No apologies were necessary ...... We both prefer that things are done right and we both prefer that correct information is provided! I suspect that our observations of what is correct may be skewed ..... 
Good place to buy a dish
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The arm supports are on the boat.
Expecting 5,000 dishes to arrive in port this week along with several hundred extra LNBF arm supports. Often shipments are delivered in a few days other times it takes a week to clear customs. We have 2000 in stock so will be two or three weeks before all orders get the arms. If you want to make sure that your order receives the arms, order by telephone and ask the representative to specify that arms be included.
Expecting 5,000 dishes to arrive in port this week along with several hundred extra LNBF arm supports. Often shipments are delivered in a few days other times it takes a week to clear customs. We have 2000 in stock so will be two or three weeks before all orders get the arms. If you want to make sure that your order receives the arms, order by telephone and ask the representative to specify that arms be included.
dish: first impressions
My dish was ordered on the evening of the 1st, and arrived the afternoon of the 10th.
All in all, quite acceptable.
The color is a light to medium gray, identical to some old unused DirecTV dishes I have.
By contrast, I have a very old and weathered 18" Dish dish, which has faded to a noticeably lighter shade of gray.
And thank goodness the 3ABN is not that day-glow Fortec-white!
Packing was . . . conservative, but did pretty well.
There are two large molded foam blocks holding the dish and other parts.
They cover maybe 1/3 the area of the box/dish.
Parts and bags of hardware were taped to the foam, but that wasn't overkill.
Along one corner, one of my foam blocks was deformed inward about an inch, over a span of maybe six inches.
There was no damage to the components, and none to the dish.
I placed the dish on a flat surface, and while holding it in place, tapped the rim , working my way around the perimeter.
In one area, there was a small click with each tap, indicating the dish edge might be not flat, but only by 1mm at most.
All in all quite impressive.
More comments when I read the instructions, and actually assemble the dish.
My dish was ordered on the evening of the 1st, and arrived the afternoon of the 10th.
All in all, quite acceptable.
The color is a light to medium gray, identical to some old unused DirecTV dishes I have.
By contrast, I have a very old and weathered 18" Dish dish, which has faded to a noticeably lighter shade of gray.
And thank goodness the 3ABN is not that day-glow Fortec-white!
Packing was . . . conservative, but did pretty well.
There are two large molded foam blocks holding the dish and other parts.
They cover maybe 1/3 the area of the box/dish.
Parts and bags of hardware were taped to the foam, but that wasn't overkill.
Along one corner, one of my foam blocks was deformed inward about an inch, over a span of maybe six inches.
There was no damage to the components, and none to the dish.
I placed the dish on a flat surface, and while holding it in place, tapped the rim , working my way around the perimeter.
In one area, there was a small click with each tap, indicating the dish edge might be not flat, but only by 1mm at most.
All in all quite impressive.
More comments when I read the instructions, and actually assemble the dish.
Yes, there was a full email confirmation that the order was placed.
That came the night I ordered it, I think.
Couple of days later there was receipt in the post.
But, they don't send you a UPS tracking number unless you specifically ask them to.
And as I've commented, there is no way to check order status on their web site.
I spent some time tonight wading through the two bags of hardware, and a cryptic little piece of assembly paper.
The first one is always hard - another one would be trivial to assemble.
Went to the store tonight and bought 89¢ worth of optional assembly hardware.
Got some 10¢ self-locking nuts (commercial name would be: nylock)
The store didn't have the right bolt lengths.
The 1/4" carriage bolts don't fit the square holes so well.
Was thinking that needing both metric and english tools to tweak the dish might be a pain.
So, I'm assembling it with the factory hardware, and will replace it as needed at a later time.
The dish itself is quite nice.
The rolled and stamped edge is a real treat - should help it maintain shape.
The mounting brackets might be best described as "adequate", I think.
Will have to compare it more to my Fortec 36".
Might have to get a GeoSatPro 36" next time, so I can see how they all are built.
The all-plastic LNB holder seems fine, and comparable to my Fortec.
It'll grab a 40mm neck, and there is a shim to take a 20mm neck LNB (those sizes are from memory, not the specs).
The main LNB arm is oval and small as mentioned above.
It's attached to the bottom edge of the dish, unlike the Fortec, with one bolt.
The two side arms are required to center and maintain the LNB location.
They, too, are attached to the dish rim.
Not sure how much time I'll have to play with the dish this weekend.
That came the night I ordered it, I think.
Couple of days later there was receipt in the post.
But, they don't send you a UPS tracking number unless you specifically ask them to.
And as I've commented, there is no way to check order status on their web site.
I spent some time tonight wading through the two bags of hardware, and a cryptic little piece of assembly paper.
The first one is always hard - another one would be trivial to assemble.
Went to the store tonight and bought 89¢ worth of optional assembly hardware.
Got some 10¢ self-locking nuts (commercial name would be: nylock)
The store didn't have the right bolt lengths.
The 1/4" carriage bolts don't fit the square holes so well.
Was thinking that needing both metric and english tools to tweak the dish might be a pain.
