Rebuilding an Prodelin/Andrew 1.8

[Dee_Ann]

My dad came over today and I went ahead and asked him the stupid question.

After about 10 minutes of trying to explain the inclinometer to me I threw my arms up in the air and told him I was just going to go ahead and stick a garden hose in the tail pipe and get it over with.
He was telling me if you use this edge you subtract 10. If you use the other edge you don’t. Unless you flip it over and measure from the other side then you subtract 10 again.

GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!


After the tail pipe comment he said let’s go look at the dish. THEN he was able to show me the right way to use the stupid thing.
It can’t be explained, it has to be demonstrated. So I’m good to go on that part of it.

On the f/d thing, I will start with your advice FaT Air, thank you..
This gives me a good starting point as I really don’t know what I’m doing with it.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Well I have my second Titanium C1-PLL in my hands now. I also found both my old 3x4 Zinwell switches which will allow me to feed two systems with two dishes.
And being that each dish will only be operating as a single polarity, this won’t be a problem. The only real problem is that it just continues to add to the complexity of my system which is already a nightmare of tangled wires and kooky switches..
Since the second one is going into my 10’ dish that already has it’s own scalar installed I won’t need to use the one that came with this LNBF. So actually that gives me two spare standard scalars. And I must say they are pretty nice quality compared to the Chinese junk that I’m used to seeing with some of the budget LNBF’s I’ve bought in the past. Well built and sturdy, I’m hanging on to them for sure.. If I ever need one..

But for now all my outdoor activities are at a dead stop. :
It’s miserable weather outside, rainy and cold and that’s the prediction for the next 7 days. :
My yard is a muddy mush pit and it’s just miserable outside. YUCK! :

Very little if anything will get done for the next week I’m afraid. :

:cry:

 

[Dee_Ann]

So while I was waiting for the swamp to dry up, it rained again last night. Joy...

It’s really been icky out so I haven’t made any progress on anything outside.

But I got my mom’s old Dremel tool and I found an aluminum tube that was once part of a patio door frame. I cut off a chunk of it and then cut holes in it for the C-band LNBF mount.

Because I have never been able to find a proper one for sale anywhere I really have almost nothing to work with or go on other than a few photos here and there and some drawings.

I need desperately some way to attach all the arms in a way that’s sturdy and keeps the LNBF in the proper spot. THIS is sooooo much harder than anything I’ve ever tried to do. And since I’m turning it into a C-band dish it’s even more critical than if it were KU.

Anyway, I think I have something here that I can work with. I’ll have to clamp the LNBF and Scalar into place then do some measurements to try and get it positioned. Once I find the place it should be I can drill holes in the sides of this aluminum tube to mount the side arms to it. Well, at least that’s my plan.

I also decided that while I have this thing in hand now is the time to add an extra doo-dad for mounting additional KU LNBF’s to it as well. That part may be a waste of time but it’s there none the less.

It’s still mushy outside but maybe by tomorrow I can get out there and try to get some work done. I hope it will dry out today, we finally have the sun out for the first time in weeks!

 

[RimaNTSS]

Dee_Ann! Congratulations nice dish farm and great projects. For already some time I also become fan of Prodelin 1,8. Unfortunately my project is proceeding very slow. But I have some ideas, such as to make multifeed, adopting original feedhorn, get some C-band....
I've measured very precisely all dish dimensions, calculated position of focus. For LNB pointing I use laser There are some of my pictures.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Dee_Ann! Congratulations nice dish farm and great projects. For already some time I also become fan of Prodelin 1,8. Unfortunately my project is proceeding very slow. But I have some ideas, such as to make multifeed, adopting original feedhorn, get some C-band....
I've measured very precisely all dish dimensions, calculated position of focus. For LNB pointing I use laser There are some of my pictures.View attachment 95600View attachment 95599View attachment 95601View attachment 95602View attachment 95603

This is brilliant! I really like how you used string to get the right adjustments! I figure that I will measure a string of the exact length and do what you did, then I can find the exact right place to drill the holes for the side arms.

Your pictures are ~extremely helpful~ to me! Thank you !

 

[RimaNTSS]

When you do strings, make them out of not elastic material, for example - copper wire. And side arms I am going to make adjustable, just to be able to fine-adjust position of LNB.Of course, more sexy is using all INOX materials, which I prefer.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Well my 129w problem has resolved itself.

