But here are the more important pictures that you guys can help me with. At this point I have no idea what I have or need. Next thing will be to take the motor end apart.
So is it this easy to start?
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Hockeynut, I agree. Just thought it would be a cheaper alternative. I'm torn between putting some ca$h into it or doing it cheaply since I have no idea what I can actually get in my area.... and if what I get is what I want to watch. I don't pay for cable tv because I am barely home to watch it.
To help you figure out which satellites you can see from your spot, go here and set it to where your dish is. It is great for getting an idea of what can be seen:
http://www.dishpointer.com/
Now, as for what programming can be gotten the following is usually fairly up to date. No list is totally up to date, so keep that in mind:
http://www.sathint.com/
Personally, I spend most of my C band time between 83W and 107W. Others will have different areas of the arc they haunt, as will you once you get up and going. Another spot for what is up there is lyngsat.com, but bare in mind that their data is often way out of date, but still another source for an idea of what can gotten.
Hope that helps you out a bit.
http://www.dishpointer.com/
Now, as for what programming can be gotten the following is usually fairly up to date. No list is totally up to date, so keep that in mind:
http://www.sathint.com/
Personally, I spend most of my C band time between 83W and 107W. Others will have different areas of the arc they haunt, as will you once you get up and going. Another spot for what is up there is lyngsat.com, but bare in mind that their data is often way out of date, but still another source for an idea of what can gotten.
Hope that helps you out a bit.
I can understand that.Its an 8 footer?..Winegard made a good dish...JMO I would contact ke4est,Titanium or Rick for a receiver and dish positioner...Keep it right here local rather than going over the pond. ...Worth going forward no doubt and a great hobby to boot.
Pull the cover off of the feedhorn throat and check for bee's nest in there too, often they go in there.
Looks like all of that should be usable, but that feed has a polorotor to switch polarity, the ASC1 is the only modern dish mover that can work with that. It might be worthwhile to just swap out the feed and LNB for a CIPLL to make things easier. I'd just eliminate that grounding block that's in there too.
Looks like all of that should be usable, but that feed has a polorotor to switch polarity, the ASC1 is the only modern dish mover that can work with that. It might be worthwhile to just swap out the feed and LNB for a CIPLL to make things easier. I'd just eliminate that grounding block that's in there too.
Sure, I'll try. 
The satellites have FTA channels on both vertical and horizontal polarities and you want to be able to receive both.
The small blue box with three wires coming out of it on the back of your feedhorn is a polorotor, it's there to switch between horizontal and vertical transponders.
The problem with it is modern receivers can't control a polorotor, so you'll need either a old receiver, which won't be able to receive a lot of channels, or use a ASC1 dish mover, which is a nice unit, but costs about $150.
For between $25 - $60, you can buy a Titanium PLL LNBF that will work with modern receivers because it uses voltage to switch polarities instead of a polorotor and so eliminate the headache of the polorotor altogether. The PLL LNBF will also lock channels better than the DRO LNB you have now.
You will need a dish mover if you don't have one already, unless the dish is going to be a fixed one. The ASC1 can handle that too. About the only other reliable option for a dish mover other than the ASC1 is a Vbox 7 at $40 or so, but lately it's been hit and miss on the quality of the ones sold now.
The satellites have FTA channels on both vertical and horizontal polarities and you want to be able to receive both.
The small blue box with three wires coming out of it on the back of your feedhorn is a polorotor, it's there to switch between horizontal and vertical transponders.
The problem with it is modern receivers can't control a polorotor, so you'll need either a old receiver, which won't be able to receive a lot of channels, or use a ASC1 dish mover, which is a nice unit, but costs about $150.
For between $25 - $60, you can buy a Titanium PLL LNBF that will work with modern receivers because it uses voltage to switch polarities instead of a polorotor and so eliminate the headache of the polorotor altogether. The PLL LNBF will also lock channels better than the DRO LNB you have now.
