First C-band Dish Install Strategy

[cyberham]

A few years ago, I sourced a used Perfect brand 7.5-foot dish from somebody located about 0.3 degrees latitude north of me and 1.3 degrees longitude west of me. I disassembled the dish myself so it appeared at the time to have been in use at some point at that house in the past.

I want to do the minimum just to be able to check if I can receive any C-band signals at all with this dish at my location. If I can receive anything, then I will get more serious about the refurbishment and install.

Is it reasonable to assume the declination and elevation settings shouldn't need changing initially in this case to receive some signals? My plan is to do the true south aim of the polar mount, then "motor" west about 51 or 53 degrees to my closest C-band satellite which is either 89W or 91W. There aren't many satellites visible for me near 64 degrees west longitude. One catch is I have no working jack yet, so motor means I push it using armstrong method.

Of course I will get a Titanium C1-PLL LNB installed once the dish is in position to use it.

One reason to keep current declination and elevation settings is those nuts are totally rusted and I can't move them right now. Also, I want to reduce the number of variables on the path to searching for transponders.

What is best product from my local Home Depot to attack this rust issue should I get to that stage?

Added images.


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[FTA4PA]

A few years ago, I sourced a used Perfect brand 7.5-foot dish from somebody located about 0.3 degrees latitude north of me and 1.3 degrees longitude west of me. I disassembled the dish myself so it appeared at the time to have been in use at some point at that house in the past.

I want to do the minimum just to be able to check if I can receive any C-band signals at all with this dish at my location. If I can receive anything, then I will get more serious about the refurbishment and install.

Is it reasonable to assume the declination and elevation settings shouldn't need changing initially in this case to receive some signals? My plan is to do the true south aim of the polar mount, then "motor" west about 51 or 53 degrees to my closest C-band satellite which is either 89W or 91W. There aren't many satellites visible for me near 64 degrees west longitude. One catch is I have no working jack yet, so motor means I push it using armstrong method.

Of course I will get a Titanium C1-PLL LNB installed once the dish is in position to use it.

One reason to keep current declination and elevation settings is those nuts are totally rusted and I can't move them right now. Also, I want to reduce the number of variables on the path to searching for transponders.

What is best product from my local Home Depot to attack this rust issue should I get to that stage?

Sent from my SM-G950W using the SatelliteGuys app!

I've used PB Blaster on some things I though would never come loose and it worked every time. Spray it liberally a few times per day over several days to let it soak in good then slowly work the part back and forth until it loosens.

Blaster 11 oz. PB Penetrating Oil 16-PB-DS - The Home Depot

The #1-selling penetrant since 1957, PB B'laster, is back with the new and improved B'laster ProStraw. The same legacy formula that quickly loosens rusted or frozen parts now offers Control Flow Technology.

www.homedepot.com

 

[cyberham]

I've got the name. I'll get some tomorrow.

 

[Lee60]

I too have a 7 1/2 footer. I pick up lot's of stuff. Mine came from near by but I had to fine tune it. Or at least convinced myself I needed to. I slapped a c band lnb from a 1.2 meter dish I had been messing with on it. Then I used a aluminium L angle on it instead of the bad actuator to make it fixed. Bolt one end on and use a set of vise grips on the other end( I used the C clamp type). Then I put tape on top of the mount and when I found a signal I drew a line next to the top mount. Here's a picture and a couple others.

for me the easiest signals to find are on 99. 4000H26400 ( i'm on the west coast 121 degrees)
Good luck with the disk!

 

[cyberham]

Thanks for tips. I do have already the Norsat 5400 series combo C-band/Ku-band LNB with Chaparal feed that came with the dish. If it works, this would be the fastest way to find signals. But I have no way to operate the corotor.

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[ZetaMale]

What was it they tried to use to get a lug nut off in an episode of "Big Bang Theory"? Thermite! But, they set the van on fire......

 

[cyberham]

I've used PB Blaster on some things I though would never come loose and it worked every time. Spray it liberally a few times per day over several days to let it soak in good then slowly work the part back and forth until it loosens.

Blaster 11 oz. PB Penetrating Oil 16-PB-DS - The Home Depot

The #1-selling penetrant since 1957, PB B'laster, is back with the new and improved B'laster ProStraw. The same legacy formula that quickly loosens rusted or frozen parts now offers Control Flow Technology.

www.homedepot.com

Blaster worked! I can now move the mount bolts and elevation threaded rod bolts as necessary.

The temporary portable C-band dish mount is ready to receive the 7.5' mesh dish for research to begin. Design secret included using thick-wall 3" ABS pipe centred on 2" ABS pipe centred on a 1 7/8" steel fence post. The 3" ABS support pipe fits the polar mount perfectly since the pipe OD is 3.5".

The second photo shows the anti-rotational mechanism to keep the support from rotating. Yet I can remove quickly for initial azimuth aiming if necessary.

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[FTA4PA]

Blaster worked! I can now move the mount bolts and elevation threaded rod bolts as necessary.

