Cheap Alternative Davis Mounting for Metal Roof

[Bushman]

I was hesitant to  use a tripod mount on my metal roof, so I fabbed up a mount for about $25 bucks.  The nice thing about it is no chance of water leaks, the whole system pivots down to deck level for maintenance and it was cheap.

Materials:
Sat dish J-mount - $9
8 ft length 1 1/4" T6061 pole - $16
Thin metal for shim (I had some rolled plashing made of some sort of tin/lead that worked perfectly.  I think a person could use thin aluminum as well) - free

Assembly:
Simple really.  Remove the bracket off the J mount and install by predrilling holes and lagging to beam. They could go on a gable, or in my case a protruding ridge beam.  Shim the tube and jam it into the J arm.    Mount the weather gear on the arm.  Drag it up the ladder and  install the arm to the base mount.  BTW, I did this with no assistant so it took a bit longer.  If you had a person on the roof it could be a 10 minute job.

End Result:



I mounted the anemometer higher than the bucket so that if I wanted to I could climb up to service the bucket and ISS. Now I can remove the bottom pin and pivot the whole thing for service.  Seems to work right through my metal  roof - 100% transmission. 

[DanS]

Nice job!! Great idea especially for those of us getting up there in the years and hesitant in getting up there on the roof!

[mcneese832000]

Where did you get the j-mount at?

[mcneese832000]

also, did you jam the pipe that the station is on into the j-arm? I am trying to do the same thing you did. It is a great idea.

[Bushman]

Bought the J-arm at a satellite store.  Cost about 10 bucks.  And yes, I shimmed and jammed it in.  I should have added a set screw, but it is really tight.

[Barry Curtis]

I'm going to make this...looks great.  I'm going to use some self-tapping hex head screws to hold pole into the j-pipe to keep it from moving.  The only thing that worries me is it going to be stable as all that is holding it is the bracket. 8 Feet of pipe sticking up seems like a lot...will check it out.

[Barry Curtis]

Oh, yeah; almost forgot.  You said you remove the pin to pivot it down...  I used to install satellite and the j-arm uses a self-tapping screw on each side of the arm to hold it from pivoting down. Did you drill it out and install a pin? Sounds like a great idea.  I'm going to Home Depot tomorrow and get some 1 1/2" rigid to make this.Thanks for the idea...Barry.

[Bushman]

Pin was the wrong word.  This particular J arm uses a bolt with lock nut to keep it up.  There is a pin that I installed as backup.  Pull that and loosen the locknut and it then pivots down.  Be aware that the rain bucket screen might come out when you pivot it down.

I am really happy with this mount system; has handled 40-50 mph winds no problem.

[kray1000]

Pull that and loosen the locknut and it then pivots down.  Be aware that the rain bucket screen might come out when you pivot it down.

Would the rain gauge record some rainfall when you're doing this?

[graculus]

Would the rain gauge record some rainfall when you're doing this?

Not if you put the VP console into setup mode before you start.

Love those J mounts, very versatile 

[DaculaWeather]

Would the rain gauge record some rainfall when you're doing this?

Not if you put the VP console into setup mode before you start.

Love those J mounts, very versatile 

Good to know!

[Barry Curtis]

Would really be funny if the rain guage was clogged up and had a 4" rain the night before you lowered it to work on it...LMAO!

[KeithBC]

Would really be funny if the rain guage was clogged up and had a 4" rain the night before you lowered it to work on it...LMAO!

I think that would be "when", not "if"!  The only time you know it's clogged is after you've had a 4" rain and it reads zero.  I'd think SOP for that mounting would be to stand well to the side when you lower it.