I want to try and get a mini bud going, no room for real bud. Can anyone help me or direct me. Looked around but didnt find anything that would help me out. Its a 33" offset dish. Using it with a Coolsat 5000. Thanks
33" "mini BUD" Is it possible?
- Thread starter jrturbo
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 26
- Views 6K
- Status
I guess I wouldn't recommend it at anything less than a Primestar (40"x30") or One Meter dish. I was able to get one channel with a 31" dish -- that being the Word Network on 91 West -- and even that was incredibly low on the quality scale. There's a chance you'd find one or two more on the arc, but that's a remote chance.
For a good MiniBUD experiment (and the key word is experiment), you'd need something a bit bigger and a lot of patience.
For a good MiniBUD experiment (and the key word is experiment), you'd need something a bit bigger and a lot of patience.
You could certainly try if you wish, but you will receive no channels, unfortunately. The dish is way too small for C-band. That is the nature of the beast.
Based on published reports. I'd say the 1 meter commercial dish Disco mentioned above would be the smallest....
... for anything more than just the claim that you got something.
Here is a list of stations Linuxman got on a 1 meter Primestar:
- satellite list for 1m dish
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...mestar-mini-bud-experiment-7.html#post1509116
.... and a proper conical scalar is strongly recommended, regardless.
But remember, this is just for fun.
If you seriously want to watch, consider a 1.2 (4') dish as a minimum... or better yet a 1.8m (6') dish.
edit:
Sorry, it took too long for me to post, and you disclosed your desire for particular satellites.
My post is not an answer to those birds, other than what you may find in Linuxman's thread.
... for anything more than just the claim that you got something.
Here is a list of stations Linuxman got on a 1 meter Primestar:
- satellite list for 1m dish
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...mestar-mini-bud-experiment-7.html#post1509116
.... and a proper conical scalar is strongly recommended, regardless.
But remember, this is just for fun.
If you seriously want to watch, consider a 1.2 (4') dish as a minimum... or better yet a 1.8m (6') dish.
edit:
Sorry, it took too long for me to post, and you disclosed your desire for particular satellites.
My post is not an answer to those birds, other than what you may find in Linuxman's thread.
AMC1 no way...I can barely get it on a 6 footer
Satmex 5...probably not except for the uber strong stuff.
Satmex 5...probably not except for the uber strong stuff.
I have been very pleased with the 120cm dish BUD system we have outside our building. Even though it is not tweaked perfectly yet, we get almost all the Satmex channels, and several more satellites fine.
Not only the dish, but the LNBF and it position relative to the focal point of the dish are important as well.
Not only the dish, but the LNBF and it position relative to the focal point of the dish are important as well.
What does something like that set me back? Will the motor be able to be powered by my coolsat 5000?
yes the Coolsat 5000 would control it.
Drawback on the 120cm dishes is the shipping is a killer. Sadoun site shows 129.00 for dish but probably will cost 200 to ship it since the dish is so big
Drawback on the 120cm dishes is the shipping is a killer. Sadoun site shows 129.00 for dish but probably will cost 200 to ship it since the dish is so big
I believe a motor will power, depending on the motor. I think many of them will be able to carry up to a 1.2 dish.
Incidentally, I was checking out a 1.2 miniBUD set-up with a friend, and we got a few select channels on SatMex 5, and stuck out on AMC 1.
Regarding price, Since Sadoun chimed in their site has a meter dish for $90 plus Shipping right now. A 1.2 is about $40 more. Of course, you can always look elsewhere. More importantly, always check locally on Craigslist or other classifieds. You may get it cheaper or even free if you're lucky
I picked up a Primestar for $20 a year ago.
Incidentally, I was checking out a 1.2 miniBUD set-up with a friend, and we got a few select channels on SatMex 5, and stuck out on AMC 1.
Regarding price, Since Sadoun chimed in their site has a meter dish for $90 plus Shipping right now. A 1.2 is about $40 more. Of course, you can always look elsewhere. More importantly, always check locally on Craigslist or other classifieds. You may get it cheaper or even free if you're lucky
I picked up a Primestar for $20 a year ago.
You won't be very happy with a small KU dish for c band. a 1.2M dish is quite limited as well.
a 6 foot dish is bare minimum I would even try for any kind of reliable reception.
a 7.5' dish works really well and it gets better as you go up.
