Here, a 1.2 meter Prodelin dish captures signals from 23,500
miles away. The dish is supported by a NPR (non-penetrating roof) mount.
Note the pad to protect the rubber roof membrane and the dozen concrete block to
keep the whole works from blowing away. (and the sunset is just the icing on the
cake of a hard days work)
An
example of our competitors "Just Git 'er Done" philosophy, this grain
elevator should have a proper Tri-Mast Wall Mount but you do have to admire the
ingenuity that went in to adapting the NPR mount to fit a wall. But
25 cents worth of ty-raps securing the coax sure would've gone a long way towards neatness!
Got to love the ingenuity of these farmers! But what is with
their disdain for a few cents worth of ty-raps for the coax cable? Or at least
some duct-tape or baling-wire.
It's
important to always use a pad under an NPR, otherwise the customer will freak
and not allow an NPR after they get a new roof. On the bright side,
hauling up the power tools to install a TriMast is easier than getting the
concrete blocks up on the roof.
An $8 sheet of Certifoam extruded polystyrene is cheap insurance against a
damaged roof membrane. (like the pink stuff they use behind vinyl siding)
You've driven 700 miles to a job site and some fool thought he could ship the
sled angle iron just Ty-Rapped together into a bundle. Needles to say,
only the piece of the sled with the address label arrived. (Part 1 of 12) Time
to Evaluate-Adapt-Overcome. A pallet was scavenged and some generic angle
iron purchased locally. The dish is bolted to pallet at bottom, and 2
block stabilize it. Apparently, pallets are made with treated wood because this
unit has been operational for 10 years.
Don't
be a drip! Rain follows the path of least resistance, and silicone sealant
won't last forever. A proper "drip loop" reduces the chance of rain
following the cable into the building.
TVs, Technicians, and Astros...lined up and ready to go.
Do
we drive mini-vans to save Mother Earth? Hell NO! We do it to save
money (and preserve EBITDA). Renting U-hauls sucks, and besides...with
careful packing-IT WILL FIT!
How did this dish end up here? Seems it was installed from the roof of a
parking garage that has since been torn down. You can see a thin brown
line that marks the top of the old neighboring structure. Also note the barbed
wire fence where the top is tilted to keep people from climbing onto the roof.
Sure hope this dish never needs
re-pointing.
We're sure this dish has an interesting story behind it, we just don't know it.
But we suspect it's somehow related to Winegard Industries of Burlington, Iowa,
a pioneer of the antenna industry. This dish is just North of the BW Pzazz Inn
in Burlington, IA.
So just how does a guy get 16 concrete block onto the roof by himself? Aurigatron
technicians often work solo, so we devised this method of a "Solo Block Pull".
Every block is fitted with a lanyard. Now it's just
like a carnival game to snag the lanyard with the hook and pull the block up. In
windy conditions this method makes it easy to recruit a volunteer as even an
inept volunteer can fit the hook to the lanyard.
Original feedhorn weather caps get brittle and subject to
shattering in hail storms. Luckily, there is an affordable upgrade. A
1-1/2" Qwik-Cap intended for closing off PVC pipes is a perfect, durable
solution to keeping rain and bugs out of the feedhorn. In Aurigatron jargon it's known as a "Cleveland Cap".
Our technicians may have years of experience, but they ain't
getting any younger! So gone are the back-breaking days of hanging over the side and doing a
straight pull without hitting the wall. Witness, the "BrikGard 500", a
protective wall mat that reduces back strain while protecting the costumers wall
from dings, scars, and striations.
It's the details that matter. Since the "BrikGard 500" allows
basically dragging the block up the wall, snaring the block at the corner tilts
the block. This allows the trailing edge to drag on the rubber mat rather than
the leading edge. It's a little bit easier, and when your day includes pulling
up 48 blocks all those "little bits" add up!
Here's a "how to" sequence for assembling an Andrews NPR sled.
Start with the box and a flat space to work.
Arrange angle irons keeping front in mind, bead side up.
Secure mast pipe in front.
Don't cut yourself, and don't let the mast fall on you.
Sandwich the 3 parts with cairrage bolt thread out.
NOW...you can tighten all bolts/nuts.
Start with the box and a flat space to work.
![[Under Construction]](images/undercon.gif){kind=small}
