curt8403
02-11-08, 12:59 PM
Here is something that I tried and found to work very well
I went to a home repair place (Lowes, Home Depot) and bought an 8 ft heater tape (the type used to keep water pipes from freezing). I also bought about 24 Plastic Clothespins (the type with rubber grips inside the tip work best) and a roll of Electrical tape.
I have a triple dish, and live in an area that gets heavy snow this year
I started on the bottom of the dish with the end of the Heat tape cable that is furthest from the thermistat, and secured it with a clothspin and then went up and around the top securing the Heat tape cable with a clothspin every 8 inches or so. when I reached the base of the dish again (on the other side of the LNB arm) I then went up the LNB arm securing the heat tape with Electrical tape at the base (Near the dish) and then again near the LNB. I wove the cable through the base of the LNBS (over, under, over) and then down the other side of the LNB arm.
When I reached the dish, I went round the back (round the part where the tilt and elevation are adjusted, and then taped the Thermistat to the mast with about 5 wraps of tape.
total cost of project was about 40 dollars, including a 100 ft extension cord.
When the temperature of the dish is 32 degrees or below, the Heat tape kicks on, and warms the dish up to a balmy 38 degrees which is warm enough to keep the snow from sticking, (IT melts right off) When the Temperature outside is above 34 degrees the Thermistat turns the heat off.
the tape around the outside warms in about 7 inches, and the tape in the center warms out about the same so the entire dish is heated.
I have a E* dish next to my 3 lnb and it was covered with snow (1 inch deep) after a bad storm, but my D* dish was completely clean.
It works, It really does, I have had no snow fade or freeze since installing/
IT took me 15 minutes to do the job by the way.:D :D :D :D :D
I went to a home repair place (Lowes, Home Depot) and bought an 8 ft heater tape (the type used to keep water pipes from freezing). I also bought about 24 Plastic Clothespins (the type with rubber grips inside the tip work best) and a roll of Electrical tape.
I have a triple dish, and live in an area that gets heavy snow this year
I started on the bottom of the dish with the end of the Heat tape cable that is furthest from the thermistat, and secured it with a clothspin and then went up and around the top securing the Heat tape cable with a clothspin every 8 inches or so. when I reached the base of the dish again (on the other side of the LNB arm) I then went up the LNB arm securing the heat tape with Electrical tape at the base (Near the dish) and then again near the LNB. I wove the cable through the base of the LNBS (over, under, over) and then down the other side of the LNB arm.
When I reached the dish, I went round the back (round the part where the tilt and elevation are adjusted, and then taped the Thermistat to the mast with about 5 wraps of tape.
total cost of project was about 40 dollars, including a 100 ft extension cord.
When the temperature of the dish is 32 degrees or below, the Heat tape kicks on, and warms the dish up to a balmy 38 degrees which is warm enough to keep the snow from sticking, (IT melts right off) When the Temperature outside is above 34 degrees the Thermistat turns the heat off.
the tape around the outside warms in about 7 inches, and the tape in the center warms out about the same so the entire dish is heated.
I have a E* dish next to my 3 lnb and it was covered with snow (1 inch deep) after a bad storm, but my D* dish was completely clean.
It works, It really does, I have had no snow fade or freeze since installing/
IT took me 15 minutes to do the job by the way.:D :D :D :D :D