Channel Master/Laminas 1.8m project

[Captain Jack]

Nice Alex your more/less same as me, when the 1.2 was at ground level I could just get 57E, no chance of camouflaging a 1.2 at low level on the front garden pal ?.

Not really, Martin. The front garden, while in 'cul-de-sac' type area, is pretty exposed to the public.. and visible. The 1m will have to go on the wall (undecided whether to go with the 1.2m yet - would love my Fibo up there).

 

[Archived-1]

Not really, Martin. The front garden, while in 'cul-de-sac' type area, is pretty exposed to the public.. and visible. The 1m will have to go on the wall (undecided whether to go with the 1.2m yet - would love my Fibo up there).

Well Alex, the heavy duty bracket ive made for the 1.2 will be coming down, if you was to fit the 1.2 and and needed the bracket you could have it for free, you would have to pick it up though .

 

[Captain Jack]

Thanks Martin. Actually, I was going to ask you about getting those "legs" for the L- bracket. I think you said Blake aerials had them?

 

[Archived-1]

Yes Alex, I did try a few times and never got through to the owner for a discount I think without any discount there was £17, just four bits of angle iron and a few nuts/bolts will do the same job.

 

[Archived-1]

Just do this to the pole you have pal.

 

[Captain Jack]

Thanks to @scopus 's generosity, I am now the owner of yet another 1.8m Channel Master dish!



It's actually a bit smaller than the offset one, so likely to be more neighbour friendly!

Not quite sure what to do with it yet. I will see if I can get 56E with it and, if so, will make it a fixed one pointed there. Otherwise I might motorise this one as well.

Having seen scopus's beefed up 1224 motor, I was seriously impressed. It really was very stable and heavy duty. The internals are the same as the normal motor but the whole case has been replaced by thick steel version - there's no way it's going anywhere! I am looking forward to @martin-f 's modifications, as I don't think I have enough skills to do what @RimaNTSS is doing to his, which is very close to what scopus had. Looking at mine, I would need to beef up the mounting steel as well as it flexes a bit already.

If I do go with the 1224 for the offset CM, then I still have my heavy duty PM for this PF one (the PM is designed for PF dishes, so changes will be minimal) and the h-to-h motor that @Costactc is using will be paired with the 1m or 1.2m dishes.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[scopus]

Thanks to @scopus 's generosity, I am now the owner of yet another 1.8m Channel Master dish!

View attachment 80774

It's actually a bit smaller than the offset one, so likely to be more neighbour friendly!

Not quite sure what to do with it yet. I will see if I can get 56E with it and, if so, will make it a fixed one pointed there. Otherwise I might motorise this one as well.

Having seen scopus's beefed up 1224 motor, I was seriously impressed. It really was very stable and heavy duty. The internals are the same as the normal motor but the whole case has been replaced by thick steel version - there's no way it's going anywhere! I am looking forward to @martin-f 's modifications, as I don't think I have enough skills to do what @RimaNTSS is doing to his, which is very close to what scopus had. Looking at mine, I would need to beef up the mounting steel as well as it flexes a bit already.

If I do go with the 1224 for the offset CM, then I still have my heavy duty PM for this PF one (the PM is designed for PF dishes, so changes will be minimal) and the h-to-h motor that @Costactc is using will be paired with the 1m or 1.2m dishes.

Decisions, decisions...

You're very welcome CJ. Glad it has gone to a good home!

 

[Archived-1]

Great stuff Alex , I am considering using my spare 1.2 for ka band, why not use the spare 1.8 pal ?.

 

[Captain Jack]

Yeah, that's another possibility. I am not that keen on Ka band, due to relatively sparse content. C band and fringe Ku are my main interests.

The trouble with PF dish is that it's only really good for holding 1 LNB at focus. Go beyond that and the signal loss is far more than on an offset one.

