Oh dear, itching for a another dish.

[RustySpoons]

The famous Fortec Star, nicknamed by a few members of this forum as "The Tin Dish". They are quite good for C band. There are a few forum members who have had some pretty good results on C Band with the 2.4m version. There was a 2.4m version listed for sale on the forum classifieds not so long ago.

They are not much use for Ku band and absolutely dire for Ka band but are a very good low cost introduction to C Band. Stick a cheapo Titanium C band LNB on one and you will be overrun with channels.

I want to try C band before Ka anyway, so might be alright, is it possible to fix a polar mount to one?

 

[TJExcalibur]

Has anyone seen these on eBay 152906185889, there are some on Aliexpress/Alibaba for MUCH less, how do they make them so cheap!
I wonder what they are like, I'm tempted to import one for a laugh.

Because they are rubbish. Money is tight and loads of stuff will be sold off cheap to get a bit of cash flow.

 

[moonbase]

I want to try C band before Ka anyway, so might be alright, is it possible to fix a polar mount to one?

It should be possible to fabricate a fixing out of box section or angle iron to get one on a polar mount. Have a search for the "Tin Dish" topics, there is a lot of documentation and pictures. The two members who come to mind who did a lot of testing were "aceb" and "s-band". If I recall correctly, "s-band" had it mounted on a mobile pallet with elevation adjustment. No doubt one of them will be along to assist.

 

[moonbase]

Because they are rubbish. Money is tight and loads of stuff will be sold off cheap to get a bit of cash flow.

They are not rubbish for C Band, they are amazingly good value as a decent size dish for C Band.

 

[RustySpoons]

It should be possible to fabricate a fixing out of box section or angle iron to get one on a polar mount. Have a search for the "Tin Dish" topics, there is a lot of documentation and pictures. The two members who come to mind who did a lot of testing were "aceb" and "s-band". If I recall correctly, "s-band" had it mounted on a mobile pallet with elevation adjustment. No doubt one of them will be along to assist.

Certainly something to keep in mind, currently looking at 2nd hand Channel Masters and Laminas etc.

 

[RustySpoons]

Found the thread:
The C-band Tin-Dish challenge

 

[moonbase]

Found the thread:
The C-band Tin-Dish challenge

Here is the other one

The 2.4M Fortec Star on C-Band.

 

[aceb]

They are not rubbish for C Band, they are amazingly good value as a decent size dish for C Band.

That'll save me saying the same thing Pisses all over my 1.8m Precision on C-Band and I certainly couldn't justify buying a 2.4m for my level of hobby. There was as polar mount available in the States for the 2.4M, someone on here over there had one, @Costactc ? It's a shame you are so far away Rusty, I've got my original 2.4 Fortec here which is now redundant, it needs a bit of love but you could have it if you want to collect it. I've been gifted another new in the box, which I've reinforced with Hammerite It's planted on a sheet of ply on a pallet with the orbital positions marked on the base ring, ditto elevation on the rear arm so moving between sats is really quick and easy.

 

[RustySpoons]

That'll save me saying the same thing Pisses all over my 1.8m Precision on C-Band and I certainly couldn't justify buying a 2.4m for my level of hobby. There was as polar mount available in the States for the 2.4M, someone on here over there had one, @Costactc ? It's a shame you are so far away Rusty, I've got my original 2.4 Fortec here which is now redundant, it needs a bit of love but you could have it if you want to collect it. I've been gifted another new in the box, which I've reinforced with Hammerite It's planted on a sheet of ply on a pallet with the orbital positions marked on the base ring, ditto elevation on the rear arm so moving between sats is really quick and easy.

Yeah that's a really big shame and thank you for the generous offer.
I seem to be miles away from everyone on here sadly.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Yeah that's a really big shame and thank you for the generous offer.
I seem to be miles away from everyone on here sadly.

You are unlikely to get much cheaper than the one advertised on eBay, moreso with the free shipping from Hull.

Even if you cant do much with it, you get a birdbath - for ostriches when they fly north in the spring.

 

[TJExcalibur]

I can see no point in buying Baco Foil sat dishes. Having read many reviews on them because I am pondering on getting a 2 m + they seem more hassle than I could bother with. Maybe get one, do the string test and reinforce the back with fibreglass matt and resin. Nothing is more frustrating than having a large dish knowing you could get a better signal if only the dish was a better quality. Good quality dishes can be resold. Cheap ones go to the tip.

 

[RustySpoons]

I can see no point in buying Baco Foil sat dishes. Having read many reviews on them because I am pondering on getting a 2 m + they seem more hassle than I could bother with. Maybe get one, do the string test and reinforce the back with fibreglass matt and resin. Nothing is more frustrating than having a large dish knowing you could get a better signal if only the dish was a better quality. Good quality dishes can be resold. Cheap ones go to the tip.

I like your honesty and how you say it as it is.

