heatingsytems for mesh antenas,where i can find one?

[Turok]

Hello!
yesterday,i noticed,that my 2,40 mesh antenna,has a little bulge,from the heavy snow,in the winter,after raining!
because,the snow always gluwing on the surface,of the dish,now ,i want to make, a antenna heating system,on the backside,for the thin mesh material,but i dont find,any information,about this kind of system,i only know it needs a lot of power,and electricity ist not cheap,so best think would be,with temperatur sensor,that only heat ,when it is freezing outside,or maybe something posible,with solar engery cells,so then it would be perfect
how much,this kind of heating system,would coasts?

 

[bigron]

Sounds like a far fetched idea to be thinking of Turok, but as an electrician working in industry we use a trace heating system under the pipe insulation to prevent pipes freezing up. The power consumption would be pretty low as you are not using a lot of cable but would need a controller, plus im not sure how you would fit this to a dish especially a motorised one!

 

[Turok]

Hi Bigron,thx,for your reply!
in the meantime,i contact,some satelite dealers in germany,one replys me,and told i can use car window heaters, for the winter,that smells the snow and fit it on the backside of the antenna,but i dont know how i can controll,the intensive of the heat,in this winter,one,of the panel of my 2,40m mesh dish,has a little damage ,so know i am fear when next winter is coming,that other panels are infected,when snow is freetzing,8 month left to find a solution

maybe i dont find one,and i must buy new mesh dish every 5 year
we will see...

i try to fix problems,before it happens,but sometimes,iam to late.,.

problem, i cant install fullsize dishes on roof,coz they are to heavey,and,when it is windy,the mesh is better!,otherwise,maybe a fullsize dish,crashed into nabours ground!

the system,what i imagine,in my mind,should only swtich on ,and needs power,when it is 0 degrees outside,or a sensor detect freezing,maybe,there are also solutions avalible,to controll the heat intensive, dont find any information about it on the net.what system,was avalible,in the past?

 

[bigron]

Turok, im not sure of the validity of this suggestion because of of:
a, the added weight might pull the dish out of allighnment
b, how to fix it to the dish
c, cost (might be cheaper to just buy a new dish!)

the links will give you some idea of what im talking about, frost protections come with a controller you can input a frost stat into to control at what temperature the system begins to work.


_http://www.thermotex.co.uk/editorials.asp?c=10&d=2
_http://www.traceheatinguk.co.uk/trace-heating/applications/snow-melting.htm
_http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Index/Heat_Tape/