Non-moving C-Band Project

[linuxman]

Got my new scanning dish all put together and 95% tuned in.

Got 75% SQ on 30W, 75% SQ on 12050 V on 91W, and 75% SQ on 11720V on 123W.

For those interested, Daystar on G3 is at 90% SQ.

Going to put the Prodelin back on it's pole tomorrow.

Here are todays pics, including a close up of the AJAK mount and pointing to 37.5W.

Some C-Band signals there, but no Ku today anyway.

 

[linuxman]

Got the Prodelin dish back up on it's new pole.

Probably won't tune it in until the C-2s arrive, but it looks pretty good on it's new perch.

I probably won't get much done tomorrow. Supposed to rain all day.

Hope to run the test on the DMX-741 on Friday, using the scanning dish.

Here are today's pics:

 

[turbosat]

I like that black dish linuxman, I think that is the unimesh? Seems to have more reinforcements than most big dishes, better made. Should be super-duper for signal-grabbing. Seeing all those dishes, makes me wonder-do you ever have nightmares about which wire runs to what? lol
Good work, you should just go on and open a satellite shop.

 

[linuxman]

I like that black dish linuxman, I think that is the unimesh? Seems to have more reinforcements than most big dishes, better made. Should be super-duper for signal-grabbing.

It is doing a fantastic job.

Seeing all those dishes, makes me wonder-do you ever have nightmares about which wire runs to what? lol

Yes, I do sometimes lay awake thinking about which wires are going to run to which. :eei:

Good work, you should just go on and open a satellite shop.

Hopefully someday soon I will officially open a shop.

The question of the day is:

How many Geeks does it take to plumb up a mast using a digital level?

The biggest mistake I made yesterday was to hand my buddies a digital level and ask them to make the 3 masts on my NPRMs plumb. It was a riot!!

Seriously, the guys you see in the pictures below have been helping me harvest and plant dishes since the first ten foot Winegard Quadstar which we hand lifted up two roof top levels with the mounting ring still on.

We have learned a lot since then, and I have gotten smarter over the past 3 years, so now my son and I handle most of the dish harvesting unless it is an extremely heavy dish or mount.

I want to thank these men for all their help over the years and for their patience with me while I expand my hobby.They love to get out of the city and they love getting on my roof. I don't know why, they just do.

As far as the project, I asked them to come out to help me with the 3 final dishes in my project. I had the reflectors pre-assembled, blocks on pallets, and dishes piled on top of the blocks including actuators, bolts, and accessories.

I asked the scrap yard guy to come down yesterday morning with his giant "fork lift"to set the pallets on the roof for me and we got started.

Got all three NPRMs assembled, got the masts plumbed, and set the mounting rings on the masts. Finally put the reflectors on the rings and set the actuators in place. Not bad for a days work! Oh, and the wind was only 20-25 mph all day but it was 65 degrees.

I added a 10 foot Perfect 10 dish, a 10 foot Unimesh dish, and a 7.5 foot Perfect 10 dish. So now I have 8 C-Band dishes on the roof, and 3 big dishes on the parking lot.

I still have to put on the support arms, feed-horns and the Geosat Pro C2 LNBFs when they get here. I also have to point and tune them in, but at least now I am ready for that phase.

Then all I have to do is finish up the Ku side, run about a mile of coax and I will be finished with both projects. It is going to be great and I can hardly wait.

We had a blast yesterday, and had a great lunch at the local cafe. I was too tuckered out to write anything last night.

Here are the pics:




EDIT: Got if fixed.
Thanks!!

 

[Anole]

Never Mind:

EDIT: The forum screwed up the first time I submitted this post, and now the pictures aren't showing up as thumbnails. Can one of you kind mods fix it for me?

The pictures aren't showing up at all.
I get this message:

Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

However, I've noticed you don't use the provided "Manage Attachments" button below the "Submit Reply" button.
Could you try that?
I"m quite anxious to see all the fine pictures! - :up

Edit: it's all fixed now, thanks to the mods.

 

[turbosat]

Nice having that forklift thing available. I remember we had something called a Lull, which was the manufacturer name I think, but you could stick a pallet up 2-3 floors with it from the ground, very handy for lifting the steel and insulation for a metal roof, or roofing etc.

