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I'm looking to install my first FTA system. I've down a lot of research and I'm ready to buy but I appreciate some advice on the system below. As a novice at FTA how hard would it be to setup and will the componets all work together?
GeoSatPro 90Cm 36" dish / single LNB (the one that ships with dish)
SG9120B Heavy duty metal gear motor
S9 Openbox
All help, comments and advice are greatly appreciate.
Thanks
GeoSatPro 90Cm 36" dish / single LNB (the one that ships with dish)
SG9120B Heavy duty metal gear motor
S9 Openbox
All help, comments and advice are greatly appreciate.
Thanks
22 Replies
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3279 views
Tif,
Okay, if you absolutely must install a roof mount, that will be acceptable. But, here is some advice and a few tips from me to help you make the process easier.
1] The roof must be VERY solid. If you walk around on the garage roof and you can noticeably detect that the roof bows and sags under your weight, it won't be solid enough to accommodate the dish. I don't mean to infer that the dish will fall through the roof, but that you will have a hard time keeping the mast perfectly plumb. Just your weight may affect the alignment (even if it is just a minor affect). If you get it aligned just perfect, then when you step away from the dish, the mast alignment will change and you may lose your signal lock. Or, if the wind blows, the force on the dish will flex the mount and throw the alignment off, too. Just a mere 1/8" change in the mounting platform will throw your alignment off.
If it is a wood-frame roof, try placing the dish mount nearer to an eave or sidewall where the roof support is more rigid. That should resolve that problem for the most part if the roof is fairly sturdy.
2] To avoid a lot of trips up and down the ladder, run an extension cord up on the roof. Take your satellite receiver up on the roof along with a portable TV. Make your dish / motor alignment adjustments while monitoring the signal level and quality meters directly. If this is your first setup or you consider yourself to still be a novice at alignment, you won't win if you have to make an adjustment and then scramble down the ladder to check the results and then back up to retweak it. It doesn't help to have your spouse or a friend monitor the signal and call out to you, either. Even for a ground mounted system you should apply this tip. There is absolutely no substitute for the immediate feedback that you get from having the signal monitoring device right in front of you when you play around with the adjustments.
For an example of what it may be like, (if you have an idea that you can manage it otherwise), simply try to play a video game blindfolded and have someone else call out the moves that they think are required. Trust me, you will fast become frustrated with the results. End of game!
3] Last chance to install it on the ground. You could set up a nice looking (aesthetic) rock garden with the dish at the center and a RR tie boarder around it like you would for planting a tree or shrub. No lawnmower worries there. Just mow around the border and you won't worry about hitting the mast pole.
4] Obviously, it is all up to you. You are the one who will have to do all the setup and alignment, maintain the dish (keep the snow off) and realign it after a major windstorm. I would just like to clue you in, in advance, that you are going to be spending a lot of time at the dish, especially in the beginning, so make it as convenient as you possibly can for yourself. Even if it is installed on your garage roof. Plan ahead. You will have to trust me (us) on this issue. We have been there, done that and we really want you to take advantage of our past experience so that your experience will be more pleasant.
RADAR
Tif,
Okay, if you absolutely must install a roof mount, that will be acceptable. But, here is some advice and a few tips from me to help you make the process easier.
1] The roof must be VERY solid. If you walk around on the garage roof and you can noticeably detect that the roof bows and sags under your weight, it won't be solid enough to accommodate the dish. I don't mean to infer that the dish will fall through the roof, but that you will have a hard time keeping the mast perfectly plumb. Just your weight may affect the alignment (even if it is just a minor affect). If you get it aligned just perfect, then when you step away from the dish, the mast alignment will change and you may lose your signal lock. Or, if the wind blows, the force on the dish will flex the mount and throw the alignment off, too. Just a mere 1/8" change in the mounting platform will throw your alignment off.
If it is a wood-frame roof, try placing the dish mount nearer to an eave or sidewall where the roof support is more rigid. That should resolve that problem for the most part if the roof is fairly sturdy.
2] To avoid a lot of trips up and down the ladder, run an extension cord up on the roof. Take your satellite receiver up on the roof along with a portable TV. Make your dish / motor alignment adjustments while monitoring the signal level and quality meters directly. If this is your first setup or you consider yourself to still be a novice at alignment, you won't win if you have to make an adjustment and then scramble down the ladder to check the results and then back up to retweak it. It doesn't help to have your spouse or a friend monitor the signal and call out to you, either. Even for a ground mounted system you should apply this tip. There is absolutely no substitute for the immediate feedback that you get from having the signal monitoring device right in front of you when you play around with the adjustments.
For an example of what it may be like, (if you have an idea that you can manage it otherwise), simply try to play a video game blindfolded and have someone else call out the moves that they think are required. Trust me, you will fast become frustrated with the results. End of game!
3] Last chance to install it on the ground. You could set up a nice looking (aesthetic) rock garden with the dish at the center and a RR tie boarder around it like you would for planting a tree or shrub. No lawnmower worries there. Just mow around the border and you won't worry about hitting the mast pole.
4] Obviously, it is all up to you. You are the one who will have to do all the setup and alignment, maintain the dish (keep the snow off) and realign it after a major windstorm. I would just like to clue you in, in advance, that you are going to be spending a lot of time at the dish, especially in the beginning, so make it as convenient as you possibly can for yourself. Even if it is installed on your garage roof. Plan ahead. You will have to trust me (us) on this issue. We have been there, done that and we really want you to take advantage of our past experience so that your experience will be more pleasant.
