Out with the bad - My Fifth BUD

[linuxman]

Out with the bad, in with the hopefully better.

I took the spun aluminum down yesterday, and it is ready for the recycler.

A friend came down this afternoon, and we put up the 10" Perfect 10 dish (sorry Al). It went up pretty smoothly considering we put it together from scratch.

I didn't paint it or even clean it. I just used all the new parts that I had and threw it up. We strung it in several places, and everything is perfect.

What a change when setting the F/D and Focal length. I set the F/D at .38 (specs say .375). The Focal Length according to the book I got with it is supposed to be EDIT 44-5/8" measured distance. The book also says the calculated distance is 45", so I am a little confused about the book, but it will be really simple to move it in a little if necessary.

There are a few hail dents in the mesh, but I'm not concerned about that. I can get new mesh panels locally if I want to go to the trouble.

Here is a pic right now. Will take more after getting it tuned in.



Here's hoping for better SQ!

Fred

 

[somery]

hey, don't know if you guys saw MechTechs reply about lasering the feedhorn to check for alignment, but i thought it was rather intelligent! It was that you could place a mirror on the barrel of the feed, then take a laser pointer from dish's center and that the laser dot should come right back to the laser pointer. I've been away for a little while from this site, and rushed to reply this. I'll edit it out if I find the needle in the haystack where yall may have already relayed this cool trick.
I was sad to find out about your solid dish scrapping! Actually that multiple sweet spot is true! I had elevation/decline off and the feed was off with it, and the picture was ok, but now im totally sparkle free on most sats, so im getting closer! The picture actually seemed to brighten up with colors without the sparkles, but that could be my imagination. ok talk to yall later.

edit to add: by the way, i could be wrong, but i thought i remembered solid/mesh comparisons of similar sizes, measurements of gains or whatever it was, and I thought it was kinda proven that solid could get more signal. Don't quote me on that, but I believe that wouldn't have stuck in my head if I didn't see proof?

 

[linuxman]

It was that you could place a mirror on the barrel of the feed, then take a laser pointer from dish's center and that the laser dot should come right back to the laser pointer.

That is certainly lining it up all right. It would have to be perfect to come back to the place of origin.

Thanks,

Fred

 

[digiblur]

I'm still jealous of your roof!

 

[linuxman]

Hey Digiblur!

You wouldn't be so jealous if you had to do all the work necessary to maintain that monster.

But there are some nice benefits.

Fred

 

[PopcornNMore]

Nice dish! I too am jealous of your roof.

Questions:
1) What type of building is this? Townhouse, condo, apartment?
2) Do you get the entire roof or must you share?
3) Are there any restrictions as to how many dishes or how large?

 

[digiblur]

Nice dish! I too am jealous of your roof.

Questions:
1) What type of building is this? Townhouse, condo, apartment?
2) Do you get the entire roof or must you share?
3) Are there any restrictions as to how many dishes or how large?

I'm waiting to see a 15+ footer up there!

 

[SatSniper]

Looks like you are starting a cable company on that roof. Sure wish I could put that on the roof without the wife finding out. I am still trying to figure out how to explain the 6' dish that I am going to put on the roof. I think the quick install when she is shopping and hope that you can't see it from the front of the house when she pulls in the drive if the weather turns to crap I can say too dangerous to get on the roof when it is cold.... If that doesn't work I might need a place to stay

 

[linuxman]

Hey Popcorn,

1) What type of building is this? Townhouse, condo, apartment?
2) Do you get the entire roof or must you share?
3) Are there any restrictions as to how many dishes or how large?

The building was originally built as a grocery store, so it was pretty much wide open when we got it except for two smaller rooms and a larger room in the very back of the building.

We use about 1200 sq ft for office space for my wife's accounting/tax business, and my computer business. Separate offices/repair room/showroom.

We have about 1800 sq ft for our living space. We live where we work, which leaves about 2500 sq ft of warehouse space divided into the rooms mentioned above, plus another 25 x 50 ft room.

