timo_w2s
Retired Mod
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- Sep 28, 2005
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- Maidenhead, UK & Helsinki, Finland
Thanks for CJ on this forum I managed to get hold of a used 1.2m Channel Master dish, something I've always wanted to own ever since I got a miniature 35cm BSB Channel Master dish when they were selling them off cheap after BSB merged with Sky (which I still use today, currently looking at 1°W in Finland).
Anyway, my plan it to use the 1.2m dish in south Buckinghamshire to look at 1°W as the current 90cm in use suffers a little in the rain for the Finnish channels that I watch. I might even see if I can get an extra LNB looking at 5°E with a bit of ingenuity.
The site for the dish will be at ground level between a 6 foot fence and a garden shed so it should be well sheltered from all the neighbours and the wind. In fact I don't have many options where there is a good view south without trees interfering so it's here or nothing.
The biggest problem is going to be digging a hole for the pole to rest in. The ground is full of flint stones and you are lucky if the spade goes in more than an inch at a time. There are also a lot of oak trees in the garden and the dish will need to be positioned close up to one, so no doubt there will be a few big roots to contend with too.
I'm not sure when I'll attempt this project, I may start digging an "exploratory" hole and see how it goes in the next few weeks but I probably won't finish it until the autumn. There is no urgency in this project, it's more for fun really when I have some spare time and to see what it's like installing a "proper" dish.
The pole that came with the dish is 60mm wide and just over 2m tall so will need to be cut down a little to keep the dish down near ground level (or I need to dig a really deep hole) ;)
I've never attempted anything quite this major so have a few questions...
Bearing in mind the dish shouldn't be exposed to any major winds, how deep does the pole need to be for a 1.2m CM dish? What size hole should I aim for? How can I cut the 60mm pipe without going to too much expense? I'm guessing I'll go through a few hacksaw blades if I attempt this by hand, but is it even possible?
Thanks for reading, and I'll keep this thread updated.
Anyway, my plan it to use the 1.2m dish in south Buckinghamshire to look at 1°W as the current 90cm in use suffers a little in the rain for the Finnish channels that I watch. I might even see if I can get an extra LNB looking at 5°E with a bit of ingenuity.
The site for the dish will be at ground level between a 6 foot fence and a garden shed so it should be well sheltered from all the neighbours and the wind. In fact I don't have many options where there is a good view south without trees interfering so it's here or nothing.
The biggest problem is going to be digging a hole for the pole to rest in. The ground is full of flint stones and you are lucky if the spade goes in more than an inch at a time. There are also a lot of oak trees in the garden and the dish will need to be positioned close up to one, so no doubt there will be a few big roots to contend with too.
I'm not sure when I'll attempt this project, I may start digging an "exploratory" hole and see how it goes in the next few weeks but I probably won't finish it until the autumn. There is no urgency in this project, it's more for fun really when I have some spare time and to see what it's like installing a "proper" dish.
The pole that came with the dish is 60mm wide and just over 2m tall so will need to be cut down a little to keep the dish down near ground level (or I need to dig a really deep hole) ;)
I've never attempted anything quite this major so have a few questions...
Bearing in mind the dish shouldn't be exposed to any major winds, how deep does the pole need to be for a 1.2m CM dish? What size hole should I aim for? How can I cut the 60mm pipe without going to too much expense? I'm guessing I'll go through a few hacksaw blades if I attempt this by hand, but is it even possible?
Thanks for reading, and I'll keep this thread updated.