Now I have the problem of getting this thing cut up and hauled off.
But at least 129 is suddenly coming in loud and clear! Two more to go and I’ll be able to get Alaska !

Woo hoo!!

 

[gms49ers]

Don't remember if you're still looking for the feed horn mount for your dish, but I saw this on eBay the morning:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Prodelin-1-...ellite_LNB_Downconverters&hash=item43c6804d58

 

[Dee_Ann]

Don't remember if you're still looking for the feed horn mount for your dish, but I saw this on eBay the morning:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Prodelin-1-...ellite_LNB_Downconverters&hash=item43c6804d58

I saw that previously but with everything wrapped in plastic and no part numbers visible I can’t tell what’s going on there.
Not a very useful photo the posted.

I contacted the seller and asked if they can repost new photos with everything unwrapped.

It would be nice to have the proper parts but now I’m pretty much committed to making it into a C-band dish.

That is if it will ever quit raining !

 

[Dee_Ann]

And, I bought it! Woot!

This was a really great find! Thank you gms49ers!

I contacted the seller and asked if they could post some more photos of the contents of the wrapped up stuff and they did. Then I just had to sit and wait it out and snipe it at the last moment.
No one else seemed to be interested in it, lucky for me!

It’s got all the parts I need to make my dish whole and 100% proper!

I still intend to make it a little C-band dish but this will be a huge help..

I’m just tickled to have bought the missing mystery parts!

Now if my swamp will ever dry out! I have so much I need to do out there.
I still have an LNB I promised to review as well.

 

[Bongu]

It would be great to find someone that makes these Prodelin LNB/feed mounts in something besides this brittle cast metal. These are obviously designed to be installed once and left alone for many years. I have come across 15 of them so far in my area alone that have the little ears broken off. Some of the "repairs" I have seen are rather ingenious. The best one was electrical tape and a popsicle stick. One of the last ones I tried to rescue broke an ear just as the Dremel cut through the last bolt. Hasn't any professional installer heard of stainless hardware?

 

[Dee_Ann]

Last few pics in next post.

 

[Dee_Ann]

So I finally got the RIGHT, PROPER parts for my dish! It’s now actually 100% complete!

However, the arms are still mangled, they were like pretzels when I got the dish and I did my best to straighten them. They are “not right” and I’m sure that will have some minor effect on the focus.
But I think it would be minor.

Now here’s the fun part.

I have this proper part and the dish is complete but I’m going to make it a C-band dish.

Having the right parts though gives me the information I needed to KNOW where the LNBF is supposed to be located. This will make it much easier to place and aim the C-band stuff.

Also, I can now take this proper mount and somehow make something that is functionally the same thing but with a larger area to clamp the C-band LNBF in instead of the KU stuff.

What I would like to do is find someone with a 3D printer. Have them scan this mount into their computer then modify the design so it can hold the larger C-band LNBF then “print” one out in some very durable type material.

I would think if they can make guns that can take the explosion of a bullet going off that that stuff should be strong enough for an LNBF mount.
I would think it would need some UV mitigating material mixed in with it somehow as well.

I rather doubt I’ll find anyone that can do the 3D printer thing for me so I’ll take this to my dad and see what he can do.

I would prefer to have it made out of some high strength aluminum, from a solid block. I know he could do it but he’s going blind and lost his depth perception so operating machines is not such a good idea for him.
I might have to sit there and operate a machine with him telling me what to do. I am NOT into that at all, those machines are dangerous and dirty but it may be my only option.


edit: By the way, this kit of parts for mounting the LNBF is the same between the 1.2 and the 1.8 Prodelin/Andrew dishes. This kit that I bought was being sold for the 1.2 dish but after I asked the seller to post more detailed photos of the parts I recognized that this would fit my dish so I jumped on it.

 

[Dee_Ann]

I’m still not done converting this dish to C-band but now I’m well on the way.

And the swamp has dried up so I might get some work done this week !!

I’m also in the process of rebuilding a weird little dish that is labeled “Spaceway”..

It’s from total scratch, all I have are the arms for it and the reflector which is really beat up pretty badly.
I need to learn how to repair fiberglass I suppose.

