I've been putting together the "Livingston Dish" and I'm planning the pole assembly. I'm using a 4 1/2" OD Well Casing. I have a 21' piece and plan on 6' in the concrete and concrete filled. There will be an anchor about 9' high to the house. This part is the subject of today's discussion. I drove around the neighborhood and looked at a lot of tall BUDs. They all used the same kind of idea for that mount. Most of them look like they have been redone at least once. This makes me think there may be a weak spot in the design here. I hope someone here has experience withtall BUDS and the problems they face. If I use this kind of design I don't want to cause serious roof damage.
Tall BUDs and pole stabilizers
- Thread starter Magic Static
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The only thing I could see by zooming in on the pix, is that some started out using deck screws into the house...
... and later put in lag bolts. Which they should have used in the first place!
I'd look around the forum, or other cities, or on the web to see more ideas.
As you say, these were all the same.
Plus, I'll bet these were all 3½ inch pipe... not the drill casing you're using.
And ... were they filled with concrete and rebar? I'd wager not.
... and later put in lag bolts. Which they should have used in the first place!
I'd look around the forum, or other cities, or on the web to see more ideas.
As you say, these were all the same.
Plus, I'll bet these were all 3½ inch pipe... not the drill casing you're using.
And ... were they filled with concrete and rebar? I'd wager not.
1) Your well pipe, do you know what gauge pipe it is? I'm also using 4 1/2" pipe on my 10 footer and it's not filled with concrete and it 7 1/2 feet of pipe above ground and it doesn't move at all. Is concrete inside pipe really needed that's questionable.
2) Unless you've got real sandy soil then I'd think going down 4' is all you'll need in the ground.The building point is going to take take the stress and if if fails the dish will most likes lean over or worst case come down.
3) So the main point of weakness is going to be the buildings bracket and that's where you need the best connection.I'd also use lag bolts and if possible long bolts with another steel plate inside or at less another board (2x10).with big washers.
Is there any chance you can find a place in your yard where you can have line of sight to the sats with a short pole. You will have quite a challenge working that dish into service so high up.
Concrete in the post needed only if you think automobiles will be banging into it, as in your pictures of dishes in parking lots. Don't forget you might want to take it down someday, hard to do if it's filled with concrete.
Concrete in the post needed only if you think automobiles will be banging into it, as in your pictures of dishes in parking lots. Don't forget you might want to take it down someday, hard to do if it's filled with concrete.
The well casing is schedule 40 pipe 1/4" wall. Schedule 80 is my first choice but $262 for the 21' stick and it weighs 300lbs. If I had done this a year ago I'd have put it down low and be moving it high this year because they built two story condos next door to me last year.(east side) My LOS is 55°W~177°W. So every thing I want is east of me. I have some real tall trees due south of me across the alley. Yeah I need to put it high up and get it right the the first time.
I figure to rent scafolding for the final assembly.
I figure to rent scafolding for the final assembly.
Make sure you get those lag bolts into the actual rafters rather than just the plate that is nailed onto the end of the rafters.
Mine is similar, except it is about six inches from the side of my house and goes through the eave. I started out with a 3 1/2 od pipe, thin walled for my first big dish. I was only able to go maybe 2 feet deep at the footing, but since there is a concrete sidewalk there, with the rebars bent in an L shape out the bottom, it is apparently enough. I did fill the pipe with concrete.
When I swapped out for the Birdview, I put the six inch od BV mast over the pipe I had up there, so it's 3 1/2 from the ground to the eave and six inches for the six and a half feet above the roof, I drilled and tapped the poles and put bolts in them to adjust the BV mast for plumb. Then I filled the BV with concrete too. Even though I didn't tighten the mount onto the mast too tight, the pipe never twisted, even in high wind
When I swapped out for the Birdview, I put the six inch od BV mast over the pipe I had up there, so it's 3 1/2 from the ground to the eave and six inches for the six and a half feet above the roof, I drilled and tapped the poles and put bolts in them to adjust the BV mast for plumb. Then I filled the BV with concrete too. Even though I didn't tighten the mount onto the mast too tight, the pipe never twisted, even in high wind
I have a very similar setup for my 10' mesh. I have 2 problems that I need to fix. I am not sure, because I have not investigated but either my pipe turned or the mount turned on the pipe in high wind. We had 65MPH winds about 2 weeks ago. The dish is turned about 1/4. I also have a problem that the dish sways in high wind. I think I have it 5 feet above the roof line. The last bracket is above the roof line. I think I need to bracket it again about 3 feet above the roof line in a V formation to the roof.
probably so, those tall poles are much harder to stabilize with high wind loads of a big dish. i bet it blows off ku signals rather quickly.
I don't know. As I stated, the 3 1/2 inch pipe that goes from the ground to five feet above my roof is filled with concrete. It never swayed much before I went with my Birdview. After I put the five foot section of Birdview (six inch OD) mast over the smaller pipe, and filled it with concrete, it wiggles less than before. I recall now the additional thing I did at the roof. I have concrete roof tiles, which you can take off and put back on pretty easily. When I put the 3 1/2 inch pipe through there, I had some one inch steel strap.I bent it into a "U" shape and used 3 sheet metal screws to go into the pole. Then I bent the ends of the "U" flat against the wood under the roof tiles and put some nails through 1/8 inch holes I drilled through the steel strap. I don't need any extra bracing above the roof line.
I do get wind in the canyon where I live, so after I got the dish where I wanted it, I marked it's location with a metal punch. Then I didn't tighten down too hard on the mount, so if the dish were to turn in the wind, it wouldn't twist everything to hell. Once in maybe four years it moved and that was in 60 MPH winds. When the winds died down I went up there and just lined up the punch marks again.
I do get wind in the canyon where I live, so after I got the dish where I wanted it, I marked it's location with a metal punch. Then I didn't tighten down too hard on the mount, so if the dish were to turn in the wind, it wouldn't twist everything to hell. Once in maybe four years it moved and that was in 60 MPH winds. When the winds died down I went up there and just lined up the punch marks again.
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