Rebuilding an Prodelin/Andrew 1.8

[gabshere]

hunting through my old junk box i found a feedhorn that would probably work for your dish .... it would be for ku only though ( .... EDIT ok uploaded a pic its a c120 flange type lnb or one of the older lnb it has a norsat 1208HA ku lnb on it now )


the part listed by mikelib i think he sent to another user who needed it ( Dee Ann already found the post that list it ) here's another.


prodelin 1.8 manual

after looking at it for a while i actually think this one is for a prime focus dish so it might not work

but there is a bracket that sadoun sold ( I'm sure others did too) that probably could be adapted to your dish ... it was a prime focus adapter for a big dish would probably have to adjust it a bit to make it fit offset dish

 

[Dee_Ann]

Well once again good weather and three dogs forced me to spend the whole day outside.


So I was standing around and I decided to wave an LNB around in front of the dish to see if it would light up on anything.
I put an LNB on a cable and a meter then put the little squealy meter in the middle. Boy, did it ever light up!
I moved from side to side and I could see and hear it hitting many satellites across the arc.

So I decided to see if I could rig up something to hold the LNB. I found a 2x4 and I hacked a notch in it to lay the LNB in then cut off a chunk and screwed the arms to it.

I set the elevation for 97w and swung it around a tiny bit and BOOM! I was getting RT at 90/55 which I think was pretty acceptable considering that this was as redneck as it gets.

I still would like to buy a factory original bracket but I think I can build one (with a lot of help from Dad) out of aluminum that would do a pretty good job until then.

This dish is so big that I figure I've got room for error. Probably a lot of room..


I wish I could afford a polar mount for it, I would LOVE to have this thing as a motorized KU dish!
But even without a motor, I can mount several LNB's and still be ahead of the game..

I'm well pleased with today's experiment. It's not at all meant to be permanent, not by any means, it was just to see if I can get anything at all. The focal point is off for one thing and several other issues prevent me from using this wood holder but it does show me that I'm headed in the right direction..

 

[primestar31]

I spent a month trying to convert my Prodelin 1.8m dish to a polar mount. But in the end, I realised that the dish is simply TOO MUCH weight for almost any polar mount out there. Since it's an off-set dish, you have to have too much down-tilt to compensate. This really throws off the balance of the polar mount, and makes it unstable. If you had a polar mount for say a 12ft fiberglass dish, and a large and strong mounting pole, MAYBE you could make it work. It still doesn't change that the dish would have so much extra down-tilt as to be unstable.

I looked around and saw a few people out there that used an Ajak HH mount (there's some threads floating around here), and got my hands on one of those, mostly through good luck as Michigan isn't known for H to H mounts. That was just before the snow was flying, so my Prodelin is still on it's fixed mount at the moment. I highly suggest if you are serious, you track down an Ajak HH of your own that's usable.

 

[toucan-man]

...If you had a polar mount for say a 12ft fiberglass dish, and a large and strong mounting pole, MAYBE you could make it work. It still doesn't change that the dish would have so much extra down-tilt as to be unstable...

Glad to hear this, probably saved me a lot of time and fruitless effort. Can't wait to read about your AJAK project.

 

[primestar31]

Glad to hear this, probably saved me a lot of time and fruitless effort. Can't wait to read about your AJAK project.

The hardest part by far for me (bad back) is going to be lifting the Prodelin back off the pole I have it sitting on right now to get the Ajak under it. It's on a 7 ft tall pole, and i am not looking forward to lifting it back off. I made a jin-pole out of an 21' aluminum extension ladder, a come-along, a 2" muffler hanger clamp (drilled through the fiberglass top middle back dish ring, and bolted this through there for a lifting point), some trailer holddown straps tied to a tree right behind that pole, then to the ladder bottom, middle, and top to tilt it for overhanging the pole. Kinda like the way the boom hangs out from a crane. I then put the fixed az/el mount by itself on the pole and set it properly and tightened it down. I then lifted the dish up that 7 plus feet as my wife just helped balance it at the bottom so it wouldn't suddenly swing off to the side. Once I got it cranked nearly in position, I then used a tall stepladder and slapped in the bolts to bolt the dish to the mount. It was a bit exciting, as the very top of the extension ladder actually FLEXED almost 1 foot from the weight and strain of that beast of a dish. That ladder owes me nothing though so even if it had been permanently damaged, it would have been worth it.

