Winds of destruction?

[SATire]

The winds today are incredible. I've not looked to see how my 90" KU is doing on the roof but I'm watching my six footer seemingly making wider and wider movements.

As the winds keeps pounding it, it appears to be moving a bit more and more over the hours. I believe it's probably moving about 3 to 5 inches side to side at this point.

It's a pole mounted setup with an 18" actuator. If anything, the wind will probably be wrecking the actuator.

Question; What could I do in order to help it survive until I can get a better look at it? I wondered since day one why it's got too much wobble when it moves but right now, if this keeps up, it's going to be heading to another neighborhood soon.

It'll be too late soon anyhow, as it's starting to get dark <sigh>

Mike

 

[navychop]

But think of the value of a video of a large dish flying thru the air!

I sure wouldn't suggest risking your health and even life to do anything about it now. Luckily, you might never see this problem where you live again.

 

[brentb636]

The winds are really "heroic" here , too , today. My cheap 6 footer from WSI has survived so far, but I've watched it jump around with more than a little nervousness.
Tomorrow, the forecast is for waves up to 30 feet in northern Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. What I wouldn't give to be up there to see those babies . I love this dramatic weather.

 

[FaT Air]

During high winds I have always retracted the actuator all the way. I have a location programmed for it, Called the sat at that location PARK. So far the winds here have only gusted to around 40. steady at 30. I will be Parking the dish tonight as the forecast is for sustained 35/gust 55 mph by morning. with that white stuff.

 

[Panavision]

Once I saw my 1.2m wobble a little too much for comfort, I unbolted the reflector and brought it inside. I'd be worried about it flying somewhere!

 

[SATire]

But think of the value of a video of a large dish flying thru the air!

I sure wouldn't suggest risking your health and even life to do anything about it now. Luckily, you might never see this problem where you live again.

I wish I'd have thought about it earlier, I could have at least locked the dish in place and disconnected the actuator. These winds will probably ruin it now and make it loose.

 

[SATire]

The winds are really "heroic" here , too , today. My cheap 6 footer from WSI has survived so far, but I've watched it jump around with more than a little nervousness.
Tomorrow, the forecast is for waves up to 30 feet in northern Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. What I wouldn't give to be up there to see those babies . I love this dramatic weather.

I like unusual weather also but after everything I've gone through to get this set up, I'd hate to have to start over.
30' waves uh? You surf?

 

[toucan-man]

My 7.5' KTI mesh dish seems unconcerned about the wind. I'm more concerned with flying junk hitting it at the moment. Still, I keep looking at it every now and then. Some of these gusts tonight are incredible.

 

[Mr Tony]

SATire hope everything works out. My C-Band dishes are fixed but I havent tried to move either of my motorized dishes yet....way too windy

 

[SATire]

Thanks Iceberg.

One thing I've wondered about... right now, the dish is somewhat to the side of the wind, it doesn't have it's face or back facing it. It's getting pounded but it seems it would be getting it much worse if the larger mass was in the path. Is this what others would agree with or would it be better if I moved it so it's rear for example, might be against the wind, certainly not the front.

We noticed that the wind is getting into a spot where there's siding and appears that it might wreck a whole section of it by tomorrow.
Maybe we'll end up having to replace the dish and some siding and get to put it on our insurance. I hope not either way, just don't need the hassle.

 

[Mr Tony]

my motorized is at true south (93W) so the dish is actually at its thinnest right now with the straight west winds

On a side note I went to high school football playoffs tonight and good lord did I freeze
4 layers of clothes and I was still cold. That 35mph stiff breeze cuts right through ya

 

[SATire]

That's where I'm at also.

 

[Tron]

We've been having unusually strong warm winds from the Southwest today with record high temps and unbearable summer-like humidity. This will all change Wednesday night, when the cold front you guys up North are experiencing comes through.

 

[1inabillion]

Winds are always strong in Kansas this time of year. i just park my dish at the old 148ºW sat location. no worries then.

 

[SATire]

Well, so far, my little six footer has decided not to see what flying is like but some of the siding on my house has decided otherwise.

Question, does everyone's big dish kinda wobble, even when not in the wind? When I move mine, it usually wobbles a little before it settles. Seems normal in a way considering mass and all but just wondering.

 

[turbosat]

We got some winds way down here too last night, but it didn't hurt my dishes. I did lose an entire satellite overnight though , lol. AMC9 seemed to have disappeared when I turned on the tv this morning, no signals at all, and nothing on a scan. Finally I figured out that, with the power going off and on several times after midnight, somehow the switch setting had gotten changed from 3 to 4 in the satellite setup, and it couldn't see the bird! Probably because that was the sat my receiver was on when I went to bed. All is well at RTV again now.

 

[beavs2112]

Well, so far, my little six footer has decided not to see what flying is like but some of the siding on my house has decided otherwise.

Question, does everyone's big dish kinda wobble, even when not in the wind? When I move mine, it usually wobbles a little before it settles. Seems normal in a way considering mass and all but just wondering.

we've has some 20mph steady/35mph gust winds and my 10' dish was wobbling a lot. i tightened up the bolts that mount the actuator to the mount and that improved it.
just a thought. i think the hole in the end of the actuator is smaller than the hole in the dish mount so no matter how tight the bolts there will be a little movement.

 

[greg47]

Any arm actuator with time will wear and get some movement in it, really the only way to prevent damage is to tie/lock the mount down. Bungee cord or a piece of stiff rope, any thing to stop or slow the movement. Most actuator's use a nylon nut, on a threaded steel rod inside the tube, except the ball screw type. As with any piece of equipment, maintance and upkeep are the best tools to keep the reflector in good shape.

 

[Musher]

SATire good luck but I live near Milwaukee and I'll have some work for me this weekend cause my dish is on a ground mount with bricks holding it down and well it was on it side, not much damage but will look it over this weekend once the wind stop blowing. I'll have to re-set everything.

Musher

 

[tvropro]

All my dishes are alive and well. I have moved the 12 foot bud some in this wind too. I have a Thompson Saginaw Ball screw from 89 with the motor rebuilt last year. It can handle the wind stress. Normally though I try to keep the big dish down low in the arc when the wind is real bad thats better for any actuator. My Bud has been through this and wind speeds of 90 mph before and survived. Not overly concerned with this stuff I'm getting in Chicago at the moment. The bud pole is sunk 6 foot in the ground in concrete. The pole is also filled with concrete and its also attached to my garage. My 90cm Primestar is 3 feet in the ground in concrete with the pole filled up too. It ain't budging with any wind speed thrown at it. The 84cm ADTH is bracketed to the garage with lag bolts and 2x4"s on the other side of the wall with fender washers sandwiching it to the wall. The Slimline and D500 are also pretty secure. In short all my stuff is installed to handle this. If you do it it's worth doing right.