How not to mount a bracket.

rolfw

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Had to make this mast safe this morning, not much fun, as it had broken and moved the brick which the top bracket was bolted into and was hanging over the edge of a three storey block. Trying to lever a 20' steel mast with an 8' Triax Unix 100 antenna on top, weighing in at nearly 3 kilos was a little hairy, let alone then trying to support it whilst undoing the U bolts on the bottom bracket. :)

But the problems of dismounting it are not the reason I posted this, it is to emphasise that when mounting brackets on a gable, do not mount the top bracket too close to the top courses of bricks, as there is no weight above the bricks and you run the risk of a brick being pulled out, the same applies to bolting into chimneys, as a general rule don't do it.

Also, when mounting a heavy mast, make sure that the brickwork is sound enough to support it, use heavy gauge brackets, enough of them to support the weight/movement of the mast and spaced far enough apart, with appropriate fixings.



A single set of 18" T&K brackets are not really sufficient to support a 20' x 2" steel mast with a 3 kilo antenna on top, even less so when they are not spaced far enough apart and only fixed using 2" coach bolts and plastic plugs. Similarly, if you are mounting a heavy dish, or a dish on a long mast, make sure you have the right brackets and fixings.
 

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Llew

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Heck, that looks horrible :eek:

Bill Wright would like those pics for his archive, I'm sure...

Llew
 

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Looks a bugger to hold and at the top of the ladder too.

As a standard rule now I only use anchor fixings with all T&K brackets, even if it's only a small mast. Coach bolts & Nylons are only good for zone 1 dishes.
 

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I hope you charged danger money Rolf :cool:

Did you repair the brickwork or just leave it?
 

rolfw

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I was on a small flat roof, on the stairwell section which joins the two blocks, wouldn't have attempted it from a ladder, in fact my ladders wouldn't have reached that high anyway, they only just made it to the flat roof.

Taking down a mast of that length and weight which is listing at a 45 degree angle is pretty much impossible off a ladder for one person.

I managed to pull the brick back out and seal it in with silicone as a temporary measure.

I've replace the 18" T&Ks with a set and a half of 12" T&Ks, fixed with sleeve anchors and going back to fit an extra one at the bottom, as I didn't have another on the van.

Have also stood the mast on a bonded pad to alleviate the stress on the brackets.
 

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aba

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jobe like that short a t & brackets as possible galvanized
as far apart as possible
mungo bolts i dont think so as they will split the bricks
14 mm rawl bolts every time
 

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What are they saving the old dishes on the roof for, lol
 

rolfw

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@ aba - I always use galvanised brackets, but most of my local competition seem to use painted.

@ satelliteman - Pure laziness, they've both been there for a few years by the look of it. :)

I have to go back and fit the fourth bracket, so will meet the management company owner and ask if he wants me to remove them. :)
 

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thats why i have 6 rows of bricks and the roof above my top bracket as i was worried about that happening.

rolfw, if your competition do installs like that then i don't think you have anything to worry about.
 

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How did that installer manage to climb the ladder with his spurs on in the 1st place! :-rofl2

Pink Floyd comes too mind:)
 
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