C BAND STEEL POST: WHERE TO GET A 3 1/2" ONE?

[Lone Cloud]

My 3 1/2 by 18' (cut it down a bit) mild steel, non-galvanized pipe I filled with concrete. Some guys think that is too much, but I don't . I have both of mine against the side of my house with the dishes on the roof. I think the extra weight gives more resistance to spinning or twisting. Of course I also don't honk down on the bolts, so when the wind gets heavy, it spins on the pole. I just mark it where I get the best signal and move it back there after the windstorm. I've had to do that once in four years on my c-band dish and never on my Ku band dish (although my one meter Winegard did get flexed out of shape once.

As a further resistance against twisting, I put "L" shaped rebars out the bottom of the two poles. I went down only 18 inches to two feet, although the footings butted against my concrete walkway there.

In any case, if you are anywhere near Temecula California, try Rancho Metals. It's where I got mine.

 

[T4Runner]

Thanks for the info and the suggestions. I am in the Central San Joaquin Valley foothills above Clovis, CA. elev.= 1300' above the fog and smog. below the snow and shoveling...

 

[raiderjoe]

i bought mine at lowes....look at the area where they sell the concrete bags...its a floor jack pole ,,dont laugh...it fits great..i dont remember if its model C2 0R C3...about 30
bucks

 

[T4Runner]

i bought mine at lowes....look at the area where they sell the concrete bags...its a floor jack pole ,,dont laugh...it fits great..i dont remember if its model C2 0R C3...about 30
bucks

I will check it out the very next time I can get into town. Lowes is one of my favorite stores! I know right where the concrete bags are, but have never heard of a 'floor jack pole'? What length are they??

Never mind. I found one on-line if this is what you're talking about?

 

[Corrado]

When I put up my last dish last year I used a 3.5" OD concrete filled post from Lowes. It was 8' and one piece without the jack screw. It came with 2 little square metal plates that are for it's intended support purpose. It was less than $50 and ridiculously heavy. I painted mine black.

 

[T4Runner]

When I put up my last dish last year I used a 3.5" OD concrete filled post from Lowes. It was 8' and one piece without the jack screw. It came with 2 little square metal plates that are for it's intended support purpose. It was less than $50 and ridiculously heavy. I painted mine black.

View attachment 62058

 

[Baird Mounts]

How long of a pole do you need? We may be able to help you out...

 

[T4Runner]

How long of a pole do you need? We may be able to help you out...

I only need an 8ft pole with a 3 1/2 inch OD. But I am in California. Aren't you in the East coast? The shipping would kill me....

 

[Baird Mounts]

I only need an 8ft pole with a 3 1/2 inch OD. But I am in California. Aren't you in the East coast? The shipping would kill me....

Actually we are located in Iowa. If you want I can look into getting a quote?

 

[T4Runner]

Actually we are located in Iowa. If you want I can look into getting a quote?

Thank you very much for the effort, but it's looking like I will bite the bullet and buy a pipe locally. Pipe is available, I was just not too excited about the price.($65-75). But thank you for the response!

Incidentally, I tried LOWES here locally, and they don't carry the other options suggested in this thread...

 

[Baird Mounts]

We would come in at $150 to 165, however our 3" schedule 40 pipe (3.5" od) is hot dip galvanized, and already has the anti-twist fin welded on. It also comes with a 10 year warranty.
Out of curiosity what is the wall thickness on the pipe you are buying?

Either way, good luck with the install, and post pic's when its up!

 

[wildbill47]

Post

there are plenty of BUD's around for removing. then you will have a post FREE.
If you want it stronger just fill the pipe with concrete. My 13' pipe is rusted but do not care as it works. Love the BUD and keep it on music choice most of the time.

 

[Baird Mounts]

there are plenty of BUD's around for removing. then you will have a post FREE.
If you want it stronger just fill the pipe with concrete. My 13' pipe is rusted but do not care as it works. Love the BUD and keep it on music choice most of the time.

We have been discussing concrete filled pipes in house, and are somewhat concerned with corrosion issues. We are still looking into it, but it seems as though filling a pipe with concrete will accelerate the pipe in rusting from the inside out? If anyone has insight into this we would love to have a discussion about the pros and cons of filled pipe versus the appropriate pipe wall thickness for the dish/wind load.

 

[T4Runner]

We would come in at $150 to 165, however our 3" schedule 40 pipe (3.5" od) is hot dip galvanized, and already has the anti-twist fin welded on. It also comes with a 10 year warranty.
Out of curiosity what is the wall thickness on the pipe you are buying?

Either way, good luck with the install, and post pic's when its up!

The thickness is 1/4 inch steel. Inside diameter is 3" and outside diameter is 3 1/2"; and the price I mentioned was for 10 1/2ft ungalvanized piece. No plates or fins attached. Apparently, their shotest pipe comes in that length.