 

[linuxman]

Nice having that forklift thing available. I remember we had something called a Lull, which was the manufacturer name I think, but you could stick a pallet up 2-3 floors with it from the ground, very handy for lifting the steel and insulation for a metal roof, or roofing etc.

Thanks Turbo!!

It is a monster machine. It will not only lift at least 3 stories high, it will telescope out about 20-30 feet. I don't know what the weight limit is, but a pallet of blocks is nothing for it.

Sure makes my life easier.

Anole wrote:

I"m quite anxious to see all the fine pictures!

Pictures are all fixed now!!

 

[Anole]

Your roof is so big, I mistook it for the parking lot.
. . . then I noticed a short telephone pole in the background...

Where's the pix of the fork lift doin' its reach?

Looks like a beautiful day to be out.
Hope it stays clear for the next month to give you time to get it all wired and aligned.
That should be quite the project! - :up

edit: oh, and maybe in a few weeks, we'll even see a shoot-out between the CK-1, the C2, and the LNBF from WSI ! woo hoo !

 

[gremlin411]

Nice pic's linuxman.
wish my friends would help with anything other than drag racing stuff.

 

[Anole]

Grem -
Time to find new friends! - -

 

[turbosat]

Great pics! More dishes than the local cable co here lol.
Oh-BTW --the possum recovered and left after resting awhile!! (latest critter caper)

 

[linuxman]

Your roof is so big, I mistook it for the parking lot.
. . . then I noticed a short telephone pole in the background...

Where's the pix of the fork lift doin' its reach?

Looks like a beautiful day to be out.
Hope it stays clear for the next month to give you time to get it all wired and aligned.
That should be quite the project! - :up

edit: oh, and maybe in a few weeks, we'll even see a shoot-out between the CK-1, the C2, and the LNBF from WSI ! woo hoo !

It was a beautiful day, and of course I overdid it a little and am now recovering still. Course it doesn' make a lot of difference because it has been cold, raining, snow showers etc. Supposed to be 60 tomorrow afternoon, then back to cold and rain until at least the first of the week.

Gremlin411 wrote:

Nice pic's linuxman.
wish my friends would help with anything other than drag racing stuff.

It all depends on likes and interests. I have found Geeks/Nerds to have a vast variation of interests, and that's why I like them.

Turbosat wrote:

Great pics! More dishes than the local cable co here lol.
Oh-BTW --the possum recovered and left after resting awhile!! (latest critter caper)

I would be a cable company, but too costly to start up.
Glad the Possum survived.

I started a drawing today to lay out my coax and switches.

Looks like twelve 4X4 multi-switches, three 4X1 diseqc switches for each receiver, and a single 8X1 diseqc switch for each receiver.

Gives me a total of 24 lnbs. I can add another Ku dish or two before I get done without adding a ton of money to the cost, and I just might do that.

Let me know if I have screwed anything up in the switches etc.

You can see for yourself below:

 

[Mr Tony]

that is a beautiful picture :river (crying because its beautiful)

Looks great as long as a couple things are met
-receivers must be Diseqc 1.1 capable
-the 8x1 is a uncommitted switch

Looks great and should work fine. Setup as to which port for Diseqc 1.1, 1.0 & 22k might be a bugger so I highly suggest keeping the ports uniform across the board. So port 1 on diseqc switch 3 is the same satellite across the board

 

[linuxman]

that is a beautiful picture :river (crying because its beautiful)

Thanks!! That means a lot coming from you! Between you and Anole with your switch diagrams are the only thing that has gotten me this far.

Looks great as long as a couple things are met
-receivers must be Diseqc 1.1 capable

Will be using two Diamond 9000s which have Diseqc 1.1 capabilities at least in the menus. And one Coolsat 5000 which you assured me works with this type of setup.

-the 8x1 is a uncommitted switch

Digi-Wave 8X1 uncommitted switch.

Looks great and should work fine. Setup as to which port for Diseqc 1.1, 1.0 & 22k might be a bugger so I highly suggest keeping the ports uniform across the board. So port 1 on diseqc switch 3 is the same satellite across the board

Again, I would agree the diagram is bad enough. Uniformity across the setup is a must.

 

[patmos]

Wonderful!!!!!