What Parts Needed for C-BAND Setup

[Keystone7]

I just want to start my list early for what I will need to complete my C-Band setup.
First question is when I use the (Actuator Arm) what is the lowest cost cable? I don't even know how many wires get hooked up to the actuator.
Looks like a six footer dish will be alright for my area. I am about 150 feet to the house. What would be the best type of mast (Pole) to use?
If someone could figure out a way for me to use an old railroad tie. That it is solid and straight up perfect. It sits at the back of my property line plumge. That would be the best location to place a small mast pole on. The wind would not have a chance if it were monted there. Or should I just dig a hole?
What size pipe would I need to mount the stand on?
Any ideas would help. I have all winter to think about this. I have been using google, but some of those people are really out there. This site has the experts!

 

[turbosat]

Have you looked around your area for a dish? Sometimes they can be found and, if you ask, you might just get the whole thing for removing it. Sometimes they are behind houses and barns, making it hard to spot from the road, but there's still some out there.
Far as buying everything new and installing, most c-band dishes use a 'polar' mount, which mounted on a 3 1/2" OD pipe. Pipe gets expensive , so try your local scrap/junkyard first for a piece of pipe. A 6'dish is really testing the limits of 2degree spacing, so you can expect some possible interference from satellites that are adjacent to the one you might be trying to watch-bigger is better with c-band! The actuator wire is usually 2 bigger wires to carry the DC, and 3-4 smaller ones to carry the feedback from the positioning sensor in the motor at the dish. Some of us use sprinkler wire for the sensor wire, and find a 2-conductor wire that's big enough to carry the voltage from the receiver/dish mover, 150' you would need a bigger guage wire for that. I forget if its 24volt or 36 volts, may vary with different receivers/dish movers.

 

[chaskuchar]

my setup started with a 2 3/4 inch pipe fence post set in concrete. my posthole digger was big enough for the concrete so set the old chainlink fence post in the hole, and tamped it down perpendicularly. then got a 6' dish with polar mount from sadoun and mounted it on the post. dish is 100 feet from the house. 100' of rg6 has no problem. used 4 pair 22ga to power the actuator temporarily. 1 pair of wires goes to the reed switch and the other three pair are divided up to power the actuator with 36v. the hardware store in town had a 100 foot of 5 wire cord for about $60 so that's why i used my four pair temporarily. last week i got 100 foot of 7 wire 18ga to use for permanent installation. cost was $28 for the wire. you will need an actuator and gbox for moving the antenna also. can't think of anything else that you need except for patience. charlie

 

[Nosbod]

If you are going with a new set up you can get lnb's C/Ku combinations that only require a rg6 cable. Even if you can aquire an existing dish I would still go with the new lnbs. The cost of about 30.00 will be less than the cost of the wire. You only requrie 4 wires for the actuator. 2 the power it and 2 for the reed. Iused bell telephone wire for the reed because I had about 200 feet of it and a bought a 250 roll of 14/2 speaker wire from home depot to run the acuator. I pulled these along with 2 runs of rg6 cable through 1 inch pvc pipe. I would recommend going with 11/4 inch pvc because 1 inch was a pretty tight pull. I would also recommend a 8 foot dish if at all possible.

It all comes down to how much you want to spend and how big of a dish you are allowed to install. Bigger is better.

 

[Keystone7]

Thanks...Turbosat, Chaskuchar, Nosbad. I will compile all the information together you guys have provided and save to my word document for future installation. I am now working in my area to locate BUD's now. If nothing pans out on finding older type, in the spring I'll order a 6 footer. Like everything else, money helps me decide how I can do things. Good information on the wire I need. I wonder if instructions come with the actuator? It's getting to late in season to drop a pole now. The 3 1/2" OD pipe would be okay for the 6 foot. Is that a standard for 'polar' mount? How deep and wide of a hole would you need to support the 6 foot and or a 10 footer?
Again thanks guys, and I'll be watching this thread

 

[Dishman Dan]

I am now working in my area to locate BUD's now.

Good luck on dish hunting!

Sometimes people want to get rid of the satellite ribbon cable too when a BUD gets removed. One guy gave me a big chunk that was hardly buried and was easy to pull up. The cable was extra long for his setup and the excess wire was rolled up and stashed under his porch before the run entered his house. Another budget saver for wire is to check with former C band installers to see if they have any ribbon cable left kicking around. I got lucky and bought some really cheap from a local installer so check in your area. The ribbon cable has 2 coax and wires for the actuator and sensor all together and helps keep things really neat.

 

[Nosbod]

If you can find used cable that would be a saving but beware, I just finished bringing a 10 footer back to life and the ribbon cable as far as the rg6 runs go were no good either one. I had to run new cable. I would strongly suggest to run new cable so you know where you stand. I don't think you will need a 3 1/2 inch pole for a 6 footer. Contact Sadoun and ask them what size outside diameter is needed for a 6 foot dish. Since they sell them they should be able to tell you. Definitely a 3 1/2 for a 10 foot, but if you can acquire one for free the pole should come with it. The wiring of the actuator is fairly straight foward if you take the cover of the actuator you will see 4 screws. If you look at them you will see 2 large wires connected to 2 of them those are the power and the other 2 screws have smaller wires running from them they are the reed.

 

[Dishman Dan]

If you can find used cable that would be a saving but beware...

Good point so use discretion!

That find that I posted earlier the owner had the cable replaced due to critter damage just a year or 2 before I got it! There was over 150 feet of the stuff!!