On the issue of filling a satellite mast pipe with concrete and the resulting corrosion, I recall a conversation with a satellite installer (BUD) years back who mentioned the corrosion only matters in concrete and steel dams, which are built under 100 yr life specifications, as the sat dish installation would still outlive the user! I suppose it could be an issue with thin wall steel pipe with my smaller KU band dish installations, but I'll be dead and gone by the time the rust gets through that pipe... (but then I have yet to fill any pipe of mine with concrete)

I can also recall a local steel lined concrete outlet of a dam (opposite situation of what we are talking about) that was completely rusted through and the water force started pitting the concrete. I believe it was built in 1946, so it took 65 years.

 

[Baird Mounts]

Sounds good, our poles are designed for the long haul, with the 1/4" walls you should really have no reason to fill it.

 

[arcticracer]

BUD Pipe

I installed countless 12 footers using 3" schedule 40 mild steel, never had a problem. We welded a piece of angle iron or rebar maybe 10" long about 6" from the bottom, running vertically and never ever had one twist. In Oregon, we dug a hole about 2' deep, made the hole wider at the bottom than the top and used about 3 bags of concrete. High wind areas or different soils may need a deeper hole or more concrete. Here are a couple pics of my current BUD, these have been posted on here before.

This one is different, FREE-STANDING, no guys, 12 footer. About one yard of concrete, 4" well casing tapering down to 3" (3 1/2 OD). Has been standing for 10 years now, it's up in the trees!

 

[T4Runner]

Well, I finally bit the bullet and bought 3" schedule 40 steel pipe at my local pipe distributer. The cost with California sales tax wa $80, but I only paid $20 out of my own pocket... My sister-in-law gave mea handfull of 'scratchers' for my birthday and I won $60 with a few of them.

At any rate, it was an interesting experience. Apparently they are called a "stick" by those in the business and they come in 21ft lengths, so they cut one in half (1/2 a stick) and loaded it into my pickup.

It is 3 1/2" OD and 3" ID by 10 1/2 ft long. I dug a 3ft hole with it wider at the bottom and placed 3 flat old small concrete chunks in the bottom to support the bottom of my pipe. I use two 2x4's at right angles to each other with two small magnetic torpedo levels to ensure it is perfectly vertical. At the end of the 2x4 I use one standard concrete form stake nailed to the 2x4 and driven into the ground. On the pipe I only use DUCT tape to hold it steady. One ft from the bottom of the pipe I had a friend weld a small steel flat bar about 10" long to keep it from twisting later. The top of the pipe is now 7 1/2 ft above the ground.

I used 3 bags of concrete and it is solid as a rock. It has rained here almost every day since, and I have water coming from every where above me, so I have since removed the 2x4's, but it is too wet to even mow the lawn yet.

Currently working on the actuator and the polar mount, since I more or less am done with the refurbishing of the dish itself. The dish is only a 5ft metal formed over a steel frame. The original name was ECHOSTAR. A lot of work for a little 5ft dish....

 

[Corrado]

Thanks for the pics T4Runner, keep us posted on the progress.

I like the service platform on your setup articracer.

 

[primestar31]

Well, I finally bit the bullet and bought 3" schedule 40 steel pipe at my local pipe distributer. The cost with California sales tax wa $80, but I only paid $20 out of my own pocket... My sister-in-law gave mea handfull of 'scratchers' for my birthday and I won $60 with a few of them.

At any rate, it was an interesting experience. Apparently they are called a "stick" by those in the business and they come in 21ft lengths, so they cut one in half (1/2 a stick) and loaded it into my pickup.

It is 3 1/2" OD and 3" ID by 10 1/2 ft long. I dug a 3ft hole with it wider at the bottom and placed 3 flat old small concrete chunks in the bottom to support the bottom of my pipe. I use two 2x4's at right angles to each other with two small magnetic torpedo levels to ensure it is perfectly vertical. At the end of the 2x4 I use one standard concrete form stake nailed to the 2x4 and driven into the ground. On the pipe I only use DUCT tape to hold it steady. One ft from the bottom of the pipe I had a friend weld a small steel flat bar about 10" long to keep it from twisting later. The top of the pipe is now 7 1/2 ft above the ground.

I used 3 bags of concrete and it is solid as a rock. It has rained here almost every day since, and I have water coming from every where above me, so I have since removed the 2x4's, but it is too wet to even mow the lawn yet.

Currently working on the actuator and the polar mount, since I more or less am done with the refurbishing of the dish itself. The dish is only a 5ft metal formed over a steel frame. The original name was ECHOSTAR. A lot of work for a little 5ft dish....

The only change I would have suggested to what you already did, was to "mound up/round the top" of the concrete slightly above ground. That way, you keep rain water from pooling right there, and soaking and continually softening the ground immediately right around the cement.

It's all work well worth doing, and doing a bit of over-kill. You'd be amazed just how much of a wind load even a 5 foot dish can support, and still twist, bend over, or torque the pole.

 

[T4Runner]

The only change I would have suggested to what you already did, was to "mound up/round the top" of the concrete slightly above ground. That way, you keep rain water from pooling right there, and soaking and continually softening the ground immediately right around the cement.

It's all work well worth doing, and doing a bit of over-kill. You'd be amazed just how much of a wind load even a 5 foot dish can support, and still twist, bend over, or torque the pole.

Do you think it is still advisable to form a small 2ft or 3ft 2x4 thick base around the pipe? or would that not be worth the effort at this late point?