N.Spain Replacement for my 84cm dish

D

DavidJ

Member
My Satellite Setup
I have a boat in Med N.Spain with a dish on a post outside
My Location
Med N.Spain
Hi
First posting be kind!
I have a boat on the med side of N.Spain (Rosas) and have borrowed a 84cm x 77cm dish which I mount on a very convenient fixed and firm flag pole on the pontoon. I can pick up Freesat so I'm happy but need to give back the borrowed dish.
I can't find an exact size replacement on the market and don't want to go any bigger because I don't want to impose further on other boat owners. I'm told I'm lucky to pick up Freesat at all with this size dish so do you think a 80cm dish will be unworkable? Do you have any other ideas on how I could proceed with a replacement.
All ideas gratefully received.
David
 
84 x 77 is an 80cm dish. When you say freesat what do you mean? Can you get BBC2? There's a hotspot around Barcelona where only an 80cm dish is needed but a 150cm either side.
 
Thanks Huevos
It might be better if I describe it as receiving Astra 2D at 28.2°E which includes all the BBC programmes.
Is 80cm a standard description for 84x77 ? I will probably order the dish by internet from the UK (where I'm based) and I'm worried about getting one that's too small.
regards
David
ps I asked the question to an eBay seller of an 80cm and he replied "80cm Offset Dish size H:80cm x W:74cm"
 
If the 80cm has worked, try the TRIAX 88cm dish. Best around in my view for gain. If you look on sponsor sites you can see photos, may just be the one you have.
 
What's your nearest big city? Why get a dish from the UK? They are cheap enough here and at least you can see what you are getting. In theory a dish is measured horizontally (because that is the size of the aperture presented to the incoming signal) but a lot of firms try to make a dish seem bigger by quoting it's vertical measurement. Price wise for an 80cm dish you should pay between 30 and 40 Euros.
 
Huevos said:
What's your nearest big city? Why get a dish from the UK? They are cheap enough here and at least you can see what you are getting.
Click to expand...

Good point. My nearest big city when I'm on the boat is Figueres. At least then I can take my tape measure and be assured of the dimensions. I think I have enough basic Spanish to do the job. Do you say el plato or antena parabolica?

Saludos
David
 
I don't know what they say up there, they speak Catalan. I had a quick look online and saw a shop in Barcelona that does the Triax dishes mentioned. I don't know if that is a bit far for you though.

_http://www.industriadigital.es/web/quienes_somos.htm
 
Thanks, Barcelona is not so far away, we visit most times we are there. I'm concerned that 88cm might be visually too large for my boating neighbours so 84cm is really the max I should go.
 
If they have got used to seeing a dish there I doubt they will notice any difference, after all this is Spain, not the UK.

P.S. Triax do the TD78 as well which is approximately 80cm.
 
Alternatively, look at the Fracarro Penta 85, looks smaller than its size but performs as well if not better than most 90cm dishes.
 
Thanks Huevos you have a point there. Rolf, I do like the look of the FRACARRO PENTA 85 and the performance looks excellent. I've just found the TRIAX TD88 vs FRACARRO PENTA 85 comparison by satman on your site (I take it that satman has replaced the Triax by the Fracarro and not the other way around!!)

Thanks to all for the replies on my first visit here, very friendly forum.
 
DavidJ said:
Thanks Huevos you have a point there. Rolf, I do like the look of the FRACARRO PENTA 85 and the performance looks excellent. I've just found the TRIAX TD88 vs FRACARRO PENTA 85 comparison by satman on your site (I take it that satman has replaced the Triax by the Fracarro and not the other way around!!)

Thanks to all for the replies on my first visit here, very friendly forum.
Click to expand...


Yes upgraded from the Triax to the FR penta. These dishes perform very well indeed.
 
DJ, (someone correct me if I'm wrong) the Penta is something like 100cm wide and 110cm high.
 
I'm new to this so my logic is possibly flawed.

My current (borrowed) dish is 84 x 77 Oval with a Lidl LNB from their cheap portable box and it works well for Freesat reception (BBC1 &2 etc)

The spec for a similar Orbital 84 x 74 is Gain 36.8 dB

I note that the spec for a Penta 68 is Gain 36.5 dB

If I fit the Fracarro LNB (presumably better than Lidl's) what do you think the chances are of getting good reception with the smaller Penta 68?
 
DavidJ said:
The spec for a similar Orbital 84 x 74 is Gain 36.8 dB

I note that the spec for a Penta 68 is Gain 36.5 dB

If I fit the Fracarro LNB (presumably better than Lidl's) what do you think the chances are of getting good reception with the smaller Penta 68?
Click to expand...
Those are just marketing figures. Dish surface area offered to the satellite is the defining factor in signal capture. If the dish has more surface area it will capture more signal and vice versa. As for whether you get good reception with a smaller dish that depends how far above the reception threshold the dishes are. If the big one is on the limit, the small one won't work. Here I've got too dishes, a 90 and a 150. If I can receive something on the smaller one I can always receive it on the bigger one. Not so the other way around. As for LNB's get an Inverto Black Ultra.
 
Thanks Huevos
I'm not sure the Inverto Black Ultra LNB's are available in the UK. Did you buy in Spain.
I'm really tempted to have a go with the small Fracarro.
 
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