recommendations being sought

[dfecarter]

Am about to set up an 8 foot micro-mesh dish for c/ku reception.
Would appreciate recommendations for an 18" dish actuator and a C/KU feedhorn for this dish.
I know there is a more economical combo feedhorn sold (Titanium ?) with somewhat mixed reviews.
Looking for quality but also economy.
Any one know of deals on Chaparral feedhorns?
Want new equipment.

 

[Shicks4]

IM pretty sure a new corotor 2 will run just over $200 bucks plus freight, and then you have to get lnb's on top of that. a better option, and more expensive if the bullseye at around $400+ plus freight and lnb's. sometimes i have seen these things on sale, ive been pricing them for just over a year. I actually had this discussion today with KE4EST and it all comes down to what you want out of your system. There sure are a lot of guys that use the Titanium c1-pll and love them. Is there any reason you want new? I have 2 old corotors with c-band lnb's that still work. One i got for free the other i got paid to remove the dish after a tree fell on it. the older stuff sure seems like it was built to last. And if you purchase a Titanium lnbf, or any other titanium product, i guarantee you will get top notch customer support. there are guys that can explain in much better detail then me about the differences but i wouldnt say either choice is wrong. more a matter of preference.

 

[armadillo_115]

I'm satisfied with the CK1S Combo C / KU-band LNBF that Titanium sells. I optimized mine for C band.The Ku side is not perfect but it gets me everything I want to watch. It depends on your specific needs.

If I needed better Ku : Titanium C1W-PLL on the BUD for C band. And a separate Ku dish with a good Ku lnbf. Probably come out cheaper than going the Chaparral feed horn route. Remember it isn't only the original set-up cost... what if lightning knocks it all out later?

As to an actuator,I would get a quality 24" actuator or even a 36" if I could afford it. An 18" may be enough for the 8 footer but someday you'll probably want a larger dish. An actuator is weakest when fully extended, so better a loooong one that doesn't have to be ran all the way out. I'm making do with old actuators I found with my dishes at present.

BTW:18" actuator was too short on my old 7.5' dish and I had to choose which side of the arc to lose. A 24" actuator is too short for the 10' dish I'm using now.

 

[Titanium]

With an 8' dish, I wouldn't spend too much to optimize the feedhorns. The reflector size will ultimately be the limiting factor for what you can receive. You likely won't see a significant difference between a Corotor and a combo LNBF with most widely viewed transponders. For example, you likely won't be receiving the 97w 16APSK C-band mux of popular channels with an 8 foot dish regardless of using either feedhorn type. The KU reception for either type of feedhorn will be similar to what you would expect from a 1-1.2m dish. For the difference in cost, I would certainly consider the CK1s for an 8 foot dish.

With that said, combo C/KU LNBFs are a compromise over a servo polarity controlled feedhorn. I prefer a servo to optimize the polarity for each satellite and each polarity. Also the LNBF design is optimized for C-band reception and KU reception is highly dependent on the dish design. A combination of the reflector's FD and FL will present the KU signal in phase, but on other reflectors the FD/FL combination will present the KU signals with phasing issues.

No deals on new Corotors, but no reason to not buy used. The difference on the total cost will be based on your choice of LNBs. Basic +/-3MHz stability DRO type LNBs can be purchased for under $100. +/-5KHz PLL type LNBs can be several hundred each.

I also would buy at least a 24" actuator. Am a big supporter of the Venture brand and would suggest the extra money spent on the maxi ball version is well worth it!

 

[dfecarter]

thanks a ton for the input, order an 18" Venture actuator ( I can pick up sats from 61W - 139W) otherwise I would have gotten a larger one like recommended.
I decided I will try my luck with the above mentioned c/ku band LNBF sold by Titanium. Hope to have it up this fall but haven't even started the hole for the pole yet.