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Wall Mount, Pole Mount, and Custom Solutions LinkStar gear leaves the choice of mount to the end user and installer. LinkStar outdoor components - the dish, the mount, the transmit/receive electronics - are all larger than conventional consumer-class satellite broadband systems. As you'll see below, we have to take the greater size, weight and wind load potential of the outdoor component package into consideration when considering the choice of location and a mount. Generally speaking, pole mounts, while more expensive, afford a greater choice of locations and are almost always a better choice when it comes to accuracy. Wall and Roof Mounts
The photograph shown on the lower left illustrates a typical three-point wall mount in masonry. This type of mounting kit, called a trimast mount is not provided by LinkStar and must be ordered at some extra cost. The photograph on the right shows a non-penetrating roof mount that can either be used flat as shown or folded to drape over the peak of a roof. StarLAN Consulting Services provides these mounts at extra cost -typically $139.00 for a tri-mast wall/roof mount and $199.00 for a non-penetrating roof mount (plus concrete ballast as required). The reason for the additional cost for these mounts is that they must be far more sturdy than conventional TV or consumer satellite mounting hardware. The principal factors contributing to the higher cost are:
The standard color is battleship grey, but for an extra fee, this mount can be powder-coated in any color the owner desires. NOTE: On no account must the dish itself be painted or otherwise coated with anything! With rare exceptions, we do not usually recommend roof mounts of any type here in the inland Northwest. The reason is simple: snow. When a dish is located on a roof, it is typically out of easy or safe reach for purposes of snow removal. We will, however, provide such a mount as long as the customer is willing to sign a 'hold harmless' agreement acknowledging the hazards associated with rooftop operations and not hold StarLAN Consulting responsible if, after being suitably warned, the customer falls off the roof in the dead of winter into a snowbank and is not found until the spring thaw. Legal disclaimers aside, StarLAN Consulting will work with you to determine the best and safest place for your dish installation. The bottom line: whatever your situation, StarLAN Consulting Services can provide the mounting solution that will meet your practical and aesthetic needs. Wall Mounts A LinkStar system wall mount is a substantial piece of hardware. This item comes from Andrew Electronics and is unique to both the 1.0 meter and 1.2 meter LinkStar dishes. We can also adapt an existing StarBand or DirecWay mount for use in a LinkStar installation provided that the original mount is solidly anchored and straight to begin with. This requires a custom-made adapter to bring the original 2 3/8" mount up to the 3" mount size required for these antennas.
Pole Mounts Pole mounts as shown below are not provided by LinkStar, and come at some extra cost over the standard installation fee. Owing to the size and weight of the LinkStar dish and electronics, we must use a 2 7/8" - 3" OD pole or mast. Accordingly, all StarLAN Consulting-designed pole mounts, wall mounts and custom adapters are heavily over-engineered to provide the utmost in stability and lightning resistance. Note the three 1/2" anti-rotation rods spaced 10" apart and at right angles to one another. Heavy duty copper ground clamps are standard, and 5/8" copper-clad grounding rods are used when warranted. PVC cable sweeps - to protect the transmit/receive cable pair from weed whackers and string trimmers - are provided as needed. In some cases, concrete fill is not necessary, but where the use of concrete is dictated, the time, labor and materials cost use will be factored into the installation cost.
Custom Mounts We can in some cases make use of an existing pole or wall mount provided that it is in the right location. In these cases, we custom-manufacture an adapter to suit the circumstances. In those situations where the customer has a 2" wall mount in a suitable location for the LinkStar service, we will examine the mount to ensure that it is sturdy enough to handle the added weight and wind loading potential of the LinkStar dish and electronics. Needless to say, an existing mount must be rock-solid and well-anchored to meet these criteria.
The photo above illustrates how custom-made adapters allow the use of a customer's older existing C-band antenna pole for a LinkStar installation. The photo on the right is that of a custom adapter made to use an existing 2" consumer satellite mount. These adapters are hand-machined, robust and absolutely straight, thus insuring extremely accurate antenna alignment.
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