Mounting Brace Size?

[Damon85]

Hello, I'm looking into getting DirecTV since cable isn't available here and broadcast is going to pot with signal degradation lately... the only problem is there are so many trees around the house, I can't seem to locate a place which seems suitable to mount the triple-LNB dish.

Can these dishes (with extra hardware) be mounted to a post placed in an open area of the yard? This place has a rather clear view of the Southeastern/Southern/Southwestern sky itself, over the trees farther away since it's on a hill. The DirecTV site says Elevation is 43.6 and Azimuth is 206.4... how does this translate into a directional? To my main question... I would need to know what size post to install so that the mounting brace fits onto it securely... so how large is it if anyone knows? I was thinking a 6"x6"x12' post might be best anyway, since it'd move less in the wind. It also looks like the cable might have to be buried in the yard, so there went the basic installation and I'm not sure I'd want to pay for professional install involving the light digging, post setting, etc. etc.

Any info you can provide would be great, thanks.

 

[Mike500]

1-5/8 inches in dameter.

A ground pole would be fine.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=67513&highlight=pole

The guy is installing a fta pole, but the technique is the same.

 

[Damon85]

Actually I think I may have located a suitable place on the wall, but I'm not sure if the dish can be turned to such an angle. The wall itself is almost perpendicular to South (facing West). How far does the dish sit out from the wall and would it be able to turn far enough (without hitting the wall itself or the wall blocking the correct angling)? If so, then I could probably do professional installation and not have to worry about it... just don't want to order and have them arrive needing to do something that costs extra unexpectedly, etc.

 

[Rappy]

I would recommend a 1 1/4 inch inside diameter metal pipe

It has an outside diameter of 1 5/8 inches which would fit the dish. You wouldn't need the mounting bracket, but make sure the pipe is plumb. Two sacks of sakrete mortar mix in a hole should do the trick.

 

[Mike500]

Actually I think I may have located a suitable place on the wall, but I'm not sure if the dish can be turned to such an angle. The wall itself is almost perpendicular to South (facing West). How far does the dish sit out from the wall and would it be able to turn far enough (without hitting the wall itself or the wall blocking the correct angling)? If so, then I could probably do professional installation and not have to worry about it... just don't want to order and have them arrive needing to do something that costs extra unexpectedly, etc.

An 18 inch round dish will swing so that it it receiving a signal from a line of sight parallel of the siding of the house. A Phase III dish will not swing the full 90 degrees to each side of a perpendicular to the wall. I had a close call once, when I installed a Dish500. Fortunately, it was only about an inch more of swing needed, so I bent the edge of the dish pan's lip back with a Crescent and completed the install.

Beware, however, that the signal comes from 22 degrees higher than the arm's angle, and the signal might be blocked by the eave of the roof, if not mounted low enough.

It all depends on the skill of the installer. Some hacks will mount, take it off and remount again, leaving ugly holes everywhere. The saying that one should measure twice and cut once also holds true in this business.