Advice Needed Which one to choose DHSatellite 4.5m or Patriot 4.5 dish for ku band fringe reception?

lotsat

New Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
2
Points
3
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
I have a 5.4m home made prime focus satellite dish
My Location
Ghana
I want to decide on one of these satellite dishes (i.e DHSatellite 4.5m or Patriot 4.5m) for ku band fringe reception and I want advice on the best one to choose, in terms of the dish that can give the maximum gain and also the one that is durable. On their websites DHSatellite has more gain than Patriot(Challenger) but I want to know if practically that is so.

So I hope the experts can help me out.

Thanks
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,536
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
Patriot (SE) has not been making dishes for at least ten years, they were from memory bought out / swallowed up by Cobham.
 

Analoguesat

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
50,739
Reaction score
11,221
Points
113
Location
Scottish Borders
My Satellite Setup
TM 5402HD
Sky+ UK.
My Location
Scottish Borders
What are you hoping to get in Ghana?
 

lotsat

New Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
2
Points
3
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
I have a 5.4m home made prime focus satellite dish
My Location
Ghana

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,536
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
You are right but Challenger Communications acquired all assets and tooling of Patriot Antenna Systems back in 2014.
All assets were acquired by Cobham in 2007


Parts of the company - including staff - may have since been sold off since, either through being under par, unprofitable, or a conflict of interest with existing inventory.

If you have a 5.4m dish as per your profile , why are you looking to buy a 4.5m that would include rather high shipping/duty costs ?

Is this your social media page ?

 

lotsat

New Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
2
Points
3
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
I have a 5.4m home made prime focus satellite dish
My Location
Ghana
Very good question. That dish was a locally designed and produced and the performance was nothing to write home about. The worst part of it is ribs and support structure of the dish were not properly designed and made. It was at the mercy of the weather. And after a heavy storm, that was the end.

So that informed the decision not to waste more money on it, but to go for a high performing, strong and well made dish. That is why I wanted expert advice on the best dish to choose in terms of durability, strength and peformance.

You are right about Cobham's acquisition of the company back in 2007 but currently Challenger Communications owns it.

Thanks
 

Analoguesat

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
50,739
Reaction score
11,221
Points
113
Location
Scottish Borders
My Satellite Setup
TM 5402HD
Sky+ UK.
My Location
Scottish Borders
My targets are 9.0E, 13.0E, 19.2E and probably 28.2E.
Is there any record at all of reception of any of those satellites in Ghana in recent years ? If I had to hazard a guess Id say you may have a reasonable chance with 13E, unlikely wth 19E & very little chance at all with the European & UK beams on 28E
 

lotsat

New Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
2
Points
3
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
I have a 5.4m home made prime focus satellite dish
My Location
Ghana
Is there any record at all of reception of any of those satellites in Ghana in recent years ? If I had to hazard a guess Id say you may have a reasonable chance with 13E, unlikely wth 19E & very little chance at all with the European & UK beams on 28E
I am also very eager to see the results of this project that I want to embark on.
 

Satfaca

Specialist Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
619
Reaction score
858
Points
93
Location
Melmac (46N, 14.5E)
My Satellite Setup
Prodelin PFA 340 cm + H2H motor + Seavey ESR-124H Corotor
Prodelin PFA 240 cm + EGIS ProfiTracker + Chaparral PR1 Ku feed
DM920 + Octagon SF8008 + TBS 6925
Chaparral M140 + Echostar DVR-7000 HDD + Lyngbox
My Location
Melmac
With a "professional" setup (meaning top feedhorn, top LNBs, top antenna, top alignment) of that size you'd have a good chance to get at least "something"... until someone doesn't do that, one could never know. I bet there are not many people (or none) anywhere in Africa with such capabilities or even if they are, they are probably companies and/or individuals not posting and discussing their results online or else we'd have come accross them a long time ago.
So you could well become a significant reference. Go for it!
We'll be glad to hear, discuss and advice...
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,536
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
There was an enthusiast nearby that had constructed a large antenna out of concrete and was I believe receiving good signals from the European satellites, but this would have been over ten years ago.

