Selling tripods for
satellite dishes is a unique, niche business. My involvement with this business was
brought on by my own frustration with dish setup.
When I converted to the smaller size
satellite dish system it allowed me the opportunity to bring along a Winegard dish for
satellite TV when on the road. However, I soon discovered that it wasn't easy to tune in
the signal and I was unsure of just what the problem was. I was pointing
the dish in the correct direction, using a compass, and still had great difficulty
acquiring a signal.
I knew that pointing the dish close to
the correct azimuth setting was important. Deviate just a few degrees on
the azimuth and the result is NO SIGNAL. However, I noticed that every time I
brought the compass close to the dish to aim it, the needle of the compass would move off
the mark. I realized that the steel in the dish was attracting the needle, throwing
it off target. I tried using a tree or other landmark in the distance, as a guide,
but this wasn't very accurate. I also knew the elevation setting had to be
fairly accurate, and this required that the dish mast be plumb. This was not always
easy with the Winegard dish, as it just sits on the ground, which was not always level.
I came to the conclusion that I needed a
tripod that was not made of steel, so I could "pre-aim" it with the
compass to avoid the needle deflection I was getting with the dish. The tripod would
also need adjustable legs, so it could be leveled to make the mast plumb.
After some research, I found a tripod that fit those requirements. I went about
making modifications so I could mount the satellite dish. I tested it in my back
yard and the concept proved correct. Each time I set it up I was able to tune in the
signal with no difficulty. The system proved to be VERY consistent. I took it
on the road with the same excellent results. To eliminate the need to watch the
signal on the TV screen, I added a satellite finder. A later modification made
adjusting the dish elevation setting easier.
I launched my new product on eBay with
amazing results. After a year I began getting requests for a tripod that would
support the new, High Definition TV dishes. These dishes were much larger and
heavier than any tripod (including mine) would support. I bought one of those
Slimline dishes to use in developing what is now our Heavy-Duty Tripod.
The rest is history . . .
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