Installing dish anywhere but roof..

[Jimbo]

Yours is a rare occurrence. I'm not saying whether the above methods are going to work or not. Merely stating that if a QC guy follows behind on a service such as yours, and finds a tinfoil shimmed pole, that can and will result in a failure. Furthermore, will force a return trip to "fix" things.

Do I agree with that? Absolutely not. A lot of custom and non-spec installs seem to be better than what was originally intended by Direct engineering. I liken it to Ford requiring ONLY Motorcraft oil being used, when a lot of the aftermarket stuff is not only cheaper, but better.

From the poles I have seen the D* and E* guys install, they are NOT very thick and would lead me to believe that they would get more returns from poles bending some over the load of the typical wind on the Slimline dishes.
I will never have that issue with mine.

 

[spaceghost]

It all depends on the installer. As a sub/tech, I had to pay for the pole, so getting a free pole out of me was not an easy task. I'd let a pole go at cost if you had the hole dug and trenched and had everything ready for me.
You're likely to get an HSP tech and all their equipment is given to them. Have the hole dug and trenched. Have your equipment hooked up to the tv's. If cable needs to be ran, make everything easy as possible, including having the holes drilled. Once the tech arrives, show him what all you have done and offer to do the dirty work of running the cable, then ask him if he doesn't mind doing the pole mount at no cost...or if he pays for equipment, at his cost (no more than $15).
If he declines, make his potential 1 hour job turn into a 3 hour job.

 

[Jimbo]

It all depends on the installer. As a sub/tech, I had to pay for the pole, so getting a free pole out of me was not an easy task. I'd let a pole go at cost if you had the hole dug and trenched and had everything ready for me.
You're likely to get an HSP tech and all their equipment is given to them. Have the hole dug and trenched. Have your equipment hooked up to the tv's. If cable needs to be ran, make everything easy as possible, including having the holes drilled. Once the tech arrives, show him what all you have done and offer to do the dirty work of running the cable, then ask him if he doesn't mind doing the pole mount at no cost...or if he pays for equipment, at his cost (no more than $15).
If he declines, make his potential 1 hour job turn into a 3 hour job.

At this point you may as well have done the install yourself.

 

[raoul5788]

At this point you may as well have done the install yourself.

Except for pouring the Quikrete and plumbing the pole, there isn't much left. Oh yeah, aligning the dish, which the installer has to do anyway!

 

[yourbeliefs]

That's exactly what I did. I think the fence posts are actually 1.9".

Can you post a picture of your setup so I can get an idea of what you did?

 

[raoul5788]

Sure, here you go. This is before I switched out to the Slimline.

 

[bayoubrut]

Wow! That babies really up there....haha That has to sway with a little wind. Our poles are 6ft long with three feet in the ground. If you dont feel like cementing it there is another option. You can use an old footing from an old mount and fasten it to the bottom of the pole with 2 screws. I doubt you have any footings laying around but that is an option. I sometimes use this method when I run out of cement.


btw: if you decide to mount the pole yourself dont forget to flatten the bottom of the pole to prevent it from turning.

 

[Jimbo]

Wow! That babies really up there....haha That has to sway with a little wind. Our poles are 6ft long with three feet in the ground. If you dont feel like cementing it there is another option. You can use an old footing from an old mount and fasten it to the bottom of the pole with 2 screws. I doubt you have any footings laying around but that is an option. I sometimes use this method when I run out of cement.


btw: if you decide to mount the pole yourself dont forget to flatten the bottom of the pole to prevent it from turning.

I'll have to post my photo sometime, I used a 16' Galvanized pole from a fence company, clears my flat roof by about 3-4 ft.
Supported at the roof.

Btw, you can shake the pole quite a bit and not loose signal. (Chip's post)

 

[raoul5788]

Wow! That babies really up there....haha That has to sway with a little wind. Our poles are 6ft long with three feet in the ground. If you dont feel like cementing it there is another option. You can use an old footing from an old mount and fasten it to the bottom of the pole with 2 screws. I doubt you have any footings laying around but that is an option. I sometimes use this method when I run out of cement.


btw: if you decide to mount the pole yourself dont forget to flatten the bottom of the pole to prevent it from turning.

I did the install myself. It's a 12 ft pole with about 3.5 ft in the ground. I used two 50# bags of Quikrete, and there is a thru bolt in the bottom. I have NEVER lost reception in any wind, and that includes wind gusts up to 70 mph. It's been there for over four years. Any other comments?

 

[Liquidforce88]

Wow! That babies really up there....haha That has to sway with a little wind. Our poles are 6ft long with three feet in the ground. If you dont feel like cementing it there is another option. You can use an old footing from an old mount and fasten it to the bottom of the pole with 2 screws. I doubt you have any footings laying around but that is an option. I sometimes use this method when I run out of cement.


btw: if you decide to mount the pole yourself dont forget to flatten the bottom of the pole to prevent it from turning.

