# How to Install a Satellite Dish on a Roof - Finding Rafters



## ZandarKoad (Oct 25, 2009)

Here's a video I made on how to install a satellite dish on a roof. Let me know what you think. It's the first video I've ever made of it's type, so set your expectations LOW. :lol: Also, it's way longer than I hoped - 15 minutes. Wow.

Your feedback is appreciated.


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## 242424 (Mar 22, 2012)

Good work! You should be able to measure over 16" or 24" when searching for the second rafter and drill, might save some pounding lol


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## VDP07 (Feb 22, 2006)

When I heard "Papa, is that a tab?" I was wondering. Then I saw the little one in shorts and galoshes crawling around up there. Yikes!


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

[nitpicking]
Perfect position of the legs would be creating 120 degree angle (60+60) down to the roof.
It's by mechanical rules, counting strong wind/gusts coming from any direction. Speaking of the leg postion, it would be better to know the reflector direction; then make the final 60+60 degree positioning.
[/nitpicking]


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## montanaxvi (Oct 2, 2008)

The content owner has not made this video available on mobile. 

It really surprises me how this is not set to "on" by default, allowing mobile viewing, with the large amount of YouTube consumed via cell phomes, tablets, etc.


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## HoTat2 (Nov 16, 2005)

Very good video;

Man, ... wish my installer took such care when he put in my SlimLine-5 ODU back in early 2009 (IIRC).

He used the maximum 10 lag bolts with only the two 3 inch ones for the mast footing screwed into a rafter. The other eight 2 inch bolts just went into the roof deck paneling and not any rafters. And no sealant of any kind was used anywhere.

Fortunately though he installed the ODU on the roof portion of an eave so if there are any leaks it won't come into the house. But after looking at this video that's of little consolation.

Dish mount hasn't moved any yet though that I can tell, then again in South L.A. we don't regularly experience high winds to put much strain on it.


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## ZandarKoad (Oct 25, 2009)

montanaxvi said:


> The content owner has not made this video available on mobile.
> 
> It really surprises me how this is not set to "on" by default, allowing mobile viewing, with the large amount of YouTube consumed via cell phomes, tablets, etc.


Yeah that really upsets me. Apparently, because of the 30 second music clip at the beginning, I have no option to enable mobile viewing.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

If at all possibly, I wouldn't recommend installing a dish on the roof. 
1. Difficult to get to when there is ice/snow on it to clean it off;
2. Difficult to get to when a minor/major adjustment is needed or a piece of coax is loose;
3. Roof leaks are more prone.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

n3ntj said:


> If at all possibly, I wouldn't recommend installing a dish on the roof.
> 1. Difficult to get to when there is ice/snow on it to clean it off;
> 2. Difficult to get to when a minor/major adjustment is needed or a piece of coax is loose;
> 3. Roof leaks are more prone.


You forgot to propose better mount .... a pole ? Near utilities entrance ? Close to ground rod ?


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## peano (Feb 1, 2004)

I install mine on a wall. I would _never_ mount a dish on the roof.


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## ZandarKoad (Oct 25, 2009)

I too try to sway customers away from roof mounts for a number of reasons. Leaks, accessibility, higher wind speeds, and more. But at the end of the day, I make darn sure the customer knows I'm not the one who's making the decision on where the dish is being installed - THEY ARE. It's THEIR HOME, not mine. THEY have to live with the install, not me. So I give them 2 - 3 options, the pros and cons in detail of each location, and say pick one.

If they change their mind ex post facto, they can pay me for the relocate.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

P Smith said:


> You forgot to propose better mount .... a pole ? Near utilities entrance ? Close to ground rod ?


In lieu of a roof installation, I would recommend either mounting:
1. on your home near your electric meter, or
2. on a pole near your electric meter, or
3. on a sturdy fence near your electric meter.

The reason I keep saying near your electric meter, if possible, is to provide a proper grounding method for your dish/system. NEC says that satellite dishes should be grounded using the same grounding system that your home's electrical system uses. Ideally, the same ground rod should be used yet each system (satellite, cable, phone, electric, etc.) requires a separate clamp to secure the grounding conductor to the ground rod. Do not connect your dish grounding conductor clamp to the same grounding clamp that your electrical service uses, but you can use the same ground rod. Ground rods are typically 8' in length and should have 8' of continuous ground contact - meaning, the ground rod should not stick up out of the ground more than an inch or so. I often inspect homes that have their ground rods sticking up 10~20" out of the ground and this is not permitted by NEC.

If the dish can't be installed near the electrical service's grounding system, a separate ground rod must be installed in the immediate vicinity of the dish (IIRC - NEC requires no more than 3 meters), but NEC requires that the ground rods for the dish and the electrical service be bonded together using a #6 AWG (or larger) conductor. This bonding ensures that both ground rods are at equal potential.


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## 242424 (Mar 22, 2012)

lol They never bothered to ground my dish.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

242424 said:


> lol They never bothered to ground my dish.


Most installers I've talked to don't have any idea what grounding is or why it is required by NEC. The various building, electrical, etc. codes (IRC, NEC, etc.) are the law of your area (state, city, etc.), so the installer not grounding your system is technically breaking the law. Your AHJ would be the one to contact.


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

242424 said:


> lol They never bothered to ground my dish.


Mine either (neither did the Dish installer for my previous dish). The electrical panel is on the other side of the house, which doesn't help either. I did bond a ground block to the copper water pipe in the crawl space which is bonded to the main ground rod. It might also be tied to my well casing--I haven't checked.


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## HoTat2 (Nov 16, 2005)

n3ntj said:


> In lieu of a roof installation, I would recommend either mounting:
> 1. on your home near your electric meter, or
> 2. on a pole near your electric meter, or
> 3. on a sturdy fence near your electric meter.
> ...


Oh well, guess I've got code violations all around then ... 

Hired electrical contractors to rewire the house back in 2005.

My ground rod at the service entrance is sticking up about 8," and I'm not sure how far it extends into the ground (hope its down 8').

Dish was grounded to the cold water feed pipe to the water heater in the basement from one of the companion ground wires on one of the twin coax runs from the Dish (SL-5, 4 output LNB) by the original installer back in early '09.


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