FORTEC STAR 6FT POLAR MOUNT has anyone experience with multicomstore.com

[batzzz19]

i just purchased a 6 foot yesturday
and was shipped today

i was told they weren't in stock and was shipped either way

my question is with experienced to multicomstore.com

just to see if anyone has had any experience with them before to see

because they prices are really low 189 something shipped to california from florida

can complain on that either

i didn't want to call them back and ask them after ordering online to see why they have them in stock

if they told me they didn't doesn't make any sence just hopping i get my dish ground

 

[fred555]

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Multicom
They seem highly rated. At that price I might take a chance.

 

[FTA4PA]

No rating with the better business bureau but no complaints either: http://www.bbb.org/central-florida/...ems-dealers/multicom-in-longwood-fl-154049685

 

[fred555]

Well I just ordered one. I will post a full review here of the customer service experience. I just hope it doesn't get all banged up in shipping. It is way cheaper shipped than my 90cm (fortec star) Geosatpro!

 

[Dee_Ann]

That looks suspiciously similar to the $69 WSI "Special" from a few years ago. For your sake I hope not.
Good luck.

 

[fred555]

That looks suspiciously similar to the $69 WSI "Special" from a few years ago. For your sake I hope not.
Good luck.

We will find out soon I guess.

 

[batzzz19]

i hope its a good dish

 

[dotbatman]

I'm guessing by polar mount, they mean it goes on a pole. I'll bet it comes with an az/el mount.

 

[fred555]

I'm guessing by polar mount, they mean it goes on a pole. I'll bet it comes with an az/el mount.

I bet it does too, but that's OK for my needs at this price.

 

[fred555]

Just got the shipping confirmation email with UPS tracking number. So far so good.

 

[fred555]

Got to at least have a picture while we are waiting for shipments to arrive:

It also looks like there are 5 left on their website.

 

[Titanium]

The Fortec Star 1.8M was a typical build like other petal dishes sold at that time. Much better build quality and materials than the WSI "Special".

 

[AceB]

Feel free to delete this post if it's OT to the thread but thought you may like a UK perspective on the Jonsa/Fortec Star.

Over this side of the pond they have a very bad name, for three reasons although I think it's somewhat unjustified.

First is build quality, reported that the petals are made of thin steel and will distort quite easily in strong wind without additional bracing.

They were being sold by our equivalent of Radio Shack called Maplin Electronics so that made them visible and available to the masses and the majority of people who bought them were football fans trying to view UK premiership games from non European providers in the Middle East. The footprints are marginal at best this far west so a large Ku dish is required but very few people (with football fan mentality) were prepared to buy a quality Channel Master, Precision or Prodelin for £1000 when they could get a FS for £99.

That leads on to the final reason, football fan tries to build a petallised dish using nothing more than a screwdriver and spanner, bungs on the cheapie LNB and drags the STB out into the garden to align it. No surprise that the 1.8 then fails to receive Arabsat or Nilesat, or it does until the first sign of rain then promptly vanishes so they get labelled as rubbish and not worth the money.

Now I've never seen one in the flesh and certainly not used one but I'm sure that given some careful construction, checking the geometry and then peaking the feed that reasonable results could be obtained even on Ku. I'm still looking for a 2.4m version as I've never found a review of one on C-Band but I'm betting that they would be a good value for money performer.

 

[fred555]

Feel free to delete this post if it's OT to the thread but thought you may like a UK perspective on the Jonsa/Fortec Star.

Over this side of the pond they have a very bad name, for three reasons although I think it's somewhat unjustified.

First is build quality, reported that the petals are made of thin steel and will distort quite easily in strong wind without additional bracing.

They were being sold by our equivalent of Radio Shack called Maplin Electronics so that made them visible and available to the masses and the majority of people who bought them were football fans trying to view UK premiership games from non European providers in the Middle East. The footprints are marginal at best this far west so a large Ku dish is required but very few people (with football fan mentality) were prepared to buy a quality Channel Master, Precision or Prodelin for £1000 when they could get a FS for £99.

That leads on to the final reason, football fan tries to build a petallised dish using nothing more than a screwdriver and spanner, bungs on the cheapie LNB and drags the STB out into the garden to align it. No surprise that the 1.8 then fails to receive Arabsat or Nilesat, or it does until the first sign of rain then promptly vanishes so they get labelled as rubbish and not worth the money.

Now I've never seen one in the flesh and certainly not used one but I'm sure that given some careful construction, checking the geometry and then peaking the feed that reasonable results could be obtained even on Ku. I'm still looking for a 2.4m version as I've never found a review of one on C-Band but I'm betting that they would be a good value for money performer.

At least in the part of the US where I live, you cannot buy a C-Band dish even if you wanted to. First, shipping is very cost prohibitive and usually as much or more than the price of the dish itself. Secondly there are just none for sale locally.
In some parts of the country they are in yards and fields available for the asking apparently. Not where I live.
And to find a new dish for $171.00 delivered is the deal of the century where I come from. Its not going to be a Channel Master or Prodelin, but we understand that. Like you said it just represents a good value. For me it will probably be stationary to pick up NASA launches or something.
Thank you for your interesting perspective.

 

[Corrado]

I have a Fortec Star 180cm dish I purchased years ago from Sadoun. Mine has the ring mount, simply bolted to a pallet. It's been used now for years on many different satellites. Standing up well with no rust, just the logo is a bit faded.

Currently pointed at Anik F1R with excellent results. It's been all over the property as a portable Bud.

 

[Titanium]

Have to agree with AceB. Certainly not the quality of a commercial dish or residential units like Channel Master, Orbitron, DH or the other later model market holdouts that were available to the consumer.

Just an average or better consumer grade metal petalized reflector. Definitely great care and effort must be given during assembly to be sure the parabola is properly formed and panels aligned.

 

[fred555]

The Dish has arrived.

I believe Multicomstore.com is good to deal with. I ordered the dish Wednesday night, it shipped Thursday and arrived at my door Monday (today), three business days later. I received a confirmation email when I ordered it and an email when it shipped. Good communication. I will give them five out of five stars.

The dish itself arrived in perfect condition in the factory Fortec box.
The hardware bag busted open and it looks like the elevation bolt #18 is missing, no problem I will weld a ferule to a threaded rod.
I cannot blame multicomstore for the missing bolt as the box shipped from Canada, to god knows where, to them then to me.
It comes with the POLAR MOUNT, not the AZ/EL!!!!

See the parts list and polar mount below.



Thanks batzzz19 for the heads up on the dish.

 

[fred555]

Batzzz19 when is your shipment scheduled and to arrive?

 

[batzzz19]

mine just got here on wednsday right now

 

[batzzz19]

you mean this #18