Noob mounting slimline on a pole

[drmike]

Noob here needing advice. I want to upgrade to HD but after researching it appears it is going to be a bit of a hassle. The slimline will not fit on the trim on the side of the roof where my oval dish is now. I intended to place it on a pole below its current location until I realized that the dish and coax have never been grounded. The dish is on the opposite end of the house as the ground rod to the main power entrance of my house and there is nothing nearby to ground to.
I can relocate the dish and rewire it into the house 25 ft from the ground rod. My fear it that direct will charge me out the a$$ to set the post and run 4 new lines. I could mount the post myself but I cannot find the correct pole. I have read that the post should be 2" OD. Lowes steel fence posts are either 1 5/8" OD or 2 3/8". The metal conduit poles are either 1 3/4" OD or 2 1/4". I am not sure what to use. Also should I try to find the double braided RG6 coax like direct uses or let them run it (if so where do I get it?) I want to save some cash since I will be upgrading all of my AV equipment as well. Direct seems to be great to new customers but treats their own like a stepchild. Help is appreciated.

 

[raoul5788]

Noob here needing advice. I want to upgrade to HD but after researching it appears it is going to be a bit of a hassle. The slimline will not fit on the trim on the side of the roof where my oval dish is now. I intended to place it on a pole below its current location until I realized that the dish and coax have never been grounded. The dish is on the opposite end of the house as the ground rod to the main power entrance of my house and there is nothing nearby to ground to.
I can relocate the dish and rewire it into the house 25 ft from the ground rod. My fear it that direct will charge me out the a$$ to set the post and run 4 new lines. I could mount the post myself but I cannot find the correct pole. I have read that the post should be 2" OD. Lowes steel fence posts are either 1 5/8" OD or 2 3/8". The metal conduit poles are either 1 3/4" OD or 2 1/4". I am not sure what to use. Also should I try to find the double braided RG6 coax like direct uses or let them run it (if so where do I get it?) I want to save some cash since I will be upgrading all of my AV equipment as well. Direct seems to be great to new customers but treats their own like a stepchild. Help is appreciated.

You can get a 2" pole from a fence company. Be advised it is slightly smaller than 2", so you may need to add some flashing to make it big enough. Get the heavier duty pole if you can. Coax cable is available many places. Home Depot or Lowes probably has what you need. If not, try Solid Signal on line.

 

[JustanOldfart]

The 1.5" rigid electrical conduit at Lowes is about 1.9" OD and is heavy duty. Wrap it with a sleeve of .035" flashing and it's almost a perfect 2". Set it in the ground with 2 or three bags of concrete and put a bolt thru the bottom of the pole to keep it from twisting. My old AT9 dish is installed that way and has been going strong for three years.

 

[Joe Diamond]

You may be able to get the pole done for free. The HSPs (Home Service Providers) are in kiss ass mode because Directv is finally getting rid of them. If you have a Line of Sight (LOS) for the dish in the correct position for grounding but with the pole insist...as you order the upgrade...that the installation be grounded as it should have been. The HSP tech will probably go along.

Should ( let's hope) be free.

Joe

 

[drmike]

The 1.5" rigid electrical conduit at Lowes is about 1.9" OD and is heavy duty. Wrap it with a sleeve of .035" flashing and it's almost a perfect 2". Set it in the ground with 2 or three bags of concrete and put a bolt thru the bottom of the pole to keep it from twisting. My old AT9 dish is installed that way and has been going strong for three years.

Are you talking about the real thick 1 1/2" conduit in 10 ft lenghts that is threaded and/capped on both ends? If so how in the world did you cut it, sawsall?

 

[drmike]

You may be able to get the pole done for free. The HSPs (Home Service Providers) are in kiss ass mode because Directv is finally getting rid of them. If you have a Line of Sight (LOS) for the dish in the correct position for grounding but with the pole insist...as you order the upgrade...that the installation be grounded as it should have been. The HSP tech will probably go along.

Should ( let's hope) be free.

Joe

I called direct and they said $75 for the post and wiring is up to the discretion of the installer. I don't like the sound of that.

 

[raoul5788]

Are you talking about the real thick 1 1/2" conduit in 10 ft lenghts that is threaded and/capped on both ends? If so how in the world did you cut it, sawsall?

Sure, if you need to. That should do the trick!

