Topic: Adapting a satellite bracket?

[wrz0170]

I described in this post http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=33413.0 where I’m considering a VP2, most likely now, a 6153 with 24hr fan.

Before I do anything, I’m scouting out possible locations to put it and from what I see and read, it’s a challenge. 

In trying to figure out where to install the anemometer.   I stumbled across a dish setup that came with the house when we bought it but we don’t use.  The idea of course, to remove the dish and somehow secure a pole of some sort.

Has anyone ever adapted this to put a pole in?  Recommendations and/or pitfalls? 

Thanks,

William

[DaveG]

I did that originally, although I no longer have it mounted this way to get you a good picture.  The dish mount was attached to my deck railing.  I used an Ambient Weather EZ-HD-PTP Heavy Duty Mast to Mast Mounting Kit to attach a 1 1/4 inch mast to the dish mount, and then I used the mounting hardware that came with my Davis ISS to mount it to that mast.  I didn't have enough clearance to attach the ISS directly to the dish mount and thus the extension mast.  Here is a snip of the hardware from Ambient and a snip of a webcam image that sort of shows how I had it mounted.  The mounting worked fine, but I eventually moved it all to improve my sensor siting.  The anemometer went up above the peak on my roof on its own transmitter, and the ISS went down to a wood post 6 feet above ground level.  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

[LABob]

I used an antenna tripod from Radio Shack and a 10-foot piece of 1.5" galvanized conduit for the mast. I mounted it on the peak of my asphalt shingle roof and never had an issue. When I got a house with clay tile roof I mounted the 10-foot conduit to the chimney, which luckily was at the peak of the roof and no tall trees or buildings for at least 100 yards.

[miraculon]

I described in this post http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=33413.0 where I’m considering a VP2, most likely now, a 6153 with 24hr fan.

Before I do anything, I’m scouting out possible locations to put it and from what I see and read, it’s a challenge. 

In trying to figure out where to install the anemometer.   I stumbled across a dish setup that came with the house when we bought it but we don’t use.  The idea of course, to remove the dish and somehow secure a pole of some sort.

Has anyone ever adapted this to put a pole in?  Recommendations and/or pitfalls?

Thanks,

William

I added these dish struts to my J-mast on my garage that supports a 900MHz Yagi antenna, TOA Systems lightning antenna and a GPS antenna. I got them on Amazon.

The only caveat is that the dish mast diameter is fairly large and the clamps for their mast were too large for my j-mast. I was able to fasten it to an existing antenna clamp bolt instead. It sounds like the entire dish installation is already there and you could remove this dish and place a mast extension. Watch the mast diameters though.

Greg H.

[wrz0170]

I did that originally, although I no longer have it mounted this way to get you a good picture.  The dish mount was attached to my deck railing.  I used an Ambient Weather EZ-HD-PTP Heavy Duty Mast to Mast Mounting Kit to attach a 1 1/4 inch mast to the dish mount, and then I used the mounting hardware that came with my Davis ISS to mount it to that mast.  I didn't have enough clearance to attach the ISS directly to the dish mount and thus the extension mast.  Here is a snip of the hardware from Ambient and a snip of a webcam image that sort of shows how I had it mounted.  The mounting worked fine, but I eventually moved it all to improve my sensor siting.  The anemometer went up above the peak on my roof on its own transmitter, and the ISS went down to a wood post 6 feet above ground level.  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Thanks Dave!  This may work.  My plan is similiar.   The anemometer would be on its own transmitter, allowing me to out the ISS portion where I want.   Trying to reuse/repurpose something that I have on hand.   

[wrz0170]

I described in this post http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=33413.0 where I’m considering a VP2, most likely now, a 6153 with 24hr fan.

Before I do anything, I’m scouting out possible locations to put it and from what I see and read, it’s a challenge. 

In trying to figure out where to install the anemometer.   I stumbled across a dish setup that came with the house when we bought it but we don’t use.  The idea of course, to remove the dish and somehow secure a pole of some sort.

