Satellite MiniDish Bracket - Which Way Up?!

[iantho]

Hi - I posted this on 'uk.d-i-y' a few days ago and someone there
suggested I try reposting it here. I'd be grateful for any help...

I've just done my first and only DIY install of an eliptical mesh 60cm
zone 2 minidish. I've got 90% signal quality from Astra2/Eurobird so
I'm very happy. I had to assemble and install the dish without any
supplied instructions. I believe it's a Raven dish (that's what was on
the box).

It was supplied with an L-shaped mounting pole (about 1 foot stand-
off) and matching bracket that uses 2 U-bolts to hold the end of the
mounting pole at right-angles to the wall. There were already some
mounting bolts left in the wall from a previous rusty minidish that I
removed a while ago so I just reused them - they're still very sound
and in exactly the right place for the bracket.

I noticed after I put the dish up that the bracket that bolts onto the
wall to support the pole is not symmetrical - its kind of U-shaped. I
installed it so it looks like a U - the two longer 'legs' are pointing
upwards. I've noticed since that the vast majority (but not all)
dishes in my area have their brackets the other way up, like an n with
the legs pointing downwards.

The question is - does it matter which way up the bracket is attached?
Is it stronger under high wind-loading the other way up? If it's a
problem, I guess I need to take it off and turn it through 180
degrees, but I can't be bothered to reposition the dish again so soon
if it's not essential.

Thanks for your advice.

[iantho]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your reply.

>
> I thought Zone 1 dishes were 60cm and Zone 2 dishes were 80cm.
>

I believe that minidish sizes are given in terms of height, so zone 1
dishes are approximately 40cm tall and zone 2 are 60cm tall approx.
See wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minidish

>
> To your query... I think the only problem would be if, in the current
> arrangement, water could collect anywhere in the structure.
>
> --
> Paul Martin <p...@zetnet.net>

The uk.d-i-y group made the same good point - the bracket's design
doesn't catch any water either way up so I think I'm OK on that front.
I'm more worried about structural strength under high wind loading...

Thanks,

Ian

[iantho]

> I *think* the correct measurement is the horizontal axis, as that's the
> measure of its selectivity.
>
> --
> Paul Martin <p...@zetnet.net>

Fair enough! When I bought my dish it was described as a 60cm Zone 2
dish, and all the online satellite sellers seem to list zone 2 dishes
as 60cm. I guess it's just terminology - zone 2 is zone 2 whichever
way you measure it! ;-)

Ian

[ato...@hotmail.com]

On 9-Apr-2007, "iantho" <ian...@iantho.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

> >
> > To your query... I think the only problem would be if, in the current
> > arrangement, water could collect anywhere in the structure.
> >

So long as it holds the dish, no problem, as winds blow horizontally,
long axis horizontal, should be ok. It's a good idea to paint or
spray the fittings with Hammerite before fitting the dish, and
exposed bolt threads afterwards. A couple or so years of rust
can make later adjustment difficult. Adjusting elevation on a dish
I had was a pain in the butt, due to rusted bolts. Arrange things so
any tubing doesn't fill up with water, open ends down..

[Blagovast]

The part that says "top" goes at the top.

Blago