It is all ours, so we don't share the roof with anyone. We live in a very small rural town, just a rock throw away from the next county where they have all kinds of zoning, restrictions and other kinds of government annoyances. In our county we don't have the above restrictions, and the town doesn't either, so I can pretty much do whatever I want.

Probably won't ever see anything bigger than a 12 footer up there, and maybe nothing bigger than a 10 foot. There are limitations, even for me.

Fred

 

[tvropro]

Hey Fred,

Always nice to have an antenna farm. I thought Satellite wasn't addicting

 

[linuxman]

I thought Satellite wasn't addicting

Satellite isn't addicting is it?

Hey SatSniper,

Sounds like a plan, but you will have to be faster at tuning in the dish than I am, or send her to New York or somewhere for a week's worth of shopping.

Fred

 

[z4ccamaro]

LUCKY !!!

I wouldn't say satellite is addicting.......

I mean just because when someone asks you
"How many satellite dishes do you have?"
You reply "You mean assembled or all together ?"

 

[somery]

LUCKY !!!

I wouldn't say satellite is addicting.......

I mean just because when someone asks you
"How many satellite dishes do you have?"
You reply "You mean assembled or all together ?"

ROFL! OMG, I am an addict!

 

[linuxman]

When someone asks my wife and I how many we have, she replies "Oh my gosh, he's got 15 or 20 satellites, (she calls them satellites, I have explained to her numerous times that the satellites are 22,000 miles in space and that these are satellite dishes) 11 or 12 on the roof, and the rest in the warehouse.

She has given up on trying to put any control on my "addiction".

 

[tvropro]

If thats the worst addiction we have we should be happy. If I ever get a good piece of land one day. I would love to put up a 30 footer. Now that's a dish!

 

[linuxman]

Hey tvropro,

I know where they are tearing down an old motel near here that has one like I posted about in one of the dish hunting threads. It is at least as big as that one, and may be bigger. I would say it is at least 16', and very well could be 20'. It is on the roof of the motel, and I am sure anyone could get it from the demolition company for the price of the metal.

Now how to get it down and off the 3 story building and moved home is another story.

Fred

 

[tvropro]

Hey tvropro,

I know where they are tearing down an old motel near here that has one like I posted about in one of the dish hunting threads. It is at least as big as that one, and may be bigger. I would say it is at least 16', and very well could be 20'. It is on the roof of the motel, and I am sure anyone could get it from the demolition company for the price of the metal.

Now how to get it down and off the 3 story building and moved home is another story.

Fred

Think you would need some heavy machinery and a big truck

Think of the gain on something that size. I don't think there would be any rain fade on ku on a 20 footer ever.

 

[linuxman]

Think of the gain on something that size. I don't think there would be any rain fade on ku on a 20 footer ever.

With the experiences I have had lately, I wouldn't swear that anything would get good signal until after I had tried it or someone else on this forum has tried it.

That big sucker might be as big a bust as the solid 8.5 footer I had was.

We just don't know about unknown dishes without specs or experiences.

Fred

 

[tvropro]

With the experiences I have had lately, I wouldn't swear that anything would get good signal until after I had tried it or someone else on this forum has tried it.

That big sucker might be as big a bust as the solid 8.5 footer I had was.

We just don't know about unknown dishes without specs or experiences.

Fred

Ya I guess this is true for unknown dishes. In theory though lets say an SA or Andrews 20 footer should have a very high gain rating. I know that when NBC was in analog on ku back in the day, they used 15 footers so there would be no rain fade. You could get a good picture on a 1 meter then but NBC used a 4.5 to 5 meter dish.

 

[linuxman]

If this is the same dish as at the other motel, and it looks the same from the highway, it is a Scientific Atlanta dish and mount.

Harold says they were very expensive back in the day. I would hope that expensive would equal excellent performance.

Fred