OTHER More Programming - Bigger Dish or C Band?

[sidekick]

I’d like to get some more English programming besides the international channels that are fun to watch but not understandable. Would I reach more channels if I bumped up to a 4’ ku dish? Or would it be better to go all the way and get a small C Band system like 6-8’ dish? Is there more English programming on C Band? Thanks!

 

[comfortably_numb]

I’d like to get some more English programming besides the international channels that are fun to watch but not understandable. Would I reach more channels if I bumped up to a 4’ ku dish? Or would it be better to go all the way and get a small C Band system like 6-8’ dish? Is there more English programming on C Band? Thanks!

It's my understanding from very recent threads here that a bigger Ku dish might make reception of your current Ku channels more reliable, but won't increase your Ku offerings. That's assuming you already have a 76-90cm Ku dish.

 

[FTA4PA]

I’d like to get some more English programming besides the international channels that are fun to watch but not understandable. Would I reach more channels if I bumped up to a 4’ ku dish? Or would it be better to go all the way and get a small C Band system like 6-8’ dish? Is there more English programming on C Band? Thanks!

Just my two cents - go with the c band dish (8' minimum - 10' or bigger if possible).

 

[Titanium]

My sense, too...

Most English programming is on C-band. Definitely 10' if that is an option!

 

[KE4EST]

All the good* stuff is on C-Band.


*I know this is subjective

 

[sidekick]

Ok, it seems like the good stuff is on C-Band. Is there one dish that’s better than the others? I would guess I’d need rotors and all that good stuff too. Can I get a recommendation as to a good dealer?

 

[beavs2112]

my vote is for c-band also. But the reputable dealers like Titanium or KE4EST do not sell c-band dishes. They do sell C-band parts like the LNBF and receiver just not the dish itself. So you will not be able to buy a complete c-band package from them. And unfortunately the reputable commercial dish dealers like GD Satcom and Global Skyware and DH Satellite only sell the commercial (read really expensive) dishes. So your smallest cost solution is to find a used c-band dish in your area that nobody wants any more. Looking for an old c-band dish in your area can be part of the fun of this hobby. It depends where you live though. Some parts of the USA and Canada have ZERO old C-band dishes around. So we hope you can find a used dish near you (we call that dish hunting!) And if you do find a candidate post back here in our forum and someone can probably identify what make and model of dish it is and whether its any good to reuse. Best of luck

 

[Arion]

You can get c-band dishes from Tek2000. They are new and in the box. IIRC he sells 6', 8' 10' 12' and 16'. They are mesh dishes made in China and quality has come up a lot. I have a 10' dish from them going on my second winter now and it's a good dish. This was my review on it and there are more on the website.

Tek2000 10' Mesh Dish Install & Initial Review

 

[PBSer]

...commercial dish...

What's the minimum quality that will withstand greater than 2" hail? Commercial only? Reason I ask, is I know of three different storms dropping 4"-6" hail a few miles away. Non-mesh only (fiberglass or steel)? As a comparison so far, my 90cm/36" GeoSatPro has been undented by 2" hail; cars suffered windshield and body damage.

 

[primestar31]

What's the minimum quality that will withstand greater than 2" hail? Commercial only? Reason I ask, is I know of three different storms dropping 4"-6" hail a few miles away. Non-mesh only (fiberglass or steel)? As a comparison so far, my 90cm/36" GeoSatPro has been undented by 2" hail; cars suffered windshield and body damage.

Only a composite dish is likely to withstand hail of that sort, and not really show damage. Lesser dishes made of metal are going to be dented at a minimum, if they take direct strikes. It might not cause that much issue with reception, but it won't look pretty.

Though IF the hail is coming in at a particular angle, you can maybe MOVE the dish to face out of that while the storm is raging.

 

[wvman]

Only a composite dish is likely to withstand hail of that sort, and not really show damage. Lesser dishes made of metal are going to be dented at a minimum, if they take direct strikes. It might not cause that much issue with reception, but it won't look pretty.

Though IF the hail is coming in at a particular angle, you can maybe MOVE the dish to face out of that while the storm is raging.

A few years back, there was a storm that dropped hail big enough to knock out windshields, badly dent cars and in some places, it was large enough to beat the shingles off houses and knock down gutters. One man's dog was killed after being caught out in the open near his house. We spent the next three weeks replacing Dish and DirecTV dishes, and several C-Band dishes that had the screen beat off them.

One man's wife showed me hailstones she had collected in her yard that were bigger than a baseball. Luckily, this storm was about 20 air miles from where we live. I've never seen hail that big since, but did see some the size of golf balls and smaller.

 

[PBSer]

A hail chart I made up:
1" - quarter size; destroys old plastic lenses and covers; otherwise, OK.
1.21" - half dollar; ?
1.7"-1.75" - golf ball, cracks windshields.
2.5"-2.7" - tennis ball, cracks windshields.
2.75"-2.9" - baseball, shatters automobile windows
3.9"–5.9" - grapefruit