Dish Choices

[gpflepsen]

I'm looking at a few options for a dish. I guess I should say that I'm trying to get a one dish solution that will be motorized I have look angles essentially horizon-to-horizon. I'd like to have a combined C and Ku LNB and I'd like to get to a setup free from any big deficiencies. So far I have found the following possibilities.

1) $50 for a self removal from a back yard with probably poor vehicle access: 8 Foot Diameter Fiberglass Satellite Dish This dish is one piece and will need the trailer. and some help to pack it to the truck. It's one hr away.

2) Big Satellite Dish/ for removal See pics attached. I asked for pictures and size, she said "Channel Master 16" in diameter". I'm taking the 16" with a grain of salt. This one could be dismantled and hauled in a truck bed. It should be able to be broke down into the panels and mount and pole for easy removal. And I can drive right up to it! It's about 3-1/2 hrs away.






3) Friends dad's big dish which I haven't seen in 8 years and was put into a farm shed about 7 years ago. It was somewhere in the range of 8-10ft, definitely seems like it was larger than 6'. It was not mesh, but this is about a 4+ hr drive just to check it out and I don't know if it can be dismantled and hauled back in the bed of my truck. I'd hate to pull the trailer that far and not need it or even worse find the dish not desirable.

Any thoughts on the first two? Can anyone identify them and give advise on the relative desirability? I'm leaning towards #2 because of the relative ease of removal and portability. But I'd like to hear any sage advice from the "been there, done that" guys. #1 looks like it has a substantially weaker mount design than #2, but that's just from the images.

Thanks!

 

[Babadem]

I asked for pictures and size, she said "Channel Master 16" in diameter". I'm taking the 16" with a grain of salt.

I take it you mean 16'(ft) in diameter not 16"(inches)? Having said that, I think the second option is good.

 

[gpflepsen]

She said 16 inches. 16' would be a monster! Any guess on the size of #2?

 

[primestar31]

Don't forget with fiberglass dishes, there's no telling what size the mesh is embedded in the middle. So, while it may perform nicely with c-band, there's no way to tell about KU band until you try it. If it's not good enough, then you just wasted a lot of time...

 

[gpflepsen]

Don't forget with fiberglass dishes, there's no telling what size the mesh is embedded in the middle. So, while it may perform nicely with c-band, there's no way to tell about KU band until you try it. If it's not good enough, then you just wasted a lot of time...

How can you tell beforehand?. I could take an x-ray, but work would be pissed if I snuck out one of the radiographs! Has anyone "wall papered" with foil?

 

[primestar31]

You can't tell beforehand, unless you can still find the specs on the internet, and they didn't lie about it. Just assume it's probably no good for KU, if it's older than say 1995.

I've thought about the foil idea, but I never tried it.

 

[gpflepsen]

That makes $120 in gas for a free dish more risky.

Would I be better off buying a new dish such as this 6-footer, $200 delivered? A box of HD foil would only be ~$6

SADOUN SD180PM 8' (180 cm) Prime Focus C Band Dish w/ Polar Mount

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I wouldn't recommend anything below a 8 footer.

About that dish it is not the best dish. The ones I have seen the metal is very thin and the dish can bend out of shape easily.

 

[primestar31]

That makes $120 in gas for a free dish more risky.

Would I be better off buying a new dish such as this 6-footer, $200 delivered? A box of HD foil would only be ~$6

SADOUN SD180PM 8' (180 cm) Prime Focus C Band Dish w/ Polar Mount

I wouldn't recommend anything below a 8 footer.

About that dish it is not the best dish. The ones I have seen the metal is very thin and the dish can bend out of shape easily.

I just installed that exact dish, and it's rock-solid! Heavy/thicker metal, solid polar mount, everything fit TIGHT and well. Scott, I do not believe you have seen the Sadoun dish, because you wouldn't be able to say what you said if you did. I only had to adjust the feed-arms slightly to get the feed centered. I don't even have it peaked correctly yet (we've had torrential rains for 2 solid days now), and I'm watching nearly everything with my microHD receiver on 99 and 101. Including ThisTV and MEtv. I have it tweaked to see both sats right now. I'm watching Daniel Boone on Lesea-6 right this minute.

I would recommend this dish to anybody as well worth the present price. I fully expect once I have it all tweaked and peaked, to get just about everything out there I could want.

A well built and peaked 6 foot dish can do quite well. That $69 WSI dish from last year was junk, not so this dish. I'm amazed nobody asked WSI why they so obviously tried to scam the South American company with garbage dishes! No wonder they wouldn't go through with purchasing them...

