MiniBUD vs 1.8m/2.4m Solid vs 10ft mesh

[dashaund]

Hey guys. I've put it off long enough, I'm really wanting to get some C-band action going on my FTA system. I've read a bunch of articles about the different types of C-band dishes. I know the true hobbyist have been trying out the MiniBUD dishes, while the bargain hunters go for the used 10ft mesh, and the rest of you guys order the 1.8m or 2.4m polar mount dishes like those from GEOSATpro. My question is, for mostly wild feed actions, which would be the best bet? How is the performance of a 8ft solid dish vs a 10ft mesh? I know the GEOSATpro 2.4m supposed has a ton of gain because of it's modern design, how does it stack up? It's seems like a great deal for the price compared to ordering a new 10ft mesh. I wouldn't think the 1.2m MiniBUD would be that great, simply because it'd be difficult to pull in those weak signals...it seems to be strickly a hobbyist type deal. I also realize that anything less than 10ft has a hard time pulling in the satellites that are 2 degrees or less apart, but is there a lot of wild feed action on those close sats? I could be interested in 4DTV down the road, but for now it's DVB. Last question, would I have a hard time with DVB-S2 on the GEOSATpro? I read somewhere than those signals require more gain. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[pendragon]

The theory of parabolic dishes has been understood for a very long time, so there is nothing a modern dish can offer in terms of gain vs. an older dish of similar quality. If you want C-band without borders, nothing can match a 10-12 foot. Given these can often be had for the asking, it can be quite inexpensive to start with a larger used dish compared to a new 1.8-2.4m.

The downside of a used dish is there may be obvious or hidden damage to the surface, the mount or the motor. If you're only interested in C-band, a good mesh should have essentially the same gain as a similarly-sized solid. There will be much bigger differences in feeds and their ability to match your dish. Ku-band may not work as well on a mesh, not because of the holes, but because of surface irregularities at least in my experience.

On the other hand I get a lot of what's up there on my 1.8m solid and 2.3m mesh, compared to my 3m perf. But when the going gets tough, the 3m always wins big time. I got the 3m first, but after playing around with the smaller dishes, the next one going up is a 3.2m mesh. No matter what you get, plan on spending time tuning the dish carefully to get its full potential. That is as important as dish size.

 

[dashaund]

Thanks pendragon. Yeah, I knew the bigger the better. I'm just afraid of getting someone else's problems when it comes to a used dish. Preferably I would like to have a BUD capable of Ku, but I have a Ku setup now so it's not a major deal. What makes me sick is my father had an 11ft Cu dish about 6 years ago and took it down and destroyed it because he wasn't using it. I was hoping the Geosat pro would be very close in performance to a 10ft mesh, but i guess that's just wishful thinking. True, I've heard one can obtain about 90% of what's up there, but I realize during rain, interference, etc, that extra 2ft can make a huge difference. Oh, if I could get my hands on a commercial 24 footer...

 

[pendragon]

Yeah, two feet doesn't sound like much, but a 10' will have nearly 60% more surface area than an 8'. That's the part that is a game changer.

As long as the surface of a used BUD isn't completely trashed, you can normally work out any minor irregularities. Some of the older BUDs have horizon-to-horizon motors as part of their mounts. If they work they are a perfect dream, but if they don't you may have a lot of creative engineering ahead.

The safe way to go instead would be a used BUD with a simple polar mount and actuator. There's not a lot to go wrong, and the worst you likely would face is a rusted bolt or frozen bearing. Those should be fairly easy to find. Replacement actuators and sometimes actuator parts are easy. A lot of this would be obvious inspecting a BUD. If there is a lot of play in the mount, or if you disconnect the actuator and the dish won't swing, you could easily walk away.