What are the advantages and disadvantages of a roof mouted motorized dish

[Titanium]

Add to the previous advice.... That tripod is usually used for quick temporary set-ups. Not solid enough for permanent and especially motorized systems.

 

[jmc98]

Why can't you make a permanent pole mount on the ground? I assume since you can drill holes in your roof that it is your property and not a rental.

It my parents house and the directv dish mount is already attached to the roof other than the roof mount idea I thought about a painters bucket full of concrete but read that wind would blow that over

 

[Cham]

Maybe bolt the mount to a large (cement) sidewalk paver? I have some 24X30"X2" sidewalk blocks/pavers that would likely work great, weigh about 50Lbs, wind won't likely blow it over... stack them for a 40" dish and use longer bolts... Partially bury the paver or just set it on the lawn in the right place... You can always re-seed the spot if you move the dish later on..
Just an idea to throw on the wall.

 

[. Raine]

Got a tree stump in your yard anywhere? I've got a couple of dishes mounted on some cedar stumps here and in a few years they haven't gone out of alignment at all. Different types of wood may not be as good though, never tried it on any others, like pine, I suspect, wouldn't be very good. I'd only use the roof as a very last resort, myself.

 

[fred555]

I think I lost track on what size dish we are talking about but, here is an older post of mine.
I would think for windier conditions or a bigger dish (1.2m) you could stack pavers in a decorative manner around the base:

The wife donated something called a patio umbrella stand. They are designed to hold a big beach umbrella for use around the patio or deck without the wind knocking it over. There are various types. The one the wife gave me is an extremely heavy decorative cast iron one sort of like this:

There are also ones that are designed to be filled with sand that can easily be filled with concrete:

Then I went to Lowes and got a galvanized chain link fence post and it fits the base perfectly.
Mine has been pointed to the same sat for about four months now without any loss of aim or signal.
So if I decide I like the programming on the sat, I will plant a permanent dish, then re-aim to another candidate.

The decorative cast iron ones look way better then the concrete in a five gallon bucket setups.

 

[Mr Tony]

Add to the previous advice.... That tripod is usually used for quick temporary set-ups. Not solid enough for permanent and especially motorized systems.

so something like this is out of the question?

 

[FaT Air]

How doe you plumb the pole if using sidewalk pavers? A variation of the floating slab my 10 ft BUD is on.
Scale as needed: Instead of 'implanting the bolts, run bolts thru the paver. Use washers on both sides.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/threads/fta-in-a-small-space.277426/#post-2779881
The pole is mounted on the north side of the slab so the weight (pole and dish) is more or less centered over the slab.

 

[mmewrench]

I am assuming that you where using the tripod mount at ground level. Why not just get a longer 2" pipe for the center mast and sink it into the ground, using the tripod to support it (a brick paver under each leg will keep the tripod stable). set the mast as you would a fencepost using pea gravel and sand instead of concrete. When it comes time to remove the dish, pull up the pole. The pea gravel will settle, you can cover it with topsoil and restore the lawn (or whatever).

I have a 90cm dish with a stab motor mounted on the roof (been there for ten years). At least twice a year I have to adjust elevation (dish will drop), and cleaning snow off the dish is a PIA.