Installation costs?

[spinnaker]

If this post is a duplication of my previous one then I apologize, I just didn't see it out there so I am now posting again.

My homeowners association tells me that if I place the disk on our roof that the cable will need to go down through the roof and the attic as wiring is not allowed on the outside of our units. Given the construction this type of install would be very difficult. As the association informs me I would be responsible for repair of the roof should I move or discontinue service.

They said I should place the antenna on a hill behind my townhouse and run the cable underground. The hill is about 20 feet away from my unit.

1. How would the antenna be installed in this manner? On a mast?

2. Should I expect to pay any extra over the free installs? Is so how much should I expect to pay?

3. Do I have any other install options in this situation?

[PSB]

A hole could be dug and a pole or mast can be cemented into the ground, then special cable for underground would have to be buried about 6" under, for a 20' feet run and pole mount I would not pay any more than $100 about half that would be a bargain. Depending on line of sight you could also cement a pole or mast into a bucket then put the dish on top, again the max. price I would pay for this would be about $75, the cable may or may not need to be burried depends where you place it (must face south). Or you could put the dish on a tripod made for satellite that can be screwed into the ground, roughly costing the same as the pole in cement. There is even a mount that can be filled with water or sand that the dish can be mounted on, don't give up on satellite, where there is a will there is a way.

[spinnaker]

A hole could be dug and a pole or mast can be cemented into the ground, then special cable for underground would have to be buried about 6" under, for a 20' feet run and pole mount I would not pay any more than $100 about half that would be a bargain. Depending on line of sight you could also cement a pole or mast into a bucket then put the dish on top, again the max. price I would pay for this would be about $75, the cable may or may not need to be burried depends where you place it (must face south). Or you could put the dish on a tripod made for satellite that can be screwed into the ground, roughly costing the same as the pole in cement. There is even a mount that can be filled with water or sand that the dish can be mounted on, don't give up on satellite, where there is a will there is a way.

Thanks PSB. How much could I save by doing it myself? Would the installer allow it? How would I know where to place the mast? Would the installer make a pre visit to suggest a place? I assume I can pick up everything at Home Depot?

[pez2002]

Let a pro do it please you will have less bugs in your system

[DishDude1]

You could certainly plant the pole yourself and save!

[PSB]

Its all about line of sight, (and point of entry) if you are SURE you have line of sight go ahead and do it your self, and save some $$$ for popcorn : )

[RJS1111111]

Its all about line of sight, (and point of entry) if you are SURE you have line of sight go ahead and do it your self, and save some $$$ for popcorn : )
...depending of course on your ability to get the job done right the first
time, or your willingness to use up lots of free time, trying over and
over again, until you get it right! This can become an addictive hobby,
so be forewarned!

I'd also suggest making your final installation as permanent and secure
as you can, to help discourage any potential vandalism or accidental
damage. That is, use lots of concrete, bury the cable deep, use a tall
mast, make it relatively inaccessible, easily seen by you, unseen by
others, out of everybody's way, etc.

[spinnaker]

Thanks everyone for the tips. A few more questions if you don't mind.

I need to place the antenna on the back of the house. The back of the house faces North so the South is blocked by my house.

I live in the Pittsburgh area.

What angle will the antenna need to be set to?

Is the direction really South or more like South West? If it is South West I should have a clear shot for sure.

Can I mount the mast first? How will the installer get the dish to the top of the mast? A really tall step ladder? So I will have to place it in a postion that is safe for them to set a ladder?

[Karl Foster]

You'll want to place it in a safe spot simply for future maintenance, which will be by you. If you ever have to replace a LNB, or clear it of snow, or readjust if it gets blown out of alignment, you won't want to risk life and limb to do so.

According to my receiver, when I put in ZIP Code 15122 (Pittsburgh), and 18" dish, I get 219 degrees azimuth and 38.5 degrees elevation. That is a SSW direction. You can use any compass to determine whether you have a good line of sight.

[spinnaker]

You'll want to place it in a safe spot simply for future maintenance, which will be by you. If you ever have to replace a LNB, or clear it of snow, or readjust if it gets blown out of alignment, you won't want to risk life and limb to do so.

According to my receiver, when I put in ZIP Code 15122 (Pittsburgh), and 18" dish, I get 219 degrees azimuth and 38.5 degrees elevation. That is a SSW direction. You can use any compass to determine whether you have a good line of sight.


Thanks Karl. I'll have to dig up that old Boy Scout compass. :) I'll have to get a protractor too!

[Punkitup]

Can I mount the mast first? How will the installer get the dish to the top of the mast? A really tall step ladder?


This “really tall stepladder” statement begs the question, how tall of a mast are you going to need to get a line-of-sight to the satellite? I mean, I would think that anything beyond six feet (with a heavy gauge mast) is going to suffer from wind movement if not guyed. I am sure you realize what even a half inch of wind sway at the mast would translate to on the targeted satellite.

I feel for you with these housing covenants. Perhaps they serve a purpose (read: no hog pen in the yard), but to deny a discreet wire down the side of the building is just anal. Amateur Radio Operators have been fighting these pacts for years to the tune of $100,000’s in legal fees.


