Anyone buy the tek2000 dish?

[iBoston]

I am not happy about this secondary dish i bought from Tek2000. First off, the guy is no longer responding to my emails. The manual stinks, and the dish arrived in worse condition (by far) than my used dish of 20+ years. Mismatched parts, and leaving me with lots of questions with no answers... So, if anyone out there can help me that would be great, otherwise i just have a 12' wind sail.

 

[Titanium]

What can we help you with?

Jibe Oh!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Please post some pictures. Pictures are worth at least a thousand words!

 

[iBoston]

Yea, i should have taken pictures of all the bent mesh. I tried to pound it out. I cannot figure out how the LNB rods attach to the dish. The directions say nothing and i don't see any places where it screws onto the mesh petals? Ill take pictures tomorrow and get them online.. I walked away from it a couple days ago in minor disgust....

 

[beavs2112]

Here's a thread from Rick's forum on a recent purchase of a 12 foot.
http://rickcaylor.websitetoolbox.com/post/new-12ft-mesh-dish-7200365

 

[FTA4PA]

Yea, i should have taken pictures of all the bent mesh. I tried to pound it out. I cannot figure out how the LNB rods attach to the dish. The directions say nothing and i don't see any places where it screws onto the mesh petals? Ill take pictures tomorrow and get them online.. I walked away from it a couple days ago in minor disgust....

Sorry to hear you had damage to your dish - seems to be the norm. They MUST find a way to properly pack these for safe shipment. As far as the lnb arms, with the one I got they mounted on the outside edge of the rim but apparently they have made several changes to the design since I got mine. I had an exchange with someone a while back who couldn't find where they went either. After searching I believe he found them about 5" or 6" down from the edge of the rim (under the mesh). Not sure what size dish he got but if you look close they should be there somewhere.
EDIT: It was jibaro29. Here is the thread: http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/posts/3623679/ May be his tek2000 is in his avatar?

 

[bpalone]

Here are what the instructions say:

"Some rods mount on the rim of the panels while others are designed to mount on the surface of the panels. Usually there are pre-drilled holes on the panels where the rods are supposed to mount. If there are pre-drilled holes on both the rim and surface of the panels, you will have to determine if your dish rods are rim mount or panel mount. You can ask your dish supplier or if you know the focal length of the dish, try and rim mount and if that falls too short, do a panel mount. "

Note that it says SOME mount to rim and SOME mount on the surface. Also, take note of the mention of the holes USUALLY being pre-drilled. Those are major gotcha's that I see in their instructions. Their instructions are WAY better and WAY more than when I set up my 8 footer from them last year. Then any instructions were non existent and you were pretty much 100% on your own.

 

[Kraven]

Please post some pictures. Pictures are worth at least a thousand words!

or a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS sign.

 

[Kraven]

Seems whenever I read a thread/post about Tek2000 isnt never a positive experience.

 

[iBoston]

Here are what the instructions say:

"Some rods mount on the rim of the panels while others are designed to mount on the surface of the panels. Usually there are pre-drilled holes on the panels where the rods are supposed to mount. If there are pre-drilled holes on both the rim and surface of the panels, you will have to determine if your dish rods are rim mount or panel mount. You can ask your dish supplier or if you know the focal length of the dish, try and rim mount and if that falls too short, do a panel mount. "

Note that it says SOME mount to rim and SOME mount on the surface. Also, take note of the mention of the holes USUALLY being pre-drilled. Those are major gotcha's that I see in their instructions. Their instructions are WAY better and WAY more than when I set up my 8 footer from them last year. Then any instructions were non existent and you were pretty much 100% on your own.

Yes, i am well familiar with that paragraph. It actually reminds me of an SNL skit where they are making fun of a commercial.

 

[bpalone]

Assuming that the holes are PRE-DRILLED, why not use a little math and figure out whether your supports mount on the rim or on the surface. From the dish specs, you have the FD, so you can back figure the distance to the focal point, then you know or can measure yourself the depth of the dish, subtract that from the focal distance. You then have the vertical distance to the focal point, lets call it Z. You know the diameter (D) and you know the length of your rods (R). Z squared + (1/2 D) squared = R squared or use some Trig.

Hope that helps. Then you would know where to look for the holes.

Edit to fix error of saying use whole diameter to using 1/2 of diameter. In this case approximately 72 inches give or take a bit. This will just end up being somewhere in the ball park for the length of the rods, but will give an indication of whether on rim or surface. i.e. if the rods are quite a bit shorter, then they go on the surface.

 

[Titanium]

Are there holes predrilled on the rim and on the ribs?
Or
Are there no available predrilled holes on the rim or ribs?

Did Tek2000 not know where the arms mount on the reflector?
Or
The seller is not responding to your email requests for support?

 

[Kraven]

Assuming that the holes are PRE-DRILLED, why not use a little math and figure out whether your supports mount on the rim or on the surface. From the dish specs, you have the FD, so you can back figure the distance to the focal point, then you know or can measure yourself the depth of the dish, subtract that from the focal distance. You then have the vertical distance to the focal point, lets call it Z. You know the diameter (D) and you know the length of your rods (R). Z squared + (1/2 D) squared = R squared or use some Trig.

