Oversized Dish Network Satellite Dishes

[GWL91006]

I'm looking to upsize my current standard Dish 500 and Dish 1000 dishes in order to have a overall better signal fade margin when rain storms pass between the satellite and the receiver.
Does anybody know make reliable make and model? I thinking in the order of a 3 to 5 foot diameter dish. Has anyone done this before and any tips and sugestions? Performance results? Feed horns?

Thanks

 

[digiblur]

1.2m offset dishes would work great. Check the sponsors here as a couple of them carry them.

 

[Anole]

Both Sadoun and SatelliteAV have reasonably priced 36" dishes.
These ship easily, without causing the carrier to shift into overdrive for the oversize package of bigger dishes.
Shipping charges can get outrageous!

Both companies will probably ship two (or three?) in the same box, for a big savings.
.... and give you a discount on two+ dishes!
I'd expect 3' dishes would be sufficient in Texas, but let's hear from other residents or installers.

If you insist on 1.2m dishes, then I'd give the nod to the GeoSatPro 1.2's, due to their better elevation adjustment.
Went through that last year in a thread with JsatTV in Canada, if you want to look up reference material.

Mounting single DishPro LNBs to the LNB brackets is managed by removing the LNBs plastic casing.
Iceberg has written this up more than once, showing a naked Dish Network LNB in an FTA dish LNB-holder.

 

[GWL91006]

Thanks, I'll check them out

 

[Anole]

more info

Iceberg and Jsattv posts were in the FTA section, somewhere.
Iceberg is a moderator and posts up a storm, so finding anything he's said is a challenge.

Here is one thread where he shows a naked LNB.
Just ignore most of the chatter in that thread - Read what Ice said and shows.
Here is another of his pictures - the naked LNB is on the right; and the one to the left is a similar one, covered.
Ignore the one in the middle.
As you can see, the naked LNB can be grabbed by its neck with an LNB holder on an FTA dish.

 

[whatchel1]

.9 meter

I use a .9 meter dish and have little trouble with 129. Only really heavy rain storms give me problems.

 

[eurosport]

...the naked LNB can be grabbed by its neck...

Seriously though, before I started with FTA, my 1.2m Primestar was an AWESOME dish for the DirecTV sat at 101w, way back when I had D* and all the channels were on one sat. Signal at 100 and in a real bad rainstorm it would drop to about 60 or so....I'd lose A/C power before the TV went out!:up

 

[Sadoun]

Even a 24" dish would give you better signal gain than the smaller dishes you have.

The 90cm dish will even be better if you want higher gain.

 

[aegrotatio]

If you want to try a cheap solution get another DISH 500 from your local scrap yard and use an I-adapter with a dual (not twin) LNBF. The signal will be much stronger because the dish will be focusing the one signal at the optimal location.

I-adapters are rather hard to find. Most installations in my area (we have wings for HD) do not use them. I bought a bag of them online for around $5 each.

.

 

[peano]

The Winegard DS2077 76 cm 30" Inch is a good choice. Dish Network LNBs fit just fine without having to be "naked."

 

[Anole]

Here are direct links to the dishes on the Sadoun site,

and direct link to the dishes on the SatelliteAV site,

and a direct link to the dishes at GOsatellite.

That's all three of our site supporters.
Surely one of them will have something to suit.
There used to be an outside supplier who was a little cheaper, but you just came along a few months too late.

My first vote would be for 36" (= 90cm, = 3 feet), because you're not going to pay less for a smaller dish.
Of course, if you're really sure, then for second choice maybe the 48" (= 120cm, = 4 feet).

Keep us informed (and post some pictures) - :up

 

[blooker68]

For my 'Project: Mininum Rain Fade' I just installed a Winegard DS-2077 for the 61.5 bird. I was using a 20" Dish500 antenna with just one LNB and was showing a modded 30 signal strength on Transponder 32 (it's one of the two weakest 61.5 transponders seen at my location and where The Travel Channel is parked - one of my favorites and a primary reason driving this project). Ok signal strength, but any kind of heavy rain knocked it out. Using the single LNB from from my Dish 1000 set-up attached to the DS-2077, the modded signal strength is now 52. No rain today on the wx radar, so the real test is yet to come.

Note: The Winegard DS-2077 30 inch antenna is made specifically for the Dish LNB with the D shape at the F connectors. This made for an easy, easy, install.

Two more 30" antennas are planned to be used on 110 and 119. Another reason for doing 61.5 first is bacause it's where the HD is and most of our viewing.