Dish ID Help Needed

[fred555]

Need help to identify my latest free dish score. I know the following:
It is a 10 footer.
Depth is 22 inches
Focal length is 41 inches.
FD ratio is .34.
(I will try to attach pictures, I dont post things on the interwebs much so I hope they come through.)
It came in a box marked KTI but the specs calculated above dont match published specs found
online. I plan on using 1/2 emt to fabricte support legs. I guess I will need the feed horn support plate that the legs bolt to and a polar mount. I could also fabricate the plate and a fixed mount if I had to as wife will allow multiple fixed c band dishes. I have a Titanium C2w-pll meant for a mini bud project I can use .
I would appreciate any info you guys have. The wife wants it in operation asap, along with the existimg 3 ku dishes she demanded.

 

[Pixl]

Looks like a Winegard I once had.

 

[fred555]

Interesting...The Winegard Quadstar QD-1000 has a specified focal lengrh of 41 imches also.
Thanks for the info. Was your Winegard a good performer?

 

[capned]

Sure looks like a Winegard QuadStar. The mounting ring should have 8 mounting tabs.... 4 welded to the ring, and 4 bolted to the ring. The 7-1/2 foot version uses the same mount but only has the 4 welded mounts.

 

[fred555]

Is this a decent dish? Are there any Winegard mounts to be found these days? I have checked online a bit and have found nothing.

 

[fred555]

Sure looks like a Winegard QuadStar. The mounting ring should have 8 mounting tabs.... 4 welded to the ring, and 4 bolted to the ring. The 7-1/2 foot version uses the same mount but only has the 4 welded mounts.

Whoops see reply above. Im new at this.

 

[capned]

Is this a decent dish? Are there any Winegard mounts to be found these days? I have checked online a bit and have found nothing.

IMO, the QuadStar is one of the better built units. Normally, the mount would be with the reflector when you get it but I guess that's not the case with yours. I probably have an extra mount, feed legs, and hardware that you could have but shipping is a killer on big dish parts. If you can find one locally it would be way less expensive. The reflector you have looks to be in excellent condition. If you could salvage another with the mount, locally, that would be ideal. A Winegard 7-1/2' mount will work too.

 

[mmewrench]

Nice dish. It looks exactly like my unimesh (branded echostar). I think back in the day that same reflector (dish) was used by Sami, Perfect 10, unimesh, etc. They where shipped with a chaparral C band only with a fixed F/D ratio of .38 (are you sure yours is .34). The feedhorn support legs fastened directly to the scalar ring. The polar mount was more or less brand specific.

Those dishes where all good performers, even for Ku if you choose the right feedhorn.

 

[fred555]

IMO, the QuadStar is one of the better built units. Normally, the mount would be with the reflector when you get it but I guess that's not the case with yours. I probably have an extra mount, feed legs, and hardware that you could have but shipping is a killer on big dish parts. If you can find one locally it would be way less expensive. The reflector you have looks to be in excellent condition. If you could salvage another with the mount, locally, that would be ideal. A Winegard 7-1/2' mount will work too.

There is not much available locally here. How heavy is the mount ? Right now I have zero invested in the dish,
and I have not been able to find the proper mount. I would be willing to spend something on the mount for shipping and your time to have it up and working before winter (Wife is eager too), if you are willing and shipping is less than a few hundred dollars.

According to mmewrench, the legs bolt to the scalar. I am OK at fabrication. I could do a redesign, make longer legs that bolt to a plate that allows for the lnb to adjust as well as the scalar. So getting a set of factory legs is not critical.

Let me know what you think.

 

[fred555]

Nice dish. It looks exactly like my unimesh (branded echostar). I think back in the day that same reflector (dish) was used by Sami, Perfect 10, unimesh, etc. They where shipped with a chaparral C band only with a fixed F/D ratio of .38 (are you sure yours is .34). The feedhorn support legs fastened directly to the scalar ring. The polar mount was more or less brand specific.

Those dishes where all good performers, even for Ku if you choose the right feedhorn.

Thanks, it is the dish in the "Craigslist dishes for you to take a look at" section listed as a free 7.5 footer in the box on page 97. I could not believe how new it looked, and then after driving for five hours roundtrip to get it realized it was actually a 10 footer! Also nothing is ever available where I live, not even old ones in fields, So I was surprised when it popped up on Craigslist.

As far as the F/D ratio, I calculated it using a depth of 22 inches and Diameter of 120 inches to get
the Focal length of 40.9, then did 40.9/120=.34 ? Did I calculate it correctly?

As far as the legs bolting to the scalar, I was going to do a redesign, lengthen the legs, make a plate to hold a Titanium PLL lnb further up the body and have and adjustable lnb and scalar.
Is this overkill? I just like having adjustments available.

 

[harshness]

I plan on using 1/2 emt to fabricte support legs.

Is this to be a fixed aim dish?

1/2" EMT can barely support its own weight much less a good wind load on a 10' saucer.

