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11-04-2007, 07:52 PM
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#1
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Established Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location:
Posts: 29
M.O.C. #7130
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need help on building a tripod for my satellite
we purchased a star choice satellite system. Don't want to install the dish on the Monty so I bought a tripod but don't know how to mount the dish on the tripod. The dish is about 26 by 32 elliptical. Does anyone have a picture of theirs. Got the bigger dish to get better reception if we go down into Mexico. Thanks
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11-05-2007, 01:40 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Kelowna
Posts: 1,475
M.O.C. #6237
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I have the bigger travel dish and the mount for the pole you have to use is a bigger diameter than the standard dish. You could go to a muffler shop and see if if they have or can expand a exhaust pipe to fit. I tried PVC pipe but it won't support the weight of this heavy dish. If I can help with anything PM me.
Don
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11-05-2007, 01:56 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Bakersfield
Posts: 5,316
M.O.C. #15
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Justbeginning,
You might try contacting Firetrucker. He built a mount for his dish. I'm sure he'd be happy to share how he made it.
HamRad
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11-05-2007, 04:20 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Liberty Lake
Posts: 2,310
M.O.C. #6088
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Quote:
quote:hookman Posted - Nov 05 2007 : 8:40:58 PM
I have the bigger travel dish and the mount for the pole you have to use is a bigger diameter than the standard dish. You could go to a muffler shop and see if if they have or can expand a exhaust pipe to fit. I tried PVC pipe but it won't support the weight of this heavy dish. If I can help with anything PM me.
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I have a Radio Shack Tripod that was given to me. It had a piece of pvc pipe for the vertical post. I agree, it was not very sturdy. I found a piece of "top rail" for chainlink fence that fit inside the pvc. That made the tripod a lot more steady and I also use 3 gallon size milk jugs with water or sand/dirt to weight the tripod down.
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11-06-2007, 01:42 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Kelowna
Posts: 1,475
M.O.C. #6237
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On this dish you need a 2" pipe
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11-06-2007, 02:02 AM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location:
Posts: 2,376
M.O.C. #6575
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Don, I sure like those thumb nuts you have on that dish. Great idea!
On the standard dish mounts you can use the 5' chain link fence posts for a mounting post (1 5/8" OD). Might find some EMT that would fit the larger dish. I have a couple big dishes at home (new, in storage), they have the 1 5/8 bracket on them. Never ran into the larger mount. Of course I've never had star choice either. Good luck.
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11-06-2007, 07:02 AM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Liberty Lake
Posts: 2,310
M.O.C. #6088
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Quote:
quote:SlickWillie Posted - Nov 06 2007 : 09:02:44 AM
Don, I sure like those thumb nuts you have on that dish. Great idea!...
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Thanks, but I have to credit Robbie (simonsrf)for the idea I stole from him last May at Lake Siskiyou. Making adjustments is a lot easier.
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11-07-2007, 12:55 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Kelowna
Posts: 1,475
M.O.C. #6237
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On the standard Starchoice dish the pole is the same as any other dish. They have a home away from home package and the 30" dish with that needs a 2" pole. The Canadian Starchoice system is the only legally allowed system in the US. as it's receivers cannot be modified to receive other signals. If the bell system finds out that you are using their system any where but your home they will shut your whole system down. Starchoice has a 1-800 number that will give you help any where you travel.
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11-07-2007, 01:39 AM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Haldimand County
Posts: 2,413
M.O.C. #122
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My (ExpressVu) dish is mounted to a piece of EMT conduit that is clamped to the ladder. I also have a tripod for those situations where I need to move the dish away from trees etc., but it is a bought one like Camping World sell. I'm not sure that making a tripod would be worth the effort, unless I'm missing the point here.
I believe Star Choice works well in Mexico. ExpressVu starts to loose it's footprint around the Rio Grande Valley.
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11-08-2007, 02:37 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Land O Lakes
Posts: 2,751
M.O.C. #7753
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I have been using a large surveyors tripod for the last two years, I now have a second heavier tripod. In the past I only had the one large tripod for my Hughes internet system, the dish is a bit larger and made of fiberglass and is heavier than the Directv HD dish. When I got the HD dish I ordered another tripod for the Hughes and used the old smaller tripod for the HD. I purchased one of the first offsets for the HD dish and now I have two tripods and two dishes. The offset shifts and centers the dish weight directly over the tripod rather than hanging out over one side of the tripod. There are several sources for the offsets but the one I used was http://www.rvnetworking.com/Products...fm#MobilityKit The tripods are available at Home Depot I got my first one for about 60.00$. It is more than enough for the directv HD dish. If you call Barb at the above URL in the phone she can get you the right offset adapter. The tripod that they sell was designed by fellow Hughes and Starband users for it's strength and reliability. There are other distributors of these tripods, just do a Google for "mobile internet satellite"..... Dave and Betsy
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11-08-2007, 08:05 PM
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#12
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Established Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location:
Posts: 29
M.O.C. #7130
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Thanks to everyone for all their advice. Think I've got the dish set up now. Just have to get the whole systm working. Thanks again and hope to see you on the road.
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