Advice Needed Which 1.8m dish?

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Hello,

I am a long way yet but am considering my options for a 1.8m dish next year (or the year after!). The candidates are the Channel Master, the Prodelin and Laminas. All have similar costs (new) but I have various preferences to each.

Of course, the Channel Master is the obvious choice but... I want to attach C band LNBs in a horizontal, multi-feed arrangement as per my current Gibby one but the LNB feed support arms on the dish stand in the way of that without some modifications, like nelson_b had done. Weight - 47kg.

The Prodelin has a similar issue to the Channel Master with LNB feed arm arrangements but it seems to weigh even more at 74kg! Ouch! Back breaking ouch...

Now.. the Laminas. Easily obtainable from Poland and the LNB arm is kind to the multi-feed arrangement. The dish itself seems to be much lighter than the Prodelin or the CM at about 20kg - why is this? Is the Laminas less well built - I was under the impression that it was made out of fibre-glass, like the others? I certainly don't want it to be made out of flimsy metal as my patience with warped dishes is wearing thin!

So the Laminas has two advantages, weight and LNB arm arrangement. The weight means I can probably put it up on my own without snapping my back and, more importantly, I can consider putting it up on my Jaeger 1224 mount, after doing a few reinforcements to it, a la RimaNTSS style. The dish would invariably be at ground level, so hopefully sheltered enough from winds...and prying eyes!

If the Jaeger 1224 plan doesn't materialise then I have a very heavy duty (30kg heavy!) polar mount from a 1.2m Precision dish. With a few modifications (needs a new ball bearing for a start), it will easily handle the Laminas and the Channel Master. Possibly the Prodelin as well. I also have a number of actuator arms - a 36-incher (down, CH) and a brand new heavy duty 24-incher to drive the thing.

This is all very much at drawing board stage due to the fact that I don't currently have any room (or decent arc view) to put the dish in and won't do until after I get hitched next year and get a new house with, hopefully, a nice enclosed south facing garden! So any thoughts, criticisms and advice are welcome!
 
A

archive10

Guest
The CM is very unwieldly for single-person manipulation. I lifted the thing myself on to the mount. Almost snapped something in the small of my back. If all other things are equal, the lighter option is much preferable, I'd say.

I seem to remember Hakon has a Laminas - he could probably advise. Although I have not seen activity from his side lately on the Forum...

A note on pricing: You are probably aware of this, but you can get the CM as dish-face-and-feedarms-only package at a notably lower cost than a complete dish. If you have the mount already, then that might be attractive.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset

sonnetpete

Grumpy Old Retired Moderator and quiz inquisitor..
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
8,948
Reaction score
3,491
Points
113
Age
73
Website
wordpress.com
My Satellite Setup
Laminas 1.2M fibre dish with an IBU, on a Clarke Tech USALS motor, covering 57E - 24.5W to an Octagon SX88. Displayed on a 20" Dyon LED TV.

Seperate 80 cm dish on 28E with a Humax Freesat for SWMBO.
Free Sat V8 meter. Sony Bravia 46" LCD, Sony BluRay and Home Cinema.
My Location
Normandy, France
CJ, you know I'm pretty well sold on the Laminas brand. I do seem to remember there was an Brit working for Laminas when I ordered mine a few years ago, so it may be worth contacting them direct. In Poland, Satsklep stock them (for a 1.8M plus a polar mount about €1043 + carriage) and Hollex too, though their pricing is in Zloty. The French guy I got mine from stocks up to 2.7M, his listing for the 1.8M is here :

http://www.2galli.fr/boutique/fiche_produit.cfm?ref=AS1800POL&type=30&code_lg=lg_fr&num=21

I know he will ship out of France but will only provide a costing for doing so via email. (carriage for the above dish within France €45). If you decided to go ahead with the Laminas, (and I know this is a project for the future) I'd be willing to have it delivered to my place for you to collect if you could get a cheap van and overnight ferry crossing LOL

The Laminas dish face is light and only has vague reinforcement. It doesn't have the struts and bracing that a CM has. However, I haven't seen any cracking or wear on mine as yet.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Thanks Pete. I am sure on the 1.2m the light reenforcement isn't too much of an issue. I am just wondering if it's enough on the 1.8m. The reason I am a bit hesitant there is because my Gibby 1.5m is simply a sheet of aluminium, which is nice and light but does like to warp ... being metal. Fibre-glass reenforced jobbies, such as CM, Prodelin and, hopefully, Laminas wouldn't suffer such fate.