So, I'm assembling it with the factory hardware, and will replace it as needed at a later time.
The dish itself is quite nice.
The rolled and stamped edge is a real treat - should help it maintain shape.
The mounting brackets might be best described as "adequate", I think.
Will have to compare it more to my Fortec 36".
Might have to get a GeoSatPro 36" next time, so I can see how they all are built.
The all-plastic LNB holder seems fine, and comparable to my Fortec.
It'll grab a 40mm neck, and there is a shim to take a 20mm neck LNB (those sizes are from memory, not the specs).
The main LNB arm is oval and small as mentioned above.
It's attached to the bottom edge of the dish, unlike the Fortec, with one bolt.
The two side arms are required to center and maintain the LNB location.
They, too, are attached to the dish rim.
Not sure how much time I'll have to play with the dish this weekend.
Sounds good, thanks Anole! I think I will have to call 3ABN Monday since I never got an e-mail confirmation of my order... I fear it might have gotten lost in Cyberspace
my 3ABN dish arrived yesterday, one week from when it was orered, has a little dent in the center though, hope I be able to remove it
My dishes (2) arrived today. One is going to replace my current 36" dish (which is identical except for the type of mount, the 3ABN is far superior in that regard). The other will become a secondary motorized system, since I have a spare SG-2100 and roof mount which can't support an 84E (but will support one of these 3ABN dishes on a motor).
IMO, this is a GREAT deal. The dish (again, IMO) is superior to the Fortecs. It is very sturdy, well made, and should work very well with a motor. If this is the same dish as the one sponsor SatelliteAV sells, the same holds true for their product. Here are some pictures of what you get with the 3ABN package for those interested in a purchase. I also included some pictures of the 36" dish this will replace (reflector is identical), as well as some of my dish farm and the newly installed Winegard Square Shooter OTA antenna.
IMO, this is a GREAT deal. The dish (again, IMO) is superior to the Fortecs. It is very sturdy, well made, and should work very well with a motor. If this is the same dish as the one sponsor SatelliteAV sells, the same holds true for their product. Here are some pictures of what you get with the 3ABN package for those interested in a purchase. I also included some pictures of the 36" dish this will replace (reflector is identical), as well as some of my dish farm and the newly installed Winegard Square Shooter OTA antenna.
Attachments
Awesome pics, thank you! Now I REALLY can't wait to get mine... haven't gotten an email or snail mail confirmation, but the credit card was charged- think I should call them up and verify they got/shipped my order? I bet they're pretty busy, getting a lot of business from us guys
so you can open the box that way?
Very nice pictures, Tron !
I didn't have the floorspace to open the box that way.
Just whipped out the staples from one end, pulled up the foam with some stuff attached, lifted out the dish (heavy sucker!), and then reached down inside for the other piece of foam (with more goodies on it).
No dents in sight on mine (see my previous comments, above).
I noticed that the confirming email was dated the day of my order.
In the post, I got a printed receipt, and that arrived 3..4 business days later (after the weekend).
What transpired on your order? Was there a foul-up ?
Those people are so nice to call and chat with!
Most places, you can't reach anyone competent.
Callingi the 3ABN Satellite Department was more like a visit to your out-of-state-aunt.
I thought they were going to offer to make some scrambled eggs 'n bacon to go with my order!
Sounds good, thanks Anole!
I think I will have to call 3ABN Monday since I never got an e-mail confirmation of my order...
I fear it might have gotten lost in Cyberspace
Very nice pictures, Tron !
I didn't have the floorspace to open the box that way.
Just whipped out the staples from one end, pulled up the foam with some stuff attached, lifted out the dish (heavy sucker!), and then reached down inside for the other piece of foam (with more goodies on it).
No dents in sight on mine (see my previous comments, above).
I noticed that the confirming email was dated the day of my order.
In the post, I got a printed receipt, and that arrived 3..4 business days later (after the weekend).
What transpired on your order? Was there a foul-up ?
Those people are so nice to call and chat with!
Most places, you can't reach anyone competent.
Callingi the 3ABN Satellite Department was more like a visit to your out-of-state-aunt.
I thought they were going to offer to make some scrambled eggs 'n bacon to go with my order!
I just called 3ABN too; looks like my dish is scheduled to be delivered on Monday the 20th. I ordered on late Thursday the 9th, so... about 7 business days. I received no email or snail-mail confirmation, but none of that bothers me at this price (and quality!) as long as I get it
Thanks guys! There wasn't any problem with the order, in fact the day I was going to call them to confirm, I received the snail mail invoice. Got the dishes a couple of days later I wasn't really expecting them until Monday, so that was a treat as I'll get to work on them over the weekend (barring problems from Dean )
Yes, they are probably quite busy all of a sudden I wonder if anyone over there knows why
I wasn't really expecting them until Monday, so that was a treat as I'll get to work on them over the weekend (barring problems from Dean )Yes, they are probably quite busy all of a sudden
I wonder if anyone over there knows why Has anybody mounted either of these dishes being talked about here (3abn or geosatpro) on a wall such as a block fence using the included mount with a motor? Is there enough room to swing the dish around it still? The reason I ask is that the rear wall of my back yard faces about 10-15 degrees off of due south, I was planning on doing a pole mount or some sort of ground mount a couple feet in from the wall, but if there's enough room to swing the dish a wall mount could possibly work in my favor.
