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Dish tripod

SDM
Explorer
Explorer
Has anyone used a survey tripod and modified to hold a satellite dish? If so what brand. They look like they might be more stable and not that much more in price.
9 REPLIES 9

Clay_L
Explorer
Explorer
A lot of folks use the TV4RV tripod mentioned above, See HERE
Clay (WA5NMR), Lee (Wife), Katie & Kelli (cats) Salli (dog).

Fixed domicile after 1 year of snowbirding and eleven years Full Timing in a 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N, Workhorse chassis, Honda Accord toad

Big_Katuna
Explorer II
Explorer II
The TV4RV unit is fine but I'm handy and cheap. For a little leg work, I made mine for about $50. And it is a Pentax.
My Kharma ran over my Dogma.

2naEagle
Explorer
Explorer




TV4RV.com
2020 F350 Limited CCSB SRW
2017 North Point 315RLTS
2021 Jayco Greyhawk 29MV

Big_Katuna
Explorer II
Explorer II
I found a used Pentax surveyors tripod on Ebay $40 shipped.

The cheap ones at Home Depot are ok.

I made an adapter with a 4" X 10" X 1/4" thick piece of aluminum.

Drilled a hole thru the mast mount of the dish, drilled two holes in the plate a little wider than the mast, put a bolt thru the mast then used two J bolts to mount it to the plate. Simple and solid.

Then I set the plate on the tripod and offset it until it was counter balanced and drilled a bigger hole (1/2"?) and put an eyebolt with a nut up thru the tripod hole thru the plate and use wing nut to fasten it.

The eyebolt enables you to bungee the tripod to the ground but I never do as the tripod is so stable it has never blown over.
My Kharma ran over my Dogma.

RoyB
Explorer II
Explorer II
I used one of these Winegard RD9046 Portable 18 Inch Satellite Dish Antenna when I was bringing along my SAT RCVR items a few years back...

Google Image

I could wind up all of the RG cables i was using around the base and also could hookup my dish pointer meter on the platform.

I always set mine on the hard bed cover of my truck so that I would stow it away when I left the area. These kind of things might wander off on you if no one is around..

When I did this it was only SD SAT TV so I used a two port DISH HEAD and run one RG cable to the living room area and the other RG cable to the bedroom area. Then hookup to my two SAt RCVRs I would bring along from my DIRECTV home account.

Did this for a few years until the National Broadcast came out with their digital HHDTV signals. Now we pick up digital HDTV signals from the local towns for free with ease using the BATWING TV Antenna. Don't bring along the SAT T items anymore...

Roy Ken
My Posts are IMHO based on my experiences - Words in CAPS does not mean I am shouting
Roy - Carolyn
RETIRED DOAF/DON/DOD/CONTR RADIO TECH (42yrs)
K9PHT (Since 1957) 146.52M
2010 F150, 5.4,3:73 Gears,SCab
2008 Starcraft 14RT EU2000i GEN
2005 Flagstaff 8528RESS

SDM
Explorer
Explorer
Did the adapter for the tripod ue the center bolt and add one other bolt to hold it straight? Could you please send a picture of the adapter.
Thanks

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Explorer III
Yes, many have, this was standard with the HUGHESNET 2=Way Satellite Interenet Dishes... Very good tripod, Use "The Claw" to anchor it or use a 5 or 10 gallon water bottle.. Make sure the bottle is ON THE GROUND (contact with ground) so it does not sway in the wind.

Not sure of the brand they used but if you can find a HughesNet provider who deals with RV's... They can help.. Google: 2-way Satellite Internet RV and you should get lucky
Home was where I park it. but alas the.
2005 Damon Intruder 377 Alas declared a total loss
after a semi "nicked" it. Still have the radios
Kenwood TS-2000, ICOM ID-5100, ID-51A+2, ID-880 REF030C most times

Fire19
Explorer
Explorer
I have a Johnson's tripod from Menards and its great for the Dish satellite because each leg is adjustable. I had a friend that owns a machine shop make an adapter the screws on the top and will accept the dish.
2000 Ford F-350 Dually Crew Cab
2002 Gulfstream Seahawk 29FKS
1998 GL1500SE

Dutch_12078
Explorer
Explorer
Our $20 modified roof mount tripod has kept the signal stable in 50 MPH wind gusts with just a couple of dog tie outs for anchors.
Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F53 chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
Bigfoot Automatic Leveling System
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/Blue Ox baseplate