 

[gpflepsen]

About that dish it is not the best dish. The ones I have seen the metal is very thin and the dish can bend out of shape easily.

Thanks, that's what I was worried about after reading some about it.

Looking at the Dish #2 above, does it look like it's not a polar mount? I don't see an adjustment for offset angle.

 

[gpflepsen]

I just installed that exact dish, and it's rock-solid! Heavy/thicker metal, solid polar mount, everything fit TIGHT and well. Scott, I do not believe you have seen the Sadoun dish, because you wouldn't be able to say what you said if you did. I only had to adjust the feed-arms slightly to get the feed centered. I don't even have it peaked correctly yet (we've had torrential rains for 2 solid days now), and I'm watching nearly everything with my microHD receiver on 99 and 101. Including ThisTV and MEtv. I have it tweaked to see both sats right now. I'm watching Daniel Boone on Lesea-6 right this minute.

I would recommend this dish to anybody as well worth the present price. I fully expect once I have it all tweaked and peaked, to get just about everything out there I could want.

A well built and peaked 6 foot dish can do quite well. That $69 WSI dish from last year was junk, not so this dish. I'm amazed nobody asked WSI why they so obviously tried to scam the South American company with garbage dishes! No wonder they wouldn't go through with purchasing them...

Thanks for that info. I was worried that the WSI dish and this Sadoun being the same dish.

 

[Anole]

I think first solid Fiberglas dish is a Beach-something.
Beachcraft? Search forum.
We've had a few pictures of 'em
Can't offer any more, but it might be good starter.

Second is Channelmaster. 8' & 10' are common.
We have many great threads on refurbishing them.
On the 8', the LNB legs attach very close to dish edge.
On the 10', the LNB legs attach inboard about a foot or more.
So from your picture , I might bet its 8' (best you measure)


posted from iPhone 4

 

[primestar31]

Thanks for that info. I was worried that the WSI dish and this Sadoun being the same dish.

Not even close, Sadoun's is a MUCH better dish! I will say though if you've never put a panelized dish together before, that you print out the pictures others have posted of their Sadoun 180PM's, and the pics on Sadouns site, and pay close attention to how things fit together. That's what I did, and all went well.

Here's one I used to start you off: http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/192603-sadoun-1-8m-polar-mount-assembly.html

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I just installed that exact dish, and it's rock-solid! Heavy/thicker metal, solid polar mount, everything fit TIGHT and well. Scott, I do not believe you have seen the Sadoun dish, because you wouldn't be able to say what you said if you did. I only had to adjust the feed-arms slightly to get the feed centered. I don't even have it peaked correctly yet (we've had torrential rains for 2 solid days now), and I'm watching nearly everything with my microHD receiver on 99 and 101. Including ThisTV and MEtv. I have it tweaked to see both sats right now. I'm watching Daniel Boone on Lesea-6 right this minute.

I would recommend this dish to anybody as well worth the present price. I fully expect once I have it all tweaked and peaked, to get just about everything out there I could want.

A well built and peaked 6 foot dish can do quite well. That $69 WSI dish from last year was junk, not so this dish. I'm amazed nobody asked WSI why they so obviously tried to scam the South American company with garbage dishes! No wonder they wouldn't go through with purchasing them...

Its possible he got a new better dish. But the one I ordered from him as well as the ones I helped others setup from them were FLIMSY. With that said I haven't seen or touched one in about 3 years so the quality could have improved. I am just telling you my experience with them.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Thanks for that info. I was worried that the WSI dish and this Sadoun being the same dish.

The WSI dish was a lot worse! But for $60 it still wasnt a bad deal.

 

[primestar31]

Its possible he got a new better dish. But the one I ordered from him as well as the ones I helped others setup from them were FLIMSY. With that said I haven't seen or touched one in about 3 years so the quality could have improved. I am just telling you my experience with them.

Ok, that places it better. From the research I did before buying this one, it IS a different (much better) dish then he was selling 3 years ago. This is the 5th C-band dish I've owned in almost 30 years, and I think it's very well made.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I wish we could get some NEW mesh dishes here in the USA! I would love to buy a 10 foot mesh dish!

 

[toucan-man]

Isn't Mike Kohl putting SAMI mesh dishes back into production? Your wish may come true.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Isn't Mike Kohl putting SAMI mesh dishes back into production? Your wish may come true.

I asked him about them on Wednesday night and he said they are a long way away from being available.

I want one I can put up before the weather turns.

 

[FaT Air]

If the dish doesn't do so well on Ku, give it a pod.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/241465-how-i-made-c-only-bud.html A 36 inch metal dish is probably lighter than the CM 30inch I used.