Reception thru a window Dish 7200

slojim

Member
Original poster
Sep 8, 2003
12
0
Richland,Wa.
Anyone know how to set up my antenna to be mounted inside to shoot thru a window.
Seems like a few yrs back I read it was possible.
My new apt won't allow any hook-ups at all, and I don't have a balcony or patio to accomadate the antenna on the 3rd floor.
I do have a perfect shot of due south thru two windows.
Any help would be greatfully appreciated.

Slojim70@webtv.net
 
What about hooking up some sort of mount that mounts in the window frame, ya know, like a window airconditioner. The window could hold the mount in place, the dish would be outside the house, and still NOT attached to the house. Just an idea I had long ago that worked out ok for me.
 
Most apartments would not allow that as it extends beyond the apartment. Plus it would not be real safe.

If you have leaded windows it won't work. Most windows are leaded :(
 
Signal through glass.

I had my first 18" Dish 300 receiving 119 from behind a single non-coated pane sliding door for many years. The signal strength was in the mid to high 50s (northern CA). If I moved the fiberglass screen in front of it, the signal dropped below the threshold and I lost the picture. I had the standard mount screwed to a block of wood that was screwed to a piece of plywood. This served me well until I moved it out on to my C band pole for 148 and added a Dish 500.
 
slojim said:
Anyone know how to set up my antenna to be mounted inside to shoot thru a window.
Seems like a few yrs back I read it was possible.
My new apt won't allow any hook-ups at all, and I don't have a balcony or patio to accomadate the antenna on the 3rd floor.
I do have a perfect shot of due south thru two windows.
Any help would be greatfully appreciated.

Slojim70@webtv.net

Well when I worked in the TV shop our demo unit was aimed thru our front picture window and had signals in the 80's and 90's on 119. The mount we used was a small tripod and short mast.
 
More than likely you wont get a signal through the window. Tints and coatings on the window can block the signal. You could replace the glass with plexiglass, but your apartment place might not like that hehe.

This is how I had my apartment setup..

I bought some drawer sliders from home depot, the real heavy duty type, they also have to be long. I then attached 2 2x4s to make a frame across the sliders. I attached another 2x4 to the window sill to mount the sliders to the window. The dish mounted onto the 2x4 frame, and the sliders extended out the window. I could only get this to work with a dish 300, the 500 was too heavy when it was extended out the window and caused torsion on the sliders thus it would move in the slightest wind.

The dish 300 was set and aimed, so all I had to do was slide it out the window when I wanted to watch tv. the window shut enough (1.5" gap) that I used a piece of foam weatherstripping to seal the gap caused by the sliders.
 
You don't have to replace the glass if the window is big enough, just slide it open (if it's the sliding kind), and put your piece of plexi in its place.

From what I hear, what kills it is reflection, not necessarily the whole double pane glass thing.
 
If you take a 2x6, cut it to the correct width to fit into the sliding grooves of the window snugly (you may need to shim the ends to make it thick enough to be really snug), then take a couple deck screws and screw them on an angle through the tops of each side of the board towards the inside the sliding grooves, the thing will be rock solid.

PLUS, what landlord is going to check on the inside of the window sliding grooves for holes when it comes time to move? I did this at my last apartment with a DirecPC system (if you remember, those things were huge), and the landlord was perfectly fine with it because it wasn't attached to the house making holes from the outside in for the screws or cables. That's what they mostly worry about-holes in the walls or roof.

Look at it this way, if an a/c window unit can be supported by a window, then a dish certainly can be. It worked for me, it may or may not work for you.

Using this info is to do so at your own risk of course. Your mileage may vary. Your landlord may not be as nice as mine was. :D
 
Ive done it once, placed a dish 500 on the third floor of an old business pointing through an 80 year old window. Window down the signal was %79, window up it was %120, Im not sure if it was the type of glass panes or if the slats that held each pane that degraded the signal.

No one can be denied satellite per the fcc, there is a form that the fcc has that shows where and how a dish can be installed on any rental or lease property. This form works as a set of guidelines designed to protect the renter and the property owner.
 
Bad News you will probable not be able to shoot thur the glass. I have one customer had to move his dish off his balcony inside because of new apartment rules. So we aimed out the window if the window is closed signal in the 30's when its open 110. The Apartment complex he was in required a 2 million renters policy to keep a dish on the balcony ($850.00 a year) for this type of policy. The FCC is currently reviewing this policy but for now its legal.
 

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