Anyone build dish sat. tripod?

[twindman]

I thought I remembered someone saying they had built there own tripod for mounting an antennae. If so, can you offer advice?
I plan on getting the Winegard Pathway X2 and it has a tripod you can buy for $59 or $69, but everyone says it is overpriced and light. From what I have read, no one else makes a tripod for the Winegard.
Thanks.

[Starmaster]

Hi Tom,

Just curious, why the need for a tripod on a portable sat dish? We have used a Tailgater for over 5 years and have only needed to set it on a table a couple of times to clear trees. When I needed to do that, I used the table we have for the grill. (Maybe answered my own question!)

Thanks
Dave

[bigskyjimmy]

Same here I just put my Tailgater on the picnic table or just the Ground in 4 years of having one,I see some folks in the campgrounds put it on a little stand but I don't know Why

[twindman]

I read that it needs to be within 3 degrees of level to quickly find the satellites. Since many sites are not too level I thought it might be necessary to use a tripod to level it.
Are your antennaes the auto aligning type or manual?
Thanks.

[BB_TX]

Can't speak for the Pathway. But I just set my Tailgater (auto) on the ground also. I do look for a fairly level spot, don't worry about it to much. I have pulled the cover to watch it when I power up. The dish antenna goes thru a series of incremental side to side and up and down movements until it homes in on the strongest signal from the sats. So I don't think exact level is too critical.

[waynemoore]

Twindman PM me I have one that I will give you. I sold the G-2 and have no use for it. I am in Lake Havasu so not all that far and I will ship it to you after Christmas.

Ops I should have looked at your setup before I offered the tripod as the G2 is very different than what you have.

[mlh]

I'm like everyone else I just set my tailgater on the ground. I also go for the KISS method. I do have an app that is very handy, Dish Pointer. You use your cell phone's compass to show where the satellites are. If something is in the was you see it.
Lynwood

[Art-n-Marge]

I have talked about that I built a dual layer platform that I used for pre-aiming and leveling that I have also installed 3 bolts I use for the leveling. Then I drop the satellite dish on the mounted post. I takes little time for me to aim the dish accurately but it is still very manual and used for DIRECTV even though it could work just fine with Dish.

But I used this method because I am cheap, but wouldn't mind having some kind of automatic system instead. Like others have alluded, if you got that tailgater pretty level, it shouldn't take that long to have it set up.

I do know my BIL got one of these with his Dish subscription but had lots of trouble with it. He sold that one to another BIL who had his own Dish subscription but a manual satellite. That same unit worked fine for him. The original BIL then got another tailgater and it works for him just fine. None of us now why and don't care, since we all have HD satellite subscriptions which makes DWs very happy indeed.

[timandsusan]

I bought the three legged table to support my X2 off the ground in case it rains. I would not describe it as a tripod. I have never leveled the table and have not seen any directions to do that and the X2 always works. A picnic table would work to keep the X2 off the ground when it rains but I can move my 3 legged table with the X2 very easily. So my setup works for me. Hope it will for you also--Merry Christmas!

[WaltBennett]

We've the new version Tailgater and I usually put it on our roof if there's a clear view of the southern sky at our spot. If not, I really like being able to stretch out the cable to put it out on the ground where it will find a sat or two.

As for a tripod, back when I had a regular dish I used a 2" diameter 6' long piece of conduit that I sawed in half at a 45 degree angle, then just hammered one into the ground about a foot or so. Mounted the dish on the pipe and it worked better than having to weigh down a tripod so the wind wouldn't move it. Wasn't difficult to pull out of the ground and if the end got too banged up, I tossed it and used the other piece. Didn't have to buy another piece of conduit after moving about eight or ten times either.