Hope that helps. Then you would know where to look for the holes.

Edit to fix error of saying use whole diameter to using 1/2 of diameter. In this case approximately 72 inches give or take a bit. This will just end up being somewhere in the ball park for the length of the rods, but will give an indication of whether on rim or surface. i.e. if the rods are quite a bit shorter, then they go on the surface.

I wouldn't criticize the OP as not everyone has experience in mounting/assembling a Cband dish. The onus should be on the seller to

A- produce a quality product
B- provide adequate instructions
C- provide after-sales support.

and not on the buyer to figure it out.

 

[iBoston]

Are there holes predrilled on the rim and on the ribs?
Or
Are there no available predrilled holes on the rim or ribs?

Did Tek2000 not know where the arms mount on the reflector?
Or
The seller is not responding to your email requests for support?

I emailed him on the 16th. I have yet to hear from him. Per the instructions, it says to use the side with two holes on the rod to attach to the dish. I found sets of two holes on the mesh pedals. Great, but wait, the holes on the mesh pedals are 90 degrees out of sync. So if i wanted to use those two holes, the rod would be pointing horizontal across the mesh petals and no where to where it needs to go. So, maybe I am only supposed to use one of the holes even thou the the rod has two holes. So, then which of the two holes do i choose.

Yes, i can break out the calculator, and make a weekend of it, but that is NOT what i was expecting when i pay for a new product. I would expect directions, pre drilled holes, and things fit.

I am going to go on a rant now.

I had to pull out a metal grinder because the arm wouldn't retract the the degree i needed for my latitude. The motor actuator mount holes didn't match. Had to drill out a new hole. The main arm didn't fit properly to the dish mount. Had to do some creative work on that. Then the mesh petals DID NOT align to the holes on the mesh petals mount. The mesh out of the box was curled and had to be pounded flat with a hammer. They didn't place the rivots down on the mesh correctly, as there is a BIG bubble. I am going to drill out the rivot so the mesh with flatten out, and re-rivot it.

I guess when i got to the point of the RODS, i have myself half convinced this is going to yield me less signal quality than my 10' dish. I have walked away from the project for a week or so, and also giving TEK2000 a chance to respond to my email

 

[TheThinMan]

Yea, i should have taken pictures of all the bent mesh. I tried to pound it out. I cannot figure out how the LNB rods attach to the dish. The directions say nothing and i don't see any places where it screws onto the mesh petals? Ill take pictures tomorrow and get them online.. I walked away from it a couple days ago in minor disgust....

The Tech Specs for the 12 footer on Tek2000's web page says that the Rods Mount 20" (50.8cm) from rim on the panel face

I have one of their 10 footers I am going to install this weekend and was wondering the same thing and found the answer for mine on the Tech Specs for it also.

 

[iBoston]

The Tech Specs for the 12 footer on Tek2000's web page says that the Rods Mount 20" (50.8cm) from rim on the panel face

I have one of their 10 footers I am going to install this weekend and was wondering the same thing and found the answer for mine on the Tech Specs for it also.

Can you send me a link where you found those tech specs.

 

[TheThinMan]

Can you send me a link where you found those tech specs.

Here is where I found the info: http://www.tek2000.com/cgi-bin/web.... C/Ku-Band Prime Focus Mesh Satellite Dish-ND the holes are there you just have to get the bolt through the mesh on the front is all.

 

[iBoston]

Here is where I found the info: http://www.tek2000.com/cgi-bin/web.cgi?command=product&item=350cm C/Ku-Band Prime Focus Mesh Satellite Dish-ND the holes are there you just have to get the bolt through the mesh on the front is all.

Ill look for them. Ill post back. I have not gotten back to the project yet. I have been working on my pond.

 

[iBoston]

Well, worked on it today. Got the rods installed on the hole that was there. Some holes are off by an inch. I figured it would give me a good starting point. Not even a hint of signal.

I measured the diameter of the dish at 137 inches and the depth of the dish at 22.5 inches. and i come up with a focal length of 52 inches. Spec says 51 inches. Which should i go by?

Also, does that mean i want the RIM of the LNB holder to be right at 51/52 inches? I am going to have to drill new holes...

Also, what is a good way to know if the lnb is pointing directly at the center.

 

[FaT Air]

I'd go with what you calculated. The LNB 'holder' (?) If that's the grooved circular plate with the hole in the middle, that's the scalar. The F/D ratio has to be calculated. F= 52 / D= 137 = .379 There are marks on the side of the LNBF throat. Align .379 (.38) with the back of the scalar. (smooth side)
Adjust LNBF arms so that the point 52 inches from the face of the dish falls approximately 1/4 inch inside the feed throat. (Or 51.75 inches to the feed lip)
If experimental tuning determines it's too far away, and the F/D would change drastically*, it's easier to 'spacer' the scalar closer to the dish face than further away. *For small LNBF adjustment, leaving the scalar 'distance' is usually OK. Say +/- .5 on the F/D scale.

You can measure three points around the dish rim to the scalar outer edge. When all three measurements are = it's parallel with the dish.