The Non-Pen roof mount is by far the most common type of installation platform used by Ground Control. It is named as such because the satellite platform is non-penetrating, and uses only the weight of cinder blocks (or other weight) to hold the system in place.
The obvious advantage of Non-Pen mounts is it avoids doing any kind of damage to the roof that may result in water leaking in during their rain seasons. The only hole that needs to be created is the one for the cable run.
Let's look at the hardware and assembly of the non-pen mount.
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Normally all struts and hardware required for the Non-Pen is included in one box. |
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The instructions should be carefully inspected and followed. |
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During assembly, leave the bolts a little loose until all bolts are in place. This helps speed up assembly as all parts go together much easier. Once the bolts are in place, tighten everything down.
On the right is a finished non-pen mount. |
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Be careful not to miss tightening any bolt on the mount. For example, this bolt at the base, prevents the dish from rotating during a strong wind. Failure to properly tighten the non-pen may result in you being called back to the site to re point a dish. Take the extra time to double check your work with the instructions. |
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You'll need at minimum 10-12 concrete cinder blocks to properly weight the non-pen. Once the mount is in place, insert the cinder blocs as shown. Do this BEFORE you install the satellite system, in case a wind comes up and accidentally topples and damages your system. |
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Cinder blocks may be purchased at any nursery and most hardware stores. |
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