Made a start on my petal extensions ..

[Vipersan]

Ok ...this has blown my mind ..
I've NEVER achieved a lock of any sort on NSS5 20 West ...
But ..although very weak at around 2db ..
I got this :-

4159 L
tp 88 Emmanuel TV
DVB-S2
MPEG-2 3034-1/2
QPSK


Errr ..that would be the 2 - 3db gain the extension panels are already giving me ..

Gobsmacked ...
VS

 

[pride21]

well done VS i get some activity but not enough to lock.

 

[Vipersan]

well done VS i get some activity but not enough to lock.

...Thats how its always been for me ..varying about 0.5db to zero ..
Until now that is ..
cheers m8
VS

 

[Vipersan]

...Perhaps not the most esthetic solution ...but this cut will allow the dish to travel to 58w unhindered.
I said it would be a close call ...and luckilly I dont have to alter the reflectic face of the panel ..
I did however have to cut some of the outer rim structure ..so off came the panel ..and new structure ribs applied to the underside ..
This should be enough to retain shape ..
Once done I can get to work on laminating it.
rgds
VS
...well I did say it was a custom job on this last wing..
;)

 

[Vipersan]

...and that ..as they say...is that ..
All laminations and petal shaping done..
A few days to recoup some much needed energy ...then I'll invest in some aluminium paint ..
...thats when it all starts again as each wing in turn is removed ...rubbed smooth ..and painted with ally ...then primed ..and finally spray painted cream
thanks for all the support during my madness
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Further confirmation of that 2db increase ..
Dounia at 30 East is now solid all day ..and currently around 8.2 db
Pre wing installation back at 1.8 mtrs ...the best I could achieve was 6.1db
Just out of curiosity ..
What do you get currently Pride ?..and what was it pre the extension panels ?
rgds
VS

 

[Bajasur]

You might find a table showing the relationship between relative signal strength and dBw useful in your evaluations.

Signal strength is directly proportional to the surface areas of the antennas being compared
Double the surface area and you double the signal strength.

dBw is the ratio of the signal strengths expressed in logarithmic terms.

The log of the ratio of the two antenna surface areas being compared will be the expected change in dbw under ideal conditions.

I like to remember that 3 dBw represents a doubling of power.

Relative Signal Strength is proportional to the ratio of the two antenna's surface areas. Signal Strength Ratio dBw
		1		0.0
		1.1		0.4
		1.2		0.8
		1.3		1.1
		1.4		1.5
		1.5		1.8
		1.6		2.0
		1.7		2.3
		1.8		2.6
		1.9		2.8
		2		3.0
		2.1		3.2
		2.2		3.4
		2.3		3.6
		2.4		3.8
		2.5		4.0
		2.6		4.1
		2.7		4.3
		2.8		4.5
		2.9		4.6
		3		4.8
		3.1		4.9
		3.2		5.1
		3.3		5.2
		3.4		5.3
		3.5		5.4
		3.6		5.6
		3.7		5.7
		3.8		5.8
		3.9		5.9
		4		6.0
		4.5		6.5
		5		7.0
		5.5		7.4
		6		7.8
		6.5		8.1
		7		8.5
		7.5		8.8
		8		9.0
		8.5		9.3
		9		9.5
		9.5		9.8
		10		10.0

 

[Analoguesat]

Just caught up on a couple of weeks worth of updates. (Its exam time at work so things have got hectic!)

Absolutely fantastic VS - the dish looks great :-worship

when the weather improves a bit up here and stops being cold / wet / windy / hailstorms etc I'll have a play with my C-band lnb.

 

[wod]

Absolutely fantastic VS - the dish looks great :-worship

when the weather improves a bit up here and stops being cold / wet / windy / hailstorms etc I'll have a play with my C-band lnb.

time for number 7 dish ?

