Off to Ethiopia to install Dishes

[Wescopc]

Starting February 9th, I will be away from the forum until the 25th. I have been asked to go to Gimbie, Ethiopia to install some FTA KU 1.8 meter dishes for a hospital, some schools and a couple of churches. I will be there for 2 weeks. I will take pictures to share when I return.
Bob

 

[Davage]

Wow.. What an adventure! Enjoy!

 

[Vestal]

Hope you have a great trip.

Sounds like you are going to be busy.


Take care

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Sounds like a great trip!

Take care Bob, we look forward to your report when you get back!

 

[qwert1515]

Enjoy yourself and have a safe trip!

 

[Babadem]

Excellent! :up Enjoy your stay in Ethopia. The Country is the official permanent host of the Head Quarters of the African Union. Make sure you take good pictures of your installations!

 

[Anole]

Wow, Bob, congratulations! - :up

But in addition to all the obvious pictures asked for above, be sure you make the most of any countries you land in on the way over and back.
In fact, if you can arrange a day (or more) most ANYwhere along the way, it'll double the pleasure of your trip.
Doesn't matter where it is.

I've flown -through- a lot of places on the way to somewhere else, and am disappointed I didn't get to stay in:
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Japan
- Philippines
- Saigon
- and numerous US cities. -

 

[John Popper]

cool! be safe!

 

[chapelrun]

Do you have to take any tools with you?

Bob, I assume you have to take some tools with you.

What are you taking to install these dishes? Do you have a RISK kit just in case things go wrong?

Way cool - - - - sounds like fun! :up

 

[Mr Tony]

Be safe and have a good trip

 

[Wescopc]

Bob, I assume you have to take some tools with you.

What are you taking to install these dishes? Do you have a RISK kit just in case things go wrong?

Way cool - - - - sounds like fun! :up

I am taking very few tools with me, F fittings and compression tool, inexpensive sat finder, compass, inclinometer, and a few odds and ends. I will be working with and training two Ethiopians. We need to keep the number of special tools to a minimum. So I will show them how to take a receiver and small TV up on the roof and point the dish. The dishes, receivers, and TV,s have been purchased in the country already. The idea is to make these installs utilizing simple non-penetrating mounts. Gimbie is about one day's drive from Addis, so when we land in Addis we will have to make sure that we have everything we need - otherwise it will be a two day drive to get parts! I don't know what you mean by a RISK kit - but I am all ears.
Bob

 

[Blindowl1234]

Wescopc, Well at least I guess the weather is warm there. Sounds like an interesting trip. Looking forward to how the trip was when you get back. Blind

 

[chapelrun]

RISK Kit

I don't know what you mean by a RISK kit - but I am all ears.

Sorry - - - sometimes I use terms from my AirForce days.

A Risk kit was a term used in the C-130 world. We would put parts that broke the most on a pallet when going to remote locations so that we were less likely to break down where no maintenance existed.

In this case since no Lowes or Walmart will be close - - - anything you can think of that is easy to bring that might pay you back big if you run into trouble. It is a trade off - - - MOST LIKELY vs. OH sh*t (I wish I had . . . . !)

Best of success!!

 

[Wescopc]

Well in that case - yes I will have a risk kit - taking extra LNBs, dish, receiver, fittings, bolts and nuts.
Bob

 

[SatelliteAV]

Have a great trip!

Love to see the equipment that they have located for the project.

We will look forward to some great stories and photos! Travel safe and thanks for using your talents to make the world a better place.

 

[Tron]

Have a great trip, best of luck with the installs, and looking forward to the pics!

 

[pedrogarcia]

Just in case you read the forum while away some local advice you may not know.
Arabsat (BADR 4&6) Ku has ETV and virtually the same programs as Nilesat but is stronger and far easier to find without an SA. Nilesat is actually relatively weak and Amos 3 degrees apart has quite an elevation difference. Otherwise Intelsat 901 C band has some ETV educational progs but I would have thought 1.8m dish was on the fringe.
Look forward to hearing how you get on.ots of Pix please. Be safe.

 

[manuelpaz]

good 4 u bob

have a nice trip and good luck with the job and keep post it and some pictures. Manny

 

[Deaver]

Sounds like an adventure, hope you have safe travel.

 

[Wescopc]

Well I am back, Taught a local Ethiopian how to install, so mission accomplished! I learned probably as much as I taught. First rule in Ethiopia is NO rules. So when you buy a dish and an LNB from a retailer - don't expect that they will sell you a matched set. An Ethiopian man was sent a week in advance to purchase the dishes, LNBs, receivers and cabling. When I arrived in Adis I wanted to see what he had purchased - too late already on the truck under a huge load of other things (see picture below). It was an 11 hour trip to Gimbie where I was to do the installs. Upon arrival I found the dishes to be 1.8 meter (6 foot) prime focus with a F/D of 0.35 and LNBs for offset dishes with a F/D of 0.7. We were able to find some Prime Focus LNBs locally! So that solved most of that problem with the exception of the Hospital that needed a dual feed LNB - so we used a mismatched 0.7 twin feed LNB with two runs of over 300' used a 13db gain amplifier on each feed. Had hoped for two channels but settled on one and called it a win. We didn't have time to pour concrete and allow it setup and come up to strength. So two of the dishes were set on wooden poled decks until concrete can be poured later. The hospital had a nice flat concrete roof over the generator building. We stayed in an unfinished "Hotel" no hot water (only cold showers), no running water in the sink, concrete floors, no mirror (I didn't bring one) and of course a hard mat to sleep on (no mattress). You will note the picture of a tanker truck hauling goats on top for extra revenue for the driver! Had a great trip and a great teaching/learning experience.: