no pole, no roof..help!

[purplepolo]

First of all, let me thank everyone here for all the great input and information, I've been searching these forums for an answer to my problem and I have a lot of ideas, but I didn't come anything exactly like what I'm facing.

My installation was originally scheduled for last Wednesday. The technician informed me that mounting the dish anywhere on the house was impossible because of large trees blocking the line of sight. He suggested mounting a pole in an area of the back yard with a clearer view. I agreed and we rescheduled for this Tuesday, July 10th.

Unfortunately I rent, and the landlord said he didn't want a pole and concrete in the back yard.

Here's my question --

would it be possible to use a non penetrating roof mount to mount the dish where the pole would have been in the back yard? Obviously they are designed to be placed on a flat roof, but it feels putting that on the flat ground in my back yard and really weighing it down is my only option.

if anyone has another idea that I haven't thought of yet, I'd love to hear it!

 

[Frank Jr.]

You can get a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with cement with a pole. Make sure the pole is plumb. I don't recommend this on the ground because it is very hard to align the dish. Bucket teeders. But may be worth a try. The bucket method is used in apartments on balconies that complexes do not allow any permenant mounting. It works on a flat hard surface.

 

[RedWings]

Frank Jr. hit the nail on the head, but I modified that option a little.

I picked up a square planter from home depot and a 4x4. Mounted the 4x4 in the planter with a 4x4 so the planter was filled about 80%. This is about 1 bag of quickrete. After that set overnight, I used mounted the dish. Then I filled the other 20% of the planter up with soil and planted some nice plants in it.

aesthetically, it looks a lot better than just a pole inside a bucket w/concrete.

 

[purplepolo]

Frank Jr. hit the nail on the head, but I modified that option a little.

I picked up a square planter from home depot and a 4x4. Mounted the 4x4 in the planter with a 4x4 so the planter was filled about 80%. This is about 1 bag of quickrete. After that set overnight, I used mounted the dish. Then I filled the other 20% of the planter up with soil and planted some nice plants in it.

aesthetically, it looks a lot better than just a pole inside a bucket w/concrete.

this sounds like the best idea so far. how's performance? do you ever have to re-point it after a windy day or anything like that?

 

[RedWings]

this sounds like the best idea so far. how's performance? do you ever have to re-point it after a windy day or anything like that?

I used this setup on my balcony of my condo. So it was right up against my exterior wall and away from many of the high winds. When I did move the setup to my GF's backyard, we had some pretty high winds one day and id did get blown over. My dish is now mounted to our new deck.

If I were to do it over again, i'd probably get something with a larger base so its not so top heavy. I think the planter I used was 16" x 16" square and didn't have a flat bottom. It had 4 small legs.

Another option is to get a post anchor and mount a 4x4 to it. Below are a few examples:

Mailbox Post Ground Screw

Sell Post Anchor (Qingdao D&L Group Ltd.,China)


EDIT: This is almost identical to the planter I used. but it was off-white.

EDIT #2: Have you considered a tripod?

 

[purplepolo]

awesome, thanks redwings. those look promising too..

i guess i don't mind repositioning it the once or twice a year it blows hard here. I could also put it right next to the fence in the back yard, to hopefully cut back on the wind and give me an extra few degrees of clearance over some low neighbor trees.


edit: tripod seems like a great idea to me--quick, easy and no permanent scar on the property. i imagine wind would be more of an issue though-- is there any way to anchor the legs?

 

[Two Good]

Swing set auger anchors should work. A set of four is under twenty bucks.

 

[dishcomm]

First of all, let me thank everyone here for all the great input and information, I've been searching these forums for an answer to my problem and I have a lot of ideas, but I didn't come anything exactly like what I'm facing.

My installation was originally scheduled for last Wednesday. The technician informed me that mounting the dish anywhere on the house was impossible because of large trees blocking the line of sight. He suggested mounting a pole in an area of the back yard with a clearer view. I agreed and we rescheduled for this Tuesday, July 10th.

Unfortunately I rent, and the landlord said he didn't want a pole and concrete in the back yard.

Here's my question --

would it be possible to use a non penetrating roof mount to mount the dish where the pole would have been in the back yard? Obviously they are designed to be placed on a flat roof, but it feels putting that on the flat ground in my back yard and really weighing it down is my only option.

if anyone has another idea that I haven't thought of yet, I'd love to hear it!

Sure..A non-pen roof mount(sled mount) can be used on the ground..Weigh it down with 6-8 4x8 cinder blocks..Make sure the dish is high enough off the ground to "see" over the trees...If needed, use shims to level the sled mount to ease plumbing of mast...