The problem with undersized reflectors is that not just the lack of gain but the beamwidth is too wide. Your small c band dish is seeing the neighboring satellite's signals as well. This creates interference to digital reception.
a 33" dish on some ku signals is not really big enough.
I have seen on here where somebody used a prime star dish and picked up some c band signals.
a 6 foot dish is bare minimum I would even try for any kind of reliable reception.
a 7.5' dish works really well and it gets better as you go up.
The problem with undersized reflectors is that not just the lack of gain but the beamwidth is too wide. Your small c band dish is seeing the neighboring satellite's signals as well. This creates interference to digital reception.
a 33" dish on some ku signals is not really big enough.
I have seen on here where somebody used a prime star dish and picked up some c band signals.
I'm not the OP, but I think you just talked me out of the mini-bud project I've been toying with - your point that reliable reception (rather than just getting a hit) is the key struck a nerve.
Now, how do I hide a BUD at the beach house????? No way is it blocking the beach view (moma would have a cow, chickens, etc).
Shipping a 120cm dish is around $135 by freight on a pallet and in a cardboard box.
It is really pain in the butt to ship these. We spend so much time packing it in a custom cardboard box, tape it, strap it, and then mount it on a pallet and strap it again. The box is usually huge and when you receive it you will need to unload it from the truck yourself. Otherwise, the shipping company will charge another $45 for lift gate fees and another $100 if they move it to your home or garage.
The best thing for us is when a customer comes in and pick up the dish from our warehouse. But, please, bring the biggest car or truck you have.
WARNING: This dish will not fit in a mini car, compact, medium size, or even full size car. So don't drive your car over here trying to pickup a 120cm dish unless you have a roof rack on it. Best is a truck or a full size van.
I have a customer that wanted to take a 120cm dish to New York, but it would not fit in his car anyway he tried. We had to ship it. He only took the hardware with him.
It is really pain in the butt to ship these. We spend so much time packing it in a custom cardboard box, tape it, strap it, and then mount it on a pallet and strap it again. The box is usually huge and when you receive it you will need to unload it from the truck yourself. Otherwise, the shipping company will charge another $45 for lift gate fees and another $100 if they move it to your home or garage.
The best thing for us is when a customer comes in and pick up the dish from our warehouse. But, please, bring the biggest car or truck you have.
WARNING: This dish will not fit in a mini car, compact, medium size, or even full size car. So don't drive your car over here trying to pickup a 120cm dish unless you have a roof rack on it. Best is a truck or a full size van.
I have a customer that wanted to take a 120cm dish to New York, but it would not fit in his car anyway he tried. We had to ship it. He only took the hardware with him.
won't go 6 feet, huh?
JRturbo -
If you are dead set on getting a 4' (120cm) dish, you might try driving over to our west coast Gold Sponsor, SatelliteAV .
I'd still recommend the DG380 motor from Sadoun, but shipping that is modest compared to shipping the dish.
All the caveats above still apply to 1.2m dish, so do heed them.
JRturbo -
If you are dead set on getting a 4' (120cm) dish, you might try driving over to our west coast Gold Sponsor, SatelliteAV .
I'd still recommend the DG380 motor from Sadoun, but shipping that is modest compared to shipping the dish.
All the caveats above still apply to 1.2m dish, so do heed them.
I've had excellent results with my 1M Winegard and a conical scalar ring. Nets on 99W and several channels on 91W come in okay. Occasionally I'd get some interference from somewhere (a neighbouring satellite, I'd suspect) that would keep me from getting these but that wasn't very often.
That said, I'm putting up my 7.5' BUD in the next few days because I want more though.
That said, I'm putting up my 7.5' BUD in the next few days because I want more though.
Here's the thing: go for a miniBUD project if you'd like, but have realistic expectations. Even at a Meter Dish, you're trying to get stuff the pros use a 6-10 footer to get. You'll find some cool, fun, and unexpected stuff -- but you'll also find a number of things just on the other side of viewable. If a 4-footer is all you can get on your lot, have fun with it, don't expect miracles. If you plan on making it a good Ku Dish with some C-Band on the side for fun, you'll probably be very happy.
I'm playing with a Primestar right now and after I moved it to a corner of the back yard I picked up 58 West. I don't expect to get a lot, although I just found NHK World coming in at a good quality.
- Status