Oh yes the old selftap the foot mont to a pole. The worst offender to poles that have to be redone. Please Please PLEASE stop doing that.

 

[bayoubrut]

Oh yes the old selftap the foot mont to a pole. The worst offender to poles that have to be redone. Please Please PLEASE stop doing that.

If done right they dont have to be redone......

 

[bayoubrut]

I did the install myself. It's a 12 ft pole with about 3.5 ft in the ground. I used two 50# bags of Quikrete, and there is a thru bolt in the bottom. I have NEVER lost reception in any wind, and that includes wind gusts up to 70 mph. It's been there for over four years. Any other comments?

Since your going to get pissy about it then no. I cant tell what your line of sight looks like so I cant tell if the 16 footer was necessary....I'm sure it was.

 

[raoul5788]

Since your going to get pissy about it then no. I cant tell what your line of sight looks like so I cant tell if the 16 footer was necessary....I'm sure it was.

Pissy? Sure. You make snide comments on my install that you know nothing of, you are going to get attitude from me. If you act like an adult you will get respect. Of course I needed the height because of los reasons. It wasn't a 16 ft pole, it was 12. Can you read? There is about 8.5 ft above ground.

 

[bayoubrut]

Pissy? Sure. You make snide comments on my install that you know nothing of, you are going to get attitude from me. If you act like an adult you will get respect. Of course I needed the height because of los reasons. It wasn't a 16 ft pole, it was 12. Can you read? There is about 8.5 ft above ground.

I'm hearing that maybe you are a little too uptight. I said that it must sway with wind, you said it has NEVER EVER EVER lost a signal. 70 mph winds?? OK maybe a newbie will believe that but I know better. I guess you have a slimline dish 8.5 ft on top of pole with no sway? You know what, your right, I should never doubt an expert on pole mounts like yourself. The PMS in this place has gotten outta control. Sorry to OP for getting thread hijacked

 

[Jimbo]

I'm hearing that maybe you are a little too uptight. I said that it must sway with wind, you said it has NEVER EVER EVER lost a signal. 70 mph winds?? OK maybe a newbie will believe that but I know better. I guess you have a slimline dish 8.5 ft on top of pole with no sway? You know what, your right, I should never doubt an expert on pole mounts like yourself. The PMS in this place has gotten outta control. Sorry to OP for getting thread hijacked

Just because the pole can sway in the wind doesn't mean you lose signal ....

I'm using a 16' pole supported at the roof, 4 ft over the roof .... I can move the pole as much as I can , shake it whatever and never loose signal inside.
I know because I have tried just that to find out.

 

[Jimbo]

Wow! That babies really up there....haha That has to sway with a little wind. Our poles are 6ft long with three feet in the ground. If you dont feel like cementing it there is another option. You can use an old footing from an old mount and fasten it to the bottom of the pole with 2 screws. I doubt you have any footings laying around but that is an option. I sometimes use this method when I run out of cement.


btw: if you decide to mount the pole yourself dont forget to flatten the bottom of the pole to prevent it from turning.

IF you tried this at my house, I would assist you to the driveway and you would never come back.

 

[raoul5788]

I'm hearing that maybe you are a little too uptight. I said that it must sway with wind, you said it has NEVER EVER EVER lost a signal. 70 mph winds?? OK maybe a newbie will believe that but I know better. I guess you have a slimline dish 8.5 ft on top of pole with no sway? You know what, your right, I should never doubt an expert on pole mounts like yourself. The PMS in this place has gotten outta control. Sorry to OP for getting thread hijacked

You are a newbie. Enough said!

 

[yourbeliefs]

Update: I talked to the landlord (AKA my Dad) and he informed me that the problems on the roof were isolated to only the flat roof above the entrance way, meaning that he has no issue with me doing a regular roof install anywhere BUT there. I think I am going to go that route as a result. Thanks for all the info everyone..

and please stop fighting! If the setup works then it is correct. End of story. YMMV

 

[bayoubrut]

I'd rather that you did ask me to leave because I'd never use a 16ft pole......besides if it is supported at the roof with only 4ft past the roof then it is a little different then just sticking a 12ft pole in the ground....

 

[Jimbo]

I'd rather that you did ask me to leave because I'd never use a 16ft pole......besides if it is supported at the roof with only 4ft past the roof then it is a little different then just sticking a 12ft pole in the ground....

Agreed.
Of course, I would never expect a D* contractor or otherwise to install a pole of that length.
Can't imagine what they would charge for THAT install.

I know what it cost me for everything, it was under $ 50 plus my time of course.

I also placed it where I have a flat roof to work off of ....AND it's not seen at the street !