Best 1.2m Dish?

Channel Hopper

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hairybadger said:
Fibre dishes don't work for Ka? I can understand there being an issue with mesh dishes, but why fibre? Thanks :)
The older style fibreglass or SMC designs may have a mesh that is not efficient at Ka band frequencies, owing to both the type of mesh inserted, and the uniform surface within the mould.

Having said that though, the CM design does work extremely well at the old Telecom band (12.5 - 12.75GHz) , better than many more modern designs. Additionally the rigidity of the panel is also a plus point, many metal reflectors oscillate in winds which will cause all sorts of trouble at the high frequencies
 

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That is why it helps to find a sheltered spot for the dish to keep the wind off it. It is usually worth making some form of shelter if it doesn't already exist. They can survive winds that would dump a Zone 1 in Norway but the signal may fluctuate wildly due to the narrow beamwidth and weak signals. That was sometimes entertaining with analogue as it would fade in and out but with digital it is not so good.

Some of the old dishes had better bracing at the back than others, some old IRTE dishes and a few others had big rings which helped to keep them rigid.
 

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I will be Interested to see results by cm 1.2 and gilbertini 1.2
although cm Is very strong I guess that gilbertini would be a better performer due to Its reflecting feature which Is a metal
 

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Channel Master is metal inside. Fibre glass doesn't reflect anything...
 

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samoloko said:
I will be Interested to see results by cm 1.2 and gilbertini 1.2
although cm Is very strong I guess that gilbertini would be a better performer due to Its reflecting feature which Is a metal

If you look at the link budget of transmission characteristics (modulation, FEC, symbol rate, etc), ERP, high and low altitude weather, RF and electrical noise (worse in a city), dish gain, LNB noise and temperature, switch insertion loss, cable loss, reciever deafness, RFI mains noise and user error then you can see the dish is only a small part of the equation.

Generally the best dish is the one you own and can use immediately.

Here is the choice of 1.2m dishes.

1 Channel Master (Raven, Andrews) fiberglass, very durable, strong mount, suitable for national and other broadcasters.

2 Old heavy fibreglass and metal dishes from a variety of manufacturers with heavy duty polar or az/el mounts for professional and hobby use, including rebroadcast via cable but rarely used by national broadcasters.

3 Modern fiberglass and metal dishes. Lighter than old ones, with lighter polar mounts but often more sturdy bracketry than category 4 below. Fine for hobby use. E.g. Gibertini 125, Laminas 1200 fiberglass. The Laminas should be better for the top of multi-story buildings.

4 Generic metal dishes from 120 x 130cm to 110 x 120. Usually they have 2 side bars connected to the main LNB arm to provide extra rigidity against the wind. Very lightweight so can be wall mounted with the az/el mount. Aluminium alloy ones (e.g. 'Hi-Gain' Faval) can be used with a diseqc motor in a sheltered area or near ground level, in theory the motor takes up to 20kg and these dishes with brackets are generally about 9.5kg. It might be possible to use one with a generic polar mount if they are still available (for use with a 36v actuator). Typical brand names in the UK include Faval 'Hi-Gain', Famaval, SatPlus, SatChaser, New Horizons, SAC, etc etc. Some are sold unbranded for retailers to add their name or logo, this is popular in parts of Asia, Africa, and South America because it is effective advertising.

Triax also sells DAP fiberglass dishes for severe weather conditions, including the top of multi-story buildings, but only in 60cm, 70cm and 90cm.
 

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If any dish manufacturer is reading this thread, please, please, please make a 125cm (135 x 125cm) perforated 'mesh' KU band dish.

I will buy three of them!
 

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I would put the Fibo 1.2m above the Channel Master. These are used professionally on many satellite gathering vans and outperforms a Channel Master.

Also, where would the prime focus 1.2m dishes fit into the above?
 

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do you know Valu Star Andrew dishes
they are metal and said to be with better gain than standard cm
 

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samoloko said:
do you know Valu Star Andrew dishes
they are metal and said to be with better gain than standard cm
IIRC they are in category 4.
 

