95W on an 18'' dish

[. Raine]

I've been messing with a small 18'' pizza dish that I have here for the last week or so and finally was able to get 95W to come in watchable on it, figured I'd post it because the way I finally did it might save someone a few headaches if they try it.

I'd first tried one of those universal LNB holders and then made a holder, but neither of them worked very well, I could lock transponders but not get any viewable picture. What I ended up finally doing was removing the plastic housing of the original LNB that was with the dish and the circuit board and then chopped off the round end of the feed. I then chopped off a little more than half of the wave guide and then just hose clamped a cheap universal to it. It actually seems to be working okay, quality on the MIcroHD is between 49% and 58%, of course, it's nice and clear today, in lousy weather it'll probably be a different story!

 

[KE4EST]

I did this experiment a couple years ago. What I also found besides what you posted was to move out about an inch more to get a better signal.

 

[fargo.hendryx]

primestar

I Have heard that an old primestar dish will work. h-h.

 

[. Raine]

I did this experiment a couple years ago. What I also found besides what you posted was to move out about an inch more to get a better signal.

Thanks for the tip, Ke4est. I'll try knocking a little more off the front of what's left of the waveguide, to give me more room to move forward and back. The way it is now, I can only go forward and back maybe a quarter of an inch, if that. I tried getting it to sit about the way the original LNB did, maybe I can get a little better quality if I can get it back that inch or so!

 

[. Raine]

Changed out the reflector to an oval shaped one I had here and now the signal is holding between 60% to 63%. I'd post a picture, but it started raining here. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[FaT Air]

I also tried a 18 inch 'pizza' dish with the Pansat3500, but aimed at 97w, a long while ago. Didn't fill my requirements of # of channels being dependable. So it's been retired. But your Q readings seem to be better than what I had, so i guess, I'm impressed.

 

[turbosat]

Tried that with a little bigger dish, I think it was called the DishPro, around 22" maybe. Getting the lnbf angle right was the trouble I had, so I made my own bracket so I could bend it until it worked better. Just used what I had, which was a piece of drawer-slide metal, the kind that gets recessed into the side of your kitchen cabinet drawers. Reasonably strong but still bendable. It was a fun little experiment. Watched 91w on it for a few nights.

 

[. Raine]

Today it was overcast and raining, the quality is much lower. This morning at six it was pouring out, the quality was bouncing around in the 40's and the picture wasn't watchable, right now it's still heavily overcast and lightly raining, the quality is 49% to 53% and picture is breaking up a little. Guess it'll only be a fair weather dish.

 

[Mr Tony]

I did the 18" dish on 95W many moons ago...when I had a real crappy camera. Being almost dead south of the satellite helped

 

[Mr Tony]

Also did that for 72W for the NBC feeds

 

[Jim S.]

Before I got a motor for my main dish (at 97W with side LNBs for 91W and 103W), I had an 18" dish pointed at 72W. Since I'm at 76W, it was easy to move it as far as 79W by only changing the azimuth. 79W never worked too good though, as it was an old satellite. 74W on the other hand was great, as it had a spotbeam option that really lit up the east coast when they used it. I watched Anderson Cooper covering the Haitian earthquake on that dish, every bit as strong as if I had had a proper dish on it.

 

[phlatwound]

Needs a motor.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...inear-SG-2100-motor-combo?highlight=micro-lud

 

[. Raine]

Needs a motor.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...inear-SG-2100-motor-combo?highlight=micro-lud

Great thread, I might actually try that! I'm planning on replacing the SG2100 on one of my other dishes because it's been struggling a bit lately with moving a 76 cm dish, it'd be a perfect candidate for the small dish.

Micro LUD, little ugly dish, love it!

 

[mikelib]

Great thread, I might actually try that! I'm planning on replacing the SG2100 on one of my other dishes because it's been struggling a bit lately with moving a 76 cm dish, it'd be a perfect candidate for the small dish.

Micro LUD, little ugly dish, love it!

My... My... My a thread from the past, I still beak out the little dish and play around with it. I sit in a chair outside facing my receiver and monitor and hold the dish in my lap and aim it at satellite just for the fun of playing around. Good luck

 

[. Raine]

My... My... My a thread from the past, I still beak out the little dish and play around with it. I sit in a chair outside facing my receiver and monitor and hold the dish in my lap and aim it at satellite just for the fun of playing around. Good luck

Thanks! I too have fun playing around with the dishes and all, my original motivation to get into FTA was just to receive the free channels, what a great bonus to find a fun hobby too!

A friend of mine was over the house last weekend and was looking at my dishes, he'd asked me if I'd added any [I currently have five, had three last time he was over], told him yup. He told me that he thought that I was just playing around now, that I didn't need that many. Told him Yup, you got that right.

 

[KE4EST]

Thanks! I too have fun playing around with the dishes and all, my original motivation to get into FTA was just to receive the free channels, what a great bonus to find a fun hobby too!

A friend of mine was over the house last weekend and was looking at my dishes, he'd asked me if I'd added any [I currently have five, had three last time he was over], told him yup. He told me that he thought that I was just playing around now, that I didn't need that many. Told him Yup, you got that right.

Right you need more.

 

[. Raine]

Right you need more.

Got my eye on a few more right now!

 

[. Raine]

Finally felt well enough to go out and mess with my dishes today. Changed out the reflector for a slightly larger one and slapped on an Avenger PLL, hacked off a little more of the LNB mount so I could move it back a bit like Ke4est suggested and now the quality is staying right around between 67% and 71.

 

[wbarrett]

I did the 18" dish on 95W many moons ago...when I had a real crappy camera. Being almost dead south of the satellite helped

Duct Tape! Is there anything it can't do??!!? Great use there Mr. Iceberg!

===
Bill

 

[waylew]

Duct Tape! Is there anything it can't do??!!? Great use there Mr. Iceberg!

===
Bill

Seal ducts