Temporary install Triax TD110

Captain Jack

Captain Jack

Retired human
My Satellite Setup
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My Location
North Somerset
Had this Triax lying around for a few weeks and thought I'd utilize the Channel Master stand and install it on the Stab HH120 motor, while the CM dish is being prepared.

What a horrible, horrible, horrible design. The elevation control on the dish is a joke. Whenever the bolts are tightened, the alignment goes out. And you can't slightly loosen the bolts due to stupid design... the bolts have to be really loose. Whoever designed it should be shot. The results are slightly better than on my Penta 85 but not a huge difference - maybe a few percent (no idea on dB) SNR increase on 1W and 5E. But it wasn't optimally aligned as it's almost impossible with the horrible elevation control.

Still, it looks good :) I reconnected the Penta for now, until CM comes online.
 

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Welcome to the club ............. not just as a TD110 user, but especially as a hater of the dreaded slide.
 
Dish itself performs well enough... but for the reasons mentioned above, I've stopped using them for a long time now.
 
They are worse when they are old. When they are new, it is just possible to do it tight enough that it doesn't go off alignment, but loose enough to change elevation.


Posted with my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Having just done an install using one of these dishes i can confirm it is a horror to get right, what hair i have left is very grey now...
 
As above, I didn't enjoy setting my old TD110 up, but then I am not a big fan of ladders at the best of times, let alone when the wind is blowing lol.
 
Funnily enough I was setting one up the other day, ridiculous elevation bracket, would never install one out of choice.
 
Yes, I have no idea why they have persisted with that stupid bracket, there are many moans about it in various threads.

It must be costing Triax, the dishes are good performers but I could not face having to mess around with it when my ancient rusty and very heavy LH pivots angelically on a bog standard mount and can be set in seconds.

Sort it out Triax or keep losing sales!!!
 
nanochickin said:
It wouldn't be so bad if they installed an elevation adjuster like they do on the Channel Master dishes :D
Click to expand...

Hear, hear! Can't wait to set up my CM with utmost precision :D
 
The trick with the TD78/88/110 is to liberally grease the grooves of elevation slide, and then tighten up the bolts enough so that you can just slide the dish up and down. Then when you get azimuth right, set the elevation and slowly tighten up the bolts. I forgot to mention, put the two bolts in oppsite directions so that they counteract each other as they are alternately tightened, keeping a close eye on your meter. This should reduce that irritating "rocking" from side to side that annoys everyone and keeps the alignment pretty much spot on.
This method was learned by much experience, many swear words and spanners thrown in anger.
I find the Televes 1m dish much easier to set and about equal on performance.
 
I find that applying gentle upward pressure on the dish (to support part of its weight) makes it easier to manipulate and tighten off.

Three hands helps!
 
Mine is on a patio mount - but I did anticipate the ladder scenario by recommending a third hand: How you grow one is up to you! :D
 
Captain Jack said:
Hear, hear! Can't wait to set up my CM with utmost precision :D
Click to expand...
...but - when you get to adjusting the azimuth of the CM180, the darned thing is so heavy that the whole moving part of the bracket (including the elevation adjuster) will move slightly when you tighten the bolts. I had to figure out the mis-alignment required, THEN tighten the bolts. And do it a few times before getting it as right as I could.
 
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