Satellite antenna mount options

[eddie1261]

My idea was to run the cable from the receiver out to the underside of the RV, keep it connected to the dish that is stowed in a storage bin, and when I get to a place I will be a few days, mount the dish to a pole on a heavy base and set it up on the ground. As long as it has an unobstructed view of the azimuth I need to aim toward, height is not an issue. I really don't want to mount anything more to my roof, and in fact once I add the solar panels I likely will not have room for the standard "camel hump" satellite antenna. Obviously I wouldn't set up in a place like a Walmart or a Lowe's, because as long as I can snag wifi I can stream TV. This is mainly for football season when there are 5 games to watch every week!

Does anybody use this method, and if so, would you please share your experiences doing it?

Like this.

 

[Chad Heiser]

I did this for several years before I went to an automatic dish.  It works well, but does take a little effort to get the dish aimed properly.  The only caveat is that you need to make sure the coax line going to your control box does not have any splitters in it.  It needs to be a dedicated SAT IN line.  You can't do it through the standard CABLE IN connection.  My RV had a SAT IN and a CABLE IN so I did not have to run any new coax.  As far as mounts, there are some good collapsible tripods out there or I have seen people build their own.  What ever you use for a mount, make sure it is sturdy and will not be affected by wind or weather (blown around).  Here is a kit from TV4RV.com (they have a lot of good accessories for what you are trying to do).  I also modified my dish slightly.  I drilled out the rivets on the LNB arm and replaced them with bolts and wing nuts.  This allowed me to remove one bolt and then fold the arm up against the dish to make it easier to stow in my storage compartment.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

A fixed leg tripod like is shown is a bad choice for a ground tripod.  Seldom is the ground level and it is imperative for the mast to be vertical.  Short of stone shims which have a nasty problem of falling out of position, a tripod with adjustable length legs is necessary. The TV4RV.com HD Tripod that Chad referenced is an ideal tripod.

If you are going to run a cable for the satellite, add a coax connector plate in the utilities bay.  Being able to remove the cable means you can neatly wind it up for storage.

I used 5 gallon buckets for ballast to hold the tripod in place instead of spiking it to the ground.  Hard to do on concrete.  About three gallons in each is enough and easily dumped when packing up.  Buckets nest and can hold other miscellaneous stuff for traveling.  I use bungee cords from the tripod to the bucket handles. 

[dewilso]

On both my Foretravel & my Lazy Daze I've used the outside cable connection to connect my Tailgater & and a Carryout (on the LD) with no problem. The FT has RG6 coax the LD had RG59 feeds.

[SWharton]

Go to tv4rv.com for a great tripod. He is also very helpful and has the meter and other odds and ends. He has an item so you can keep your sat. on your ladder. We bought that and love it.

[voyaginator]

On 7/24/2017 at 6:19 PM, eddie1261 said:

mount the dish to a pole on a heavy base and set it up on the ground. As long as it has an unobstructed view of the azimuth I need to aim toward, height is not an issue

 

Yes, exactly I keep a 3 ft. tripod in the RV for the dish https://goo.gl/mt9xLb Takes few minutes to get the right orientation  but easy the next morning to remove and keep going. Actually, it is much easier to get the right orientation than on the roof the RV 

[Dutch_12078]

I modified a similar roof mount tripod to the one in the OP's photo for a no tools needed setup, with 6" adjustable leveling feet. I see no reason to keep the LNB connected while stowed though, so once on site, I just setup the tripod using either a screw in anchor or a 5-gallon bucket half filled with water to stabilize it. Once leveled using a simple bubble level, I mount the dish assembly that's also been modified for a no tools needed assembly and adjustment, and connect my signal meter to the dish, with a coax cable then to a bulkhead connector in the power bin that connects to the receiver in the front of the coach. Using the settings found at dishpointer.com, I adjust the elevation and skew, and using the azimuth I've already determined has a clear view using the DishPointer app, dial the dish in for the peak signal. The entire process rarely takes more than 15 minutes from start to finish. If I need to switch between the Dish eastern or western arc LNBF's, that adds another 3-4 minutes.