wind wind wind !

[lloowen]

At last I have managed to get my 1.8m prime focus dish and MTI AP8-TW 0.6dB lnb locked on to Astra2D from latitude 63 Sweden and picking up a good signal. Quite chuffed about that.

However now I'm having problems with the wind! When moderately windy the dish wobbles. Someone suggested I drill lots of holes in the dish. I can see the logic in that but I really don't want to weaken the structure of the dish by drilling lots of holes in it. The dish is made from fiberglass and there appears to be no brand name on it, so I have no idea what the make and model is.

As you can see from the attached photos, the dish is quite low to the ground. I've attached four nylon tape tensioners that are so taught, they might pull down the fence their attached to. Every thing is fixed and firm.


I'm wandering if erecting wicker fencing panels around the back and the sides might make a difference. I also thought about carefully placing poles at the back of the dish in such a fasion that they don't actually lean against the dish, but prevent the dish from flexing backwards if it gets a full frontal gust.

Any ideas would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Analoguesat]

Dont start drilling holes - if you make holes big enough to actually make a difference you will ruin the dish......

The better plan is to shelter the dish to some degree, but make sure they cant come adrift and wrap themselves around the dish! Something like brushwood panelling would make a difference

 

[4dbennett]

I understand your problem mate, first of all your dish is very light material which lacks strength, it also looks very exposed, is it possible to site your dish to a side of your property that is not so exposed, you know what direction the prevailing wind is strongest, otherwise if you are prone to heavy winds you need a steel dish, or put a fence behind your dish.

regards Dave

 

[lloowen]

Unfortunately the dish has to be where it is otherwise I'm going to have to ask the neighbors to cut their trees down. The site is located in a depression, so it's shelterd from the really strong winds. The winds here just swirl around through the trees.
I guess a wind break is the way to go.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Windbreak plus more ties to the ground.

I use MetPosts over here, and steel cabling, the type used for attaching aerial masts to chimneys.

 

[lloowen]

I use MetPosts over here, and steel cabling

So.. What do you do with it? Very qurious. Is it for the fence or the dish?