Plastic cap over feed opening.

[guapoharry]

Two questions:
1. I have a Chaparral C-band feedhorn plus LNB. The plastic cap over the feed horn opening has a crack on the circumference. It still holds, but where can you get a replacement? Would some jury rigged substitute work?

2. I'm considering acquisition an LNBF that is missing its plastic cap. Short of some obvious defect like corrosion, is this a problem to avoid? Or, doesn't it matter? Don't LNBs have film barriers to prevent moisture and other crap from getting inside, generally?

Thanks.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Would some jury rigged substitute work?

When that happened to mine, I stretched a pair of Mama's old drawers over it (her idea) and secured them with plastic ties. The material was thin enough to let the signals in and I didn't see anymore varmits around the area.

My first one had been out there about 20 years, when it broke I just tossed it and didn't think anything about it. A couple of years later I couldn't get the polarity to change. When I checked the opening it had a giant wasp nest in it and was full of those babies. A little wasp spay and that was it. The above fix worked until I got around to buying a new one.

Any of the advertisers on this site should have the caps.

 

[guapoharry]

OK. Guess the part is not as rare or esoteric as I expected. It's called a throat cover. On the Chaparral web site, they sell for $2, but a $25 minimum order is required.

Additionally, I searched around and found the same part cost from $0.79 all the way up to $9.99!

Edit: No wonder it's $0.79. Their shipping looks to be UPS 3.5 pounds minimum. $12 shipping for something that weighs 2 ounces...

Guess I'll jury rig something.

 

[sergei]

Check out SkyVision they have them....

 

[mikekohl]

Try a dab of fingernail polish over the split to see if it holds, at least temporarily.
When it gets beyond that point, our friends at Skyvision are the best source for this type of thing.