The extra skew bolts are necessary to increase the rigidity of the dish. The wind loads on the reflector are such that it requires the use of the extra bolts. You can use it without, but I wouldn't recommend it. I've had a couple trouble calls where the bolts were not used, and it bent the metal where the skew plate attatches to the reflector back plate. Keep in mind that the 1000.2 is not that much smaller than a superdish, and they had a 4 bolt skewplate assembly. The myth of the signal strength gain is possible when talking about the life of the dish over time. Without the extra bolts and after a few wind storms, it's possible that the dish may deform to the point of altering the skew/elevation to where the signal strength may drop somewhat. Using the bolts at time of original installation and getting a higher signal....very doubtful.