Did you ever find out the acutal gain of the 5.4m dish that you built, and at which frequency ?
 

lotsat

New Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
2
Points
3
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
I have a 5.4m home made prime focus satellite dish
My Location
Ghana
With a "professional" setup (meaning top feedhorn, top LNBs, top antenna, top alignment) of that size you'd have a good chance to get at least "something"... until someone doesn't do that, one could never know. I bet there are not many people (or none) anywhere in Africa with such capabilities or even if they are, they are probably companies and/or individuals not posting and discussing their results online or else we'd have come accross them a long time ago.
So you could well become a significant reference. Go for it!
We'll be glad to hear, discuss and advice...
Thanks for the encouragement. I will be glad to share my experience and data on this platform.
 

lotsat

New Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
2
Points
3
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
I have a 5.4m home made prime focus satellite dish
My Location
Ghana
There was an enthusiast nearby that had constructed a large antenna out of concrete and was I believe receiving good signals from the European satellites, but this would have been over ten years ago.

Did you ever find out the acutal gain of the 5.4m dish that you built, and at which frequency ?
Not really. The feedhorn was not matched to the dish. It kind of look promising if we had all the other things right. But from all indications I think the performance of the dish was equivalent to the performance of a well made 3.8m dish with a proper feedhorn.
 

Satfaca

Specialist Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
619
Reaction score
858
Points
93
Location
Melmac (46N, 14.5E)
My Satellite Setup
Prodelin PFA 340 cm + H2H motor + Seavey ESR-124H Corotor
Prodelin PFA 240 cm + EGIS ProfiTracker + Chaparral PR1 Ku feed
DM920 + Octagon SF8008 + TBS 6925
Chaparral M140 + Echostar DVR-7000 HDD + Lyngbox
My Location
Melmac
Hi, did you get any closer to seting up a big dish afterall?
 

Analoguesat

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
50,739
Reaction score
11,221
Points
113
Location
Scottish Borders
My Satellite Setup
TM 5402HD
Sky+ UK.
My Location
Scottish Borders
I suspect he lost interest in the project - hes not been on the forum since Dec 2011
 

Satfaca

Specialist Contributor
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
619
Reaction score
858
Points
93
Location
Melmac (46N, 14.5E)
My Satellite Setup
Prodelin PFA 340 cm + H2H motor + Seavey ESR-124H Corotor
Prodelin PFA 240 cm + EGIS ProfiTracker + Chaparral PR1 Ku feed
DM920 + Octagon SF8008 + TBS 6925
Chaparral M140 + Echostar DVR-7000 HDD + Lyngbox
My Location
Melmac
I guess you meant Dec 2021.
 

Analoguesat

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
50,739
Reaction score
11,221
Points
113
Location
Scottish Borders
My Satellite Setup
TM 5402HD
Sky+ UK.
My Location
Scottish Borders
Oops - yup , although it could take time to acquire & ship a big dish to Ghana then set it up. Hopefully he will reappear at some point & give us an update.
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,536
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
Oops - yup , although it could take time to acquire & ship a big dish to Ghana then set it up. Hopefully he will reappear at some point & give us an update.
DH Antennas were often split down the middle after production, so a smaller box.

I would have to check if they are still making a 4m+ reflector.
 

subman

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2006
Messages
301
Reaction score
33
Points
28
Age
72
My Satellite Setup
echostar 3600
My Location
essex
Its a pity he was to late for this dish as this was a 4.5m Shipping was over £850 and that was to the buyer in the midlands .
 

Attachments

  • 4.5 m dish for sale ..JPG
    4.5 m dish for sale ..JPG
    81.2 KB · Views: 45

moonbase

Small Dish Man
Joined
Mar 29, 2004
Messages
4,370
Reaction score
4,470
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
.
My Location
UK
Its a pity he was to late for this dish as this was a 4.5m Shipping was over £850 and that was to the buyer in the midlands .


Midlands or Sheffield, there are unsubstantiated rumours that it may have gone to "The Blade Runner"?
 
Top