Mesh or Solid Dishes

neil mcclary

Mesh or solid, is one better than the other or are they about the same when it comes to performance.

iceman

How can they be same when mesh dish has so much less reflector surface (because of the holes) than solid dish?
Definately solid dish is allways better...
Large mesh prime dishes are mainly used for C-Band reception.

iceman

neil mcclary

many thanks

PaulR

Sorry, but I disagree.

If the holes in the mesh are smaller than 1/2 a wavelength then the incoming signal will "see" a solid dish. If a solid dish and a mesh dish were made from the same perss there would be no difference in signal gathering efficiency.

A mesh dish better on 2 grounds. It is less visually obtrusive (all right - only slightly) and when it is windy it will not put as much strain on the mounting pole and bracket.

BTW, this explains why you shouldn't use a C band dish on Ku band. The C band mesh is spaced much wider than for Ku band. As far as the Ku band signals are concerned the dish is practically not there!

PaulR

iceman

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 15:06:28 +0200

"Rafael P. Sandoval" wrote:
For a given frequency in the Ku band, for the reception of TV signals, is a solid dish better than a mesh dish? If so, please explain. Also I know that the "holes" in a mesh could affect the reception of signals in either the C or Ku bands. If this is so, why are there mesh dishes?
Thank you and best regards,

Dr.Dish:
A accurate made mesh-dish delivers in ku-band a signal strength with the factor of 0.8, compared to a accurate made solid dish. This means you can compare a 3m mesh-dish with 2.4m solid dish. Much better is a double-mesh antenna. The holes are small enough to reflect a ku-band signal without too much losses, but still is not very strong to keep always a perfect parabolic shape (wind/change of temperatures). On the other hand, a strong and accurate made mesh dish will survive easier the full load of a storm. The mesh is a relict out of the old c-band age and works fine on this frequency-range.

-- Christian Mass (Dr.Dish)™

© 1999 by Dr.Dish


copy pasted from http://www.drdish.com/knowledge/9910/991003.shtml

iceman

Zorba

You shold see the big mesh dishes down along the seafront here.The older ones look like skeletons because the wind has ripped of the mesh.Probably get a bit torn from hailstones etc and the strong winds do the rest.and they rust quickly because the frames and struts are all hollow tubing,which is why they are light,which is why they move a lot in strong winds.

Channel Hopper

@neil

Depends on your location, how much you initially want to pay, what you wish to watch,(and on what frequency), how often you are prepared to pay for servicing / repair/ replacement, and whether the neighbours would notice a 7m mesh thing, or a 5m solid one

For me, solid wins every time

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RogerP

Dont know about yours, but my microwave oven has a mesh reflective surface on the door and (hopefully) all of the waves are reflected!!

robbins1940

Solid is better. When it snows all the minidishes are covered in snow where as my channel master 1.2m dish is only partly covered in snow and can still get a signal from astra 2 slot.

On mesh dishes the snow blocks up the holes in the mesh reducing the signal and hence no picture and since the dish is so small you will lose picture altogether the slightest hint of any bad weather.

David