I just got a 10' Unimesh dish from an auction, when it was removed they cut the pole at ground level instead of digging it up. I got 24 extra inches welded on at work which makes the pole 6'. Is 2' in the ground with 60lbs of concrete enough?
C Band Pole Mount
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What is the 'frost line' in your area. (what's that? How deep are footings required)
Also important, is the type of soil. FWIW - 60lbs seems a little on the light side. (~.5 cu. ft.)
If your frost line is above 2 ft. I'd go the 2 ft deep x 1.5 ft at the pole, and extend the hole into a pad about 4 ft across with the depth tapered to around 6 inches at the perimeter. (reinforced with rebar)
Also weld some rebar( or scrap rod or tubing) to the pole at the bottom to resist twisting.
Mine is on a floating slab that would scale out at around a ton.
Also important, is the type of soil. FWIW - 60lbs seems a little on the light side. (~.5 cu. ft.)
If your frost line is above 2 ft. I'd go the 2 ft deep x 1.5 ft at the pole, and extend the hole into a pad about 4 ft across with the depth tapered to around 6 inches at the perimeter. (reinforced with rebar)
Also weld some rebar( or scrap rod or tubing) to the pole at the bottom to resist twisting.
Mine is on a floating slab that would scale out at around a ton.
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A dish like that only on a simple pole mount, should be planted 4 feet to 5 feet deep! You also need more than 60 lbs of cement. The bottom of the hole should be in a BELL shape. Put gravel in the bottom (for drainage of ground water), and a leveled off thick concrete patio paver in the bottom center on top of the gravel for the pole to rest on while the cement sets (it keeps the pole from sinking before the cement sets up). Put the pole in the center of the hole, use some stakes on several sides to get it leveled PERFECTLY all around. Spend some time getting this RIGHT. ALMOST leveled right is not good enough! After all this, get the cement mixed up, or have it delivered. Pour it in the hole, working your way around carefully. Do not just dump it all to one side, it'll push the pole out of level. Fill it up, until it's ABOVE ground level slightly (mounted up). That way water dripping down during rain storms will not stand there, and just run off and away.
Do it right the first time, and you won't have to do all sorts of things to attempt to compensate for not doing it right at the start!
Do it right the first time, and you won't have to do all sorts of things to attempt to compensate for not doing it right at the start!
Okay thanks guys!! I'll make the pole longer, with the winds like they are here the dish would come right through my kitchen window
Hmm. You know, I've been going with less than that, although my shallow footing is one of necessity- I wasn't going to break up the entire concrete walkway on the side of my house. Instead, after I got my dish well aimed, I marked the position with a metal punch.
I figured if I had to go shallow, I shouldn't tighten the dish to the pole too hard. That way, in the wind, the dish would swing around rather than twisting the pole into a pretzel.
In five years of BUD use, I have had to line the dish back up twice after a couple of pretty honkin windstorms. No problem with the footing.
It can be done if you are willing to go out there with a wrench and line it back up every so often.
I figured if I had to go shallow, I shouldn't tighten the dish to the pole too hard. That way, in the wind, the dish would swing around rather than twisting the pole into a pretzel.
In five years of BUD use, I have had to line the dish back up twice after a couple of pretty honkin windstorms. No problem with the footing.
It can be done if you are willing to go out there with a wrench and line it back up every so often.
My first hole was right at 3 feet minus. I could not dig any further down, so I thought, with a post hole digger. The wind, snow and frost heave pulled the post and 150 # of concrete right out of the ground then broke the dish of the brackets. The second hole went down another two days of digging by post hole digger another foot. The snow, ice (8 to 11 inches) and 90 MPH straight winds bent the dish, then moved the pole, and finally broke the brackets off or loose again. (added another sack of concrete). This time I have gone down to ROCK with a backhoe. Going to add up to 12 - 80# bags of concrete and building a wind break berm and pumphouse to keep as much of the wind as possible off the dish. If this does not work, the next time I will use fixed C-band dishes in concrete walls and hope I get the aim right the first time. Either that or a three point mount could be built for a movable dish, but probably not a "Polar" mount. I really would like to try a radome....
All that to say, it depends on your location. A horizon to horizon line of sight on a mountain (OK, hill) top looked GOOD, but there was a reason there are no trees!
All that to say, it depends on your location. A horizon to horizon line of sight on a mountain (OK, hill) top looked GOOD, but there was a reason there are no trees!
I do hope my pole holds up. But then if the pole holds up and the dish still goes East, what have I gained?
So far, one destroyed 10 foot Winegard, one damaged Primstar 75E LNBF (dish and arm OK) and cables, one damaged 6 foot mesh.
So far, one destroyed 10 foot Winegard, one damaged Primstar 75E LNBF (dish and arm OK) and cables, one damaged 6 foot mesh.
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