custom dish ?

[madratboy]

taking a step back in time - in my younger days , WE HAD microwave t.v. ( a home built 18-20" round aluminum dish-free service)) also known as vue t.v. (as paid service) ... so i did some more research on dish defection/reflection and started the gears turning !! seems aluminum/foil is the BEST reflector surface to use !! now the big question -- HAS anyone tried the use of a 30-48" aluminum dish or maybe a chrome/silver/or foil resurfacing of their current dish?? would there be any greater benefits (in the 80's the aluminum dish was the best poss. signal). and yes - i found a company that offers a 48" round aluminum dish , i would just have to set up lnb arms / focal point which can be done fairly easily .. food for thought .

 

[SatelliteAV]

The reflector material type is not a significant factor. There would be no significant difference in the amount of signal reflected from an aluminum reflector vs steel for the C and Ku- band satellite frequencies. Efficient reflector designs minimize side lobes and provide increased surface accuracy.

 

[FaT Air]

BITD there were many "transportable" 4ft prime focus dishes available. The RV magazines were full of their ads. But back then, the satellites were a full 10 degrees apart, meaning there was less concern of adjacent satellite interference. Larger the dish diameter, smaller the beamwidth. If you do proceed with experimenting I'd keep the band of interest in the Ku spectrum. Higher the freq, smaller the beamwidth, keeping diameter the same.
Doesn't matter the material used for the reflector. Metal is metal to RF. The RF wavelength and the areas coverage % is the determining factor in its reflection efficiency*. That and parabolic accuracy determine its overall efficiency (gain).
?* (Why some metal mesh and fiberglass BUDS are lousy in the Ku performance category)

 

[madratboy]

true that- i was just think out loud ! lol - but i did read on a page where it refers back to the days of rabbit ears and the old add foil trick to improve weak signals !! if i find it soon , i will post the page where i found the info , i was search focal piont adjusting when i found it . beside that i was also thinking a 36-40" aluminum dish would weight a lot less and be easier to motivate from bird to bird ! (ku use only)

 

[updatelee]

There are so many good 36-40" dish's on the market and even older motors hehe no problem with a dish that small. My old sg2100 moved a 39" wineguard no problem.

UDL