Fracarro Penta?

dvmedia

Hi guys,

I've seen a few threads on these supposedly amazing dishes...

I was thinking of getting one fixed at the front of the house for Nilesat - seeing as my current reception on the 1m Orbital motorised dish is only about 50% quality on some transponders - and this is the bird I really want to get for Fox Series (as well as others)..

I'm right in assuming an 85cm Penta is about equivelant to a 1.1m circular dish?

It would also stop me getting into trouble with the neighbours.. about getting some even bigger dish

rolfw

The Penta 85cm will perform similarly to many 1m dishes, but I would seriously doubt whether it would give you any better results on Nilesat than you are already receiving.

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gerryl

would agree with rolfw...the Penta a good dish (solid as a rock!)...would depend on your actual location and dish position (ye can hang them high!)...maybe worth a try...

Analoguesat

dv I think you may be hoping too much of the Pentas - they have a good reputation in that they are well built (bloody heavy as I found out this last weekend when I put mine up again) but even a Penta isnt going to work miracles where a really big dish is required.

Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever!

Channel Hopper

Oh brother !

I've really started the bug with you. Next up from a 1m orbital (for Nilesat) is going to be a -good- solid 1.2 offset, or a 1.5m prime focus.

I think you may have to move, no chance of putting the dish on the ground, as you would lose the satellites to the west.

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

Analoguesat

Lol - its always nice to see keen new blood come into the hobby


dv it might be worth having a wander round some of the local towns to see if any of the bookies are closing down - they often have nice sturdy biggish dishes

Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever!

satelliteman

A Gibertini 120cm would be a fair upgrade from the 1m Orbital. Just for a reference, the Gibertini 100cm version here out performs the penta by a long way on some satellites

satelliteman . ..... A Detailed DiSEqC Motor Installation Set Up Guide > HERE Quick Reference Guide also > HERE Satellites UK site Advertisers . An Installers Choice ...... Follow us on .

Channel Hopper

Except he was posting on here in 2005....

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

nanochickin

The Penta 85 is definitely a better dish than the Orbital.

I'm getting better results in the Midlands on my Penta than i did on my old Orbital 1m dish. Its definitely easier on the motor too



Nano

Channel Hopper

Better on the motor - agreed, but the Orbital dish can be tweaked (as this one was) to remove the imperfections on the surface.

I haven't got a spare Penta 85 about, but if I can borrow one I don't mind posting a couple of spectrum plots to show the differences.

The 1m already has a surface area some 17% greater than the Fracarro, I doubt the unique shape of the Penta can make up for it in cross-polarisation rejection or narrower beamwidth .

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

dvmedia

Admittedly, back in 2005 I was piddling about with minidishes on Astra 1 then with REALLY old analogue boxes, and finding Hotbird was amazing

I just can't really go much bigger than 1m, although a 1.2m as recommended by satelliteman might be doable.

As I told Channel Hopper, I have this annoying old woman next door who complains about every little thing. She reported me to the Police Community Support Officer for parking on the grass verge, and then yelled at me from across the garden to tell me she had done so.
She is very nice 80% of the time, but just has no shame and too much free time ! The TV mast 4 doors down has blasted her head with too much radiation in the 30 years she's been living here.

nanochickin

I just never found the Orbital a fantastic dish in all honesty, my old Global Orbit 90R was a lot better than the Orbital ever was

Worst mistake i ever made swapping it for the Orbital. I even managed to get most of the verticals of 7w with the old Global Orbit which is something i never managed on my Orbital, it only ever got one or two. Even by fine tuning it was never as good



Nano

Channel Hopper

Don't you live one door closer to the mast ?

_http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/high_wycombe-rw-02.jpg

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

dvmedia

It's like:

Mast - House - House - House - House - Old Woman - Me - Student House - House etc