Didn't know about Hollex.pl - thank you. PLN > GBP conversion yields around £540 for the dish with a fixed mount and £690 with the PM. Similar with Satsklep.pl, who also quote delivery charge to UK of just 38 Euros, which totals 728 Euros (~£585).

If we take a 1.8m Channel Master dish, it costs $656 (dish and fixed mount) + $260 delivery from the States equates to around £550, which is cheaper than the Laminas... but again, my concern is with the weight and the LNB arm arrangement.
 

sonnetpete

Grumpy Old Retired Moderator and quiz inquisitor..
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
8,948
Reaction score
3,491
Points
113
Age
73
Website
wordpress.com
My Satellite Setup
Laminas 1.2M fibre dish with an IBU, on a Clarke Tech USALS motor, covering 57E - 24.5W to an Octagon SX88. Displayed on a 20" Dyon LED TV.

Seperate 80 cm dish on 28E with a Humax Freesat for SWMBO.
Free Sat V8 meter. Sony Bravia 46" LCD, Sony BluRay and Home Cinema.
My Location
Normandy, France
Blimey, that's cheap from Satsklep.....had I not been planning on marrying next year and possibly moving I'd have been really tempted...

I understand about the Laminas dish face concerns...but the rear struts on the 1.8M look considerably beefier than the 1.2M

as1800t.jpg ofc1200t.jpg
Still not up to CM standards though....
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Bhad I not been planning on marrying next year and possibly moving I'd have been really tempted...

It's why I am waiting for *after* I get married next year!
 

RimaNTSS

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
5,601
Reaction score
6,079
Points
113
Age
58
My Satellite Setup
Some SAT-related hardware.
My Location
N-E from Riga
Prodelin 1,8m shipping weight is about 80kg, but that is mirror and all the metal parts. Yes, it is heavy but not so heavy to handle it alone. I installed mine on the ground stand without any external help. LNB-arm originally designed to hold only one LNB and not good for multifeeds, that is right, therefore I was forced to make completely new feedarms. But positive about this antenna is exactly what you are looking for- after years and years mirror's shape is not changing. I am not saying dish is eternal (nothing and nobody is eternal, even all of us), but it will survive long time, just need yearly washing and that is all. So, if you are looking for good dish, I would certainly recommend it. And I am not saying CM or Laminas are not good dishes, I just say about about what I know and feel.
Price is completely separate issue. I doubt that I would will to pay big $$ for new dish, it is simply too expensive for me and I maybe have another priorities. But, second hand dish for bargain price is what I personally like.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Thanks, Rimant. Sadly, large second hand dishes are not very common in UK...
 

RimaNTSS

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
5,601
Reaction score
6,079
Points
113
Age
58
My Satellite Setup
Some SAT-related hardware.
My Location
N-E from Riga
Sadly, large second hand dishes are not very common in UK...
I just wander why? Maybe nobody is interested to sell them thinking they are too big, to hard to transfer and cost no money. But I am sure there are lots of unused big dishes all over the country. In reality, nobody except SUT-nuts (such are in this respective forum) need big dishes nowadays, 90cm is more than enough to get all they need.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
No doubt, there are plenty of unused large dishes around. Just a matter of finding them.

No idea about the 1.5m but I get the 1.8m, it's unlikely to stay.
 
A

archive10

Guest
Yes, I saw Hakon's thread here - http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/threads/project-laminas-as-1800-motorised.147888/

A CM dish face (or Laminas!) would, of course, be preferable but everywhere I enquired for CM (including Skyware themselves - or one of its resellers, Paracomm) said that the dish "packs" only come with some sort of mount...that I have no need for.
My distributor has the following: "Channel Master Ch. M 1.8m reflec w/feed legs" which can be ordered (none in stock though). With today's prices I can get you one for about EUR 430 + VAT + shipping (which may be manageable - I can find out).

They also have the CM180 antenna (complete with Az/El) for just over twice that...
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Thanks, st1, I'll keep your contact in mind for when (if?) I decide to upgrade.

Will do, Chris.
 
Top