Advice Needed Prime Focus sectional 1.8

Dave Beet

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Hello.
Names Dave. Newbie, I have all the usual Sky channels at home but am at present touring Spain.
Just seen a Prime Focus Sectional 1.8 advertised at 125€ .. I carry a freesat box to hook up at some sites but stuck at the moment on one without either sat or cable hook up. My question dear reader is the Prime Focus any good or is it past its sell by date! Thanks for reading. All the best!
 

Lazarus

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Welcome to the Forum.


Can you provide a link to the item in question? (If the highlighted text is intended to be a link, it's inactive.)
 

moonbase

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Welcome to the forum,

What make is the 1.8m sectional dish? If the dish is a Fortec Star dish then it is a moderate dish.

Rgds
 

Dave Beet

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Not. L
Welcome to the Forum.


Can you provide a link to the item in question? (If the highlighted text is intended to be a link, it's inactive.)
Not a link. Thanks.
 

Lazarus

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In which case, can you give us more details of the dish in question: Manufacturer and condition, for starters.

And a pic. would be useful, if that's at all possible.
 

Channel Hopper

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The Channel Master prime focus was a four piece segmented/sectional design dish, IRTE and earlier ALCOA had six piece assembly versions.
 

Dave Beet

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In which case, can you give us more details of the dish in question: Manufacturer and condition, for starters.

And a pic. would be useful, if that's at all possible.
Sadly only seen the advert which just describes it as a, Prime Focus Sectional Satellite Dish. Little used it goes on to say. I have read a few feedback Reports on similar sounding equipment. Which is the main cause for confusion as some seem positive and others totally opposite!
 
A

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Which is the main cause for confusion as some seem positive and others totally opposite!
There are older European and Amerian made models - these are ok, but rare (old).
Then there are the cheap Chinese rust-buckets, churned out today in large numbers.
These, I believe, were originally designed for C-band, but are marketed for Ku-band (eg. Freesat, Sky @28.2E) in Europe.
Flimsy, and underperforming for Ku - but will work fairly well for C-band (mostly african and southern american channels).
(Which probably gives them their raison d'etre).

The Chinese ones usually comes with pedestal mount made of a bottom ring + some square tubing supporting a ring at the back of a dish.
The European ones usually have pole mounts that attach to a 2-3" metal pole.

So if you're trying to do UK channels in Spain - don't do the Chinese dishes.
Give us your location, and call on some of the members (eg @Huevos) residing in Spain on what you need in terms of dish.

If you're into DX'ing (or feedhunting) in C-band (if you don't know what that is then your probably aren't), then by all means inspect offered item.
But be prepared to reject if too rusty, slightly bent or damaged etc.
 

Analoguesat

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Remember that the Astra 2 signal strength is abysmal across much of southern and eastern Spain, so if you are hoping to get the BBC & ITV channels in many areas forget it - once you get onto the south coast 4m isnt big enough in some areas!

Have a look at the map in my signature which will give you a rough idea of what size dish works where. The data is from when the Astra 2's started in service a few years ago but things should still be comparable

For the bigger dish sizes the data is normally for well set up dishes - something that gets dismantled and reassembled every few days isnt going to be so well set up and may effectively work as a dish one or two sizes smaller.
 

Dave Beet

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Thanks for the comprehensive information all the best!
There are older European and Amerian made models - these are ok, but rare (old).
Then there are the cheap Chinese rust-buckets, churned out today in large numbers.
These, I believe, were originally designed for C-band, but are marketed for Ku-band (eg. Freesat, Sky @28.2E) in Europe.
Flimsy, and underperforming for Ku - but will work fairly well for C-band (mostly african and southern american channels).
(Which probably gives them their raison d'etre).

The Chinese ones usually comes with pedestal mount made of a bottom ring + some square tubing supporting a ring at the back of a dish.
The European ones usually have pole mounts that attach to a 2-3" metal pole.

So if you're trying to do UK channels in Spain - don't do the Chinese dishes.
Give us your location, and call on some of the members (eg @Huevos) residing in Spain on what you need in terms of dish.

If you're into DX'ing (or feedhunting) in C-band (if you don't know what that is then your probably aren't), then by all means inspect offered item.
But be prepared to reject if too rusty, slightly bent or damaged etc.
 

Dave Beet

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Thanks for the information and time taken. I think I know which way to jump now! Many thanks!
 

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then bbc and itv is not reachable in south of spain with 1.8m dish?
 

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Please check the interactive map, in Analoguesat's signature:
Analoguesat's Astra 2E UK reception reports

Most English channels now use the UK Spot beam, and if you click on the icons, in the map, like Villaverde, in Seville, he can't get the spot beam on a 2.4M dish.
Click on icons, in the map, that are near your location.
 

antrabe

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ok in the map appear some location im near to antequera between seville and antequera maybe works because in antquera is 1.2m?
 
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