 

[s-band]

I can see no point in buying Baco Foil sat dishes. Having read many reviews on them because I am pondering on getting a 2 m + they seem more hassle than I could bother with. Maybe get one, do the string test and reinforce the back with fibreglass matt and resin. Nothing is more frustrating than having a large dish knowing you could get a better signal if only the dish was a better quality. Good quality dishes can be resold. Cheap ones go to the tip.

Depends on your wants or needs. @aceb had and has good value from his and mine has more play value than the 3.8m Patriot/Challenger that is sitting in the shed 'cos I don't have time, money or skills to build or buy a mount for it. The performance that I get on X band (7.5GHz) is good and above expectation so the surface accuracy can't be too bad. Yes, it could do with a tweak but it's probably only a dB or 2 below a "good" dish The C-band Tin-Dish challenge Even with a "good" dish, if you don't get things like the skew spot on you'll lose that elusive dB or 2. People have paid £0-£125 for them and, at that price, they are a good introduction to the non-mainstream areas of the hobby/obsession/illness.

 

[moonbase]

I can see no point in buying Baco Foil sat dishes. Having read many reviews on them....

The Fortec Star dishes are certainly not baco foil dishes. Have you actually seen one close up and examined it?

The paintwork might not be the best finish, however, it can be quicky repainted with a decent outdoor paint using a roller and the nuts/bolts/fittings can be replaced with stainless steel. A simple bit of preparation before installation can enhance the longeivity of the dish considerably.

I have seen close up the 2.4m Fortec Star that "s-band" installed on a mobile pallet. It's not a light flimsy dish and the reflector itself performs well on C Band. There is absolutely no need to reinforce the back with fibreglass matt and resin.

For a newbie wishing to check out the world of C Band I dont think they can go far wrong with a Fortec Star as an introductory dish. The equivalent size Elite dish would tug at least two bags of sand from the wallet. A Fortec Star costs less than a tenth of that and will probably capture 85% or more of the channels on C Band available to the Elite dish.

 

[Archive-8]

The Fortec Star dishes are certainly not baco foil dishes. Have you actually seen one close up and examined it?

The paintwork might not be the best finish, however, it can be quicky repainted with a decent outdoor paint using a roller and the nuts/bolts/fittings can be replaced with stainless steel. A simple bit of preparation before installation can enhance the longeivity of the dish considerably.

I have seen close up the 2.4m Fortec Star that "s-band" installed on a mobile pallet. It's not a light flimsy dish and the reflector itself performs well on C Band. There is absolutely no need to reinforce the back with fibreglass matt and resin.

For a newbie wishing to check out the world of C Band I dont think they can go far wrong with a Fortec Star as an introductory dish. The equivalent size Elite dish would tug at least two bags of sand from the wallet. A Fortec Star costs less than a tenth of that and will probably capture 85% or more of the channels on C Band available to the Elite dish.

Can’t find many 2.4 m for sale :-(

 

[RustySpoons]

Can’t find many 2.4 m for sale :-(

I haven't seen any, only the 1.8m

 

[RustySpoons]

Just saw this advertised for sale, how bad can that C-180 Petal be lol.

 

[moonbase]

Can’t find many 2.4 m for sale :-(

There is one for sale in this classified adverts section of this forum. As far as I know it did not sell and may still be for sale. If it is still for sale it is a bargain.

For Sale - 2.4m Prime Focus Fortec Dish with Stand & Pallet base

 

[TJExcalibur]

The Fortec Star dishes are certainly not baco foil dishes. Have you actually seen one close up and examined it?

The paintwork might not be the best finish, however, it can be quicky repainted with a decent outdoor paint using a roller and the nuts/bolts/fittings can be replaced with stainless steel. A simple bit of preparation before installation can enhance the longeivity of the dish considerably.

I have seen close up the 2.4m Fortec Star that "s-band" installed on a mobile pallet. It's not a light flimsy dish and the reflector itself performs well on C Band. There is absolutely no need to reinforce the back with fibreglass matt and resin.

For a newbie wishing to check out the world of C Band I dont think they can go far wrong with a Fortec Star as an introductory dish. The equivalent size Elite dish would tug at least two bags of sand from the wallet. A Fortec Star costs less than a tenth of that and will probably capture 85% or more of the channels on C Band available to the Elite dish.

Yes I looked at one in Yeovil 3 years ago. OK for the money but then I have always believed in Buy Cheap, Buy Twice. Learnt that the hard way when doing heating installations, in time and money.

 

[moonbase]

... I have always believed in Buy Cheap, Buy Twice...

Genrally, I would agree with you on the buy cheap buy twice policy. However, in this instance we are looking at a case where the cheap item costs less than one tenth of the expensive item. Assuming the equivalent expensive item when new is something like an Elite 2.4m dish, it will cost £2000 or more, whereas the cheap item is less than £200, a saving of over £1800.

Its a bit different from comparing the price of a cheap throw away paint brush to a Purdey or Wooster paint brush.

For a serious hobbyist who wishes to use a dish for multi band or dedicated enthusiast C band then the Fortec Star is not a contender as its Ku Band performance is woeful. However, for a newbie wishing to have a cheap dabble into the world of C Band the Fortec Star is a decent starting point to move forward with.