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Fixing a Satellite Dish To the Rear Ladder


enodreven

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Posted

Hi,

 

I have just purchased a secondhand portable 64cm satellite dish with its own tripod and it works fin, but i would like to mount it onto the motor-home and i believe i read somewhere that someone had used 2 tent poles. I think the idea was that one of them was clamped to the rear ladder and the other section was clamped to the dish and when you wanted to use the dish you just slotted it into the section fixed to the ladder and bingo ?.

 

I have been trying to find a suitable sized tent poles but without any luck the only ones i can find are quiet small only about 20/25mm diameter and the clamp on the dish at the moment fixes to a 42mm pole. Would it be strong enough to use the 25mm tent poles and if not has anyone any other suggestions on how i could fix it to the rear ladder or where i can purchase larger poles that will slot together

 

Thanks

Brian

Posted

Won't the dish obstruct the ladder if you need to get on top, won't you have to climb part way up the ladder and then aim the dish one handed and, finally, can you always be sure the ladder end of the 'van can "see" the satellite?

With apologies,

Posted

Hi,

 

Thanks for the suggestion do you think it would be strong enough to hold a 64cm dish ??

 

As for the position and the ladder etc, they are very valid points i don't use the roof for anything so i won't need access to the ladder for that, as for using it to slot the dish section into position I would hope that i could fix the fixed section to the unmovable ladder and still be able to unlock and drop the folding section down which would give me access to slot the pole in place and hopefully adjust the angles, as for line of site and the position of the MH etc. that's a very valid point which i think concerns even those with Oyster type systems and in that instance i can at least revert to the tripod ?

 

The SS exhaust system, can you get straight lengths that will slot into one another, I think i would need about a 1 metre length that was fixed to the ladder and another similar length fixed to the dish to allow it to clear the roof ? is that possible ?

 

more suggestion would be welcome

 

Brian

Posted
enodreven - 2007-02-27 7:41 PM

 

Thanks for the suggestion do you think it would be strong enough to hold a 64cm dish ??

 

Brian

 

Depends how long (tall) pipe will be unsuported

Posted
I use a painters triple extension pole upside down .i fixed two 3/4 pipe clips on to the side of the ladder which i use to clip the pole onto, and i fix my dish to the handle part then extend the pole up if it gets windy i use a zip tie just to keep it steady ,pole is made of aluminium so dose not rust, and is light to carry,
Posted
I have fitted a double tv/satellite socket on the outside of the van which i can plug the satellite into and i run the cable over the roof,behind the awnning fitted every 1m with self adhesive zip tie clips which i got from screwfix,this stops the cable flapping on the van roof if i cannot get a signal from up on the roof i use the dish on a washing line leg support so can move my dish anywhere
Posted

At the risk of upsetting anyone who has spent good money on a large (ish) dish I use a plastic dish bought from Maplins inc free to air digi box, the dish is no bigger than a diner plate it weighs all most nothing and I attach it to my bike rack or my truck style mirror stalks using a large G clamp, 256 channels, no time to set up.

 

oorgiz

Posted
oorgiz - 2007-02-28 10:14 PM

 

At the risk of upsetting anyone who has spent good money on a large (ish) dish I use a plastic dish bought from Maplins inc free to air digi box, the dish is no bigger than a diner plate it weighs all most nothing and I attach it to my bike rack or my truck style mirror stalks using a large G clamp, 256 channels, no time to set up.

 

oorgiz

 

I've got the Lidl version and it's a good buy.

 

However, last December on our way to England we stopped overnight at in the Aire at St Maure de Touraine, it was a cold, foggy night and there was only one other MH there, a British couple on their way to Spain.

 

Within a couple of minutes the couple next door, from the comfort of their MH were watching TV using their Maxview Crank Up.

 

It was not the weather for setting up the Lidl dish!!

 

In January on our return to Spain I bought a Maxview.

 

The trouble is the times you're most likely to want the TV is when the weather is bad.

 

Posted

I've got my dish fixed to the rear ladder of my Kon-Tiki by the following arrangement after much figuring out.

Stuff clamps attach 2 off pieces of rectangular bar about 50mm by 6mm to the ladder.

The bars and clamps are packed so one is verticle above other.

Their about 200mm apart.

A dog leg ariel pipe is then connected to other Stuff clamps on ends of bars.

Dish is then connected to the dog leg end of pipe above roof level.

Dish is able to swivel and tilt by adusting clamps.

You have to however stand on rear ladder to adjust, but with a bit thought if the satellite is behind you you can turn the dog leg tube upside down and fit dish at ground level.

When traveling the dish is just swung over and down back of motorhome after removing LNB bar.

Stuff clamps are available from all good hydraulic pipe/hose stockists and come in various sizes.

 

I can here whats that, oh, ah, too much trouble.

 

Good Luck,

Gordon. (Steamtown).

 

 

Posted

Hi Brian,

friend owns a camping shop just off the M11 any good.

or if you go through the villages as you are familiar parsonage farm stanstead Mount fitchet always has bits and bobs ..... ;-)

Posted

Hi, Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions, I found a 60mm aluminum pole which i think was part of a spot/flood light stand and it has a short piece of 54/55mm fixed into one end which I assume accepts another 60mm pole which allows it to be extended. The length of the pole that i obtained is approximately 1600mm so i have cut off 600 mm which I have attached to the rear of the 640mm dish and I intend to use "U" bolts to clamp the remaining 1000mm to the side of the ladder with the 54/55mm section facing up finishing a few mm below the top of the MH and hopefully this will allow me to climb up the ladder and just slot one into the other, I will let you know how I get on ?

 

The only problem I have now is finding suitable "U" bolts if anyone has any idea where in Essex I can obtain them I would appreciate it

 

Thanks

Brian

Posted

Hi, Colin

 

I have tried Halfords and a Local motor spares shop and while they both have "U" bolt clamps none of them have long enough arms?? to extend to allow me to be able to clamp the ladder as well ? hope you understand my explanation, the "U" clamps they all have seem to be just for compressing one pipe onto the other ?

 

Thanks

Brian

Posted
How about the clamps used to hold together site security panels. Although may be a bit small for the 60mm pole. Then it occurs to me ladder is maybe 32mm? so much smaller than pole, if so what I might do is 2 small and 2 big 'U' bolts (for 2 joints), for each joint use 1 small clamp on ladder bolted throu trapiziodal shaped 1/8"(10swg) thick plate, 1 large clamp bolted from opposite side throu plate, if that makes any sence at all.

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