Back when I was in my 30's in the mid '90's, I did the same thing with a 300lb plus 11'~ fiberglass dish ON the polar mount, up and on top of a 12' pole all by myself.... I used a chain-drive come-along with that one, as I could see the possibility of the cable snapping on a lesser model.

I need to get my hands on a REAL satellite dish jin-pole, or see if somebody nearby could loan me one for a few days. Jin-poles are expensive, even if you can find one.

 

[Dee_Ann]

What about this?

http://www.satellitesuperstore.com/dishes-motors2.htm#andrews18mot


Other than it looks really flippin expensive, it appears someone has solved the problem.

In addition to the big $$$ price tag, shipping from the UK would be a killer.. As best I can tell, it's a UK dealer.
And I don't know if they would sell just the backside hardware minus the dish.

If nothing else, it's good to know that someone seems to have figured it out..

 

[Dee_Ann]

The hardest part by far for me (bad back) is going to be lifting the Prodelin back off the pole I have it sitting on right now to get the Ajak under it. It's on a 7 ft tall pole, and i am not looking forward to lifting it back off. I made a jin-pole out of an 21' aluminum extension ladder, a come-along, a 2" muffler hanger clamp (drilled through the fiberglass top middle back dish ring, and bolted this through there for a lifting point), some trailer holddown straps tied to a tree right behind that pole, then to the ladder bottom, middle, and top to tilt it for overhanging the pole. Kinda like the way the boom hangs out from a crane. I then put the fixed az/el mount by itself on the pole and set it properly and tightened it down. I then lifted the dish up that 7 plus feet as my wife just helped balance it at the bottom so it wouldn't suddenly swing off to the side. Once I got it cranked nearly in position, I then used a tall stepladder and slapped in the bolts to bolt the dish to the mount. It was a bit exciting, as the very top of the extension ladder actually FLEXED almost 1 foot from the weight and strain of that beast of a dish. That ladder owes me nothing though so even if it had been permanently damaged, it would have been worth it.

Back when I was in my 30's in the mid '90's, I did the same thing with a 300lb plus 11'~ fiberglass dish ON the polar mount, up and on top of a 12' pole all by myself.... I used a chain-drive come-along with that one, as I could see the possibility of the cable snapping on a lesser model.

I need to get my hands on a REAL satellite dish jin-pole, or see if somebody nearby could loan me one for a few days. Jin-poles are expensive, even if you can find one.

Some years ago when I was digging through google images for pictures of satellite dishes and how people installed them, I saw some pictures of a sorta crane like thing that clamped to the pole and used a crank, one version had a motor winch that would lift the dish up and set it in place. Or remove it as well. It looked crazy simple and effective. If I could find one for sale somewhere I would buy one because both myself and my dad are not in any condition to be doing stuff like that anymore and I no longer have anyone else I can ring up for help. My dad and I put that Prodelin 1.8 on the pole and it was KILLER! I don't know what it weighs but it was really heavy. It's pretty much going to be staying there permanently..


I just went digging around trying to find those photos and google led me back to SGUS..


http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/130885-Satellite-Dish-Crane-in-Action?p=1469309#post1469309


Here's a post with one actually being used, http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/130885-Satellite-Dish-Crane-in-Action?p=1509141#post1509141

In that thread there are a LOT of really great ideas for ways to put up dishes yourself.
I'm going to talk to my dad about building one of these little cranes for future use..

 

[RT-Cat]

Dee,
Really like your 2 X 4 LNB holder. That is a classic. At least it gave you info that making a final version of metal will be worth the work involved.
.
Another dish lift that works. Takes too long to set up though. It did get that winegard up without much effort.

 

[Tron]

With the heavy dishes, it's all about leverage. I'm always thinking of creative ways to get them down, and one day, I'll figure out how best to take down that 12' Paraclipse I've been eyeing.

 

[RT-Cat]

With the heavy dishes, it's all about leverage. I'm always thinking of creative ways to get them down, and one day, I'll figure out how best to take down that 12' Paraclipse I've been eyeing.

