Anyone Have a Dish on a Tower

[1990C4S]

Well after spending $1,000 on dish receivers, PVR's etc. the factory authorized dish installer (who I have to use) told me he can't install at my new house. I am surrounded by trees, and there is no line of sight to the satellite. He says I have to buy cable.

I refuse to buy cable. I will go without TV or go to an antenna before I buy cable.

So, option #1 is a dish mounted on a 20-25' tv tower that can be secured to an outbuilding up to the 12' mark. The top 8-13' feet would be unsupported.

Option #2 is my front lawn, which is ugly and will be an issue when we get some serious snowfall. I can't go too high off the ground there, maybe 2-3'. It might also contravene a by-law.

I have read that tower sway is an issue on windy days. Has anyone here done it?

Superbowl fail.

[fingpilot]

The dish is very susceptible to sway, even more to 'twist'.

As my Muslim friends (if I had any) would say, can you move the mountain to Muhammad?

Have you considered cutting down a tree?

The 'look window' is pretty narrow.

[gr8fl4porsche]

I would think that if you used 3-4 guy wires, a fat pole and secure mounts - you could successfully installed anything on a pole.

[on2wheels52]

"I will go without TV"

That's been working pretty well for us the last 25 years, the mind reels at all the great programs we've missed.
Jim

[fingpilot]

I have lived in a number of very remote places.

Thunderstorms in the south can blank the signal at the most inopportune moment. It does give you a chance to run outside and put anything that hail would damage under cover.

The winds at the mountaintop location in Jean would get the dish bowl (serving platter, really) to set up an oscillation. I rigged guy wires to right to the edges of it to stop that, but it would still find ways to do it.

The one up at Mt. Lassen is actually mounted on my utility service pole (the one that I own). My place is also surrounded by trees, but the installer found that on the pole, looking south over the top of the house, was actually plenty wide to get the signal. I'll see if I can post a pic, as it has a special mount for a pole, with an anti-torsion arm on it. The only time I lose signal here is when the dish is covered in ice, or very thick, wet snow. I have seen a fibreglass cover, mildly heated (like 1/3 watt) for sale to prevent that, but it is easy enough to go clear mine, it is 5 feet off of the ground.

I have one on the RV. Am VERY used to 'finding' the signal when on the road. Have moved the RV 3 feet forward or back to get a shot thru trees and it works. Big winds, making the RV sway would sometimes 'pixellate' or 'freeze' the picture, but the latest, greatest reciever doesn't seem to be as succeptible.

HTH. Get another installer that doesn't get paid by the job. Not sure of where, exactly you are, but give me a zip code, and I can give you the mag heading and elevation you need. It's a really small window you have to shoot for, meaning, a small gap in the trees would do it, and it sounds like you have to reverse engineer the spot.

[LakeCleElum]

Had that problem at my cabin at Lake Cle Elum. A chainsaw was my friend (one tree). Mounted it on a pole that supports the deck. The deck is cantilevered and keeps the snow off the dish...Works perfect....

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by on2wheels52

"I will go without TV"

That's been working pretty well for us the last 25 years, the mind reels at all the great programs we've missed.
Jim

I agree in general. But I enjoy hockey. Not much else, but I do watch sports.

I get the message. Tree trimming time.