[Viewsat] Trying to get started on fta cheap.

[primestar31]

Now you are!

I had no idea Brian allowed walk-in's as a rule.

 

[Jchenry]

I'm surprised that the fta systems haven't been getting more attention. Without the help of all of you, I wouldn't be half as far with getting my setup going. Speaking of, I don't like doing internet purchases so, where can I get a catalog for a mail order company? Even a website that I can do business with by mail would work but I don't do payments online.

 

[Jchenry]

And I'm not against a bit of a drive to see the products I want to buy.

 

[primestar31]

These are the closest you'll get to a "catalog" for fta. I've bought from all of them, and they are all legit and ok to buy from. As for "payments online", sign up for PayPal, and they'll mask your payments to others. I've been a PayPal customer for 18 years, and have never had ANY issues:

HyperMegaSat.com USA - Free To Air FTA Satellite TV Equipment

Welcome to Michael Electronics

Titanium Satellite - Store

Ricks Satellite USA

 

[Titanium]

Welcome to the new retail world market as defined by eBay and Amazon. SkyXpress may still offer a limited distribution catalog, but I don't believe they have a showroom.

Several satellite equipment resellers accept checks, but know who you are dealing with...

 

[Jchenry]

Okay, thanks. Do you know if the old 8ft dishes can be used? I drove past one last night that is no longer in use. If it can be put back in service I might talk to the owner about it.

 

[primestar31]

If you have the space, a 10ft dish is really the minimum. However, a GOOD, well put together, and properly tuned and aimed 8 ft dish will get 95% of what you'll likely want to watch.

 

[Jchenry]

Great. And thanks for the the websites. I see a lot of the parts I want to start with and great prices. I'll probably be asking for more help as I am building and changing my setup.

 

[primestar31]

Also, if you do acquire a free dish and it's not a one-piece type, (I don't recommend real OLD fiberglass dishes for newbies, though there are some good ones) do NOT assume that it was put together correctly by the first installer. ALWAYS measure and check ALL settings, bolt together edges, ect. that they are done correctly, and it's put together right.

We can usually figure out the maker of a unmarked dish if we have enough good photo's of it and the mount. Once we know that, it's likely we can find the original specs and you can make sure it matches.

 

[SERAPIO]

Great advise given here. Nice work guys!

 

[Jchenry]

I'm back again with a crazy question. I found a chaprall c band lnb, it came from an old abandoned dish I saw at a house I was working on. I tried to get the dish to but it was in poor condition. Can I get this lnb working again on a small dish?

 

[harshness]

Can I get this lnb working again on a small dish?

Would you expect a tiny parachute to work?

 

[Jchenry]

To use your parachute metaphor. I'm trying to see if it will open before I try to jump.

 

[KE4EST]

Can I get this lnb working again on a small dish?

How small a dish are you talking. The smallest I would try as a beginner is 6 foot. You can have some success on a 4 footer, but with no experience you will be making yourself a headache, but can be done. You will just not get as many channels as the 10 footer it was designed for.

 

[primestar31]

As for ME, for C-band I wouldn't bother putting up a dish smaller than 7.5ft. 10ft is the real minimum. IF well tuned, that 7.5' will get you 95%~ or so of all the stuff out there.

A 6 footer will get much less than that, AND, you'll be sorry you installed one that small within two weeks, maybe sooner.

 

[danristheman]

Did someone say small c band dish.

 

[Jchenry]

It's unfortunately a four foot dish. I'm trying to get my hands on a ten foot dish but until then I just want to get as much working equipment together as possible. So basically I'm just testing what I find and my own ability to figure out how to make it all work.

 

[danristheman]

Start with ku first then get a c band dish. If you have no restrictions on satellite dishes then go for the ten footer.

 

[harshness]

Start with ku first then get a c band dish. If you have no restrictions on satellite dishes then go for the ten footer.

The goal as set out by the poster is to test a C-band LNB assembly.

A too-small dish works as well as a tiny parachute -- it doesn't really matter whether or not a tiny parachute opens as the depth of your crater varies minimally.

 

[Jchenry]

True, a tiny parachute still won't prevent impact, but right now I still don't know if I have a parachute or a sack of dirty laundry. So how can I see what I have if I don't look inside.