Better get it before someone else does! Or the owner decides to scrap it out!
The one I want the motel owner will not let it go without many $$$$$$$, too many.

 

[mmewrench]

With the heavy dishes, it's all about leverage. I'm always thinking of creative ways to get them down, and one day, I'll figure out how best to take down that 12' Paraclipse I've been eyeing.

When I brought mine home, we used a sawzall to cut the pole and lowered the whole assembly (there were four of us). When the cut was 2/3 through the pole we started to lean it and bring it down slowly. Once it was on the ground disassembly was easy.

 

[toucan-man]

When I brought mine home, we used a sawzall to cut the pole and lowered the whole assembly (there were four of us). When the cut was 2/3 through the pole we started to lean it and bring it down slowly. Once it was on the ground disassembly was easy.

Did the pole break free from the "stump" or did you saw that after the dish was lowered.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Well I have the lawn chair dish and now the 2x4 dish.

I piddled with it again this morning and realized it wasn't aimed at the center. It's also not at the focal point either.

I loosened the bottom screw so I could tip it up more and get it aimed at the center a little better.

(I'll have to post pics in a separate post, my Jurassic iPad v1 won't let me post pics to forums. No flash and the site app wont run on ios 5.1)

I laid a stick in there to help me aim. I didn't really gain much doing this. I did discover that I can skew the LNB all over the place and tip it a good bit in any direction and still get a strong signal on 97. I guess because the dish is so big the signal reflected is way more powerful than the little LNB was designed for.

Now I want to do some crazy stupid experiments. Like what is a ku signal that's notoriously weak and hard to get?
I need it to be mpeg2, old school like most of the stuff on 97, such as RT that my old school tuner/meter can pick up.
i don't want to drag out my microHD and cords and a screen just for messing around. I just want to try this with my handheld tuner. I don't think this dish will see past 125 but should be able to see over to 61.


So, how should I torment myself today?

 

[Dee_Ann]

I hope I can post the pics from my iPhone.


Ah yes. Here we go. Redneck LNB alignment tool.

Posted with my iPhone 5 using the SatelliteGuys app

 

[mmewrench]

Did the pole break free from the "stump" or did you saw that after the dish was lowered.

I finished sawing through the pole as the dish was lowered. Afterwards I made four verticle cuts in the stump so It could be folded over below grade (saves on lawn mower blades).

 

[FaT Air]

"What, no duct tape" Red Green
Little bit 'o paint and I'd likely call it permanent.

Like what is a ku signal that's notoriously weak and hard to get?

Weak Ku? I'd have to say FSTV over on 123W. 11848 V 1784
Then 11772 V 3361 on the same satellite.

 

[Dee_Ann]

"What, no duct tape" Red Green
Little bit 'o paint and I'd likely call it permanent.
Weak Ku? I'd have to say FSTV over on 123W. 11848 V 1784
Then 11772 V 3361 on the same satellite.

Yes, I remember having absolutely no luck hitting FSTV before on my 1.2m dish and it wasn't jury rigged at all, it was 100% proper. I eventually gave up on it.

I don't want to drag the microHD out there so I'll try to hit the satellite with my hand held meter then go inside and see what comes in via tuner. I've got a wire out there that I can hook it into my system with.

This should be interesting..

 

[gabshere]

The dish is large enough I bet u could mount 5 or 6 Lnbf Mike kohl has several examples on his site global something. ( sorry on my phone). This would free up some of your other dishes if you chose this route

 

[Dee_Ann]

The dish is large enough I bet u could mount 5 or 6 Lnbf Mike kohl has several examples on his site global something. ( sorry on my phone). This would free up some of your other dishes if you chose this route

HEH.... I'm sure you're right...

I have a triple LNB bracket coming in tomorrow. I've got to build some sort of primary holder since that's missing, then with the triple added on I wouldn't be surprised if I can pick up four.

 

[Tron]

Better get it before someone else does! Or the owner decides to scrap it out!
The one I want the motel owner will not let it go without many $$$$$$$, too many.

It's nice, but definitely a fixer-upper. Missing a couple of mesh panels...