Given two dishes today
- Thread starter chapelrun
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Great find there chapelrun, love that big ku dish. Both look well-constructed, stations usually don't buy junk. You lucked out there!
Without even zooming in, I'd say that's a 6' Prodelin offset Ku in the last picture, and a 10' Andrew/ChannelMaster prime focus BUD in the first shot.
If so, you are set for life.
Both seem to get high praise here on the forum.
You'll get a lot of positive feedback on 'em.
If either need cleaning or repair, there are stories about that, too!
Good haul, and excellent price!
If so, you are set for life.
Both seem to get high praise here on the forum.
You'll get a lot of positive feedback on 'em.
If either need cleaning or repair, there are stories about that, too!
Good haul, and excellent price!
A Channel Master BUD and a Prodelin 6 footer with mounts?! :lick
Chapelrun, you are one LUCKY SatelliteGuy!!!
Chapelrun, you are one LUCKY SatelliteGuy!!!
Moved the Prodelin Today!
I SAFELY moved the 6 foot Prodelin dish today. Actually my pastor helped me take it down - - - definitely would not have been able to lift it myself. Got it home safely and my son helped me move it onto the pole. Went to town to get some longer bolts as the pole is much smaller than the mount. Dish is up but not pointed or cabled yet.
Need some advise - - in the C-Band section several folks were using these for C-Band. I want to use this dish for ONE C-Band satellite fixed (not sure which one yet). If someone has this setup for C-Band can you measure from the LNB to the middle of the dish?
Some PIX.
I SAFELY moved the 6 foot Prodelin dish today. Actually my pastor helped me take it down - - - definitely would not have been able to lift it myself. Got it home safely and my son helped me move it onto the pole. Went to town to get some longer bolts as the pole is much smaller than the mount. Dish is up but not pointed or cabled yet.
Need some advise - - in the C-Band section several folks were using these for C-Band. I want to use this dish for ONE C-Band satellite fixed (not sure which one yet). If someone has this setup for C-Band can you measure from the LNB to the middle of the dish?
Some PIX.
Attachments
You've still got your Ku single-polarity LNB and feed on the dish (in the pictures).
So, take a string and mark/hook it to the bottom of the dish in the middle.
Run the string to the face of your feed and mark it with a magic marker, put on a tie-wrap, or make a knot.
Continue the string up to the top of the dish and mark/attach it.
Install the C-band feed to the same neighborhood as where the knot is located on the string.
This will give you distance from the dish and angle to the face of the dish.
Of course, you may need to move the feed toward/away from the dish as much as an inch, but this'll get you started.
This following idea will complicate tune-up, but it might still be useful after you determine LNBF and scalar placement.
Caddata came up with some adjustable brackets to float a scalar at the end of three feed struts.
Here PopcornNmore has some beautiful pictues of the design, and discusses adapting it to conical scalars, too.
I see your Prodelin has three small support arms, so I was reminded of this design.
I've even tried it myself, just based off some of Popcorn's pix (I couldn't find Caddatas drawings at the time)
More notes:
Quote of ACradio and MikeKohl on scalar tuning:
1.2 Meter miniBUD Modified Scalar Ring
So, take a string and mark/hook it to the bottom of the dish in the middle.
Run the string to the face of your feed and mark it with a magic marker, put on a tie-wrap, or make a knot.
Continue the string up to the top of the dish and mark/attach it.
Install the C-band feed to the same neighborhood as where the knot is located on the string.
This will give you distance from the dish and angle to the face of the dish.
Of course, you may need to move the feed toward/away from the dish as much as an inch, but this'll get you started.
This following idea will complicate tune-up, but it might still be useful after you determine LNBF and scalar placement.
Caddata came up with some adjustable brackets to float a scalar at the end of three feed struts.
Here PopcornNmore has some beautiful pictues of the design, and discusses adapting it to conical scalars, too.
I see your Prodelin has three small support arms, so I was reminded of this design.
I've even tried it myself, just based off some of Popcorn's pix (I couldn't find Caddatas drawings at the time)
More notes:
Quote of ACradio and MikeKohl on scalar tuning:
1.2 Meter miniBUD Modified Scalar Ring
I set up mine in the same focal point as the transmitter.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/174823-prodelin-multiple-lnbfs.html
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/174823-prodelin-multiple-lnbfs.html
Dish Mod in progress
From the pictures posted by Corrado - - - I got thinking that maybe it would be best to mod the dish in order to better support the C-Band LNB.
Since oak does not lose strength when wet I fabricated a new lower support arm out of an old oak fencing board. It did not have to be perfect, just straight and it also made the support much stronger.