 

[Archived-1]

The trouble with PF dish is that it's only really good for holding 1 LNB at focus. Go beyond that and the signal loss is far more than on an offset one.

Its just a port for c/ku band Alex

http://www.nsccom.com/bullseyeand153ii.aspx

 

[Captain Jack]

Hah! well... yes.... but....£££ BTW, that Bullseye thing seems to only have Ku band from 11.7 GHz, not 10.7 like we need it here in Yoorop.

That dish has a f/D of 0.4 according to the manual, so that might be a task to find a Ku feedhorn...

 

[scopus]

I can let you have one of these Yuri's Alex...a scalar plate with C/Ku, the Ku is offset by about 3 degrees, I didn't notice much loss on Ku when I had it setup on a Precision dish

 

[Captain Jack]

I'll take up on your yet another generous offer

 

[moonbase]

I can let you have one of these Yuri's Alex...a scalar plate with C/Ku, the Ku is offset by about 3 degrees, I didn't notice much loss on Ku when I had it setup on a Precision dish

scopus,

That's an interesting setup on your Precision dish. Would you please be able to assist with a couple of questions?

How are the three feed support arms attached to the scalar ring, it looks to be some type of bracket and tape?
Are you using the tapped threads in the ends of the feed support arms?

That YURI looks an interesting item, are they available in the UK or did you ship it in from overseas?

Rgds

 

[scopus]

scopus,

That's an interesting setup on your Precision dish. Would you please be able to assist with a couple of questions?

How are the three feed support arms attached to the scalar ring, it looks to be some type of bracket and tape?
Are you using the tapped threads in the ends of the feed support arms?

That YURI looks an interesting item, are they available in the UK or did you ship it in from overseas?

Rgds

Moonbase,

The ali tubes were tapped then studding welded to the eyelets then some heatshrink plastic protecting it all.
I had mine off Ebay from Austrialia, they seemed to be popular in that part of the world a few years back, I haven't seen any on sale for a while now, so they may have stooped making them.

Rgds

 

[Captain Jack]

No updates here, sadly. Still waiting for the local searches to complete for the house purchase - apparently North Somerset CC have a 40 day backlog. It's already been that long so hoping for some sort of movement soon!

 

[moonbase]

...
Not quite sure what to do with it yet. I will see if I can get 56E with it and, if so, will make it a fixed one pointed there....

CJ,

Please forgive my curiosity but what's on 56E that would justify allocating a 1.8m channel master to it as a fixed dish? If at any point you decide you no longer have a use for the prime focus CM, I know a man who does.

Rgds

 

[moonbase]

Yeah, that's another possibility. I am not that keen on Ka band, due to relatively sparse content. C band and fringe Ku are my main interests.

The trouble with PF dish is that it's only really good for holding 1 LNB at focus. Go beyond that and the signal loss is far more than on an offset one.

CJ,

Stick a bullseye feed at the centre or a Chaparral C/Ku feed with polarotor, that will get you C band and Ku band and all polarities from one feed. Those type of feeds are perfect for a meaty prime focus dish.


Rgds

 

[Captain Jack]

I will try to get the Wide beam from 56E. Pride21 can get it from IoW on his 1.5m Gibby, so I hope I stand a chance.

These Bullseye feeds are expensive. I have a Siamese Yuri feed now, which houses both Ku and C LNBs, so will try that out. The PF dish is not a priority though.

 

[moonbase]

... The PF dish is not a priority though...

CJ,

You might never get round to using it, let me give it a good home.

The Chaparral C/Ku feeds with polarotor are cheap enough, there's some on eBay from a seller in Cyprus. brand new and about one third of the price compared to shipping one in from the USA, real good value, cheaper than a TM-5402 M3

Them Siamese if you please Yuri's don't have both feeds centred at the focus, you are always off centre focus with one of the LNB's. The Chaparral C/Ku with polarotor keeps all LNB's centred on the focus.

Good luck whatever way you go, I will follow it with interest.

Rgds