RADAR
Excellent advice Radar. Thanks for taking the time to post.
What I plan to do is mount a schedule 40 2 inch pipe on the outside garage wall that is buried in a concrete footer. The pipe will extend up through the eave and protrude above the actual roof. On the top of the pipe I plan on welding a 1/4" plate large enough to bolt the J mount of the dish to. I also plan on making a hole large enough in the top of the pipe mount to pass the coax down through and then back out just under the eave and then around the house to my receiver. I feel this mount should prove solid enough to hold the dish with it being secured to the building and also the concrete footer. I understand that everything has to be beyond perfect when it comes to being plumb.
A rock garden and railroad ties sounds like a nice idea but with a Backhoe and large tractors it wouldn't take much to destroy the dish if you happened to bump it. I feel safer with the dish up where no one should be able to hit it..
I have a power outlet just under the eave that I can use for powering the receiver on the roof while setting up. Sounds like a good plan to have everything on the roof while tweaking.
IS Amiko MIRA 3 any good ???
Can you recommend the best to cover all bases. NO BEEPS on certain channels 101w (NEWSMAX ,NEWS NATION), a clock that keeps working STEADY for timed recording ,solid unit with good lifespan. My Amiko died AND my Linkbox has NO Favorites Button and BEEPS on many channels. Picking up 105 west with a NEW SHED IN THE Way with 6 foot Cband ..95 percent quality ...unbelievable.
Can you recommend the best to cover all bases. NO BEEPS on certain channels 101w (NEWSMAX ,NEWS NATION), a clock that keeps working STEADY for timed recording ,solid unit with good lifespan. My Amiko died AND my Linkbox has NO Favorites Button and BEEPS on many channels. Picking up 105 west with a NEW SHED IN THE Way with 6 foot Cband ..95 percent quality ...unbelievable.
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Direct YouTube Link - Updates on Artemis III?
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Season 2 order already in hand:
'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Renewed for Season 2, Tatiana Maslany to Guest Star in Season 1
I've not been optimistic about this show based on what I've read so far. Seems to be aimed at a younger audience. Interesting though that Tatiana Maslany will have some sort of role.
'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Renewed for Season 2, Tatiana Maslany to Guest Star in Season 1
I've not been optimistic about this show based on what I've read so far. Seems to be aimed at a younger audience. Interesting though that Tatiana Maslany will have some sort of role.
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3519 views
I don't know, but I still don't like her walking through the station or the academy with out her shoes. It looks unprofessional and very "hippy like" for someone of her status and I personally don't get off to feet, so there is that.
Stay out of my office. I rarely have shoes or socks on in the office. My office and business is at home thoughI don't know, but I still don't like her walking through the station or the academy with out her shoes. It looks unprofessional and very "hippy like" for someone of her status and I personally don't get off to feet, so there is that.
Say, I don't wear socks or shoes in my house either. But for a captain in Star Fleet it looks bad to be walking around the academy with no shoes. Gives off 1960 Hippie vibes.Stay out of my office. I rarely have shoes or socks on in the office. My office and business is at home though
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Apple Fall Hardware Event takes place today, September 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET. It marks the debut of new CEO John Ternus and the expected reveal of Apple's first foldable phone.
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It seems the phone gets locked into Sat mode. A software patch is coming to avoid that pitfall, but it comes too late for those who already fell in.
Apple confirms iPhone 18 Pro Max AT&T cellular issues, affected devices require hardware replacement - 9to5Mac
Apple has confirmed an issue causing a “small number” of iPhone 18 Pro Max devices on AT&T to lose cellular...
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Comcast is the first to report, with a massive 274,000 loss in video subscribers.
In the 3Q of 2016, Comcast had 21.42 million video subscribers and was the #1 provider, now at 10.39 million and is the #3 Provider, YTTV is #2 ( who also surpassed DirecTV-8 Million and Dish-under 5 Million), Charter/Spectrum is #1.
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In the 3Q of 2016, Comcast had 21.42 million video subscribers and was the #1 provider, now at 10.39 million and is the #3 Provider, YTTV is #2 ( who also surpassed DirecTV-8 Million and Dish-under 5 Million), Charter/Spectrum is #1.
Comcast Just Lost 274,000 TV Customers & 144,000 Internet Customers In Just Three Months | Cord Cutters News
Comcast Corporation reported its third-quarter 2026 results on October 22, showing continued erosion in its domestic residential broadband internet and video customer bases as competitive pressures intensified across the connectivity market. The company recorded a net loss of 144,000 domestic...
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Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
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Direct YouTube Link - AI Infrastructure Hijacked: Attackers Turned Company AI Against It #shorts
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Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
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I'm surprised Walmart hasn't banned this guy from all of their stores. He has been on their CASE the past few months.
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share
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I would think that all the packaging would already be accounted for ... they weigh the container, subtract that from the scale, then add the product , so its weighing the Product onlyUnless the specific product or its packaging is known at the time of weighing, estimating the tare weight for a PoS system is a tall order.
I'm pretty sure that produce bags can't get any thinner.
You certainly don't want to put unbagged produce on a belt, scale, or in a clerk's hands (gloved or not).
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Direct YouTube Link - iPhone Duo vs Z Fold8 vs Xiaomi1 8 Fold: Real-World Test
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I've always been super interested in things space related so this is a pretty cool event coming up. Nov 18, 2026 early in the morning, Voyager 1 will reach the distance of one full light day from Earth. Took almost 50 yrs. I was 13 when it launched.
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gjHK3clOwIw?feature=share
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Thanks for that info. I will mark it on my calendar!
