# Pole-mounted satellite dish more susceptible to theft?



## ld323 (Sep 13, 2007)

I'm thinking of going with the pole-mount install because my roof is almost entirely obscured by trees. Also my roof is quite old and I don't want anyone poking around at it and drilling holes, etc.

How secure is a satellite dish mounted on a pole? The installer is coming next week and I need to make a decision by then... I was told over the phone that they will be using a tripod.. Hmm I thought it would require a small slab of concrete, like a clothesline.


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## B Newt (Aug 12, 2007)

Here in vegas haven't herd anything about dish thefts. But we are experiencing high theft rate for copper. That includes wire and now they are going after A\C units for the copper coils.

Meth users (human garbage) need the copper to get their next fix....:nono2:


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

ld323 said:


> How secure is a satellite dish mounted on a pole?


They're not, if your burglar has a wrench, is willing to make a little noise, and really wants that dish. But a standard Dish/DirecTV dish is fairly bulky and isn't worth very much.

Further, replacing a stolen dish would be a lot cheaper than fixing a hole in your aging roof.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Just be careful that they don't try to mount the tripod on the roof (standard procedure for a tripod). I don't know how they would mount a tripod on the ground.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

I've had multiple dishes up for over seven years in two different apartment complexes and
have never had a problem with vandalism or theft, but only because the dumb-ass crooks
around here can't figure out how to trade a parabolic reflector for a hit of crack.


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## ld323 (Sep 13, 2007)

My backyard has an office complex on the other side of the fence, also there is a nearby cross-street that's heavily traveled, which means alot of people would have full view of the satellite....just kind of worried about this. I'm probably going to request the pole-mount anyways... I believe it comes with insurance since I'm signing an 18 month contract. I'm just wondering how the thing is going to be stable with just a "tripod". I would assume part of it needs to go underground...


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## Mike500 (May 10, 2002)

You can always spray the mount and lnb cover with an ugly color that would make the dish hard to fence.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

In the past I have mounted dishes at ground level on a 24"x24" paving stone that I picked up at HD. This thing weighs about 80 pounds and makes for quite a stable base using the mounting foot and pole that comes with the dish. I've done several of them (at ground level) and haven't had any of them disappear. It's a bit less noticable than a dish on a pole.


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## Clato (Aug 30, 2007)

ld323 said:


> I'm thinking of going with the pole-mount install because my roof is almost entirely obscured by trees. Also my roof is quite old and I don't want anyone poking around at it and drilling holes, etc.
> 
> How secure is a satellite dish mounted on a pole? The installer is coming next week and I need to make a decision by then... I was told over the phone that they will be using a tripod.. Hmm I thought it would require a small slab of concrete, like a clothesline.


===========================================
Hello ld323, hope you had a good weekend, you may want to consider doing as MY Friend/supervisor for DTV installation did when my big dish 5 lnb dish was put in, 
HE first had installation tech dig a 3 foot hole, (used pole digger) then he mixed & poured in a 10 lb bag of centment,( about 5-10 minute wait ) then stuck a 10 foot long ,2 inch round pole in cement.and allowed to dry, came back next day, mounted dish, filled in and covered hole. so it is SECURE with no problem, looks neat. take care ok. clato


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

That's good advice for installing a secure pole, but anyone who really wanted the dish could unbolt it from the pole. Fortunately, dishes are still unpopular enough as a fence-able commodity that such thefts rarely happen.


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## glennb (Sep 21, 2006)

Never heard of anyone stealing a DIRECTV dish. I wouldn't worry about it.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

One thing to remember when installing a pole in cement.... before doing so bash the end of the pole that goes into the cement with a hammer to make it so that it isn't round. This will keep the pole from turning in the cement with a strong wind.


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## Clato (Aug 30, 2007)

Richard King said:


> One thing to remember when installing a pole in cement.... before doing so bash the end of the pole that goes into the cement with a hammer to make it so that it isn't round. This will keep the pole from turning in the cement with a strong wind.


LOL,to late now,but if a hurricane or HIM acane is a commin, I'am not going to worry about that pole going round & round,


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## stringray13 (Jul 12, 2007)

I regularly install tripods which come with ground ancors, and have never put a tripod on a roof.(?)

Personally, I prefer pressure treated 6x6 for concrete mounts, even tho you may have to re point after it cures, it doent move in the wind at all, and if you are handy with tools you can carve that sucker into something decorative.

I once mounted a KAKU to one carved up to look like a totem pole, it was very cool looking.


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## Mike500 (May 10, 2002)

ld323 said:


> I'm thinking of going with the pole-mount install because my roof is almost entirely obscured by trees. Also my roof is quite old and I don't want anyone poking around at it and drilling holes, etc.
> 
> How secure is a satellite dish mounted on a pole? The installer is coming next week and I need to make a decision by then... I was told over the phone that they will be using a tripod.. Hmm I thought it would require a small slab of concrete, like a clothesline.


I dont know the theft rate on Planet Zarcon Nebulae, but I've seen dishes stolen from time to time.


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## ld323 (Sep 13, 2007)

Got my DISH installed last weekend. The guy dug a hole and poured in concrete himself. Apparently it was standard practice for him... Alls well!


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Excellent. I have done my share of installs the same way, and MANY back in the big dish days. Did he bash (or put a screw in) the end of the pole that went into the ground? :lol:


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## ld323 (Sep 13, 2007)

Umm not sure, I didn't actually watch him the whole time... It appears to be pretty sturdy though.. My only concern now is the neighbor's tree potentially obscuring the dish in another year or 2 or 3 . . .


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