 

[pride21]

hi VS before i added the extensions it was around 55% to 56% quality and breaking up badly, after i added the extensions it went up to 63% quality,i tried this morning its rock solid at 58% quality and its raining.cheers

 

[Vipersan]

This one photo ..snapped during the very briefest of locks ...has for me made the whole project worthwhile..
..and gives me great hope that when fully optimised ..it will remain locked for longer periods ..
I haven't seen this channel since it went to 7/8 over 12 months ago...
3853 H
tp 22

Jamaican mux
DVB-S 2220-7/8

RE TV
&

TV Jamaica
55 West C band

Here is the pic ..and delivered with a huge grin ..

rgds
VS

 

[pride21]

hi VS keep them coming,this is what makes a project well worth doing even though it has been hard work,especially when you get channels you have not thought possible.have you tried the dish with ku lnb.

 

[Vipersan]

hi VS keep them coming,this is what makes a project well worth doing even though it has been hard work,especially when you get channels you have not thought possible.have you tried the dish with ku lnb.

Not yet Pride ...but its on my list of things to do ..
I suspect better alignment/focus will be neccessary before any noticeable improvements will be possible in ku.
cheers m8 ..
glad you're enjoying the thread..
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Ok ..
Not a very scientific approach granted ..
But this is what I tried this morning ..
Left the dish unmoved and pointing at 55 West ..
Left the channel selected as Jamaica TV ..which I got occasional lock on ..
If the signal dropped below 6 db according to the F15 ..Lock vanished totally..
It was varying 5.8 - 5.9 - 6.0 - 6.1
In and out of lock with occasional images appearing ..
I then removed 1 panel 2 hours ago ..
Applied some bridging compound to the inner rim ..applied in such a way as to form a rough wedge..
Allowed to harden and rubbed smooth ..
The wing was then re-fitted after redrilling the mount holes through the bridging compound ..
This has had the effect of lifting the outer rim of the wing by approx 0.8 cm..thus changing the angle ..or tilt of the panel ..
and if I continued around the dish it would make the dish deeper by about 1.5 to 2 cm ..
IE closer to the focal length expected .
Now it could be time of day ...the weather ..or any number of variables ..
But Jamaica TV now stays locked on the F15 ..
Not sufficient to provide constant moving pics ..but pics more often ..and the signal bar remains in lock ..varying still but now 6.1 to 6.2 db ..

I think I'm heading the right way ...
..but only time will tell ..and only one wings tilt changed so far..
Promising ..or fluke..
We shall see..
rgds
VS

 

[Lazarus]

...and that ..as they say...is that ..
All laminations and petal shaping done..
A few days to recoup some much needed energy ...then I'll invest in some aluminium paint ..
...thats when it all starts again as each wing in turn is removed ...rubbed smooth ..and painted with ally ...then primed ..and finally spray painted cream
thanks for all the support during my madness
rgds
VS

And thank you for all the madness during our support :-Jumbo:-Jumbo

 

[Vipersan]

Ok ..
Not a very scientific approach granted ..
But this is what I tried this morning ..
Left the dish unmoved and pointing at 55 West ..
Left the channel selected as Jamaica TV ..which I got occasional lock on ..
If the signal dropped below 6 db according to the F15 ..Lock vanished totally..
It was varying 5.8 - 5.9 - 6.0 - 6.1
In and out of lock with occasional images appearing ..
I then removed 1 panel 2 hours ago ..
Applied some bridging compound to the inner rim ..applied in such a way as to form a rough wedge..
Allowed to harden and rubbed smooth ..
The wing was then re-fitted after redrilling the mount holes through the bridging compound ..
This has had the effect of lifting the outer rim of the wing by approx 0.8 cm..thus changing the angle ..or tilt of the panel ..
and if I continued around the dish it would make the dish deeper by about 1.5 to 2 cm ..
IE closer to the focal length expected .
Now it could be time of day ...the weather ..or any number of variables ..
But Jamaica TV now stays locked on the F15 ..
Not sufficient to provide constant moving pics ..but pics more often ..and the signal bar remains in lock ..varying still but now 6.1 to 6.2 db ..

