1.2m Dish Mover?

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Lone Gunman

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Mar 19, 2010
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Been looking at these and was wondering if there is a "preferred" one out there with a decent price for a 1.2m dish? What I've seen available are:

DG240

Stab HH90 (90cm only)

SG6100

SG6000

SG2100

So which one do I want and who has it for sale at the best price?

Thanks

PS, yeah I tried to use the forum search but didn't get what I was looking for.
 
If you have a spare smaller polar mount laying around, you could also adapt that to the 1.2m dish, and use a standard linear actuator arm. You just have to compensate for the offset angle of the dish when mounting it.
 
If you have a spare smaller polar mount laying around, you could also adapt that to the 1.2m dish, and use a standard linear actuator arm. You just have to compensate for the offset angle of the dish when mounting it.

Hey thanks for the suggestion but I don't have any spare polar mounts. That and since this will be my first offset dish, I better get what is known to work "out of the box". :oldwink
 
Not available in the USA from a vendor I'd deal with. What's your second choice?

Option #2 T.I.M.I.U.T (The Iceberg Move It Urself Truck)

4-14-2015 4-08-39 PM.png
 
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I'm sort of in the same boat as you Lone Gunman except I'm in Canada. I for one am interested in finding a combo of 1.2m dish & motor combo that works reliably using usals. I want to motorize my 1.2m (4ft) Channel Master fiberglass dish. I'm stuck using the Channel Master since there isn't an alternative lighter dish available in Canada that isn't garbage. No one has the geo1,2m up here. I have a fixed az/el mount for the dish so I replaced that with a sheet of aluminum & the back frame from a Winegard 1m dish to mount it to an sg2100. Then I tested it in my workshop going from the extreme west to extreme east using usals. After a day I think it burned out some component in the 2100. Now when the dish goes from west to east it stops and starts (ie moves intermittently). It also struggled really bad going from the extreme ends of the arc. I think the weight (36lbs) of the 1.2m dish is just too much for the 2100. I did some troubleshooting (replacing cables/receiver/motor) & its definitely the motor is bad. Probably burned relay contacts or bad transistor. I wouldn't try a 2100 with the Channel Master dish if I were you.

I then tested it on a Stab HH120 & it has run ok for a couple of days. But the hh120 is soooooooo slow. I wouldn't try a 2100 or a hh90 with the Channel Master dish. If you're going to buy a lighter dish then maybe.

I didn't think the DG240 was still available. So it seems the only choice is the 6000 or 6100. But they are hard to find. Most people are sold out & don't know when a replacemenet is available. I haven't been able to find a reasonable price on a 6100 motor up here in Canada so I can't say how they perform. The stab hh120 is getting very hard to find also around here.

Good luck in your endeavor. Please keep us posted on your results.
 
LG if you're considering a 6100 I found this info posted by Rick over @ Ricks in april 2014.
"The SG6100 has a larger head on it that faces the back of the dish and some dish designs will cause the larger head to hit on the back of the dish after the 20 to 30 degree movement. Also the molding on the tube had worn and was allowing the tube to have a bit of play and the weight of the dish would pull the tube down and the back of the tube would then rub on the motor housing and then it could not track the arc. DMSI has had a new mold manufactured and is working on getting production going again and trying to take time to make for sure it will work as advertised. I sent all of my remaining inventory back to them for now. No ETA on delivery yet."
so it sounds like SG still hasn't figured out a way to get the looseness out of its mounting tube setup. :eeek
 
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Here, get one from Germany. Price with shipping to the US is about the same price they were selling them for in North America anyway:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stab-HH-120...42?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_77&hash=item588cc3ad92

During my searches I've run up on this:

http://www.tek2000.com/cgi-bin/web.cgi?command=product&item=XCruiser XH240 H-H Motor-ND

It's kind of an unknown model number but the price is right and it's rated for 40lbs so I just might try one. Also, I don't have a dish and I'm also thinking about trying one of their 1.2m ones as the specs sheet on theirs is pretty much the same as the others I've seen. That way all the parts "should" be compatible with each other. The 1.2m dish is $229 shipped and the motor is $124.

That and "most" of the info I've seen on them seems to be somewhat positive except for some glitches in shipping.

Ennywho, I'm not in a big hurry so we'll see what some others have to say, IF, they comment that is. Looks like I've pissed off one guy already, hey! :oldwink
 
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Definitely don't use the SG2100. The one I have struggled with moving a 30'' dish, [Winegard 2076], motor was brand new. After 1/2 a year maybe, it started having real issues, stopping, jumping, etc and I had to tear it down and go through it, I then used it to motorize a 20'' dish for a while and it did handle that, but judging from the one I have, they're a big POS.
 
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Can't help on the H-H motor problem, but regarding that 1.2m dish from TEK2000, I have inquired as to the manufacturer of that dish, awaiting an answer. They are one of the few companies selling 4 footers. Looks like it has a substantial hardware mount. Wish companies would put the company logo of the manufacturer on the dish, at least then the prospective buyer can do some data mining and gather info prior to purchase.
 
In today's marketplace, manufacturing logos tell little about the build quality of a dish (or for that matter, any product). A manufacturer offers many hardware builds to match the distributors or importers price points.

Examples are the GEOSATpro 90cm and 1.2m dishes manufactured by Azure Shine. Both are great reflectors, quality hardware and excellent packaging. With that said, I would never buy a Azure Shine dish just because of the manufacturers name. Why? Because other distributors have sold Azure Shine dishes that were thin metal, poor finish, cheap hardware junk. The same goes for Jonsa brand dishes. Some distributors sold high quality versions and others sold cheap POS. Same for Motek or any other motor brand. They don't have to be a "clone" to be junk. The manufacturers are quite capable of producing their own garbage.

I would suggest that a hobbyist should buy a product based on peer reviews of the specific product, distributed by a trusted reseller. Don't get caught up by the logo bling on the "Cooach" or "AerJordon" purchased for lowest price + shipping on Ebay... :)

Just because you don't see a manufacturers logo, doesn't mean that it is poor quality. Contact the reseller and see what support and knowledge they have for the product. If they can't vouch for the quality or provide support pre-sale, imagine how much they will be available or able to help you post-sale. :(
 
Agree with Titanium Most of nowadays dishes are lacking quality and also overpriced. It is always better to look for second-hand dishes like Channel Master, Prodelin, Raven, Echostar, Visiosat etc. They can be 20 years old but after refreshing they will perform as new. Same apples to motors, I think there are still some Ajax (several modifications) and Jaeger available as second-hand (unfortunately no new anymore). After some renovation and modification, if needed, they will perfectly work years and years.
 
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Can't help on the H-H motor problem, but regarding that 1.2m dish from TEK2000, I have inquired as to the manufacturer of that dish, awaiting an answer. They are one of the few companies selling 4 footers. Looks like it has a substantial hardware mount. Wish companies would put the company logo of the manufacturer on the dish, at least then the prospective buyer can do some data mining and gather info prior to purchase.

I bought 2x GeoSatPro 1.2m and am VERY happy with them.
 
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