Has anyone ever adapted this to put a pole in?  Recommendations and/or pitfalls?

Thanks,

William

I added these dish struts to my J-mast on my garage that supports a 900MHz Yagi antenna, TOA Systems lightning antenna and a GPS antenna. I got them on Amazon.

The only caveat is that the dish mast diameter is fairly large and the clamps for their mast were too large for my j-mast. I was able to fasten it to an existing antenna clamp bolt instead. It sounds like the entire dish installation is already there and you could remove this dish and place a mast extension. Watch the mast diameters though.

Greg H.

Thanks Greg.   Will do on watching those diameters.  I’m hoping the above bracket recommendations will work.

Unfortunate the eaves pretty much run the perimeter of the house and the satellite mounting as seen appears to be perfect so just trying to repurpose what I already have. 

William

[DaleReid]

Every time I see something mounted and not being used, or nothing on the mount, I wonder what kind of sensor can I hang on it?  I like your idea of using something already there.

Rainwise makes something called a monomount which is a smaller dish mounting system with the correct sized insert so their MarkIII will slide onto the piece already inside the support.

Yours looks like one of the newer dishes with a 5 LNB dish, heavier duty and if I recall correctly, the size of the support pipe is bigger than the mounts for earlier dishes.  And Rainwise doesn't sell just the insert for a dish mount that you may already have.

I've spent an hour in the plumbing section of our big box home improvement store looking for the correctly sized PVC pipe that they use to make snug fits, and with the limited stuff they carry (two aisles) vs. the different brands with Schedule 40 and regular and PVC vs. CPVC and so on, have failed to come up with the correct piece of pipe to do what I want.  And without a lathe to turn down a bigger piece (who knows what that would do to the integrity of the material and who wants to loose an expensive station to a weak mount) I'm stuck doing what you have seen here where people use an overlap type of bracket to clamp high and low.

Speaking of mounting weaknesses.... In the picture of the dish you have attached, it appears that while this is the heavy duty mount with the two stabilizing arms, only the top two bolts of the big bracket are bolted to the fascia of the trim around the roof.  That certainly can allow a lot of flexing.  I'm glad some jobber didn't mount that for your dish antenna and think that it was OK.  Really a crappy mounting job if it is what I think it is from the picture.  Nonetheless, you don't have much wind load with the wx station, and should be able to pull the dish and slip most anything on there but don't depend upon the mount to stabilize you on the roof or ladder or we'll be hearing of your hospitalization.

Good luck.  If you figure out something take some detailed pictures and post a 'here's how I done it' for us to learn from.  If you find a piece of pipe to fit the mount, take notes on the type and let us know.
Dale

[wrz0170]

Every time I see something mounted and not being used, or nothing on the mount, I wonder what kind of sensor can I hang on it?  I like your idea of using something already there.

Rainwise makes something called a monomount which is a smaller dish mounting system with the correct sized insert so their MarkIII will slide onto the piece already inside the support.

Yours looks like one of the newer dishes with a 5 LNB dish, heavier duty and if I recall correctly, the size of the support pipe is bigger than the mounts for earlier dishes.  And Rainwise doesn't sell just the insert for a dish mount that you may already have.

I've spent an hour in the plumbing section of our big box home improvement store looking for the correctly sized PVC pipe that they use to make snug fits, and with the limited stuff they carry (two aisles) vs. the different brands with Schedule 40 and regular and PVC vs. CPVC and so on, have failed to come up with the correct piece of pipe to do what I want.  And without a lathe to turn down a bigger piece (who knows what that would do to the integrity of the material and who wants to loose an expensive station to a weak mount) I'm stuck doing what you have seen here where people use an overlap type of bracket to clamp high and low.

