What in the world am I doing wrong?

[Pepper]

I have a ChannelMaster 3040842-02 1.0M-02 (the huge round one - 43 inches high by 40 inches wide). Using the stock feedhorn and a new dual-feed standard LNB. I've tried it on 97W, 99W, and 103W.

This dish is giving me fits. Pointed at the same satellite, a SuperDish (24 inches high by 33.5 inches wide) will consistently provide higher signal levels (around 20-25% more) than the ChannelMaster. I would think, all other things being equal, my signal with this big dish should be a lot better than what I am getting, and certainly should be a lot more than what I can get with a smaller dish.

I've checked everything I can think of. No obstructions, good cables, good LNB that works just fine when attached to a different dish. As far as I can tell, it's not bent or warped (how could it be, molded fiberglass would more likely be cracked and broken than bent)

Before I pull the rest of my hair out, any suggestions?

 

[Pepper]

ChannelMaster (right) gets consistently lower signal than the SuperDish right next to it.

 

[primestar31]

View attachment 174937
ChannelMaster (right) gets consistently lower signal than the SuperDish right next to it.

Ok, LOOK at the lnb feed. You have it strapped by the feedhorn, YET, it should be strapped closer to the lnb where the GROOVES are... So, move the face of it closer to the dish, and put the groove area in the saddle. I circled it in red below

 

[Pepper]

Ok, LOOK at the lnb feed. You have it strapped by the feedhorn, YET, it should be strapped closer to the lnb where the GROOVES are... So, move the face of it closer to the dish, and put the groove area in the saddle. I circled it in red below
View attachment 174938

I do believe I have tried that and the position in that photo is where it gets the best signal. It's also where it actually fits. The top piece to hold it in place has always been missing, thus the zip-ties, but it fits exactly in that spot based on the size of the bottom piece which it sits on.

I will definitely fiddle with it some more though. I will also disassemble it all and take some better close-up pictures from multiple angles.

 

[primestar31]

I do believe I have tried that and the position in that photo is where it gets the best signal. It's also where it actually fits. The top piece to hold it in place has always been missing, thus the zip-ties, but it fits exactly in that spot based on the size of the bottom piece which it sits on.

I will definitely fiddle with it some more though. I will also disassemble it all and take some better close-up pictures from multiple angles.

Perhaps I'm mis-remembering now. It's been many years. Anyway, here's the manual, that should help.

 

[Pepper]

Perhaps I'm mis-remembering now. It's been many years. Anyway, here's the manual, that should help.

Thanks for that. According to Figure 3.0 "Feed Assembly" it looks like I have it assembled correctly. Parts 11, 12, 13 are missing, replaced with zip-ties

 

[primestar31]

Thanks for that. According to Figure 3.0 "Feed Assembly" it looks like I have it assembled correctly. Parts 11, 12, 13 are missing, replaced with zip-ties

I'm thinking the wireties aren't enough support for that long and heavy feed, That's maybe allowing the whole thing to tilt slightly down in the back from the weight, which would screw with the focal point/face lifting slightly. Even just a hair might be enough to put the signal down 25%.

Get a piece of aluminum strapping, and make a new top part of the clamp, and clamp it down tight. Aluminum should be stronger, yet soft enough to hacksaw and files, etc whatever you need to make it work well. Or a U clamp that fits. Short of that, you could use a piece of plywood and cut it to fit the reverse of the saddle using a hole saw with your drill.