C-band Dish Score

[tranny]

I was looking for some info since I am new to C-band on a complete setup I picked up for free. It is a Channel Mater 8 foot (they told me it was a 10 footer) fiberglass dish. There was a large cover over the feedhorn. Inside there was a 15v Channel Master power box and an Avantek AWC-42090. There was also a Prosat 118 actuator (I think that is what it is) attached to the support arm.

What is the quality of this setup? Is it usable? I did not take the main ground pole because it had about three feet of concrete attached to it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[turbosat]

With the price of pipe these days, I think I would've taken that pole too, lol. But hey, take what you can get, sounds like a good dish if it's not beaten up or warped. Put it up and string it (run string across the face, up and down, and straight across, see if the strings meet or come close to check the parabolic shape)
Should be a good dish for c-band. Unknown about ku band, some early fiberglass dishes weren't put together with ku band in mind. Depends on how it was made.
Avantek made some lnbs and I think earlier lna/downconverter combos, it may still work.
Stick it on a pole and we'll help you get it going!

 

[Anole]

A solid Channel Master?
Might be a commercial dish...?
If so, that would be pretty nice.

I've PM'd another member who has some, to join this thread.
If you can post a few pictures, that would probably help.

 

[tranny]

As usual, quick, friendly and knowledgeable help on this forum. Thanks guys. I now have the dish in pieces in my box truck. I will try to post some pics in the next few days. The dish is solid and a little dirty but looks as if it will clean up nice. Seems like I got a good one!

 

[ACRadio]

Hey Tranny, click on the link in my sig and take a look at mine. If your dish is that model of Channel Master then you have a fine dish...just make sure you reassemble it properly.

 

[tranny]

ACRadio,

Well, no need for pictures for identification purposes. I was right, it is an 8 foot (not 10 foot) Channel Master and exactly the same as yours, only a lot dirtier. It has the black, circular "Channel Master" logo that screws into the center of the dish. It also has the four support bars and the mangled juice pitcher for a cover. I am not sure if the house where I picked it up was once a business. It was along a main road a could have been zoned commercially.

Can you tell me anything about this dish? Too bad I am not planning on hooking it up until next year at this time when we build on our lot (although the responses on this thread have me curious as to what this dish can do). I know where I am going for help when I do hook it up. It should provide a challenge even to you guys - a tree-lined cliff across a river might be in the way.

 

[ACRadio]

ACRadio,

Well, no need for pictures for identification purposes. I was right, it is an 8 foot (not 10 foot) Channel Master and exactly the same as yours, only a lot dirtier.

The reason I wanted you to take a look is that Channel Master made another fiberglass dish during the same time period (it was beige in color) that isn't nearly the dish as the white ones are.

It is common to see these dishes with BLACK junk all over the face. I pressure washed mine and got the black off, but it also removes a layer of fiberglass and exposes the reflective screen. This won't hurt it at all, but it is best to give it a couple of coats of paint just to make sure that further weathering won't allow the screen to detach from the panel.

 

[tranny]

My dish is white, not beige. Is it a commercial dish? Do you have documentation on the dish?

 

[Anole]

Channel Master docs

I don't know the part number to look up, but here is the Channel Master web site, with tons of documents.

Over the years, these companies get sold.
I know when looking for Prodelin (another commercial dish) info, I found their new owners, and PDF docs on all their old products.
I'm sure you can do the same.

It should provide a challenge even to you guys - a tree-lined cliff across a river might be in the way.

We'll bring the dynamite. You provide the blasting caps.

 

[ACRadio]

The Channel Master commercial section was purchased by Andrew. The dish was used in many commercial applications because of it's hydroformed rib construction similar to the Prodelin 3 meter. The reflective surface used is the same type of screen used in their commercial dishes made today, which is similar to the old screen door wire...not like normal mesh dishes. It works very well for KU. I don't have any documentation, but there were tons of them sold in the early to mid 80's in my area. I worked on several of them and noticed they had much better performance than most other glass or mesh dishes.