Anyone tried to make BIG dish at home?

**Satcom1** · 07-10-2008

I went ahead and painted the dish with enamel exterior porch and floor paint. It takes along time to dry. Today I put the dish out in the sun to dry.

I am making a 4" X 4" by 1 1/2" mounting plate and 2 5/16" pole. I'll place Patio blocks on it to hold it down.

Some new pictures.

**casser** · 07-10-2008

@Satcom1

i wish all my homemade antennas were nicelly done like yours

Will you test the antenna for C-Band satellite? when you expect to do the first test?

**Satcom1** · 07-10-2008

Originally Posted by casser

@Satcom1

i wish all my homemade antennas were nicelly done like yours

Will you test the antenna for C-Band satellite? when you expect to do the first test?

Casser-

Pictures are deceiving, If you were here you would say " I could do better".

Rainy day today.

I did go to the hardware store and have what I need to make an adjustable (azimuth/elevation) bracket to mount the dish.

Testing on the dish should begin this weekend. I will align the dish with the KU band signals first and then test for C-Band reception. I have a new receiver that is more sensative then the Twinhan 1025 PCI card. It will be intereseting to see how the dish works.

Here are todays pictures of the dish stand I made for the new dish, enjoy.

**divibi** · 07-10-2008

Originally Posted by Satcom1

Casser-
Testing on the dish should begin this weekend. I will align the dish with the KU band signals first and then test for C-Band reception. I have a new receiver that is more sensative then the Twinhan 1025 PCI card. It will be intereseting to see how the dish works.

Hi Satcom

What is, in your opinion, the most sensitive receiver? I read somewhere that Twinhan SP 400 pci card has the most sensitive tuner, so what is better and what receiver do you have now?

**Satcom1** · 09-10-2008

Originally Posted by divibi

Hi Satcom

What is, in your opinion, the most sensitive receiver? I read somewhere that Twinhan SP 400 pci card has the most sensitive tuner, so what is better and what receiver do you have now?

Hi Divibi-

Hope all is well with you, just wondered what kind of projects you like?

I can only speak from my own experience on the issue of STB vs PCI. The Twinhan 1025 is just as good as the KWorld PCI for sensativety but the 1025 does HDTV ATSC. The Coolsat 6000 Premium works so much better then the PC software like ProgDVB and DVBDream. PC software is always crashing. STB is better at Diseqc 1.0/1.1, 22Khz switch configuration. ProgDVB is useless for switches and DVBDream does switches but not HH Motors.

Most folks in US have STB and some have PCI and STB. I have not heard anything good on the US forums about Twinhan SP 400. Folks here are very interested in Tecnotrend PCI because it does all the new video compression, 8PSK/4.2.2 etc. Big interest in HDTV format, If card lacks good sensativety they use bigger dish. The Invacom LNBF's are most popular because of .03 Noise and Quality. Many use the QPH-031 which is circular and linear. The 90 cm dish is accepted by most wives here but 1 meter or bigger is frowned upon by the little lady. Makes for chilly relations or worse.

**casser** · 09-10-2008

@SatCom1

Since you´re using a PCI card, try the FastSatFinder software it also support C-Band ..when i used a SkyStar, the software help me a lot checking the polarization/signal/etc of the antenna, i thought the antenna received both H/V polarization´s, but no...the LNB at 0º it received only V pol and at 90º received H pol. At 45º didint receive any pol.

But with your antenna that will not happen

***BombedOne*** · 09-10-2008

There are plugins for everything, so both motor rotation, diseqc and other things are possible on most PCI DVB-S cards.

**Satcom1** · 09-10-2008

Originally Posted by BombedOne

There are plugins for everything, so both motor rotation, diseqc and other things are possible on most PCI DVB-S cards.

BombedOne-

I hope all is going well for you there. I heard on RT that John McCain went to visit President of Georgia two weeks before war. Even worse, Our idiot George W. Bush is threatening Russia with missle installations in Poland and Ukraine. Maybe, we will have a change in government here that will help things. Our Republican party will do anything to scare public into keeping them in power.

Unfortunately, my PCI card uses the 878 device driver and not the WDM and is not compatable with "FastSatFinder" and other useful software. This is one of the primary reasons I went with a STB.

**Satcom1** · 09-10-2008

Getting ready for testing new dish.

In todays pictures you will see the mounting bracket that I fabricated. It uses simple hardware that was available from the local hardware store. The pipe mast has a hose clamp just below the mast brackets to prevent the assembly from slipping down and allows for easy azimuth rotation.

The large threaded U bolt is used to adjust elevation and has hex nuts on both sides of the plate.

I set the dish to south and then adjust the elevation with the board and protractor. My dish elevation is 42 degrees and I will select a strong satellite as close to south as possible. It's a good starting point.

Here are todays pictures-

***BombedOne*** · 09-10-2008

Satcom1, If no McCain and U.S. Government support, I wouldn't be alive now and making posts here

And please - listen to RT less, they always say false things (Very good Soviet Style propaganda). Regarding McCain, for your reference - he has Georgian citisenship, so can wisit Georgia anytime he likes to do it

joekir · 09-10-2008

Originally Posted by BombedOne

Satcom1, If no McCain and U.S. Government support, I wouldn't be alive now and making posts here

And please - listen to RT less, they always say false things (Very good Soviet Style propaganda). Regarding McCain, for your reference - he has Georgian citisenship, so can wisit Georgia anytime he likes to do it

Off topic political stuff removed after consideration.

Anyway, have you checked out a Nigerian member called Okeme? He was building a 3M fibreglass dish when I last saw his posts...claimed to be getting Astra (not 2D of course) in Nigeria with a homemade dish!