I think I'm heading the right way ...
..but only time will tell ..and only one wings tilt changed so far..
Promising ..or fluke..
We shall see..
rgds
VS

Ok ..did nothing but keep an eye on this channel over 24 hours ..
The signal does periodically depending on time of day ..drop below lock level of 6db ..but is locked more than its not...around 80% of the time.
Thats progress..
During this locked period ..I only managed a 10 minute period over 6.4 db ..which allowed moving images ..rather than frozen stills.
But alas I am dissapointed..
they now use AAC-HE audio ..and as yet the F15 cannot handle this .
Simply no audio.
Not the first time I've seen it ..and I once complained on the official forum ..but it never got resolved.
A great pity as no other receiver in my collection can even lock this signal..
Non of them have a tuner so sensitive.
I'm sure this could be sorted easily in firmware if they were inclined to do so ..but support is minimal these days.
Any of our Russian speakers ever found reference to this problem on the Russian forums..?
The F15 handles some forms of AAC ..AC3 Dolby etc ...but this version of AAC remains a problem.
Does any F15 owner able to access this channel ..or indeed a channel with the same audio content have issues and can confirm..
I do know other set top boxes have had the same problems ..
read this :-
from another forum..
_http://www.world-of-satellite.com/archive/index.php/t-13131.html

cest la vie
VS

 

[Vipersan]

..Good morning friends ..
Dragged my 'Man Flu' riddled carcass out of my pit this morning to do a little work on the wings ..
More soddin rain promised for later today ..and possibly high winds ..so figured I snap up what bit of dry semi sun there was to be had ..and believe me ..I don't feel at all like doing it ..but it wont do itself.
So ...last night I relaminated over the aluminium foil with a very thin layer of fibreglass tissue ..
..that should make it permanent..
This morning it was rubbed as smooth as I could with my aching arms ..
Then primed in grey ...sprayed with galvanising paint and left to dry ..
In about an hour ..the first layer of Aluminium solar reflecting paint will be applied by brush ...
Left to harden ..then rubbed smoothish ...
later another layer of the same paint ..rubbed smooth again ...
At which point I'll have to wait ..until the Gelcoat and cream pigment arrive ..
ordered last week.
You may also notice the inner circumferance rim has been thickened to form a wedge 0.8cm to nothing ..using car body filler.
the idea being to increase the tilt of the wing ..thus making the dish fractionally deeper overall ..
Only one wing as yet ..but when all these are treated the same way ..the job will be complete
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Ok ..typical bloke ..
Read the paint instructions ..after you've used it ..
Only one coat possible today ..
Solar reflecting paint drying time between coats ..
16 Hours @20 deg C

Nice stuff tho ..but will have to buy some more cheap throw away brushes ..
No point in trying to clean them between coats ..as no matter how you try ..you always get 'bits and floaters' spoiling the job on re-used brushes..
Lovely paint though ..damned expensive ..but dead easy to use..
Almost self levelling ..
I'm informed the aluminium leaf flecks withing the paint float to the surface during the curing phase ..to form a single continuous layer..
We shall see..
last pics for today ..as I can't do any more for now.
rgds
VS
AAAAAAchooooooOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!...
good job the kitchen roll was handy

 

[Lazarus]

When I was an Apprentice (back in Mediaeval times), we had to do a Design and Make Project ............... after the "thing" had been physically complete, we were then introduced to elementary Business Studies, the first task being to carry out a Costings exercise, using the "thing" as a Case Study.

Inevitably, nobody came remotely close to being able to claim that even mass-production of "things" was viable.

et tu, Bruté ?

 

[Vipersan]

Spot on Gordon ..
I wouldn't hazard a guess as to what the total cost of production would be ..
I can guestimate materials at about £130 - £150

..but how do you account for man hours ..
In my case ..these are freely given as this is a labour of love..
But ..economical ?...I seriously doubt it ..
Still when you think I'm _hopefully_ going to end up with a 2.2 mtr dish with the efficiency of over 2mtrs ..
Then its priceless but worth the cost..
..both in pocket ..and wear and tear on my old bones.
rgds
VS

Oh ..and btw ...
Is that a knife in your pocket ...or are you just pleased to see me
;)