How's your day today? (Dish Install)

[Kraven]

As the snow melts every passing day I can't help but look at the spot where am going to install the 6 footer.

Wiring wise, am going to need to run rg-6 and actuator cables to the house. since all wiring here *must* be underground, would it be better to put the cables in some plastic tube for protection, like PVC piping or pool tubes? Or just bury the cables as is?

Also, is there a rule of thumb on how high the dish must be off the ground? Or the height depends on the reception? The only problem is I doubt I'll be getting 133w since its a low angle and the dish is pointing right onto the 2nd floor (unless the signal can penetrate the window, cross the den and out the other window..) and I can't put a pole higher than 6 feet off the ground.

Cheers, K

[billpaidJr]

I would bury a pipe and make sure it is above ground on both ends at least a foot.

[Emerald_Boar]

The real issue will be if you plant a garden or grow food.

If do not a plant garden then PVC should be fine.

You may want some holes in the piping so that water can drain out if needed. The last thing you need is water freezing in the middle of winter.

If you are gardening, then you can use copper, steel or amour cable shells for protection.

Read ya l8r,
Al

[majortom]

here's some info on installing a pole, etc.

http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizepgs/grn...ml#anchor72594

as for the height of the pole required, that depends on how far away you are from and the height of the obstruction your trying to clear.
Using a little trigonometry, you can calculate the required height to clear a house, or a tree, assuming you know how high they are, and can measure the distance to the obstruction, since you know the desired elevation angle (133 degrees sat => x amount of elevation in ur example).
Or just use the obstruction tool in dispointer.com, that's what it's for. To tell you how high an obstruction can be to clear it at X distance away.

[vondertrenk]

I have seen two types of metallic tubing sold by the electrical distributors. One is called EMT.(Electrical metallic Tubing) the other is called SERVICE ENTRANCE MAST. The second one is much thicker than the EMT. Most of the stores like Home Depot only sells up to 2 1/2" of EMT and SEM, however I was able to find the 3" conduit at a site called NEDCO in Mississauga but only the EMT type.

Being the EMT much thinner than the Service Entrance mast, I am not sure if ti will be able to support the weight and specially the windloads occurring here in Southeastern Ontario.....Can someone shed some light please?

[majortom]

to support a big dish, aka cband dish you should use "schedule 40" pipe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominal_Pipe_Size

Is that what ur asking?

[Kraven]

Thanks for the site MT. Other problems is I have to figure out where the power, cable, phone, pool and gaz lines are(am pretty sure the deed of the house has this information).

@EB-> The dish is going over an old garden (I destroyed it when we moved in). Am still leaning on PVC since its cheaper, but I'll now paid attention to potential water leakage and seal it quite well.

Cheers, K

[vondertrenk]

this automatically eliminates the EMT, thickness is only 0.1, schedule 40 is 0.216. Thanks Majortom.

now the last question. Being 3" hard to find, is it OK to install a solid six footer like the Fortec 1.8 mt prime polar mount dish, in a 2.5" pipe? (schedule 40 of course)

[majortom]

Find out the Inner diameter of the mount your using. The ID of the mount will be roughly the OD of the pipe. You don't want a lot of slop between the mount ID and the Pole's OD, otherwise you'll never keep the mount plumb and stable and you'd have a lot of trouble tracking the arc properly.

The ID of pipe in the plumbing industry is always specified, because it's the ID which determines flow rate, etc. Check out any Plumbing supply outfit, they will carry all sizes of schedule 40 pipe in all sorts of lengths.

When I put my dish up, I got it from a local plumbing supply distributor and had a local welding shop cut it to length for me. You can also find schedule 40 pipe at metal scrap yards. Make sure when it is cut to length that it's cut square as possible. Again so ya can keep things plumb.

The dish's installation instructions will specify the size of schedule 40 pipe to be used. Go with whatever the mfr says.

[vondertrenk]

Best tip ever Majortom. I will wait for the dish to arrive first....

[Pinza]

I use 1 1/2" Conduit for my lines from my Dish Farm to the house, I made sure each joint is well cemented together to stop any water getting in the pipework. At one end I use an "LB", well that was what I was told they are called, it connects directly to my house wall, so there is no chance of water getting in.

At my Dish Farm end I used 2 x 90 degree sections, so the opening is facing down, they are glued together but not to the section sticking 20" out of the ground, so this can be removed to make it easier to pull another cable in.

Also, don't forget to feed a length of rope in the conduit as you lay it.

[Kraven]

It seems the dish is going to be exactly 38 feet from the house. At 133w, she'll be pointing directly at the house (2 floors). With a 6 foot pole, 133w is at 12.8degrees elevation, I might clear 14 feet which isn't enough to get a signal IMO.

DOH!

Cheers, K

[majortom]

did ya run the calc again at around 10-15 ft for the pole?

[Kraven]

Huh? Sorry I don't follow bud.

The pole itself should be 10 feet long w/ 4 feet in concrete. With 6 feet above ground, 38feet from the house, I can clear 14 feet. I settled for 6 feet so the dish remains mostly invisible to the neighbours.

Cheers, K

[vondertrenk]

I found the place to buy the rigt pole ( for a 6 footer, it is a 3" sched 40 steel pole). The name is NOBLE and have stores in BC, Ontario and Wuebec, it shall work for you Kraven. Ask for dealer prices, for the 10' 3" diam and sched 40, it is $97.