The temporary portable C-band dish mount is ready to receive the 7.5' mesh dish for research to begin. Design secret included using thick-wall 3" ABS pipe centred on 2" ABS pipe centred on a 1 7/8" steel fence post. The 3" ABS support pipe fits the polar mount perfectly since the pipe OD is 3.5".

The second photo shows the anti-rotational mechanism to keep the support from rotating. Yet I can remove quickly for initial azimuth aiming if necessary.View attachment 146589View attachment 146590

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Glad to hear that it worked! Have fun experimenting!

 

[delta_charlie]

I think you need to install a better mount. Your pallet mount might be ok just to test the LNB and find one satellite but save any fine adjusting until after you get that baby a solid, in concrete mount. It's been a long time since the city made me take down my BUD but I don't remember that it was too much trouble to dig out a 4 foot deep hole and concrete in a section of SCH 40 pipe. Perhaps you have much harder soil to deal with then the easy sand here in Central Florida.

Getting back to the city making me take my BUD down, please don't make the same mistake I did before you put a lot of work in the install make sure of any permits, codes that might be needed.

 

[ZetaMale]

Getting back to the city making me take my BUD down, please don't make the same mistake I did before you put a lot of work in the install make sure of any permits, codes that might be needed.

I haven't run into your issue but it would be nice to live outside city limits. Too bad that's not acceptable to the wife.

 

[cyberham]

No permanent install is planned at this location. It's not legalities that are my problem. It's the trees. And that we may sell our property. Best visibility for the western arc is from a portion of my driveway I don't use.

So I've been using portable mounts for years for my Ku dishes. At the end of the fair weather this season, I plan to remove the C-band dish (due to wind in our winter), store it probably assembled "in the back 40" and probably replace with a motorized 1.2m Ku-band.

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[ZetaMale]

As near as I can tell, there isn't much worth watching on Ku unless you have DN or DTV.

 

[cyberham]

PBS with BBC evening news, NBC, NHK Japan, CGTN News & Documentary channels, cornucopia of international channels on 97W. I think C-band can enhance this.

Sure beats the pablum on conventional channels which are good as long as you want lawyer or cops shows.

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[delta_charlie]

As near as I can tell, there isn't much worth watching on Ku unless you have DN or DTV.

Not sure there is much worth watching on DN or DTV as well ;-)

What I miss the most when I had my 10 foot BUD was the sport of finding feeds.

 

[primestar31]

I'm not against cobbling a mount a bit here and there, BUT, your 7.5ft dish on THAT mount will maybe last about 1 hour IF you are lucky, and then you'll be sorry you even tried it. The slightest bit of wind will break it right over, and likely cause some bad damage.

At the very least, you need a solid sheet of very thick plywood over the surface of that pallet, and then the mount on top of that. Then you'll need at least 200lbs of concrete blocks on that to maybe keep it down.

 

[cyberham]

... you'll need at least 200lbs of concrete blocks on that to maybe keep it down.

Just completed it. Of course, I have hundreds of pounds of weight to put on the pallet before attaching the dish. Perhaps also guys to keep it upright since it is strong but vulnerable to tipping.


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[delta_charlie]

Just wanted to clarify, don't really have an issue with temporary mounts. Can be very useful with smaller dishes.

Do not like wood for any mount - moves around too much. A stable welded steel frame with enough weight for the dish to be used would work fine.

Something built from an old trailer with RV leveling jacks would keep code enforcement at bay. Get a notice - your dish is in violation. Response - move and hide it then say what dish ;-)

 

[Inclined Orbit]

I agree the dish will fall over and it will be nearly impossible to use wood unless you make a big mount out of something like old railroad ties and sandwich them between some thick plywood. Even then it will have to be large to avoid tipping and you will need a lot of weight on it.

For declination, there is no guarantee the original owner had it set right so you will probably have to experiment to get it dialed in. You can tune in a satellite at the highest point in the arc, then go to ones at the far east and west end and gently bend the dish up and down to see if there is any improvement. If so your declination will need a little tweaking. When top of arc and both ends degrade by bending the dish up or down you should be good.

Here is an above ground dish I worked on, albeit a much larger dish. Notice how far the I beams go beyond the dish diameter. There are many tons of steel laid out on this dish to keep it in place and a smaller dish should have an adequate base like this but on a smaller scale. Believe it or not, this is a 9m meter temporary dish. Everything including the huge I beam base comes apart and it goes in a sea container off to the next job.

 

[daniel cirulli]

well guys good reading just got old 10 ft wineguard found made by wd people is called rust penetrant at lowes works to bust rust also guys got to get some signals can someone give me strong transponders for sats 87 w thru 133 w it would help me a lot i can get 87 91 and 121 w thats all doing something wrong help....mountainman dan

 

[ZetaMale]

PBS with BBC evening news, NBC, NHK Japan, CGTN News & Documentary channels, cornucopia of international channels on 97W. I think C-band can enhance this.

Sure beats the pablum on conventional channels which are good as long as you want lawyer or cops shows.

I would prefer to see more scifi. Too bad there hasn't been any quality scifi produced in awhile.