Another series of questions: On the big dish...which is a 10' black mesh, c-band feedhorn only, no ku, w/ a superjack II actuator, very very minimal rust, maybe on the pole, no holes or warping, just a little faded. Still looks pretty darn good!
--I tried and tried to get the answers thru links and google but this is still what I can not find out!
1. Where would I need to put the penetrating oil at, and does this need to be done a day in advance (I have done things that DIY called for it to be oiled a day before)? And is there a certain penetrating oil or WD-40 that I need?
I'd put the penetrating oil (WD40 should be ok, everyone has their own fav. ) on the bolts that secure the dish to the ground post as well as on any connector that you think you may need to remove. I'd say a minimum of a half an hour before you try to unbolt things if you can't do it the day before. Most that I've seen can be unbolted without any lube (although not recommended) with the right amount of force.
2. Do I need to remove the feedhorn, or the feedhorn cover before transporting the dish the 35-40 mile trip?
Probably not absolutely necessary but I'd recommend it if you're gonna be driving any more than say 20-30 miles per hour.
3. What do I do if I absolutely can't get the dish off the pole? Is there a trick to just popping it off the pole?
Loosen all the bolts that secure it and then make sure you can rotate it a bit on the pole, it should move without too much trouble. If it moves freely you should be able to lift it right off.
Now, after the installation:
1. Do I need to oil the actuator before trying to turn the dish, since the dish hasn't been moved in 5 or 6 years or is this a "no-no"? Should the actuator still work? Although, I have no way of seeing if it does I only know that it did before they cancelled TV thru the C-Band. If not, how would I manually move the dish between satellites?
Many people think that oiling the "shaft" of the actuator does some good, that's not true! The actual moving part that will benefit from lubrication is inside. You'd have to completely unscrew the shaft from the actuator (yes it should unscrew although it'll take awhile). I'd mark it with some tape to make sure you get it screwed back in to the right depth so as not to affect the limit switches in the unit. If it moves freely with little slack, I'd leave it alone. If it does not move freely but there is little slack, you can take it apart and clean it and re-lube. If there is a lot of slack you're either going to have to get a new actuator or look for replacement parts for it. You'll be constantly tweaking if that's not taken care of. There used to be a replacement shaft available for them but I'm not sure if you'll find that now. Check Skyvision if you need one.
2. Can someone send me the link on how to connect the C-Band with the FTA dish?
This is something I haven't personally done......yet
3. Should I purchase an installation kit, with the ribbon cables and connectors (ex. like the one skyvision offers)?--And how do I connect the new cabling with what is already on the dish? (The cable on the dish now will have to be cut by the way)
It depends on what you have now and your level of expertise. If it were me, I'd just buy the ribbon cable and some ends. Standard RG-6 connectors for the coax, the actuator has a terminal strip inside to attach stripped wires to and the polarotor will require some sort of water proof quick splice, I think they're available from Radio Shack (or someplace similar) and are used for splicing telephone wires.
4. It's a 3.5" mast correct? At least 3-4' in the ground correct?
Yes, that sounds about right.
5. How can I tell if the VCII module still works in my Uniden 4400? Does the VCII module have to work to still receive FTA or the ITC analog c-band? I know that I get analog KU FTA now no problem.
For FTA you don't need that board to work, in fact you can leave it right out if you're not planning on subscribing to any programming.
6. On the LOS, if there is "old mature" trees 100ft or greater away, would this bother the reception or does the trees have to be right up on the dish to block the signal?
Depends on the height of the tree. With a prime focus dish it "points" directly to the satellite you're aiming for unlike an offset so you can pretty much eye it up and see if they'll be a problem.
Thanks, you all have helped a lot, and I do intend to have this thing moved and installed between Thurs, and Sat. of this week. I will follow with pictures too!
Thanks! :up