Using the string method recommended by Anole I have placed the C-Band LNB exactly in the same focal point as the KU-Band LNB originally was.
I used an old scalar ring and cut just part of the lower ring to make it fit. LNB is pointed directly at the center of the dish. Dish is still not pointed yet and I still have to drag a TV and receiver out to get the dish peaked.
Some PIX.
From the pictures posted by Corrado - - - I got thinking that maybe it would be best to mod the dish in order to better support the C-Band LNB.
Since oak does not lose strength when wet I fabricated a new lower support arm out of an old oak fencing board. It did not have to be perfect, just straight and it also made the support much stronger.
Using the string method recommended by Anole I have placed the C-Band LNB exactly in the same focal point as the KU-Band LNB originally was.
I used an old scalar ring and cut just part of the lower ring to make it fit. LNB is pointed directly at the center of the dish. Dish is still not pointed yet and I still have to drag a TV and receiver out to get the dish peaked.
Some PIX.
Attachments
Nice work chapelrun. Your Prodelin has the 4th design I've seen for the feedhorn mounting and more resembling a smaller ku dish design. Each of my 3 is different from each other. I have a conical scalar on my 105W dish for H2H programming but the others work fine without one also. The focal point for additional LNBFs is pretty easy and simply trial and error for position. After I find what I like I just fabricate a bracket or clamps.
One thing I've run into is when using a prime focus style C band LNBF on an offset dish is that water tends to collect inside. Because it points slightly up instead of down. Some creative weatherproofing will improve longevity.
One thing I've run into is when using a prime focus style C band LNBF on an offset dish is that water tends to collect inside. Because it points slightly up instead of down. Some creative weatherproofing will improve longevity.
Dish Fixed on 133W - - - almost finished
Since it was so pretty today - - - I got back to my 6 foot Prodelin.
Decided that 133W - C-Band for INSP (analog) was the reason this dish exists - - - mainly because this is a tough satellite for me as this dish is in the woods right outside the barnyard.
Anyway - - - it took me many hours to get on the satellite - - - but I learned a lot about this Prodelin dish from this setup. For one if you put your angle reader on the lower part of the support it gives you the look angle directly. I found that in the documentation of the dish and once I had that data - - - I was able to get on the satellite quicker.
Also, this was the first time I really got to play with my Motorola DSR-922. Still figuring it out but I really like this receiver. I still have a ton to learn here.
The mouse pad around the LNB is just to hold it tighter and make sure it stays straight - - looks kinda funny but it worked. The last two pictures are just grabs of INSP network.
A few PIX from today.
Since it was so pretty today - - - I got back to my 6 foot Prodelin.
Decided that 133W - C-Band for INSP (analog) was the reason this dish exists - - - mainly because this is a tough satellite for me as this dish is in the woods right outside the barnyard.
Anyway - - - it took me many hours to get on the satellite - - - but I learned a lot about this Prodelin dish from this setup. For one if you put your angle reader on the lower part of the support it gives you the look angle directly. I found that in the documentation of the dish and once I had that data - - - I was able to get on the satellite quicker.
Also, this was the first time I really got to play with my Motorola DSR-922. Still figuring it out but I really like this receiver. I still have a ton to learn here.
The mouse pad around the LNB is just to hold it tighter and make sure it stays straight - - looks kinda funny but it worked. The last two pictures are just grabs of INSP network.
A few PIX from today.
Attachments
Final Update for this dish.
I got direct burial coax cable and using a digging iron buried about 150' in the ground up the house. I was worried about signal loss but the analog ISPN looks very good. I would not recommend using a digging iron to bury coax and I will not do that again - - - but once I started - - - I wanted to finish.
I still have not picked up the 10 foot solid Channel Master - - - so that is next on my list.
I got direct burial coax cable and using a digging iron buried about 150' in the ground up the house. I was worried about signal loss but the analog ISPN looks very good. I would not recommend using a digging iron to bury coax and I will not do that again - - - but once I started - - - I wanted to finish.
I still have not picked up the 10 foot solid Channel Master - - - so that is next on my list.
Great little dish!. - :up
Told Linuxman about it when he got his. (even posted a picture)
However, what I thought was common knowledge seems to be a well-kept secret.
We should point that out to anybody who gets one, from now on.
Sorry you had to re-invent the wheel.
Yea, I ran across that a few years back, reading the manual.
Told Linuxman about it when he got his. (even posted a picture)
However, what I thought was common knowledge seems to be a well-kept secret.
We should point that out to anybody who gets one, from now on.
Sorry you had to re-invent the wheel.
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