Here you go:

_http://www.satellites.co.uk/satellite/fringe-reception-general/114339-hotbird-nigeria.html#post731598

It was Astra 1, but still good going....and there are sceptics but I believe it!

***BombedOne*** · 10-10-2008

If anyone interested what really happend and see some eywithness data, we can open separate topic for it. Regarding our task, making the dish - today I made some tests. Results are attached as pictures, and here's some conclusions:

1. Quite precise work, needs lot of patience and steady hand.

2. Dangerous for health! epoxy in huge amounts releases styrol and other toxic fumes, you'll need airtight helmet, if doing indoors, or VERY WINDY weather, if outside.

3. I tried to use epoxy with fiberglass filler, this was my error, it has very low penetration rate, only reached down to two layers of my fiberglass net, while just a drop of ABRO™ transparent epoxy went down trough 8 layers without no problems.

4. If anyone tries to repeat this method, I'd suggest to use lowest dry speed, highest liquidity epoxy, to simplify the work (I watched "How things made" at discovery, guy was doing small sporting boat from fiberglass sheet. His epoxy was so thin, he was applying it just using plain brush)

**Satcom1** · 10-10-2008

If anyone interested what really happend and see some eywithness data, we can open separate topic for it. Regarding our task, making the dish - today I made some tests. Results are attached as pictures, and here's some conclusions:

BombedOne-

Regarding your dish project-

This is very interesting!

Please post more, thanks.

This looks very well made.

**Satcom1** · 10-10-2008

With a SF-95c+ Satellite Finder meter attached to the dish was adjusted for signal strength. The dish really lights up strong! Able to swing the dish across several satellites to my true south and had very strong readings. With my one meter dish the meter gain was set four to five times higher then with this dish.

Both KU and C bands are very strong.

Hope to have more data in a couple of days.

***BombedOne*** · 11-10-2008

Thanks everybody

Regarding this dish, I'll go more liquid epoxy and try to finish this one asap. After that, I'll try to polish it's internal side and cover it with aluminum powder. And finally, I'll try to make big (2 meters or more) positive concrete mould for dish. I'm writing down all expenses, so will post exact calculation of pricing also.

**casser** · 11-10-2008

Originally Posted by Satcom1

With a SF-95c+ Satellite Finder meter attached to the dish was adjusted for signal strength. The dish really lights up strong! Able to swing the dish across several satellites to my true south and had very strong readings. With my one meter dish the meter gain was set four to five times higher then with this dish.

Both KU and C bands are very strong.

Hope to have more data in a couple of days.

Hopefully it will work very well

If you can, post the measures of each ring, so i can simulate it in my university for C-Band..

**Satcom1** · 18-10-2008

Originally Posted by casser

Hopefully it will work very well

If you can, post the measures of each ring, so i can simulate it in my university for C-Band..

The dish measures 47 3/4" diameter by 3 1/2" deep.

This dish suggests Fresnel and Scalar technology so conventional Parabola math would not be accurate.

I have no idea how to get individual ring data now that it is assembled.

**Satcom1** · 18-10-2008

My Zenith Satellite is Galaxy 28. I first set the dish with a compass, this method is not very accurate.

Then I go to the NOAA Sunrise/Sunset Calculator and input my Lat. & Long., this then gives me the exact time for solar noon. Then at that time of day, I move the dish so that the LNBF shadow is in the exact center of the dish axis.

Here are pictures of Prime Focus and Offset dishes using this method.

**Satcom1** · 18-10-2008

Here is an example of how you can check your LNBF focus visually.

By placing three small mirrors around the dish at solar noon, you will be able to precisely focus your LNBF.

By using three coin sized mirrors they will all make overlaping images on the face of the LNBF. If they don't form one image, then something is out of adjustment. A cloverleaf pattern means the LNBF is too close or too far from the dish surface.

Here are pictures.

**Satcom1** · 30-10-2008

This dish produces signal strengths of 98% on Coolsat 6000 Premium receiver. Sorry to say that that does not produce a usable KU or C-band signal, either linear or circular.

It would make a dandy solar cooker with mirrored surface.

I will try to come up with a new parabolic dish that is simple to make and works really good for little cost and effort.

It is valuable to know one more thing not to try.

Thanks for your interest in my project.

ynotdu · 31-10-2008

when Sky was Analouge at 19.2 east I used a Dustbin lid as dish
Not at all helpful I know but felt the need to boast about it! lol

**Satcom1** · 31-10-2008

Yes, you are very likely correct about the analog signal being easier to capture. Certainly it is better quality.

vjkumar · 01-11-2008

Hello

can any one guide me to get calculations for arriving the offset dish of size 10 and 12 ft.

vkumar

**T_G** · 01-11-2008

Originally Posted by Satcom1

This dish produces signal strengths of 98% on Coolsat 6000 Premium receiver. Sorry to say that that does not produce a usable KU or C-band signal, either linear or circular.

It would make a dandy solar cooker with mirrored surface.

I will try to come up with a new parabolic dish that is simple to make and works really good for little cost and effort.

It is valuable to know one more thing not to try.

Thanks for your interest in my project.

Still: Well done, I applaud you for trying and testing and coming to a conclusion. I certainly enjoy reading this thread. Next dish will be better!!

***BombedOne*** · 01-11-2008

I talked with one local importer today, as he said, shortly he'll have stock of 2.4m and 3.6m C band mesh dishes for reasonable price. Interesting, if anyone had tried to receive Ku band signals using C band mesh dish.

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Anyone tried to make BIG dish at home? If you live outside the reception footprint of a satellite and would like to, or can already receive services, post your questions or information here.

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