Peace
James – K1JMD
"Armed and Curious"

[PSB]

Heres a good program to let you know how far away from anything you can put a dish.......
http://www.bjup.com/services/bjhomesat/tech_support/obstacle.html

[bonscott87]

My dish is mounted on an old 5 foot tall fense post that I left up after I tore down an old fense. All you need is line of site. If you have no trees or roofline to worry about clearing, just 4-5 feet off the ground to avoid snow drifts is really all you need.

If the hill is really 20 feet from your house, that should be plenty of angle for the signal path to clear your roofline if you don't have a super clear shot. Just look at your readings and it will give you an idea.

[Mike500]

I don't know who you are going to have to install the dish, but if you know, I'd talk to the installer beforehand. I do a lot of installs for quite a few dealers as a private contractor. I usually give the customer the option of doing the heavy work such as digging and burying the cable to defray the cost of the installation. I'd have the post hole digger, the shovel and the concrete ready, as well as the post. Whatever you heard about the chain link fence line post, I'd recommend that you use heavy 1-1/4" nominal pipe or galvanized electrical rigid electrical conduit. A 10' length costs $15 tax included at Lowes. Put a 1-5/8" car muffler clamp around it to be buried in the concrete to keep it from turning.

I'd be there, when the installer comes and have him do the site survey. If he's any good, he'd do the survey correctly. While he's doing other work on the installer, I'd dig the post mounting and set the post in concrete.

Mix the concrete very very dry. Put the post in the hole, and using a slege hammer and a piece of plywood, pound, tamp and compress the concrete over the top of hole. This will very solidly set the concrete, while making sure that the post is perfectly plumb. It will be hard enough to mount the dish in a little over an hour.

This would be your best option. I would hate to see you plant a post, only to see that you do not have "line of sight."

[spinnaker]

I don't know who you are going to have to install the dish, but if you know, I'd talk to the installer beforehand. I do a lot of installs for quite a few dealers as a private contractor. I usually give the customer the option of doing the heavy work such as digging and burying the cable to defray the cost of the installation. I'd have the post hole digger, the shovel and the concrete ready, as well as the post. Whatever you heard about the chain link fence line post, I'd recommend that you use heavy 1-1/4" nominal pipe or galvanized electrical rigid electrical conduit. A 10' length costs $15 tax included at Lowes. Put a 1-5/8" car muffler clamp around it to be buried in the concrete to keep it from turning.

I'd be there, when the installer comes and have him do the site survey. If he's any good, he'd do the survey correctly. While he's doing other work on the installer, I'd dig the post mounting and set the post in concrete.

Mix the concrete very very dry. Put the post in the hole, and using a slege hammer and a piece of plywood, pound, tamp and compress the concrete over the top of hole. This will very solidly set the concrete, while making sure that the post is perfectly plumb. It will be hard enough to mount the dish in a little over an hour.

This would be your best option. I would hate to see you plant a post, only to see that you do not have "line of sight."

Thanks for the tips Mike. I appreciate it.

How large of a diameter of a hole should I have? How deep should I go?


How do I use the plywood to compress the concrete? I'm a little confused on that one.

[Mike500]

1-1/4" nominal pipe is actual diameter of 1-5/8" which is the exact diameter of the DirecTV pole. I use a 4" diameter hole in the hard clay down here is South Carolina about 20" deep. In Pittsburgh, I'd put it 30-36" deep and use a hole the size that a post hole digger makes. I use a hand earth auger, but for one hole, a post hole digger would be fine. The plywood helps to spread the load on the concrete, when you hammer on top of it to compress it to hold the post tight. The dryer the concrete- the stronger it gets. Just add enough water only to see it's all wet. Runny will not work well.

Make sure that the post is open on the bottom, not sealed in the concrete, so water will not puddle in it.

Scrape out a notch in the concrete so you can run the cable in it underground and along the post. This will keep a lawn mower or weed eater from scraping it. It might be a good idea to split a small length of rubber hose to fit over the cable in this area.

[spinnaker]

1-1/4" nominal pipe is actual diameter of 1-5/8" which is the exact diameter of the DirecTV pole. I use a 4" diameter hole in the hard clay down here is South Carolina about 20" deep. In Pittsburgh, I'd put it 30-36" deep and use a hole the size that a post hole digger makes. I use a hand earth auger, but for one hole, a post hole digger would be fine. The plywood helps to spread the load on the concrete, when you hammer on top of it to compress it to hold the post tight. The dryer the concrete- the stronger it gets. Just add enough water only to see it's all wet. Runny will not work well.

Make sure that the post is open on the bottom, not sealed in the concrete, so water will not puddle in it.

Scrape out a notch in the concrete so you can run the cable in it underground and along the post. This will keep a lawn mower or weed eater from scraping it. It might be a good idea to split a small length of rubber hose to fit over the cable in this area.


Wow you are giving away all your trade secrets! Thanks !


"Make sure that the post is open on the bottom, not sealed in the concrete"

So I perhaps want to place some gravel in the hole first?

[Mike500]

Yes,

I'd place some gravel in the hole first. Make the pole about 3-4 feet above the ground.

Glad to help....

[Mike500]

Check out this listing on Ebay for an all aluminum satellite pole.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3050928606&category=32848&rd=1

I like the idea of the internal top plug.