 

[Claude Greiner]

Your land lord sounds like a moran!

Seriously, I could see not wanting it on the house, but a pole and cement does absolutly no damage to his property!

 

[skysurfer]

Your land lord sounds like a moran!

Seriously, I could see not wanting it on the house, but a pole and cement does absolutly no damage to his property!

try digging out of the ground a pole in cement when the renter leaves! plus, you have to fill in the whole with dirt and make it solid enough to walk on or not trip due to uneven ground.

 

[boomerang]

Do you think he would object to just a pole with no concrete?

Although other may not condone it, I have a pole with about 5 feet in the ground and about six sticking out with no concrete.

I've been with dish for about six or seven years and my signal strength is as good today as it was when installed. In my case I think that it's pounded in below the frost line that makes the difference.

 

[RedWings]

try digging out of the ground a pole in cement when the renter leaves! plus, you have to fill in the whole with dirt and make it solid enough to walk on or not trip due to uneven ground.

I'm a landlord myself. And if someone wanted to mount a pole in concrete in the ground, i'd just type up a quick agreement that he would have to remove said pole/concrete and return the land to its original state when the lease expires.

Simple solution.

I'd rather keep a tenant happy over such a minor modification.

 

[dishcomm]

Your land lord sounds like a moran!

Seriously, I could see not wanting it on the house, but a pole and cement does absolutly no damage to his property!

I was going to comment on that..Seems like the guy just does not want his tennant to enjoy satellite programming...he's a prick..But in all fairness, is it his property. And he has absolute authority over that property within the bounds of law.

 

[Hall]

Your land lord sounds like a moran!

Seriously, I could see not wanting it on the house, but a pole and cement does absolutly no damage to his property!

No, his landlord sounds like he owns the property. Have you ever removed a pole mounted in cement that's buried ?? Oh, I'm sure you have.... and it was simple.... I did it once and it wasn't fun. I have to admit, the installer did a FINE job as it was a properly deep hole, below the frost line, as was the cement. I had to dig a hole around the cement thinking I could rock it loose then pick it up. Well, it was too heavy for me. Next I had to break the cement with a hammer (remember, the cement was 2-3' below the surface so a sledge wouldn't reach) and take the pieces out by hand.

 

[purplepolo]

just got back from home depot with one of these babies --

if it doesn't work for whatever reason, ill take the anchor back and pick up a bucket and some cement. thanks again for all the help guys


edit: oh, and as far as my landlord goes, he IS a prick, but luckily we never see him...

 

[papalittle]

Why not use a pole and concrete but leave the concrete 6 or so inches under the surface of the ground. when time to move just dig down to the concrete and cut the pole off with a saw and bury the hole back up? if worried about rust eating the pole away use a little roofing tar or such around the pole that is exposed to the dirt.

 

[dishdude]

No, his landlord sounds like he owns the property. Have you ever removed a pole mounted in cement that's buried ?? Oh, I'm sure you have.... and it was simple.... I did it once and it wasn't fun. I have to admit, the installer did a FINE job as it was a properly deep hole, below the frost line, as was the cement. I had to dig a hole around the cement thinking I could rock it loose then pick it up. Well, it was too heavy for me. Next I had to break the cement with a hammer (remember, the cement was 2-3' below the surface so a sledge wouldn't reach) and take the pieces out by hand.

I'm with Claude, landlord sounds like a moron. Draw up an addendum to the lease that states the renter must remove it when he leaves. If the renter fails to do so, labor to remove it come out of his deposit.

 

[Hall]

But it's doing no harm, I thought.... Why have to remove it then ??

 

[RedWings]

But it's doing no harm, I thought.... Why have to remove it then ??

Harming the property and making modifications are two different things. Harming would be cutting down a nice tree in the yard. It can never be replaced (Unless you pay a few grand for a transplant of a tree the same size).

Planting a pole in the ground (cement secured) is simply a modification that the renter will agree to return to its original state.

No harm no foul.

 

[Hall]

I don't disagree that removing it from the ground later will do no harm. I can just see that the OP moves out in August and has to dig this pole and cement out of the ground. Nice, hot and humid day and that job will be NO fun.

Before declaring the landlord a "moron" or anything, who's to say he wouldn't agree to an added clause in the lease ? What would be a reasonable $ amount to charge if the tenant fails to remove it ? I'm guessing there'd be no agreement on that.... Whatever the landlord says, it will be too much.