Convert photo tripod for sat dish

silvervaper
silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
edited March 2016 in Parts & Accessories #1

From another thread on Aldi Bargains - I recently got the portable satellite dish from the Aldi caravan bargains. I wanted to use a tripod rather than the suction cup roof mount that came with it and had a decent camera tripod i never use.

I was asked how I did it - I just took the mounting plate that would normally screw to the base of the camera, popped out the mounting screw and through bolted onto the bar supplied with the kit for a wall mounting setup. Means the dish can be easliy removed
and all the dish adjustments can easly be made using the multi -dircetional pivots on the tripod. I'll try to post some pictures.

Comments

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #2

    [img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1658/25632700990_d1617ce434_n.jpg[/img]

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #3

    [img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1679/25632656070_0545b7efb8_n.jpg[/img]

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #4

    [img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1568/25632633090_5721203c1d_n.jpg[/img]

  • ADP1963
    ADP1963 Forum Participant Posts: 1,280
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2016 #5

    Thanks I will give this ago,as I do not want to be playing around with steps and dishes on the caravan roof.

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #6

    Meant to say - on the tripod I have there is a hook on the bottom of the central post - it would be a good idea to hook a bungee from it to a groundpeg or anchor for extra stablity 

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #7

    Silveraper; you have eluded to my one concern I have with your otherwise excellent suggestion, that of stabilty!  A sat disc offers much more area to the wind and your idea would require the fixing of guys  in a triangle to ensure unit remains stable, not sure a bungee cord would suffice.

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #8

    Silveraper; you have eluded to my one concern I have with your otherwise excellent suggestion, that of stabilty!  A sat disc offers much more area to the wind and your idea would require the fixing of guys  in a triangle to ensure unit remains stable, not
    sure a bungee cord would suffice.

    Yes, I was thinking that - I'm hoping the downward tension of the bungee will apply enoungh force equally to the three legs to keep it stable, but if not guy ropes are the answer. Tripods made for sat dishes normally have peg holes in the feet, but as you
    say the dish covers enough area in a strong wind that it will be susceptible to movement affecting the signal, or worse blowing over

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,690 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #9

    SV - many thanks for your post which answered my question posted on the Aldi bargains thread. Funnily enough, I have what appears to be exactly the same camera tripod.  I did look at it as an option and discounted it because I didn't think of using the camera
    mounting and that part of the wall bracketFrown  I'll give it a try later this week while we are away - just to see if everything works but I don't
    see it as a permanent solution because of the stability issue.  I think I'm going to get a cheap satellite tripod and then manufacture a clamp which will fit in the top of it - or alternatively source an alternative bracket which will screw to the dish.  Many
    thanks for your post, though.

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #10

    Yes, I'll see how it goes too with stability - there are plenty of cheap tripods designed for sat dishes out there so if this set up doesn't work there's nothing lost - it hasn't cost me a pennyHappy

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,868 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #11

    I always found that even using pegs through the holes in a Dish tripod were often not that successful and guy ropes were the best answer.

    David

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #12

    Just modified the mounting bracket so it is much shorter and the dish sits directly over the tripod - much better centre of gravity.

    The tripod itself is as stable as any tripod can be, I had it set up this morning on uneven ground (good thing about the photo tripod is each leg lenghth can be adjusted independently) with a fair breeze and got a perfect signal, and very stable. Obviously
    if it is blowing a gale, any tripod is going to be susceptible, but I'm happy with this setup.

    If anything this may be more stable than the tripods where the legs attach to the upright about a quarter way up - the fact the legs support the mount at the top should give better stability - and the feet are about 120cm apart, so good wide base.

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #13

    I'll try to put up another picture

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #14

    [img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1475/25332722413_2e8bf43b23_n.jpg[/img]

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #15

    [img]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1659/25332718263_b79f4ea721_n.jpg[/img]

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2016 #16

    Never underestimate the windage on a dish. Although larger than caravan ones, some of the sat dishes on roof solariums down in Spain get dragged around despite being set in substantial concrete slabs.

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #17

    Thing is I seldom watch TV at home and prefer DVDs, but I do like a challenge! On summer nights I doubt the TV will even be switched on....Happy

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #18

    Never underestimate the windage on a dish. 

    Excessive windage is definitley to be avoided - too much fibre can cause that, and not good in a caravan...

    Thanks for all the advice. Time and weather will tell, and if it blows off track, I'll try the guy ropes

  • ADP1963
    ADP1963 Forum Participant Posts: 1,280
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2016 #19

    Thing is I seldom watch TV at home and prefer DVDs, but I do like a challenge! On summer nights I doubt the TV will even be switched on....Happy

    Write your comments here...Might be a bit different this year.......European Cup, Olympics.  Laughing

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #20

    Thing is I seldom watch TV at home and prefer DVDs, but I do like a challenge! On summer nights I doubt the TV will even be switched on....Happy

    Write your comments here...Might be a bit different this year.......European Cup, Olympics.  Laughing

    In that case I'll probably just remove the telly entirelyHappy

  • ADP1963
    ADP1963 Forum Participant Posts: 1,280
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2016 #21

    Thing is I seldom watch TV at home and prefer DVDs, but I do like a challenge! On summer nights I doubt the TV will even be switched on....Happy

    Write your comments here...Might be a bit different this year.......European Cup, Olympics.  Laughing

    In that case I'll probably just remove the telly entirelyHappy

    Write your comments here...Give us your tripod then...We like it.  Surprised

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #22

    Lidl are selling a bike servicing stand at present which looks like it would make a good satellite tripod.

    See Here

    i guess it's a quadpod really!

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #23

    I saw that in the store today - was thinking that would really do the job - and it would, but it is very heavy. I think it is a steel frame - there wasn't one on display but the box looked pretty big and certainly took up more weight than I'd want to give
    to a tripod

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2016 #24

    Silverpaper.  As a matter of interest, how much did your modified stand cost?

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #25

    I really can't remember - I bought it years ago and it's been in the garage for ages. You can get one for around £25 on Amazon or ebay.

    It cost nothing to convert it - just a bolt and hacksaw

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #26

    One of these may be the very best option!

    tripod

  • silvervaper
    silvervaper Forum Participant Posts: 74
    edited March 2016 #27

    One of these may be the very best option!

    tripod

    Totally agree - if I was buying new that's what I would go for - the original problem was I got the kit from Aldi bargains that comes with a rooftop suction cup and the mount on it isn't suitable for a standard dish tripod

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