New here, looking for equipment to buy

[w2ccr]

Hello!

I'm in the market to get into FTA, however I found out the hard way that Galaxy Marketing/WSI is defunct...

I want to get my hands on a 120cm dish with a high quality C/Ku LNBF and motor. I really don't want to figure out how to dismantle my father's 12' Unimesh, which is probably rusted together since it was installed in 1993. Where can I get what I need nearer the east coast without overpaying for shipping and/or ordering internationally?

I have an 18" DirecTV dish I got for free, but after reading the forums here, I may end up using that for 23cm or higher DX or contesting work.

Thanks in advance!

 

[KE4EST]

Welcome to SatelliteGuys w2ccr!!!!
You may want to take another look at your fathers dish. Many of us re-use older dishes. Just clean them up and put on a new LNBF or Feed-horn and LNB, and new wiring.
I have had good results with a GEOSATpro 1.2 meter dish, but as you saw shipping is high. You can also look around at abandoned gas stations and car dealerships, etc for a nice 1.2M dish.
C/Ku Combo units are harder to find these days. Main reason is they didn't sell very well cause people started to figure out the ku side never works very good, would be worse on a 1.2 meter. You are better off with a dedicated ku LNBF.

Yep all that 18" dish is good for is your Amateur station.

 

[w2ccr]

I doubt he'll even let me take it... he may still want use it himself! The last time he or I did anything FTA was to catch the old UPN feed on 93W for the last season of Star Trek Voyager, after that the Pansat box kept killing his DSR922.

Sounds like I'll need two dishes then, if I want to do any C-Band work.

 

[Lone Gunman]

RE: A 120cm dish and motor, I've been looking into this as well and for the larger Ku dish you're kinda screwed where shipping and the motor is concerned. You can read over this thread I started a couple of weeks ago for more info.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/threads/1-2m-dish-mover.349461/

I put my purchase on the back burner for a while until something else hits the market. It was mentioned that DMSI was having their 1.2m motor "re-tooled" due to some dish clearance problems but there's nothing on their website to indicate what's going on with that. That and several of the other motors on the market seem to have problems, especially where the large 1.2m Ku dish is concerned.

Since you're looking for this stuff also, I'll make sure to watch this thread to see what you come up with.

 

[fred555]

1.2m dish with free shipping from a member of this site:
http://gotcband.com/collections/satellite-dishs/products/geosatpro-1-2-meter-offset

Other good vendors who are also members here:
http://nc-electronics.com/store.html
http://www.titaniumsatellite.com/products

I would deal with these guys I have listed above before anyone else.
You know you will get excellent service and prompt delivery.

I ordered a special part from Sad**n many weeks ago and nothing. I hear that is pretty typical.
I knew I shouldn't have but could find it no where else but now regretting it.

 

[w2ccr]

So then, am I better off starting with a 90cm for Ku, then getting a 2.4 for C later on? I'm ok with having a switch connect two dishes.

 

[FTA4PA]

So then, am I better off starting with a 90cm for Ku, then getting a 2.4 for C later on? I'm ok with having a switch connect two dishes.

I started in 2013 with a 90cm (then quickly motorized it). The following spring I installed a motorized 2.4m C band dish. Pretty satisfied with the results overall.

 

[w2ccr]

I started in 2013 with a 90cm (then quickly motorized it). The following spring I installed a motorized 2.4m C band dish. Pretty satisfied with the results overall.

Were you able to do this with one receiver and one diseqc switch before the motors?

 

[Jason S]

So then, am I better off starting with a 90cm for Ku, then getting a 2.4 for C later on? I'm ok with having a switch connect two dishes.

I'd think it depends upon what you're looking to receive, but a 90cm should get most of the Ku transponders. You might look at members signature lines to see what equipment they're using.

I started with a 1.2m dish (in July of 2014) with the intention of having the best signal reception from 125W. That dish is still fixed for 125W. Shortly after, I added a second 1.2m and then a few months after that I added a 7.5' C-band and have a 10' C-band in the works... I just put a Stab HH120 on the second 1.2m dish, but haven't had time to do much else with it.

As for switches, I've added them in as needed- an Ecoda 22khz switch after the ASC1 C-band actuator controller and a Amiko 8-port Diseqc switch after the Stab HH120 motor on my second 1.2m dish.

BTW: Welcome to Satellite Guys!

 

[FTA4PA]

Were you able to do this with one receiver and one diseqc switch before the motors?

Yes, one receiver controls both motors. I've been using an Ecoda 22Khz switch (Titanium PLL-1KS standard ku lnb and stab HH100 motor on 22KHz side, Titanium C1-PLL lnb and VBox 7 on 0Khz side) but planning on adding some dishes this spring/summer so that will change.

 

[w2ccr]

So I'd like to be able to order what I need and have it here for the weekend, but I hate not being able to get a hold of a real person to confirm inventories first.

 

[Titanium]

Some of us are real people!

Just checked both the toll free and local numbers. Both are working great! Waiting for your call...

 

[w2ccr]

Some of us are real people!

Just checked both the toll free and local numbers. Both are working great! Waiting for your call...

Is that for your site?

 

[w2ccr]

Btw I tried calling the number for Got C-Band, and the phone rings then just a beep. Nothing else.

And thank you Titanium, I'll def keep you in mind

 

[RimaNTSS]

w2ccr Why do not you look in second-hand market? Cost 10x less and, sometimes, quality is even better than new stuff has. Look for good old products like Channel Master, Prodelin, Raven.... dishes. I would say, price for 1,2m Channel Master, motorized, is about 50-70 USD, if you are lucky.

 

[w2ccr]

I didn't see any up for sale... Those are top quality dishes too

 

[RimaNTSS]

I didn't see any up for sale..

Where did you look? Of course, second-hand market is not very predictable, but from time to tome you can get there real bargains. Did you try craigslist.org or just any local (delivery costs are close to nothing)?

 

[w2ccr]

Where did you look? Of course, second-hand market is not very predictable, but from time to tome you can get there real bargains. Did you try craigslist.org or just any local (delivery costs are close to nothing)?

Actually, now that you mention it, someone near me has a 90x75 for sale... How would that perform? It's a Patriot.

 

[rsmithwi]

1.2m dish with free shipping from a member of this site:
http://gotcband.com/collections/satellite-dishs/products/geosatpro-1-2-meter-offset

Other good vendors who are also members here:
http://nc-electronics.com/store.html
http://www.titaniumsatellite.com/products

I would deal with these guys I have listed above before anyone else.
You know you will get excellent service and prompt delivery.

I ordered a special part from Sad**n many weeks ago and nothing. I hear that is pretty typical.
I knew I shouldn't have but could find it no where else but now regretting it.

That's a good deal for the 120cm. Most of the time the shipping cost is more than the damn dish itself.

 

[RimaNTSS]

90x75 for sale

If 90x75 stands for 90cm x 75cm, than this dish will perform as 75cm dish, assuming it is in perfect shape. If it is warped than it will perform worse. Do you have a picture?
Look at something like this.
And do not forget to bargain to get more attractive price.