I was fiddling around with my mounting pole and looking at it with a similar concern.
I was going to mount on a vertical "wall" of sorts without a motor, at least for initial shake-down.
Was worried the top of the dish might tilt back too far.
The thing about the motor, though, it pushes the dish out a good 10 inches, gaining clearance.
So, I'd give it a try before installing your own mounting pole.
I was going to mount on a vertical "wall" of sorts without a motor, at least for initial shake-down.
Was worried the top of the dish might tilt back too far.
The thing about the motor, though, it pushes the dish out a good 10 inches, gaining clearance.
So, I'd give it a try before installing your own mounting pole.
I once went on a tour of 3ABN. My son was there to be filmed for the Kid's Time show. I was amazed at the warehouse full of dishes and receivers waiting to be shipped. I am sure that there were hundreds of boxes of systems in that building waiting to be shipped. I would guess they ship thousands a year. They might wonder why people are just ordering a dish though.
For people like us who are interested in FTA, 3ABN is a great place to take a tour. You can see the TV studieos and the uplink control room is something that looks like it is out of Star Trek.
I have installed many many 3ABN systems. For $200 including shipping I think you can't go wrong on the whole system price either. When you buy the system, it comes with coax, grounding wire and grounding block, zip ties, waterproof sealant for the outside conections, a DVD showing how to install it and even a small compass.
Of course they hope you will start watching 3ABN!
For people like us who are interested in FTA, 3ABN is a great place to take a tour. You can see the TV studieos and the uplink control room is something that looks like it is out of Star Trek.
I have installed many many 3ABN systems. For $200 including shipping I think you can't go wrong on the whole system price either. When you buy the system, it comes with coax, grounding wire and grounding block, zip ties, waterproof sealant for the outside conections, a DVD showing how to install it and even a small compass.
Of course they hope you will start watching 3ABN!
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Ziploc
I did only two wall mounts with the 3ABN dish. I was not to happy with either. Maybe it was just bad luck but both installs were a pain. And this was not even tring to use a motor! It is very hard to get the wall mount pole exactly vertical when you screw in the two side braces.
What I do is buy a fence post and one bag of quick set cement. I use a post hole digger for the hole, take a sledge hammer and flatten the bottom of the pole. I set the pole with one bag of quickrete and by the time I run the coax, and put the dish together, I can set the dish on the pole. Of course if you have the time you could wait 4 or 5 hours for the quickcrete to set really hard or us cement and give it a few days.
Some people might say that is not enough concrete to set the pole. But try this experiment. Grab the top of a pole set that way and start pulling. The pole will bend and then crimp where it comes out of the top of the cement. The cement in the ground will not move at all. A toronado blew over my in-laws 3ABN dish that I had set this way only a few days before. The pole bent just as I described above. I just bent the pole back up straight and I was right back on the signal.
I did only two wall mounts with the 3ABN dish. I was not to happy with either. Maybe it was just bad luck but both installs were a pain. And this was not even tring to use a motor! It is very hard to get the wall mount pole exactly vertical when you screw in the two side braces.
What I do is buy a fence post and one bag of quick set cement. I use a post hole digger for the hole, take a sledge hammer and flatten the bottom of the pole. I set the pole with one bag of quickrete and by the time I run the coax, and put the dish together, I can set the dish on the pole. Of course if you have the time you could wait 4 or 5 hours for the quickcrete to set really hard or us cement and give it a few days.
Some people might say that is not enough concrete to set the pole. But try this experiment. Grab the top of a pole set that way and start pulling. The pole will bend and then crimp where it comes out of the top of the cement. The cement in the ground will not move at all. A toronado blew over my in-laws 3ABN dish that I had set this way only a few days before. The pole bent just as I described above. I just bent the pole back up straight and I was right back on the signal.
sounds like on a wall may not be a good method then, though my neighbor has 3 mounted that way(none motorized though), oops make that four look's like he's tossed up another.
Long ago I built a test pole, it is basically a wood base support with a screw in post mount meant to attach poles to concrete. The base is a cross and each leg has an adjustable "foot" so I can vertically level the pole. I guess that's really the best way to get myself restarted, that way I can also maybe tweek the position for best results since I'm looking over my two story house.
Long ago I built a test pole, it is basically a wood base support with a screw in post mount meant to attach poles to concrete. The base is a cross and each leg has an adjustable "foot" so I can vertically level the pole. I guess that's really the best way to get myself restarted, that way I can also maybe tweek the position for best results since I'm looking over my two story house.
Recently, I have noticed 36" dishes popping up on many office building roofs around Metairie (New Orleans suburb). Yesterday I took a closer look at one of these dishes. Turns out that it is a Muzak dish, and is identical to the $50 Azure Shine dish in this thread
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