Metal v/s fiberglass dish for 91 or G1

[miguelaqui]

OK.. I decided not to give up because I hate that I have come so close! On my 4 food metal offset, I can get some transponders on G1 at 1.5 dB, but not enough to get signal. When I connected it to my Bell receiver for 82, yes, I repointed and changed the lnb, my strength went up by about 11 points from the 30 inch I had before.

I think was able to get a trace of 91 on the 4 foot. I assume that my $68 meter that has a strength bar that gives almost the same strength reading as the Bell receiver under the signal quality reading. I had the DBS lnb on the dish and found a sat between 82 and 101 right where Bell 91 used to be at 19-28%, not enough to get a reading on the receiver. I even tried a Dish receiver and it would not any transponders. I HOPE I was on the right sat.

So, I called satellite dish.com to order a 6 foot offset dish, yes this has gotten expensive, and he said that, when dealing with dishes larger than the standard 18", that the fiberglass dishes are much better than the metal ones because they do not get bent as easily and are lots of times better built. He said that he had seen a 4 foot fiberglass have the same strength as a 6 foot metal. So I ordered the fiberglass. Has anyone else experienced this with fiberglass v/s metal?

I hope that I will be able to get either Nimiq 6 or Anik G1! I would LOVE to have Bell back and dump Shaw.

 

[mikekohl]

Not all things are equal. Many fiberglass dishes are poorly built in the first place, but fiberglass does have the advantage of no dissimilar metals to corrode!

Nobody can make a blanket statement.....because I have seen all types of quality levels in steel. It depends upon the accuracy of the original pressing, and the back structure of the mount to keep it accurate over time.
Many things from China do not qualify.

If you want a really accurate dish, we can supply an ALUMINUM reflector with STEEL mount. TRUE FOCUS has a world class reputation for quality and longevity. They are not cheap, but worth every penny you spend.

1.2 meters is way too small for either service at your latitude. I had originally guessed that you might need a minimum of a 1.8 meter for Anik G1 by the time you got to the Carolinas, and I am not sure that a 2.4 meter model (offset) would work into the Atlanta area. Nobody has been testing the limits...but you did not do enough homework before jumping in to a 1.2 meter. Ideally, test what works in the southern fringes of the Washington DC area, and then compare Richmond, then Norfolk, VA. Nobody in the middle has been communicating, so if you are quite a distance past the last reported successful measurement, there are risks in getting an undersized dish if you are not otherwise conservative with the math.

As I have reported earlier, there is no chance that you will get Bell at 91 in your location with the diameter you are using, in view of results taken a year ago in Washington, DC with a 2.4 meter solid offset that could only get a 45 on the Bell signal meter. 82 has considerably greater coverage because it was originally designed for total US coverage, then spun north to favor Canada. 91 / Nimiq 6 was purposely designed for strong signals across Canada, with a very rapid dropoff as you get more than 150-200 miles outside the country.

 

[mikekohl]

Not all things are equal. Many fiberglass dishes are poorly built in the first place, but fiberglass does have the advantage of no dissimilar metals to corrode!

Nobody can make a blanket statement.....because I have seen all types of quality levels in steel. It depends upon the accuracy of the original pressing, and the back structure of the mount to keep it accurate over time.
Many things from China do not qualify.

If you want a really accurate dish, we can supply an ALUMINUM reflector with STEEL mount. TRUE FOCUS has a world class reputation for quality and longevity. They are not cheap, but worth every penny you spend.

1.2 meters is way too small for either service at your latitude. I had originally guessed that you might need a minimum of a 1.8 meter for Anik G1 by the time you got to the Carolinas, and I am not sure that a 2.4 meter model (offset) would work into the Atlanta area. Nobody has been testing the limits...but you did not do enough homework before jumping in to a 1.2 meter. Ideally, test what works in the southern fringes of the Washington DC area, and then compare Richmond, then Norfolk, VA. Nobody in the middle has been communicating, so if you are quite a distance past the last reported successful measurement, there are risks in getting an undersized dish if you are not otherwise conservative with the math.

As I have reported earlier, there is no chance that you will get Bell at 91 in your location with the diameter you are using, in view of results taken a year ago in Washington, DC with a 2.4 meter solid offset that could only get a 45 on the Bell signal meter. 82 has considerably greater coverage because it was originally designed for total US coverage, then spun north to favor Canada. 91 / Nimiq 6 was purposely designed for strong signals across Canada, with a very rapid dropoff as you get more than 150-200 miles outside the country.

 

[miguelaqui]

If you want a really accurate dish, we can supply an ALUMINUM reflector with STEEL mount. TRUE FOCUS has a world class reputation for quality and longevity. They are not cheap, but worth every penny you spend.

1.2 meters is way too small for either service at your latitude. I had originally guessed that you might need a minimum of a 1.8 meter for Anik G1 by the time you got to the Carolinas, and I am not sure that a 2.4 meter model (offset) would work into the Atlanta area. Nobody has been testing the limits...but you did not do enough homework before jumping in to a 1.2 meter. Ideally, test what works in the southern fringes of the Washington DC area, and then compare Richmond, then Norfolk, VA. Nobody in the middle has been communicating, so if you are quite a distance past the last reported successful measurement, there are risks in getting an undersized dish if you are not otherwise conservative with the math..

When there was nobody reporting, there was no homework to do! What signal could I be getting around 91 of it is not Nimiq 6? Are N1 and N2 still there with some type of test signal?

 

[madmadworld]

always good to ask before buying
good luck

 

[signalfinder]

I think was able to get a trace of 91 on the 4 foot. I assume that my $68 meter that has a strength bar that gives almost the same strength reading as the Bell receiver under the signal quality reading. I had the DBS lnb on the dish and found a sat between 82 and 101 right where Bell 91 used to be at 19-28%, not enough to get a reading on the receiver. I even tried a Dish receiver and it would not any transponders. I HOPE I was on the right sat.

The strongest transponders on 91W are 3 (12253,V,20000,7/8,QPSK) and 4 (12268,H,20000,7/8,QPSK). Make sure you are using one of those transponders on your signal meter when looking for Nimiq 6.

 

[miguelaqui]

The strongest transponders on 91W are 3 (12253,V,20000,7/8,QPSK) and 4 (12268,H,20000,7/8,QPSK). Make sure you are using one of those transponders on your signal meter when looking for Nimiq 6.

Thank you very much.

 

[miguelaqui]

I should have been more specific.. my choices are the Andersen 1.8 (metal) and the Andrew type 180 (fiberglass). both for around $600 delivered. Which is the better deal?

 

[vixens]

Andrew is better, in my opinion.

 

[DJdish]

My personal experience has been better with fiberglass than with metal

 

[Kraven]

My personal experience has been better with fiberglass than with metal

Out of curiosity, just how thick should a fiberglass dish be, if it matters.

Cheers, K