not certian that a D* installer will do the concrete thing, yes they would mount the dish on the pole, but I doubt that they would actually poor the concete and all, you might want to have that done ahead of time.

Q. You mentioned having like of site by the tree, why can't you drop a pole or a 4x4 in the area of the tree and use that instead of the concrete in the bucket, seeing your not sure about how to do it.
What happens when some kid walks by and moves you tub of concrete 6" ???

Jimbo

 

[damaged]

You can flatten an end of a pole with a hammer, laying on its side, just whack away at a tip of the pole (both sides) until 'flat' (crimped).

Plumb is when something is straight up and down, one would use a bubble-level on the poles vertical, or a pendulum to measure plumbness.

You could as the poster above me suggested, nail a 4x4 to/near the tree shimming it plumb.

 

[criznag]

criznag.

I am not certian that a D* installer will do the concrete thing, yes they would mount the dish on the pole, but I doubt that they would actually poor the concete and all, you might want to have that done ahead of time.

Q. You mentioned having like of site by the tree, why can't you drop a pole or a 4x4 in the area of the tree and use that instead of the concrete in the bucket, seeing your not sure about how to do it.
What happens when some kid walks by and moves you tub of concrete 6" ???

Jimbo

Great Idea - so All I need to buy is the pole mentioned in the post and the installer will mount it in the ground wherever there's a line of site? The Apartment complex can't really complain about that..its not attached to any part of the "building".

Thanks for all the help

 

[raymo721]

You are gonna put the bucket with the dish in a "comon area" which the Apt complex might have a problem with. Have you asked them about this? Like Jimbos said, what if someone hits the bucket/pole/dish and there goes LOS. Putting a 4x4 in the ground might be better or the pole. Both have been done in my complex. Your place looks just like mine with the same problem with the trees except I'm on the 3rd fl and management let me put my dish on the facia board at the peak of the roof. Lucky me! Any of your neighbors in the upper floors have LOS that would'nt object to a dish on their balcony? You might be able to service 2 Apts with one dish? A 4x4 mounted dish or pole would have been my only choice if mgt had objected to the roof mount, so that seems to be your best option. I wonder if anything happens to it if the warrenty will be honoured. Protection plan maybe? Just a thought.--Ray

 

[philhu]

My dtv dish is mounted on a huge oak tree. Been there 6 years, no maintenance needed. Hasnt moved, sig stregnth has always
been 97+

 

[sksatellite]

Here is one I saw while I went to do an installation last month.

 

[Van]

views on the install itsself and an installer will differ here, you have to decide how much you want the tv and the installer has to decide how much he wants the completion. Frankly I will never install a dish on a tree thats young because it will still grow wich will turn some and will pop the heads of the bolts. I have installed 2 dish's on tree's before that were alive, I had to seperate a 500 into 2 300's to get 119 and 110 through a stand of tree's, the customer was adamint and my boss likewise. Signal was 123% on the 119 and 105% on the 110 with a strong breeze. Ive also put one on a dead tree, likewise Ive had to remove one from a tree that was young and had grown rather fast after 6 months and popped 2 of the bolt heads off. Its a gamble to do it and not very professional but if you really really have to have it mounted to a tree and the tech can get cleared for it by his supervisor and your willing to sign off on his paper work taking complete responsibility for the job then go for it.

 

[Van]

bucket mounts are worse than tree mounts, bucket mounts always move unless you glue the bottom of the bucket to the ground.

 

[raymo721]

Van, what if he put the bucket IN the ground and not above or has this already been mentioned??---Ray

 

[criznag]

Well guys, after all that the installer couldn't establish a line of site - he just looked at it and said there's just no way, so now I'm stuck with this stupid concrete pole and nothing to do with it - any ideas on how to dispose of something like this?

 

[voodoolord]

LOL! Im sorry but that is the saddest ending to an interesting thread that Ive ever seen. BUT!!! Poles can be helpfull. You can start a tether ball league in your own back yard. You can mount a nifty bird feeder on top and shoot them when they show up, to blow off steam from all that pole hammering and mixing you went through. You can possibly put it in your apartment and have a fantastic adult entertainment tool if you know strippers or have a adventurous female companion. Or you can just put it on ebay and tell your story, chances are someone will sympathize and give you something for it. Anyway, good luck and thanks for the laugh.
voodoo

 

[ChicksRock]

nope...never even seen it....not a bad idle tho

 

[Van]

Ray, it can be done and Ive seen it done.