Which dish size?

[pmb1010]

* If you were to get a 6' Fortec, I have rethought the mount idea, and believe you'd be better off with the Polar Mount and a jackscrew than the H-180, due to potential wind load.

I installed a 6' Fortec on H180 motor. Very windy here in NY past few months, today was 30 to 40mph winds.

It's been only 6 months or so.

Just today I collected up the dish from the ground, as the H180 motor broke in half. It's not strong enough to hold up. This was a ground mount, on a 6' post. (I also have 4 foot on HH120 motor up on a high mount, and it's been fine)

 

[corey006]

Above, BloomDog speaks with great authority about his 1.2 Channel Master on a little motor.
Here is a quote from another thread:

I seen that...

If it works for me I will be happy.

If not I will look at some of the NEW motors Sadoun is coming out with.

How come no one imports Jaeger 1224 motors?

 

[corey006]

I picked up the Andrews 1.2 meter(Channel Master). Update...It weighs 25.5 lbs although it looks and feels heavier.

This thing is a monster compared to my 1 meter Fortec. The mounting bracket weighs 15 pounds by itself...now I know why guys make their own.

It also came with a 3 inch diameter J-Bracket roof/wall mount.

I have seen Popcorn and Bloomdog's threads and I could build bracket like theirs and mount to SG2100.

I am pretty sure roof mount is only option for me...so my question is...

My weak link will be plastic gears in SG2100. Will wind destroy my SG2100?...and if it breaks will dish come crashing to the ground?

I am going to try and scope out better location closer to ground or sheltered from wind.

 

[corey006]

Update....preliminary findings.


I used a 1/4 inch thick aluminum plate (8x10 inchs) to mount to back of 1.2 CM dish.

I used mounting bracket off 1 meter Fortec.

Put it all together and weighed in @ 37.5 lbs.

Put up new dish and my signal quality went up to 80% on AMC 4(my most southern bird)....this was good news. I also picked up a couple more transponders on this sat.

SG-2100 is moving this dish OK.

I can track either side of ARC and it has no trouble going from one side to the other.

I went to where Galaxy 10R is supposed to be.

I only managed to get 1 transponder so far. 11800@8% My SonicView is calling it 11800 but I checked SatcoDx and didn't find 11800?

I scanned transponder and cross referenced channel list and it matches up with 11798 transponder on Galaxy 10R.

Even at low Quality level of 8% the picture quality was ok....:up


I haven't tried tweaking signal anymore but this afternoon I will try tweaking elevation.

The 1.2 ChannelMaster has greatly improved signal quality levels but I was hoping for a little better results.

I have come to conclusion I am simply just to far north for a small dish.

I cannot buy another one now for awhile...as wife would surely string me up.

If I can find buyer for this dish maybe in future I will try a 1.8 meter...either a Patriot or Channel Master.

I wil have to wait until I know someone who is going to USA to pick-up for me.

I am also going to invest in a polar-mount and actuator of course....or get a Jaeger 1224.

 

[Tron]

11800 is the second Equity transponder on Galaxy 10, the first being 11720. The receiver will often scan in the frequency a few numbers off (example, your 11798) due to LNB L.O. drift. This is normal, but an 8% quality level is not. You may still not be tracking the arc properly at the ends, check a far eastern satellite and see if you are having the same problem. Also, is it possible that you are having a LOS (line of sight) issue? G-10R may be very low in the sky since you are so far up north, and something on the ground may be partially blocking it.

 

[corey006]

11800 is the second Equity transponder on Galaxy 10, the first being 11720. The receiver will often scan in the frequency a few numbers off (example, your 11798) due to LNB L.O. drift. This is normal, but an 8% quality level is not. You may still not be tracking the arc properly at the ends, check a far eastern satellite and see if you are having the same problem. Also, is it possible that you are having a LOS (line of sight) issue? G-10R may be very low in the sky since you are so far up north, and something on the ground may be partially blocking it.

I am on a roof mount so pretty sure my L.O.S is clear.

I think I could breathe on on my elevation a little but I know I am on the arc.

I need to build a jack-screw bracket so I can just tweak my elevation in very fine movements instead of loosening the bolts and have whole dish move 3 inchs....

I am hitting roughly 20 sats between 60 and 150 degrees....and I have not even looked very close...these are sats with strong signals.

I have allready talked to a dealer about a 1.5 or 1.8 meter Patriot. He said he may bring me one in as he has a bunch of customers asking about bigger dishes all the time.

If I go from 4 to 5 or 6 ft I should get decent strength on G10...as long as I can keep selling my used dishes for close to what I pay for them I will keep upsizing.

I am also going to try and talk a dealer up here into getting some Jaeger 1224 motors...I want the one that has elevation setting on it as well as East/West movement.

I am tired of being up on roof in -20 tweaking elevation.

1224 EL is motor for me...