 

[Jason S]

The dish itself looks to be in great shape. Whatever you do with it, please post photos for folks like me to follow along.

 

[fred555]

Is this to be a fixed aim dish?

1/2" EMT can barely support its own weight much less a good wind load on a 10' saucer.

What would be a better alternative?

 

[fred555]

The dish itself looks to be in great shape. Whatever you do with it, please post photos for folks like me to follow along.

I sure will.

 

[primestar31]

Are you talking support legs just for mounting the scalar/lnbf out from the dish surface, or support legs to the ground (instead of a polar mount) for the entire dish?

If just for the scalar lnbf, 1/2" emt may work fine. You could always go to 3/4" and make sure it'll work and hold up well. If in place of the polar mount, boy-howdy do you have some work ahead of you... You really need a polar mount in that case.

 

[fred555]

Are you talking support legs just for mounting the scalar/lnbf out from the dish surface, or support legs to the ground (instead of a polar mount) for the entire dish?

If just for the scalar lnbf, 1/2" emt may work fine. You could always go to 3/4" and make sure it'll work and hold up well. If in place of the polar mount, boy-howdy do you have some work ahead of you... You really need a polar mount in that case.

The 1/2'' emt is for the four legs supporting the scalar/lnbf. Hoping to find a polar mount.
For a fixed mount I would probably use 2''x2'' thick walled square steel tubing as the "ring" if I have to go that route.
As for the pole I will copy the setup in the picture. I will increase the size of the plate to at least 12''x12'' or bigger and
weld in four solid triangular supports on the pole to the baseplate of at least 1/4 steel. Setup will have 1'' threaded rods imbedded deeply in the slab, a nut, washer, baseplate then another washer and nut, to adjust level. This is also the way they level streetlamps and stoplight masts around here.

 

[capned]

There is not much available locally here. How heavy is the mount ? Right now I have zero invested in the dish,
and I have not been able to find the proper mount. I would be willing to spend something on the mount for shipping and your time to have it up and working before winter (Wife is eager too), if you are willing and shipping is less than a few hundred dollars.

According to mmewrench, the legs bolt to the scalar. I am OK at fabrication. I could do a redesign, make longer legs that bolt to a plate that allows for the lnb to adjust as well as the scalar. So getting a set of factory legs is not critical.

Let me know what you think.

Based on your pictures I'm pretty sure it's a Winegard but, just to be sure, check the 4 center tabs on each section (where the center plat attaches). Each should have a 2 digit (year) and a 3 digit (matching set) numbers, probably separated by a dash. If so, it's near certain a Winegard QuadStar. PM me your addy and I'll get the parts out and get a quote on shipping. I should have most everything you'll need to complete the assembly. It's great that your wife is interested. I put up a 10 footer for my wife (faux subscription) and she loves it.

Yes, the feed legs bolt to the scalar. I've also considered mounting the feed to a bracket similar to what you mentioned. That could be done with the factory legs.

 

[fred555]

Based on your pictures I'm pretty sure it's a Winegard but, just to be sure, check the 4 center tabs on each section (where the center plat attaches). Each should have a 2 digit (year) and a 3 digit (matching set) numbers, probably separated by a dash. If so, it's near certain a Winegard QuadStar. PM me your addy and I'll get the parts out and get a quote on shipping. I should have most everything you'll need to complete the assembly. It's great that your wife is interested. I put up a 10 footer for my wife (faux subscription) and she loves it.

Yes, the feed legs bolt to the scalar. I've also considered mounting the feed to a bracket similar to what you mentioned. That could be done with the factory legs.

Code looks like 03-94. So this dish is 20 years old? Someone kept it stored well.

I put up an OTA antenna and a Geosatpro 90 Ku aimed at 97W after we got rid of D****TV (tired of paying big bucks, nothing to watch but Honey boo boo and Chumlee). Wife is hooked on Ebru shows, Spooks Sea Patrol and Hustle. She likes most of the English channels on 97W, gives her a different perspective on world events. Cupcake Girls on KTV2 is another hit here. Modified 2 20'' pay dishes, one for 30W Cubavision Movies and another on 123w. She is excited whenever I plant a dish. I'm glad she is interested too. FTA is a fun hobby, and having a supportive wife makes it all that much better.


I will try to figure out how to PM you now. And thank you very much!

 

[Lone Gunman]

Yup, that one looks like the 10ft Winegard dish I have. The mesh in mine is held in place the exact same way as this one. That and the small round circular support tube looks like mine also.

The scaler support arms on mine are 3/4" tubing so thats what I would use.

 

[Pixl]

What would be a better alternative?

The Winegard I had used a button hook mount for the lnbf. A button hook makes adjusting scaller and FD easier. My dish is long gone after I fell off the ladder and into the dish and bent it up. But I still have the button hook. Here is a picture of it moved to another dish. You can have the button hook for free, just pay shipping. PM if interested.