Mounting the SuperDish
- Thread starter mlinuxg
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The pole mounting is always preferred, if done right. I would not recommend mounting the larger dish on a roof or even on the side of a bilding, unless there is no other alternative.
I've mounted hundreds of dishes on roofs, but for me, I prefer the ground pole for my own installation.
I've mounted hundreds of dishes on roofs, but for me, I prefer the ground pole for my own installation.
You have easier access to the dish when it is on the ground vs. the roof. It would suck to have to go on the roof to get the ice and snow off your dish in the winter or to repair it if needed.
Because of my situation living in a second story condo, I have my dish just mounted straight on the floor of my wood deck pointing through the grating of my railing. Never had a problem with it and don't need to deal with snow on it since the deck is covered. In fact, it usually doesn't even get wet when it's raining.
I hope the SuperDish will be able to mount alright the same way and pull and acceptable signal.
I hope the SuperDish will be able to mount alright the same way and pull and acceptable signal.
It will require a different mast which should come with the SuperDish because the dish is bigger requiring a bigger mast to support it . If the current setup works now then the SuperDish will more than likely work as well in the same location.
Thanks for the replies guys. Well, except the dog comment. 
I need to mount the dish on the side of my house because my home is surrounded by trees. I still have access to the dish via my deck, which comes in handy when we get heavy wet snow.
The only way for me to get a good signal was to mount the dish on the side of my house. Mounting it on a short pole simply won't work for me. In fact, I have only seen a few dishes that were installed using a pole or post mount. The vast majority of the installations that I have seen are roof or on the side of the house. I hope the increased weight of the SuperDish won't be an issue.
I need to mount the dish on the side of my house because my home is surrounded by trees. I still have access to the dish via my deck, which comes in handy when we get heavy wet snow.
The only way for me to get a good signal was to mount the dish on the side of my house. Mounting it on a short pole simply won't work for me. In fact, I have only seen a few dishes that were installed using a pole or post mount. The vast majority of the installations that I have seen are roof or on the side of the house. I hope the increased weight of the SuperDish won't be an issue.
I wonder how much additional weight the dish really has considering it will probably be made out of a fiberglass/plastic type of material. Another problem is the increased surface area in which will collect more wind in which makes it more prone to damage.
Stargazer said:
It has to be reflective at microwave (i.e. Ka and Ku frequencies). So the reflector surface at least has to be metalized. Also, the reflector is physically larger, and the LNB arm has to be significantly stronger, because it has to support (guessing conservatively) almost twice as much weight.
I am beginning to wonder if weight is the big problem that is scaring Dish into not allowing self installs.
The weight is not going to be an issue with SuperDISH. The larger dish is going to catch more wind and therefore transfer more force to whatever surface or object it is mounted. The increase in these forces is why it has a beefed up pipe, mount, etc. For this same reason, it will be even more important to mount the dish solidly. The dish itself will not be more prone to damage, but it will be more prone to damage whatever it is attached to in a high wind situation.
Most likely the reason DISH is leaning toward professional installation is simply the increased complication of aiming at three targets.
Most likely the reason DISH is leaning toward professional installation is simply the increased complication of aiming at three targets.
Tim Hanthorn said:
I keep hearing this from people, and I just do not see any reason to believe it.
If the mockup SuperDish accurately reflects the final manufactured design, there is NO independent adjustment between the LNBs. They are all rigidly fixed to the LNB support. If that is the case, the setup is no more complicated than the 2 LNB Dish 500.....
You are absolutely right about that!
In fact I think it will be a very similar installation to the StarBand antenna with the DISH LNB's. The easiest way to aim that configuration is to make sure everything is plumb and the elevation and skew are set correctly, then find the Echostar birds. You are guaranteed to be on the StarBand satellite if everything is set up correctly, with only minor tweaking required to optimize the StarBand signal.
So, my conclusion is it's not hard - it's just a little more complicated. DISH has to gear any consumer self-installation policies to the lowest common denominator of ability in the general population. Probably anyone on this board would not have any trouble with it, but the great majority out there are not technically oriented.
Just my $.02 worth.
Tim
In fact I think it will be a very similar installation to the StarBand antenna with the DISH LNB's. The easiest way to aim that configuration is to make sure everything is plumb and the elevation and skew are set correctly, then find the Echostar birds. You are guaranteed to be on the StarBand satellite if everything is set up correctly, with only minor tweaking required to optimize the StarBand signal.
So, my conclusion is it's not hard - it's just a little more complicated. DISH has to gear any consumer self-installation policies to the lowest common denominator of ability in the general population. Probably anyone on this board would not have any trouble with it, but the great majority out there are not technically oriented.
Just my $.02 worth.
Tim
Another consideration here is that SuperDISH is going to come in 2 flavors - one will have the third LNB looking at 105, the other will have it looking at 121 depending on the programming choice. (HD & locals at 105, international programming at 121, I think) That will neccesitate a means of adjusting the location of the third LNB.
Just one more complication.
Tim
Just one more complication.
Tim
Tim Hanthorn said:
I have the impression that the UberDish will actually be manufactured as either a 105 or a 121. So you will get either one or the other and it will not be switchable. (Note the spacing between 110 and 105 is different than the spacing between 119 and 121....)
If you tune in 110 and 119 105 should come right in as well if the skew is correct. When one comes in the rest follow.
If this dish has to require metal to reflect the signal then it seems as if the Primestar dishes along with other dishes that are made out of plastic/fiberglass will not work for the 105 or 121 satellites.
I thought the Primestar lnbf's uses the same frequency that is going to be used for 105 and the Primestar dishes use plastic/fiberglass material.
If this dish has to require metal to reflect the signal then it seems as if the Primestar dishes along with other dishes that are made out of plastic/fiberglass will not work for the 105 or 121 satellites.
I thought the Primestar lnbf's uses the same frequency that is going to be used for 105 and the Primestar dishes use plastic/fiberglass material.
