Dish Surface Size & Wind Pressure Dish Surface Size & Wind Pressure

Here is a guide to the increase in the surface size of a larger dish - how much more signal can hit the dish. Also the wind load figures in a 100mph wind. This is the amount of wind pressure hitting the dish. If the dish was flush at the end of tube, the full pressure would push on the dish. As, we have open air around the dish, the wind disperses - so the true constant pressure (CP) figures to your dish are in yellow below. It's a bit like try to fill your hand with water from a running tap. Because of the flow, only so much can retained - the retained amount is the Constant Pressure.

Dish Size 40cm 60cm 70cm 80cm 90cm 100cm 110cm 120cm 125cm 150cm

surface area sq cm 1256 2827 3848 5026 6361 7853 9503 11309 12271 17617

surface area sq inches 194 438 596 780 985 1217 1472 1752 1902 2730

100mph 4268 9636 1232 1716 21670 26774 32384 38554 41844 60060

windload

in

lbs

You will notice that a 70cm dish has one third of the surface area of a 1.25 dish. The wind pressure on a dish is 22lbs per square inch @ 100 mph. The total surface area wind pressure - end column - on 1.5 dish is a massive 60060 lbs hitting your dish - a lot of the impact is lost, so the constant pressure is around 1000 lbs. These are the figures for the constant pressure actually being applied to your dish - as if you were pressing upon it with the shown amount of weight.

Wind Speed in MPH 40cm 60cm 70cm 80cm 90cm 100cm 110cm 120cm 125cm 150cm

30 6 12 18 24 30 37 45 54 58 83

50 17 34 51 66 84 104 125 150 162 233

70 32 72 100 131 164 208 246 293 318 457

90 54 146 164 216 272 337 407 484 526 755

100 66 160 203 266 336 446 539 642 697 1001 lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs

Wind pressure figures for a mesh dish - in a 40 mile per hour wind - would be 40% less than a solid dish - BUT - only up to a 50mph wind. Over 50mph, the wind will make the mesh dish act the same as a solid dish. The reason for this is: the high wind flow creates turbulence around the holes on the mesh - preventing the wind from passing through. Basically too much wind to get through a small hole at the needed rate. Now, if you are using a ground pole as a mount for a 1 metre dish. Wind at 100 mph will put 446 lbs applied pressure on the dish. The base of the pole will then have a massive leverage upon it. If cemented in, it could bend or break at that point. The amount of leverage on the pole will depend upon it's length. A 3 metre high pole with a one metre dish up top - I estimate as a 3 to 1 leverage ratio. So, the wind applied pressure at 100 mph will be transferred to the base of the pole multiplied by 3 = 1358 lbs. Bad news if the pole breaks where the cement joint is. Another tip I picked up - and this is real - do not use plastic tubing to as a mount for your dish. Figures are relatively accurate and are based on a temperature of 40f. The wind pressure will be higher when colder and less when warmer. It also depends on other conditions. Altitude will also increase the AP, so if your dish is roof high - you can add 15-20 percent to the above figures. All calculations are based on a formula for calculating wind on solid objects and have been done separately over a period of 5 months