Fortec Star 6 foot system install fun. :)

[PKII]

Got my dish I ordered from Sadoun today. I have no questions yet. I put a 7.5 mesh from Skyvision together myself so this one should be easier? I hope. lol This is not a question just my thoughts.

1. Open box and make sure I have all the parts.

*bag inside box opened and parts everywhere gonna take a while.
*Gbox UPS threw onto the ground I hope it works.

*Brass hardware Skyvision came with steel and they rusted solid.

 

[Sadoun]

Thanks for your order and good luck with your install. I hope you have a nice weather to start your install.

 

[PKII]

Thanks for your order and good luck with your install. I hope you have a nice weather to start your install.

I still have to set the pole. Vacation next week project. Just finished checking all parts. Every single item is here. And no extra bolts, washers, etc. I won't have to wonder what I forgot to put on.

 

[Corrado]

I bought a Fortec 180cm dish from Sadoun. The box looked horrible upon arrival but the contents were intact.

My advice is to use additional washers on the dish petals on each side of the bolts. This gives it better rigidity. Assemble it loosely and gradually tighten the bolts working from the center outwards. Best to work with someone for handling. We put it together in the living room on the floor.

 

[PKII]

I bought a Fortec 180cm dish from Sadoun. The box looked horrible upon arrival but the contents were intact.

My advice is to use additional washers on the dish petals on each side of the bolts. This gives it better rigidity. Assemble it loosely and gradually tighten the bolts working from the center outwards. Best to work with someone for handling. We put it together in the living room on the floor.

Humm...the small bolts that hold the pedals together? M6*12 hex-head cap screws? Humm that is a lot of washers. Thanks I will do that.

 

[PKII]

oh question. I read that I need 1 bag of cement for each foot of dish. Do I really need 6 bags? My pole will be around 7 feet tall. How far into the ground should the pole be? I was gonna do 3 feet? that good?

 

[rv1pop]

It depends on the ground and the wind, along with the size of the dish. For a 10 to 12 foot dish, where I am, I need a 3' X 3" block of concrete at least 4 feet deep and perhaps the point down another 2 feet. For a 6' I probably will go with a 2'X2' X 3 feet deep as our stongest winds are often when the soil is the wettest. Are there any instructions with the dish? I put up a 1M primestar 18"X18" X 30" deep seemed to be ok. If you get frost heave, you have to go below frost line (therefore the 30 inch deep) and be sure top is smaller than bottom so the top doesn't lift the post out of the ground. That is why the concrete goes at the bottom, and not as a patio top.

 

[PKII]

It depends on the ground and the wind, along with the size of the dish. For a 10 to 12 foot dish, where I am, I need a 3' X 3" block of concrete at least 4 feet deep and perhaps the point down another 2 feet. For a 6' I probably will go with a 2'X2' X 3 feet deep as our stongest winds are often when the soil is the wettest. Are there any instructions with the dish? I put up a 1M primestar 18"X18" X 30" deep seemed to be ok. If you get frost heave, you have to go below frost line (therefore the 30 inch deep) and be sure top is smaller than bottom so the top doesn't lift the post out of the ground. That is why the concrete goes at the bottom, and not as a patio top.

Hmm. No instructions except how to assemble the dish and that is just a diagram. With my skyvision dish they sent me detailed installment instructions but nothing on a pole installing. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[PKII]

Here are some of my old skyvision instructions on a site check of my location. I am posting old satellites I know some are long dead.

It says my Latitude is 38.5 Longitude 81.5 Polar Angle 51.5 Declination Offset Angle 44.5 Highest South Satellite X3

Farthest East Satellite G6. Highest Satellite X3. Farthest West Satellite F1 along with compass readings for each. 175.5, 189.5, 254. And Protractor Angles of 44.5, 45.5 and 18.

With my 7.5 I was only able to hit satellites G5 to W3

I am moving my dish more to the west side of my yard and should be able to hit more Eastern satellites. Hopefully. ( I have 2 hill sides East and West) So I am putting the dish in the middle.)

Question is for my zip code of 25320 is the above information correct?

 

[Anole]

This page on the Geo-Orbit site has pole installation info
And... the rest of the site is quite useful, too.
I'm sure there are other sites with similar info - I've seen other members post 'em.

 

[PKII]

This page on the Geo-Orbit site has pole installation info
And... the rest of the site is quite useful, too.
I'm sure there are other sites with similar info - I've seen other members post 'em.

oh thanks.

 

[truckracer]

Hey PKII, you are a fellow West Virginian!! I am in Huntington.

 

[PKII]

Hey PKII, you are a fellow West Virginian!! I am in Huntington.

Neighbors

 

[PKII]

ugh... finished figuring out what goes where via diagram and assembled all except dish panels....

 

[PKII]

I have all supplies to put up dish now. Tommorrow Pole setting day if it don't rain. My FTA receiver will be here on the 30th (free shipping) they must be riding a bicycle to bring it here.

 

[PKII]

Prime Focus 6 foot

On assembling this dish. Should I assemble it entirely before placing it on the pole? Or part of it?

 

[PKII]

Prime Focus 6 foot

On assembling this dish. Should I assemble it entirely before placing it on the pole? Or part of it?

 

[Mr Tony]

I'd assemble the dish and place on pole. Then add the feed arms after. That's what I did with both of my 6 footers

 

[Anole]

Iceberg has built two of those, so he should really chime in.

If it was mine, I'd build the entire dish first.
If I recall, it doesn't weigh much. I was thinking maybe 50 lbs...?
One or two people should easily be able to lift it onto the mount.
Perhaps one to hold and position the dish, while the other sticks hardware through the mount/dish ?

 

[truckracer]

I assembled both my dishes (see signature) face down on my concrete driveway. Then put them on the pole. Added feed struts last then feedhorn.