You will need a dish mover if you don't have one already, unless the dish is going to be a fixed one. The ASC1 can handle that too. About the only other reliable option for a dish mover other than the ASC1 is a Vbox 7 at $40 or so, but lately it's been hit and miss on the quality of the ones sold now.
After owning an asc-1, id never use anything else, regardless of if i were using a polorotor (which i am) or an lnbf. That thing is a tank, but performs like a Ferrari.
If you just want to see whats up there, i wouldnt see any problem with using the feedhorn and lnb you have but you need to figure out if it is horizontal or vertical (hopefully its horizontal as most of the strong transponders are horizontal if i remeber correctly), and use a 12v car battery to move the motor (after you test, clean and lube it up). I dont know what you will and wont get with an 8' dish as the first one i put up was a 10' but there is plenty for sure up there to watch. After you get a taste of what there is then you can make a decision from there how much you want to spend, and could do it in phases. Read the bud guide from fat air, and browse these forums to learn learn learn. Like i said in a previous post, i thought c-band was going to be a cake walk but boy was i wrong.
If you just want to see whats up there, i wouldnt see any problem with using the feedhorn and lnb you have but you need to figure out if it is horizontal or vertical (hopefully its horizontal as most of the strong transponders are horizontal if i remeber correctly), and use a 12v car battery to move the motor (after you test, clean and lube it up). I dont know what you will and wont get with an 8' dish as the first one i put up was a 10' but there is plenty for sure up there to watch. After you get a taste of what there is then you can make a decision from there how much you want to spend, and could do it in phases. Read the bud guide from fat air, and browse these forums to learn learn learn. Like i said in a previous post, i thought c-band was going to be a cake walk but boy was i wrong.
Thanks guys... that helps a lot. I may try what I have now with a generic tuner and I can ask for other items for Christmas. I WAS thinking of buying a whole new LNBF since they are not that expensive. Decisions decisions......
Since you are thinking about buying a new LNBF, I would say go ahead. Would recommend Titanium's C1PLL (http://titaniumsatellite.com/c1pll), that link is to his store. Is a great guy, stands behind his products and donates a great deal of time and knowledge here on this site. He also offers a discount to members of this forum, I can't remember what the code is, but hopefully someone that knows it will chime in. KE4EST also runs a shop, another great guy ( http://www.nc-electronics.com), he also carries Titanium's products.
As for receivers, be careful if you go to purchase a cheaper one. Many of them will not handle Dolby audio and some other Codecs, so end up with a picture and no sound. The FTA receiver choices are sort of limited at the moment. The one you originally mentioned should work well, don't have one so can't vouch first hand. The ones I'm using now are not in production. Others can offer their opinions for a decent starter receiver.
Another dealer that has another FTA web site and is good to deal with is http://www.gofastmotorsports.com/rickssatellitehome.htm.
Hope that helps out a bit.
As for receivers, be careful if you go to purchase a cheaper one. Many of them will not handle Dolby audio and some other Codecs, so end up with a picture and no sound. The FTA receiver choices are sort of limited at the moment. The one you originally mentioned should work well, don't have one so can't vouch first hand. The ones I'm using now are not in production. Others can offer their opinions for a decent starter receiver.
Another dealer that has another FTA web site and is good to deal with is http://www.gofastmotorsports.com/rickssatellitehome.htm.
Hope that helps out a bit.
I will disagree with that statement. It may depend on the unit. If you look at one of my actuators you will find on the end or gearbox there are two drain holes for any water to drip out. If you put the motor on the top you would have two places for rain to run into the gear box. The other Thomson-Saginaw is just the opposite. The motor is up and the long shaft has a drain hole on the bottom as does the gear box.
http://titaniumsatellite.com/produc...deband-3-4-4-2GHz/p/33459501/category=6743545
Get this one. it will allow you to feed 2 receivers or plug it into a switch to feed multiple receivers.
Get this one. it will allow you to feed 2 receivers or plug it into a switch to feed multiple receivers.
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