Pics of completed P* project - thanks for all the help!

[K'bick]

Just wanted to share some pics of the completed Primestar project. Everything went up on the roof last week and is working great so far! In the process I've become a big fan of the P*/Channel Master dishes.

Thanks to all of you who helped me work out the proper feed support length and feed/LNB from the pile of miscellaneous parts I started with.

 

[SpiffWilkie]

Just wanted to share some pics of the completed Primestar project. Everything went up on the roof last week and is working great so far! In the process I've become a big fan of the P*/Channel Master dishes.

Thanks to all of you who helped me work out the proper feed support length and feed/LNB from the pile of miscellaneous parts I started with.

Nice mount. That looks very sturdy with the extra bracing halfway up the pole.

 

[Cadsulfide]

Pretty nice!

 

[putney]

welcome to the primestar club! I love mine. Now just throw on a C-Band LNB and you're good for another dozen channels!

 

[Mr Tony]

VERY cool pics :clap:clap

 

[turbosat]

Very nice, good paint job too! Hate to climb up there to work on it though, hehe.
Putney, that is an amazing setup you built, first I've seen of it. Award-winning.

 

[K'bick]

welcome to the primestar club! I love mine. Now just throw on a C-Band LNB and you're good for another dozen channels!

Whoa! Thats a killer setup there Putney.. I can see now that I am not even scratching the surface with P*!

What kind of C band reception can you get with your P*? I assume thats an 84e dish?


Very cool!!

 

[purenrg]

Nice looking setup!!! What motor are you running, and what size is your P* dish?

 

[Anole]

K'bick -

Ya done good! Must'a been gettin' some fine advice, there! -
Great paint job.
Dandy LNB.
Wise reuse of the original feedhorn.
Not excited about using the entire original mount, but the upper pole bracing probably helps! - :up
And if you are trackin' the arc, then it doesn't get much better.
Congrats.!. -

 

[ChuckBoozer]

Great job!

Can't beat the Channel Master dishes....love all 3 of my Primestars (70E, 75E and 84E) and look forward to playing with my 2 brand new Channel Master dishes that I just added to my collection (90cm and 1m).

 

[1ADAM12]

Glad to see you used the original mount and got the larger motor tube. Very professional.

 

[putney]

Whoa! Thats a killer setup there Putney.. I can see now that I am not even scratching the surface with P*!

What kind of C band reception can you get with your P*? I assume thats an 84e dish?


Very cool!!

Yes 84e.

My strongest signal is 60%Q on my azbox with WAPA on 97ºw.

Most are in the 30%Q range which has been a stable lock in rain and overcast.

My weakest (and most recent) lock is at 12%Q...and it's solid!

I have a total of 15 usable channels, but have scanned in many more (Most duplicate christian broadcast with different languages).

The best thing I find is by mounting my C-band LNB is 10º off center and circular LNB is 9º off center, it makes them very easy to motor to.

For 91ºwC I motor to 101ºwKu, then menu back to 91ºwC and save a DiSEqC setting, then 107ºKu for 97ºC, 119ºKu for 99ºC, 121ºKu for 111.1ºC, 110º for 119º(circular) and so on. When browsing it makes for no motor movement between the sats that share the same locate points!

I find this setup satisfying enough to hold me until I can upgrade to a 6'...and I have my eye on one.

 

[Crocodile Locke]

K'bick - Looks like a very rugged mounting to me. Nice work. :up

 

[K'bick]

Nice looking setup!!! What motor are you running, and what size is your P* dish?

Thanks! Its an 84e dish (1M oval) and the motor is a Sadoun DG380. Its a great little motor.

 

[Babadem]

Yes 84e.

My strongest signal is 60%Q on my azbox with WAPA on 97ºw.

Most are in the 30%Q range which has been a stable lock in rain and overcast.

My weakest (and most recent) lock is at 12%Q...and it's solid!

I have a total of 15 usable channels, but have scanned in many more (Most duplicate christian broadcast with different languages).

The best thing I find is by mounting my C-band LNB is 10º off center and circular LNB is 9º off center, it makes them very easy to motor to.

For 91ºwC I motor to 101ºwKu, then menu back to 91ºwC and save a DiSEqC setting, then 107ºKu for 97ºC, 119ºKu for 99ºC, 121ºKu for 111.1ºC, 110º for 119º(circular) and so on. When browsing it makes for no motor movement between the sats that share the same locate points!

I find this setup satisfying enough to hold me until I can upgrade to a 6'...and I have my eye on one.

I'm thinking of doing something simillar.

 

[K'bick]

K'bick -

Ya done good! Must'a been gettin' some fine advice, there! -
Great paint job.
Dandy LNB.
Wise reuse of the original feedhorn.
Not excited about using the entire original mount, but the upper pole bracing probably helps! - :up
And if you are trackin' the arc, then it doesn't get much better.
Congrats.!. -

Thank you sir! I got some great advice indeed. Special thanks to the guys who helped me out with the feed arm measurements.

The original mount that came with that dish was a 3-piece with integrated skew and it was *heavy*. The actual mount I used is a lighter, unmodified 75e mount sans skew. I chose not to make/retrofit anything lighter because of the high winds we get combined with the high up location of the dish.

I've read where many people have had problems with weight when motorizing a P* dish however the setup you see in the pics is actually about 4.5 pounds lighter than a 1M Fortec * setup I originally had up there. The DG380 motor does move the P* noticably faster.

The mast was originally designed to withstand very high wind loads across the face of a 1M round dish (the original Fortec * setup). With the lighter P* dish that has less surface area its not going anywhere.

 

[GreatFTA]

Absolutely great pictures! I love those Primestar Dishes!
Welcome to the Primestar Fan Club!

 

[purenrg]

Hay K'bick, did you have enough clamping pressure using the P* mount or did you use a PVC insert ?

 

[K'bick]

Hay K'bick, did you have enough clamping pressure using the P* mount or did you use a PVC insert ?

I used a PVC insert. Once the PVC was on the motor tube it was a very tight fit getting the P* mount to slide on. I had to remove the three compression bolts on the side of the mount and open it with a small pry bar to get it to slide on.

That wasn't the easiest part of the assembly for sure but considering that type of connection I was happy with the fit.

 

[ziggy1222]

Looks good. Can you tell me the approximate diameter of the arm on the motor and how did you build it up to the 2 3/8" ID of the primestar mount? Thanks.