Speaking of mounting weaknesses.... In the picture of the dish you have attached, it appears that while this is the heavy duty mount with the two stabilizing arms, only the top two bolts of the big bracket are bolted to the fascia of the trim around the roof.  That certainly can allow a lot of flexing.  I'm glad some jobber didn't mount that for your dish antenna and think that it was OK.  Really a crappy mounting job if it is what I think it is from the picture.  Nonetheless, you don't have much wind load with the wx station, and should be able to pull the dish and slip most anything on there but don't depend upon the mount to stabilize you on the roof or ladder or we'll be hearing of your hospitalization.

Good luck.  If you figure out something take some detailed pictures and post a 'here's how I done it' for us to learn from.  If you find a piece of pipe to fit the mount, take notes on the type and let us know.
Dale

Thank you Dale!  Fortunately the mount does have a third point of contact.  Aside from the two stabilizers, there is a clamp that goes around 2x4 supports under the eave.  It’s hard to see in the pic, but you will notice the 2x4 supports every 18” or so.  In the dark part of the pic, there is a clamp around a support.   So far, it’s withstood some 50~60mph gusts.

So the easiest option is to use the Ambient clamps that the one Gentleman mentioned in the previous post.  Clamp on, clamp off.

Another option is to try to find some type of spacer pipe to take up some of the slack.  Use a tap and die set and do two sets, 3 holes.  One towards the top, other set towards bottom.  Then using thumb/set screws.   Kind of like a Christmas tree in a stand.  Only bad part, I would have to buy a tap and die set!

Ultimately, I want to relocate to the corner in the picture below.  The pic is a little deceiving because there is more pitch to the roof, but I think a 4-6’ Pole would get me above the roof line.    Plus easy access if need be on a ladder without scaling roof tops, etc.  That’s why I’m really hoping the satellite mount idea works!

[dupreezd]

Another option is to try to find some type of spacer pipe to take up some of the slack.

Visit an exhaust shop. They have all kinds of diameter pipes and might even give you a piece of cutoff. Or if they have they size, just buy a length that will suit your need.

[LABob]

For ideal accuracy you want the anemometer at least 6 feet or so above the highest part of the roof.

[DaleReid]

I never thought of an exhaust shop for pipe.  See what you'll think of if you hang around these guys?

I wouldn't spend the money on a clamp from Ambient unless you're getting other stuff shipped.  I used a pair of V shaped, opposed, bent brackets with long bolts through and a lock washer/jam nut type of thing that I got from a Radio Shack (when we had one).  I think that a DIY hardware store may have stuff for antennas now that local HDTV is a slight possibility for some to put up an antenna.  I think my Quadrifilar Helix is held up by some of those too.  Been there for 30 years.  And I reemmber a pair of clamps that have the Vs bent on each end and a clamp bolt near each end to grab two pipes, but there is no adjustment for vertical alignment that way.  All for a couple bucks.

[DaveG]

In another installation at my other station I used a top rail for chain link fence that is available at a Home Depot / Lowe's type of place.  It's either 1  1/4 or 1 1/2 inch.  I would also consider moving that mount down onto the side of the house.  It might even clear the eaves and would be considerably more stable.  That dish mount installation looks like the first one some installer ever did.  I guess it must have worked, but it surely is a weird way to attach the base.

[wrz0170]

In another installation at my other station I used a top rail for chain link fence that is available at a Home Depot / Lowe's type of place.  It's either 1  1/4 or 1 1/2 inch.  I would also consider moving that mount down onto the side of the house.  It might even clear the eaves and would be considerably more stable.  That dish mount installation looks like the first one some installer ever did.  I guess it must have worked, but it surely is a weird way to attach the base.

Great idea on the top rail for a chain link fence!   I will have to scope that out next time I’m there.   

In looking at the satellite mount again, I do believe it was actually designed for eaves.  Two stabilizer arms and the clamp that goes around the support underneath the eave, with a bumper against the wall.  We’ve had some wicked wind storms with virtually no movement. My concern would be more on how well I can secure a pole within the satellite mount.