check out the new remote control Jockey Wheel SmartBar Topargee products Enginesaver Low Water Alarms Red Earth Festival Hammervan Park Booker
Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Click here for the Grey Nomads website -> The Grey Nomads Forum -> The Grey Nomads - General -> Satellite Dishes
Post Info TOPIC: Satellite Dishes
dirvine


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 127
Date:
Satellite Dishes
Permalink  

Dieseltojo,

I can see you must be a male with dementia!. Some of your steps could have been done concurrently, so clearly you cannot multitask. Also you must be terribly disorganized as to where you put your equipment and items, and then have to constantly look in three places to find them. I have found over a long period of time, that to pack things away in the same place all the time, makes it easier to find them again. Ditto when using tools. As soon as I finish they are all accounted for, packed away ready for the next time. Given you were a plumber I am sure you knew how to charge for time on the job, and perhaps you still have that same mentality now..... except you no longer get paid by the minute!! Ha HA.

For the record when I got my dish home, and after reading the manual so I knew what to do, it took me no more than 10minutes to set the whole system up and working. Admittedly I have a flat back yard which made setting up the dish easier than perhaps in the outback.

I say all this with tongue in cheek and no offence is intended. Rather to put into context the reality of how long it takes to set up the TV. And yes Aus-Kiwi the auto sat finding dishes would be great... but they are very expensive.

__________________

David Irvine

Tugs: 2016 Discovery 4./2017 Toyota 76 GLX Auto Wagon. Van: New Age Manta Ray Deluxe

 
macka17


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 3066
Date:
Permalink  

Dave.

Half the fun of them is the "seeking for.

Hand compass. Analog or digital signal strength meter.

And Bearing\elevation chart from net.
Stand on ground. with elevation preset.
Swing it to bearing. then Up\Down\up down on rear leg
Swinging through a 10\15 deg arc from L to right of that bearing.
Simple.

Once set. Mark.
It'll do you most of your trip S to N then.
Just vary elevation slightly as you get further up.

I ended up using a 1 mtr threaded stainless 1\4in rod I had in garage with wing nut.
Washer welded on top arm of dish. sitting above inverted wingnut.
Just screw Up down to suit.
Simple and VERY finely tunable.

Original dish.
I had a length of stainless tubing offcut from 1 1\4in Hand railing on last yacht.
Clamped to drawbar.
Dish mounted on that.
Lowered or removed for travelling.
Otherwise raise up to clear front of van,
and rotate to suit those bearings req'd there.

I'll see if I can dig up old photo's.

 

 



Attachments
__________________
iana


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 2925
Date:
Permalink  

Dish on roof 1.jpgDish on roof 2.jpg Mounted these feet on the roof of the van this weekend, PVC end caps tapped with an 8mm bolt and filled with fiberglass. Its not very hard to get the tripod and then the dish up there, cures the theft problem. Unit is from Access Antennas. 





Attachments
__________________
dirvine


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 127
Date:
Permalink  

Gee Iana,

Not hard to get up there? MIne is an off road van and is over 3 metres on roof height. I dont know how I would get up there unless I carry a ladder! I agree yours would stop theft but it looks like the legs of tripod are bolted down. How quickly is it to remove when on the move each day? Also not so easy to get dish pointed the right way I would think. Then the other thing is if you park under trees, you might not get a clear line of sight to the sky and hence a poor picture. Thats why I went for a ground mount dish. Yes it might get stolen, but I do have it chain bolted to the van when parked.

__________________

David Irvine

Tugs: 2016 Discovery 4./2017 Toyota 76 GLX Auto Wagon. Van: New Age Manta Ray Deluxe

 
dieseltojo


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 273
Date:
Permalink  

All cool dirvine,

I thought things were getting a bit heavy.....smile



__________________

Retired plumber & Plumberess

 2004 Toyota TD LC

A'van Tayla 17'6" Caravan
iana


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 2925
Date:
Permalink  

I doubt that I would putting it up there for a one nighter, but yes you need a ladder, which I will be taking and our van is lower at 2.8 m. The pads have an 8mm stud and a s/s nut finger tight. Taking it down presented no problems.

__________________
Lozza1956


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 64
Date:
Permalink  

Hi matey. If you're in Sydney I have a dish (85)cm and tripod for $50 if you want it. I went the push button way.

its all good and works anywhere.

cheers,

Laurie.



__________________

Lozza1956

 

PAY IT FORWARD, and SMILE
Ranger Mick


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 10
Date:
Permalink  

Hi Everyone, sorry have been offline and did not read all your remarks. Thankyou for your input and I think we will probably get one from Access in WA. I have Wikicamps so will have a play around with it at home before we go on our trip. Hope to meet up with some of you on our trip which we will starting in July going up the westcoast and across the top.

__________________
«First  <  1 2 | Page of 2  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Click here for the Grey Nomads website -> The Grey Nomads Forum -> The Grey Nomads - General -> Satellite Dishes
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us
Purchase Grey Nomad bumper stickers Read our daily column, the Nomad News The Grey Nomad's Guidebook