 

[raoul5788]

I called direct and they said $75 for the post and wiring is up to the discretion of the installer. I don't like the sound of that.

That's pretty much the going rate for a pole install. Unless it is necessary for line of sight, you have to pay for it. It's not that hard to do yourself if you are at all handy.

 

[drmike]

Anybody know what the going rate is to run 2 double coax through a house? I would guess one of them 50ft, the other about 125 ft. Thanks for all of your help.

By the way is it safe to assume that the conduit with OD of 2 3/16 is too large?

 

[wildbill129]

You can buy a pole here:

6ft Galvanized Ground Mast for SuperDISH - Skywalker - SKY5999 -


I know Joe will argue with me, but grounding of satellite dishes is very controversial. It provides no lightening protection, but it is good for static discharge. My system wasn't grounded for years, and we have a lot of lightening here. I never had an issue.

With that being said, I would attempt to get it grounded with your pole mount, but I wouldn't move my dish to the other side of the house to do it either. It will be in the ground, and electricity will choose the shortest path to ground, your pole will be that. Yes, technically the NEC requires that pole to be tied to the house bond. So, if it really concerns you, there are some options.

If all your water lines are copper, find a hose bib near your pole mount, put on a ground clamp, and your done. Cold water pipes are tied to the house bond. They work fine and are an approved ground with the NEC. Do you have an A/C unit on that side of the house with a sub panel? You can ground it there.

Your other option is burying a ground wire and running it all the way to your main ground rod or panel. Although a #6 wire that long won't be cheap.

 

[Joe Diamond]

You can buy a pole here:

6ft Galvanized Ground Mast for SuperDISH - Skywalker - SKY5999 -


I know Joe will argue with me, but grounding of satellite dishes is very controversial. It provides no lightening protection, but it is good for static discharge. My system wasn't grounded for years, and we have a lot of lightening here. I never had an issue.

With that being said, I would attempt to get it grounded with your pole mount, but I wouldn't move my dish to the other side of the house to do it either. It will be in the ground, and electricity will choose the shortest path to ground, your pole will be that. Yes, technically the NEC requires that pole to be tied to the house bond. So, if it really concerns you, there are some options.

If all your water lines are copper, find a hose bib near your pole mount, put on a ground clamp, and your done. Cold water pipes are tied to the house bond. They work fine and are an approved ground with the NEC. Do you have an A/C unit on that side of the house with a sub panel? You can ground it there.

Your other option is burying a ground wire and running it all the way to your main ground rod or panel. Although a #6 wire that long won't be cheap.

The grounding thing is what it is............and NOT lightning protection. But it is on the list of things included in the FREE basic installation. HSPs use it as an excuse to back charge techs. But since it is in the electrical code it can be a pretense to get a FREE pole. This puts an HSP in the position of refusing to ground the system they are working on OR putting in a pole.

The larger Ka/Ku mast may not fit in the current dish location.

Just playing the game,

Joe

 

[JustanOldfart]

Are you talking about the real thick 1 1/2" conduit in 10 ft lenghts that is threaded and/capped on both ends? If so how in the world did you cut it, sawsall?

Yes it is referred to as rigid conduit as opposed to EMT (electrical metallic tubing) or IMC (intermediate metallic conduit). It was a 10' length, threaded, but not capped. Just used a hacksaw to cut it off to 8'. 3' in the ground and 5' above ground.

 

[jdspencer]

When I relocated my dish away from the electrical ground a couple of years ago, I just put a grounding rod in the ground and used that for the dish.

 

[Joe Diamond]

When I relocated my dish away from the electrical ground a couple of years ago, I just put a grounding rod in the ground and used that for the dish.

What, without back bonding...shame!

You will be fine now that you have acknowledged your action before the whole world.

Joe

 

[drmike]

Thanks guys, I think I will start with the complaint of not being grounded and see what that gets me at their expense. It's not like they have not gotten enough of my $ the last 10 yrs.

 

[raoul5788]

Yes it is referred to as rigid conduit as opposed to EMT (electrical metallic tubing) or IMC (intermediate metallic conduit). It was a 10' length, threaded, but not capped. Just used a hacksaw to cut it off to 8'. 3' in the ground and 5' above ground.

In MS where the op is, three feet is fine, but up here in CT, you better go four. The frost line is 42" at my house.