A simple mount for a dish.
This page shows the very simple mount I orignially used for my first 80cm satellite dish. For over 2 years, all the channels on both my web sites were located using this dish :-) The photos show the dish rigged for Hotbird 13E. Nowadays, I have multiple 80cm dishes switched through a DisecQ unit, and this one is now permanently rigged for the Hotbirds.
The mount is just a second hand car tyre, and the dish sits quite happily on the tyre. The wooden lath stops the dish blowing over every time the wind blows through the garden. I originally used a couple of bricks, but these knocked too much paint off the bottom of the dish causing it to rust.
Hmm - I think the rhubarb needs cutting back a little :-) I have to admit its no fun slewing the dish onto an alternative satellite during snow or heavy rain. However, until I can afford a proper motorised system, I can live with this. As you can see, the lnb is actually taped in place. This dish was scavenged off the side of the road in Galashiels town centre one bin day back in May 2001. The dish was in reasonable condition, but part of the lnb holder was smashed off. 20 minutes with plastic zip ties and Duck Tape and I ended up with a fully functional dish, and loads of new telly channels.
PLEASE NOTE If you use something like this, you MUST make sure the dish cant break loose if a storm blows up. One of these could do a hell of a lot of damage if it comes adrift and goes hurtling off down the garden..... You could be looking at a major compensation claim if it hits someone in the face. I always lie the dish flat on the floor at the first hint of severe weather, and have been known to chain it to the fenceposts to secure it.
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