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Captain Jack said:
I would put the Fibo 1.2m above the Channel Master. These are used professionally on many satellite gathering vans and outperforms a Channel Master.

Also, where would the prime focus 1.2m dishes fit into the above?
That is cheating as the Fibo is a Gregorian dish!

The manufacturers take the shadow into account when making prime focus dishes. However, I found they hold onto the rain and snow longer than the offset dishes where gravity helps to pull it off the dish. Of course the fact we are so far north that the offset dish face is almost vertical helps a lot, though an offset is still more vertical than a prime focus in the mediterranean and further south. But they don't get the rain or snow so much. :( But when they do a prime focus can come close to being a bird bath.
 

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I would rate the Swedish SMW offset dish as being in a class of its own when it comes to build quality. Constructed of Acrylonitrile - Butadiene - Styrene (ABS plastic),with repeatable high surface accuracy in manufacture (vacuum formed). They're then coated with a copper layer, which is then covered with an acrylic topcoat. The back's then coated with a UV-resistant layer.

They are to all intents and purposes indestructable. I still have my 1.05M dish - I dropped it six foot to the ground once, with no perceivable damage - it just springs back to its intended shape.

Alas, the SMW series of dishes haven't been manufactured for years now, but if you see 1.2M one at auction, grab it quick. I'd give my eye teeth for one...
 

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Doesn't Pride21 have a 1.4m SMW dish? He seems to be getting excellent results with it.
 

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Captain Jack said:
Doesn't Pride21 have a 1.4m SMW dish? He seems to be getting excellent results with it.
Ah yes. IIRC it was in a sorry state on the surface when he aquired it, but no doubt it's doing its job fine now.
 

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You paid a fair bit extra for anything SMW made but it would last such a long time it would work out cheaper than the alternative over the course of its lifetime. I expect that SMW dish will outlive us all.
 

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hexah said:
If any dish manufacturer is reading this thread, please, please, please make a 125cm (135 x 125cm) perforated 'mesh' KU band dish.

I will buy three of them!

:-woohoo

While pricing up bits for some 'engineering work' I have outlined for next month I discovered Maxx Digital make 1.2m perforated 'mesh' dishes. Only a couple of places sell them so they must be newly introduced. There are no dimensions available so I think they will be 120 x 110cm. I will be going out with the tape measure to see if I can get away with it and avoid the :-Axechase syndrome.


I wonder if a perforated 150cm for under £90 would be too much to ask for. :-worship
 

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What will be the advantage of the perforated dish other than the weight?
 

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Lightness means it can be used as a tempory dx dish for something low on the horizon or behind something which the motorized dish can't see around. It could be left high up for the 'summer' part of the year when it is not windy and taken down so it doesn't get battered in the windy* season. I have spare mounting points and a patio mount for these purposes. Being lighter than solid dishes it it much easier to get it over your head and fiddle with it.

It is very easy to camouflage perforated 'mesh' dishes because the light shines through so it stands out less against the background (less of a contrast). One colour of Plasti-kote spray can have a better effect than a 3 or 4 colour pattern on a solid dish. If you spray a perforated dish green or chocolate brown and install it at or near ground level in the garden with plants and bushes around it people often walk by without even noticing it. If it is above the first storey of a house above the usual eye level people often fail to notice it if the colour matches the wall.

http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/topic/158382-lightweight-80cm-dish/#entry842120

If you have the dish on a grey concrete wall in a big grey yard like a farmyard or an industrial estate you could spray it Plasti-kote Fluorescent Orange or Fluorescent Yellow, with white primer if it is an anthracite dish. That would brighten the yard up and make it less likely that some moron manages to drive their cab into it or hit it with something.



*Bawbag http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16102566
 

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An exception is that it is easier to do this with solid dishes.

technisat satman 850 plus smiley-gelb 61reRs4WSqL._SL1183_.jpgtechnisat  satman 33 smiley-gelb 41I3ceNxb-L._SX342_.jpg
 

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I have seen good reports about the old Hirschman dishes.
I do no know if the new Triax dishes (old Hirschman) have the same specs.
 
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