Does anybody out there use a Sadoun 6' solid dish for ku reception? If so, how well do they perform for it? I'm considering putting one up that I've had stored away since last year when I started in FTA. It would be dedicated for ku reception only but I don't want to go to the trouble if it's not a good dish for it. Thanks!
Since you posted this in the "shack" sub-forum (dedicated for non-technical matters), I feel free to comment on it in non-technical aspect.
It reminds me of an ancient question put to wise (and blind) men : How does an elephant look like?
The blind men resorted (wisely) to experiments : they attempted to touch the subject.
As they touched different parts of the animal, their reports differed widely.
Since we can not see waves coming from satellites, we are also blind to them...
But, there is a way around, we can use visible light, to see, what's going on...
For some time, I try to promote usage of small mirrors on dishes to evaluate their usefulness for satellite reception.
Let's see, what your posted question can get:
1. Member "A" answers : my 6" Sadoun works fine on Ku band.
2. Member "B" answers : my 6" Sadoun did not perform well, I do not recommend it (unknown to member "B", his dish was distorted and did not focus well)
You need to evaluate YOUR dish yourself: just get some small mirrors and attach them to the dish and direct the dish to the Sun (hopefully, the weather co-operates...)
If you get the focal spot concise and small, (resembling ping-pong , or, golf, ball), fitting to the face of ANY Ku LNBF, then, the dish is OK for Ku reception.
If you see that the focal spot is sized like an orange, then, it means, some energy from satellite will miss the Ku LNBF, but, probably, the reception is still feasible, albeit weaker quality.
In case the focal spot is an elongated bar, the dish needs braces to get the focal spot small and round.
It would be useful for all members, as a form of "legitimacy" for this experiment, to confirm, how it worked (if you take some pictures and post them).
Sylvan Goldman, inventor of shopping cart, had to hire actors to promote his invention and overcome initial resistance to it.
Hopefully, visualisation of geometry of satellite dishes with small mirrors finally gets acceptance of Satellite Guys.
Cheers, polgyver