Tek2000 10' Mesh Dish Install & Initial Review

I have a 24" Venture that's at least 20 years old, and it can't be heard even standing right next to the dish. There's something wrong with yours.

Does it make that same noise when it's NOT attached to the dish? Maybe there's a mount issue that's straining it?
Yes. Same noise on or off. I will trade you. :). You can hear it with the doors and windows closed too.
 
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Venture is still in business. Try contacting them, telling them how noisy it is, give them the model number, and ask them if there's anything they can do for you. Linear Actuator Manufacturers | Linear Motion Products - Venture Mfg. Co.

Maybe you'll get a free or cheap motor replacement.

Can't hurt to try.
I spoke to a Venture rep on the phone 2 years ago when I received mine because the of a cracked cover. They sent me a new one for free by express delivery.
 
Hi all;

I'm pretty much a total C-Band noob although I've installed a number of motorized KU band dishes and experimented with a 'mini' bud with a C-Band LNB on a 1.2 meter dish. I've had the hankering for many years to get into a real C-Band dish and I wanted new and at a decent price point so of course that limited the choices. After reading threads here, at Rick's and other forums I decided to purchase from Tek and this thread will be the ongoing saga of a 'noob' and what happens. I'll do an overall review at the end and the purpose of the thread is to also ask questions along the way to solicit help from the local experts and perhaps this will benefit someone else down the line.

To begin with I ordered one of Tek's complete 10' mesh kits which includes;

  • 300cm (10ft) Mesh Dish
  • C/Ku Combo LNBF (Pro Broadband)
  • 36-inch QARL Heavy-Duty Actuator (2-inch Tube) with weather boot
  • SuperJack DiseqC1.2 Positioner
  • Openbox Z5 HD PVR Receiver
  • Digital Inclinometer
In addition I ordered a mounting pole as well as 200' of 18-4 actuator cable. No, I'm not using the whole 200' of cable for one run. I stay in my 5th wheel RV in the summer so that is one run of about 75' and the other one is to my cabin and that is about 50'.

The total including shipping was about $1350 and you can imagine that shipping ate up a good chunk of that. The pole was $150 and the shipping was about that much as well. I looked around locally to see if I could get that size pipe and I couldn't.

I paid with Paypal and that was seamless and I received everything undamaged within the shipping times referenced on Tek's webpage. I had a bit of a problem getting a box through customs and had to answer some questions before it would pass thru and they asked some dumb questions but I digress. In addition I've been in email contact with Tek on a few questions and he has always responded back within 24 hours.

The dish came in two boxes and when shipped they used the boxes that it came in from China but then used additional boxes on everything including styro peanuts and bubble wrap and copious amounts of tape. Very well shipped and protected. They even boxed the pole and covered that with bubble wrap as well. Appears to be only schedule 40 pipe so that it a 'bit' of a concern but it's rare to get wind gusts about 30mph. I installed the pole yesterday and used #500 of cement with an additional #50 down the pole to reinforce it on the inside. A big round bubble level was included with the pole so that was a nice touch.

I want to let the cement cure for 5 days before putting any significant weight on it or tortional stresses but I did figure I could install the saddle mount, elevation mount and polar screw with the brass bushings. Here are the first two pictures I took of this part of the installation along with a question.

Tek1.jpg


Tek2.jpg



That first pic is pointed up towards the sun a bit so it's a little washed out but my initial question is the gap between the top nut and the washer. Is that going to cause a problem? Looking at the angles involved I don't see how to avoid that nut and washer not lying flat on the elevation arm and if I shifted to the bottom hole on the saddle mount I think it would make the angles even worse.

I'll install the frame and the dish sections next week and take it from there and see what happens. And of course I'm completely open for suggestions along the way as even though a motorized KU dish is similar the scale of this dish is something else all together.
Did you bury the pole 2.5 and left 5 ft above ground? I measured 81 inches so there's not much wiggle room for space different from that? How much clearance do you have at the end of your arc from the ground?
East for me is low so 40w is 10 Dec above horizon. Any problem for you that low east or west? Thanks
 
Yes. I measured 30" from the end and buried it to that point with about #500 of concrete and added another bag down the pipe after the cement set. I can't go that far east/west so can't help you. My true south satellite is 87w and there is nothing on c-band east of there that I can get now. On KU I can go to 62W but the other c-band sats between that are aiming at South America. On the West because of trees I can get to 121W right now. When the leaves fall off the trees I can get to 129W. Doesn't bother me that much because everything I want to watch is usually between 91W and 107W so I'm happy. As far as if clearance is enough ask me in the springtime. I'm going to have to do a lot of snowblowing under the dish because there is only about 18" between the bottom of the dish and the ground and I can get that in one storm up here.
 
Thanks. I buried mine today. Does the hole at the top mean anything. I didn't see It til the concrete was poured. I used all 14 bags. It gets windy here in NM especially in the spring. My due South is 107w. Picture looks crooked but the lowest I have on the Inclinometer is 89.8. Dead center on top with the bubble thing they sent so I think,I'm good.
0725171057b.jpg
 
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The "hole at the TOP" was probably meant to be on the BOTTOM, with a bolt through it so the pole can't spin in the cement during extreme winds.

Did you drill a hole, and is there a bolt or something through the pole and buried in the cement? If not, "oh, oh!"
 
If he got the pole from Tek it's got wide wings welded to the bottom to keep the pole from rotating. I'm jealous of his wide open area for his dish. Should be able to see the whole arc.
 
Yes from tek. There are wings on the bottom so that got buried of course. There's just one hole on the other end. I checked the mount thingy in the garage and didn't see anything that would match with it. I will take a picture after work.
BTW this thread is linked from the tek website now.
 
The pole looks crooked, but it looks parallel to the wall behind it. Probably just the angle of how the picture was taken that makes it look crooked.
 
Your pictures arion have helped a bunch. The problem is finding the right bolts to use at what time. Rain stopping us now
 
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What exactly is my declination angle if 35.23 is latitude and 106.66. Is lomgitude? I had 35.62 plus 5.04. 40.66 from teks website. My 7.5 dish is 41.9
 
Did you assemble the dish on the mount like Tek's instructions say or did you put it together on the ground and then put it on the mount? I tried one panel at a time on the mount and it didn't work too good for me.
 
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Is BYU still on G17 (91°W)?

INT 34

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