Has your system been affected by the recent winds?

[smiffie]

I've been installing satellite systems for probably over twenty years and in that time I've only had to reapir my own system once due to wind damage. However due to the recent gale force winds I'm having to replace my system, I've also had to help a few other people re-align or repair damage of varying degrees. I'm surprised some people have had problems with systems that I would not consider particularly exposed, so I'm wandering why I perceive this wind to have caused more problems than usual? Could it be the wind direction? Is it because of gusts or constant wind pressure? I have a system on an east facing wall which doesn't appear to have been affected, what are other peoples experiences with the recent weather?

 

[Analoguesat]

My 10E dish moved a tiny amount, but thats because the bolts need nipping up tighter. Numerous trees flattened round here but no damage to the dish farm.

 

[smiffie]

"nipping up" - Umm that's what I'm getting at, perhaps I'll reword the thread!

 

[Llew]

I voted 'No' as my main motorised SMW dish hasn't moved one iota whatever the weather since I installed it in its present position some years ago on a 3" pole. Dish/polar mount supposed to withstand 100MPH winds, but haven't had that kind of force (yet).

As with AS, my 10E Triax 88cm dish sometimes moves a little, but that's 'semi-permanent' (pole rammed into ground only) so I don't count that as far as voting goes.

 

[rolfw]

Nope, my many year old "Temporary" installation has survived the winds, although they weren't too bad down here. Have realigned a couple of dishes for others though.

 

[ian xtv]

No damage here to my dish by these gale force winds we keep getting.But i have had to realign motor mount many times the wind always pushes motor mount eastwards on pole.My dish is on a south facing wall the solution is here in my thread. http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/...s/148821-my-satellite-dish-4.html#post1020080

 

[sonnetpete]

I voted yes, but there's a qualifier to that vote. My fixed four dish multisat setup didn't budge at all. The motorised 1.2M Laminas has moved (either round the motor stub or the pole) slightly, requiring an adjustment of STB coordinates of about 1.5° to get it tracking correctly.

 

[wod]

The motorised 1.2M Laminas has moved (either round the motor stub or the pole) slightly, requiring an adjustment of STB coordinates of about 1.5° to get it tracking correctly.

Did you not want to get the polar mount for that dish ?

Mine has moved very slightly and thats on a 3inch pole, might double up the nuts ;)

 

[Lazarus]

No damage or misalignment whatsoever - and I put this down to learning the lessons of the past.

TD110 Patio Mount is heavily weighted with Sandbags and the clamps for the T&K wall mounted 80cm are correctly torqued (I have never been an afficionado of really tight nuts, so tend to start off on the low side and simply add another quarter turn if there is any slippage - and historically there has been)

 

[sonnetpete]

Did you not want to get the polar mount for that dish ?

Not really Wod. I'd have to go down the 36V route and I'm happy with USALS. The only reason it slips round the motor stub is the poor quality design clamp, where the teeth are on the dish mount rather than clamping on opposite side of the motor stub. I know the problem and it doesn't take long to adjust it back to within .2 or .3° of where it was originally. I might look at making a better clamp in the summer.

 

[Channel Hopper]

No damage / movement on systems installed by myself, but on others I have been called out to, slippage has been down to malleable (read cheap) metal clamps on motors, and/or the use of aluminium masts for securing a dish to.

I have never been an afficionado of really tight nuts,

On this site you are surrounded by them.

 

[sonnetpete]

I have never been an afficionado of really tight nuts.....

I'm led to believe that boxer shorts alleviate this condition....

 

[andyxxxx]

Not at all, The current location of my patio mount dish is very well sheltered so hardly wobbled in the massive winds we just had. It does however restrict the arc so only 28e-5w is possible, but that's a small price to pay as not much outside that arc interests me.

 

[smiffie]

No damage / movement on systems installed by myself, but on others I have been called out to, slippage has been down to malleable (read cheap) metal clamps on motors, and/or the use of aluminium masts for securing a dish to.

Gasp - surely not with a motorised system?

 

[Channel Hopper]

Gasp - surely not with a motorised system?

Some 'installers' just don't care what they fit a system to. There is one 80cm DiSEqC motor system not far from here that is on top of a 10' ali mast to clear the roofline. The owner is on a ladder every other week realigning it.

I wouldn't get involved having seen how the cable runs, daisy chained along/under the gutter fixings and into an airbrick at the other end of the house.

 

[howardg]

My yes vote was because the dish ended pointing down instead of out. Re-aligned it and that was that. Now I'm getting pixellation and loss of signal intermittently. I am not sure if it is because of a dodgy connection at the dish. I have three connections in a quad LNB and one looks like the Co-Ax foil is showing. Could this be the problem? Would one dodgy cable connection cause everything to go t*ts up?

 

[Channel Hopper]

Yes, a Sky + box is probably the most likely to be prone to issue as well round here.

Most (modern) quad LNBs will have an additional cover to shelter the f-plug from the elements so it is odd you could see an exposed bit of outer shielding.

There is a chance I suppose you have used the wrong plug on the cable - CT 100 typ on CT55 cable ? - as it really should't drop or pull loose.

Try setting the box up to a single input tuner within the OSG and try the other cable.

 

[ian xtv]

No damage here to my dish by these gale force winds we keep getting.But i have had to realign motor mount many times the wind always pushes motor mount eastwards on pole.My dish is on a south facing wall the solution is here in my thread. http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/...s/148821-my-satellite-dish-4.html#post1020080

Since i fixed my motor mount by drilling a hole through pole and motor mount then putting a nut and bolt through. It has not moved a bit in these strong to gale force winds we are experiencing again. Success no need to realign again sorted.:-righton

 

[aceb]

I voted yes, not that the dish, pole or motor had moved, just the wall cracked and the bracket started bending on the other two bolts O-Ha I've spent the last few days repairing the wall, reapplying the pebble dash and have put the brackets back up this afternoon. Tomorrow I'm off to find a user friendly scaffolder who will part with a 10ft pole to replace the 8ft'r I used before then I can get the dish back up. The C band Precision just laughed in the face of the F11 we had before christmas

 

[smiffie]

I voted yes, not that the dish, pole or motor had moved, just the wall cracked and the bracket started bending on the other two bolts O-Ha I've spent the last few days repairing the wall, reapplying the pebble dash and have put the brackets back up this afternoon. Tomorrow I'm off to find a user friendly scaffolder who will part with a 10ft pole to replace the 8ft'r I used before then I can get the dish back up. The C band Precision just laughed in the face of the F11 we had before christmas

Cracked wall? Bloody hell sounds a bit hairy that.