 

[RimaNTSS]

I think that it is better to make multifeed support separated from all LNBs, including central LNB. I have plans to make something like on the picture: red- new pipes, green-new support for LNBs. And LNB holders adjustable in all 3 dimensions. That one, on another picture is made for C-band, but also adjustable for Ku-band LNB.
3D printer is good idea, but to print something you have to have exact drawing.

 

[primestar31]

It would be great to find someone that makes these Prodelin LNB/feed mounts in something besides this brittle cast metal. These are obviously designed to be installed once and left alone for many years. I have come across 15 of them so far in my area alone that have the little ears broken off. Some of the "repairs" I have seen are rather ingenious. The best one was electrical tape and a popsicle stick. One of the last ones I tried to rescue broke an ear just as the Dremel cut through the last bolt. Hasn't any professional installer heard of stainless hardware?

That "brittle cast metal" is a Magnesium alloy, so don't use a grinder on it. I made the mistake of doing so, and the chips hit the back of my hand while grinding and I didn't pay attention to that. They burst into flames on the back of my hand and caused some bad burns. I ended up going to the doctor for it after covering it with Silvadene. It all healed nicely, but hurt for quite a while.

 

[Dee_Ann]

That "brittle cast metal" is a Magnesium alloy, so don't use a grinder on it. I made the mistake of doing so, and the chips hit the back of my hand while grinding and I didn't pay attention to that. They burst into flames on the back of my hand and caused some bad burns. I ended up going to the doctor for it after covering it with Silvadene. It all healed nicely, but hurt for quite a while.

WOA!!!!!!!!! I had NO CLUE!! Thank you!!

 

[Dee_Ann]

I went ahead and included these papers that came with the kit I bought because it gives specific part numbers of all the LNB related things vs the 1183 instruction booklet which really only covers the dish and the hardware on the back.
They basically tell you to get the 50 degree feed horn kit and they list the part number of the kit as “VARIES”.. Gee thanks...

Finding a full kit is pretty difficult as I learned but with all these individual small part numbers maybe you can google for them and or scan ebay for the numbers.

0200-1014 KIT REFL FEED & FD MTG HDWE (entire, overall kit)

0183-299 Ku SP Rx/O Feed (feed horn)
0200-740 Kit HDWE 50 Deg. Feed (nuts, bolts, lockwashers)
0200-741 Kit Reflector Mtg. (bolts, arms to dish)
0200-739 Kit Feed Rod/Reflector (bolts, arms to dish)
4080-060 Bracket Feed Mtg Top
4080-059 Bracket Feed Mtg Bottom
0200-164 Kit Feed Cover (nuts, bolts, lockwashers)
0338-078 LNB Cover

 

[Dee_Ann]

This dish is the next one I’m going to be rebuilding soon.

It’s an Andrew .96m that’s pretty seriously beat up. I think there’s a bullet hole in it and the edges are pretty broken up, I think it was thrown off the roof of a store.

One of the arms was bent up and I tried to pound it back as straight as I could. It could be better but I think it will work.

All of the mounting hardware for the back is missing so I have to rig up my own mount.

I had an old Prodelin mount from a much larger dish, I think it was from a 1.2m
It’s been kicking around here for a few years and I don’t really know where it came from originally but it’s about my only hope.

My dad got me an aluminum plate from a guy he knows and it’s up to me to drill the holes and all that.

I’m going to take an old lipstick and glob it thick onto the bolt holes on the dish then press the plate into place.
I’ll have all the holes marked perfectly. Then I put the pole mount to it and drill those holes and I’m good to go.

I don’t have a specific satellite to aim it at just yet but I’m sure I’ll figure something out.

 

[starwatch]

Hey Dee, its your buddy across town, if you need any parts for the dishes I gave , get with GaryD on this forum. He used to sell to Stan @ satellite dealer supply in Beaumont.
He had a few things I needed, but I didn't realize how stuff he said he would send till I opened the box. I got a Jaeger Supermount motor that was brand new for a really cheap price. Everything he gave away in that box must have cost him quite a bit. He sent ku feedhorns, lnb, ku feedplate for c-band, switches. all for the price he gave just for the motor, which was under 50.00 including shipping. The box weighed 19 lbs...Just wanted you to know he has a lot of stuff left...VERY HONEST man..I told him that I will keep in touch.Let me know if you need his number.I believe he has it posted in the classified section.