safe/temp portable sat mount on roof ideas

[Lar_s]

The area we're headed has lots of obstructions so I'll have to get my Pathfinder X2 up high. Our roof is not fiberglass, and is rounded. Any good ideas on how to put the dish up there for 5 months without the weather taking it off, or running the roof material?

[Bill_Satellite]

Come on guys. You are both right. Moving the antenna up 12 feet off the ground will often allow reception not at all possible from a ground position. However, in many cases, if you have enough coax, moving the antenna at ground level will allow you to find a gap in the trees as well.

[Sam_Spade]

rhagfo wrote:

Sam Spade wrote:
Ground obstructions have little to do with satellite reception.

You need "line of site" to the bird and mounting height of your dish usually won't make that better.

Either you have a straight shot up through the trees at the right angle......or you don't.

You are so wrong on this.
Getting the dish 12’ to 13’ higher may be all that is needed to clear trees that kill reception.

Nope. Not wrong. Maybe not clear enough though.

Consider that moving it's location on the ground something less than 3 feet should accomplish the same thing. Your clear line of sight that is a foot higher also intersects the ground somewhere VERY nearby.......if your starting point for that extra 12 inch elevation was ground level.

[ItsyRV]

You may want to consider using a drainage mat. You don't need to get anything fancy like the heavy industrial rated ones, most commercial grade units are heavy enough to hold the antenna in place. Even some of the thicker rubber type doormats will work. They are nice and heavy to prevent slipping but flexible enough to mold to curvatures. The holes let you use ties or straps to hold things to it and they drain water. I would think its a better option over wood. And when not needed for the antenna, it can be used like a mat outside the RV.

[Bill_Satellite]

You can prevent the antenna from doing its late night sear0ch by powering off the receiver (not just turning it off). There is also no ladder mount available for the Pathway X2 so don't worry about that post.
The X2 is pretty big but not hard to keep in place. The top of the A/C is good but if your A/C cover is older it can become fragile and a strong wind can crack/break the shroud. Between the ladders arms is safe, strong and easy or 100 feet of coax may allow you to find a place on the ground that has a clear view of the S. sky.

[Lar_s]

Thx. I think the air conditioner thing might work, but that danged Pathfinder X2 likes to check itself once in a while... at least that's what it did sitting at home, and I can imagine sound traveling at 0400.... I have roofs over buildings at about 14' or so blocking my southern exposure... might have one slim shot at directly south... might give that a shot first.

Thx for advice. I'm thinking a couple of plastic strips, close to the ladder so I can tie it down there as well.

[rhagfo]

Sam Spade wrote:
Ground obstructions have little to do with satellite reception.

You need "line of site" to the bird and mounting height of your dish usually won't make that better.

Either you have a straight shot up through the trees at the right angle......or you don't.

You are so wrong on this.
Getting the dish 12’ to 13’ higher may be all that is needed to clear trees that kill reception. I have put our Tailgater on the roof or AC to get a clean sight line to the satellites.
When on the roof nothing under if just the four rubber feet. I do tie it off to keep on roof.

[Sam_Spade]

Ground obstructions have little to do with satellite reception.

You need "line of site" to the bird and mounting height of your dish usually won't make that better.

Either you have a straight shot up through the trees at the right angle......or you don't.

[Dutch_12078]

If you have a roof mounted A/C, I've seen a few domes sitting on top of them with bungee cords holding them in place.

[donn0128]

Setting it on a piece of ply wood is kind of a bad idea. Moisture trapped between the rubber and plywood could cause issues. Not to mention staining from the plywood. If anything get two pieces of 1 inch square plastic to put it on.

[nayther]

Yes, you'll want to strap it down. They're light and a strong wind may blow it over/off. I had my tailgater on the roof and desert wind blew it off. Luckily I had wrapped the coax around the roof ladder and it was dangling from that or it would have crashed to the ground and broke.

The Tailgater is more top heavy than yours though.

[Matt_Colie]

Lar's,

If the roof is rubber, I would put it antenna on a piece of outdoor plywood. (CDX - C side down) I would also get a set of hazard fright cargo straps and hook through the antenna base and tie it down to the trailers bottom edge. That way, the antenna can't go very far.

Matt

[donn0128]

Just sitting it on the roof should hurt nothing. If the wind comes up and it slides around that a different story. They do make and sell ladder mounts for domes. Buy one and hope your ladder has a clear view.

[Dick_B]

Plywood first, dish second