SatelliteGuys Special: Satellite AV GEOSATpro 1.2M $99 + $100 Shipping

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SatelliteAV

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Sep 3, 2004
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A Great Deal on a Great Dish for Satellite Guys!

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GEOSATpro 1.2M Dish including shipping anywhere in the Continental US. $199

Order Now


Offer expires 4pm PDT, April 8th, 2011

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Now that's a big dish! What is the largest motor tube it will fit onto?

The largest OD for a mounting post is 3" (76mm)
The smallest OD that I mount is 2" (55mm)

The 3" (76mm) u-bolts will grab onto a 50mm OD mast or motor tube, but I would suggest that the installer use a strip of adhesive backed non-slip or coarse grit sand paper in the clamp to bite into the mast to prevent the clamp from slipping or spinning in extreme winds. The design facilitates and AcWxRadar has suggested using a 3rd u-bolt on smaller diameter tubes or masts.

The assembled hanging weight is only 27lbs, so it makes a great candidate for motorized systems.
 
I think we need a road trip to the west coast and get a bunch of them. We could bring them to us folks on the east coast and save on some shipping. Blind
 
It sounds like a good deal! :up

A few questions though:

- do you offer local pickup anywhere in North America, including at your distributor's facilities hopefully engaged in this promo? I'd really like to pick it up locally!

- the dish has F/D Ratio = 0.5, while most of your local competitors use F/D = 0.6 for a 120cm dish. Could you give some insight (without using generic terms like "best quality" :)), what were the exact factors prompting to pick such F/D Ratio, what advantages it can potentially deliver in fringe areas, when coupled with what LNB models? In what scenarios, for what satellites F/D = 0.6 may fit user needs better?

- What's the aperture angle of this dish, when measured from LNB mount point, i.e. from dish Focal Point? Is it the same in vertical and horizontal plans?

- speaking of Offset Dish F/D Ratio, is there a standard requesting every manufacturer to mean the same under this term in dish specs, and also giving its definition? Is Offset Dish F/D Ratio equal to originating Prime Focus Dish's? Why then Prime Focus dishes usually have 0.3, and offsets 0.6-0.7 despite being "cut" from a Prime Focus? What is your definition of F and D for an offset dish? Do you think, other makers in fact mean the same, when posting this spec? How to measure or calculate F and D values of an offset dish, and F/D Ratio?

- how would you compare this dish to Fortec Star, Azure Shine, and Jonsa 120mm performance wise, by surface geometry accuracy, and structurally? I'm trying to pick the right dish for a multifeed miniBUD. What matching C and Ku converter models would you suggest and why?

Thanks! :)
 
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What would be a good motor to match up with this dish?

You have a choice of many brands and models of motors featuring tubes ranging from 50mm - 55mm. The SG9120 from WS International is a example of a DiSEqC 1.2 / USALS motor that you might consider.
 
- do you offer local pickup anywhere in North America, including at your distributor's facilities hopefully engaged in this promo? I'd really like to pick it up locally!
This SatelliteGuys special is available for local pick-up at our main distribution facility near Sacramento, California.

- the dish has F/D Ratio = 0.5, while most of your local competitors use F/D = 0.6 for a 120cm dish. Could you give some insight (without using generic terms like "best quality" :)), what were the exact factors prompting to pick such F/D Ratio, what advantages it can potentially deliver in fringe areas, when coupled with what LNB models? In what scenarios, for what satellites F/D = 0.6 may fit user needs better?
This model was chosen for superior surface accuracy, side lobe attenuation and hardware design, finish and durability. We independently contract a facility to provide performance testing and ongoing batch samples. These measurements confirm the manufacturers specifications in the controlled test environment. We real-life test using samples of our competitors dishes and with multiple brands of KU band offset design LNBFs.

There is no real "one combination" as there are so many variables in hardware and signal performance which occur during real world testing. An LNBF incorporating a fixed scalar designed for offset design is an off the shelf solution and spec'ed .6 F/D ratio. These LNBFs actually have a wider range for an acceptable F/D ratio, but it is most important to pair for illumination and minimal cross polarization characteristics. The stated .1 difference in specifications of the LNBF and the dish is negligible in performance measurement. The surface accuracy along with the rejection on side lobes due to the lower F/D ratio are the primary strength of this dish. In addition, the lower F/D ratio and similar horizontal and vertical dimensional ratios provides a slight edge for micro-bud testing with increased performance using the regular flat scalar rather than the conical scalar, which does not properly illuminate the reflector.

- What's the aperture angle of this dish, when measured from LNB mount point, i.e. from dish Focal Point? Is it the same in vertical and horizontal plans?
I do not have that data, but the vertical aperture angle would need be slightly greater. Since an offset parabolic design exhibits lower performance (-10% roll-off) near the edges, the gains in scalar design to optimize for this slight variation of aperture angle would be minimized.

- speaking of Offset Dish F/D Ratio, is there a standard requesting every manufacturer to mean the same under this term in dish specs, and also giving its definition? Is Offset Dish F/D Ratio equal to originating Prime Focus Dish's? Why then Prime Focus dishes usually have 0.3, and offsets 0.6-0.7 despite being "cut" from a Prime Focus? What is your definition of F and D for an offset dish? Do you think, other makers in fact mean the same, when posting this spec? How to measure or calculate F and D values of an offset dish, and F/D Ratio?
There is a method for calculating and an industry testing standard for measuring and expressing the F and D and the ratio, which our specifications reflect. I am unsure if other manufacturers and importers list correctly or if it is like the 0.1 - 0.2NR / 70 - 75dB gain LNBF marketing BS that some are currently polluting the market to show their product superiority for the uneducated.

Sorry, I am a LNBF and a STB design geek, but unfortunately I am not an a parabolic RF design guru.... I understand enough to be dangerous and am very competent in choosing RD partners, contracting reliable manufacturing partners and distributing quality products. :D Here is some interesting reading for you http://www.qsl.net/n1bwt/chap5.pdf. Ran across this calculator some time ago, but have never tried it. Offset Reflector Calculation

- how would you compare this dish to Fortec Star, Azure Shine, and Jonsa 120mm performance wise, by surface geometry accuracy, and structurally? I'm trying to pick the right dish for a multifeed miniBUD. What matching C and Ku converter models would you suggest and why?
Fortec Star brand is no longer imported into North America, but some dealers are still selling off old inventory. The Fortec Star 1.2 is cheaply constructed and lightweight .7t non-galvanized steel. We were the largest distributor of Fortec Star products in North America for several years and we refused to carry any of their dishes due to the poor quality and design. Both Jonsa (once manufacturer of Fortec Star dishes) and Azure Shine manufacture many different models. Some models are well designed with great hardware and others are cheap junk. We partner with Azure Shine on many custom projects including the build on both the 90cm and 1.2M dishes. We pay premium prices for these dishes as these are of "A" build quality and include custom parts not found in any other model. The brackets, assembly hardware and finish are unique to our demanding specifications and the product is superior to any competitor's dish in our market. Our primary markets for the 1.2M are the DTH fringe footprint home user, hobbyist and basic commercial installations. We would not consider this to be a mid or high end commercial product or be applicable for installations continued exposure to extreme conditions.

With that said, your multi-feed project has it's own requirements that are not likely met by a dish designed for a single feed. For starters, I would guess that if you are trying for optimized performance and probably would want to go with a shallow reflector that is designed for multiple feeds rather than adapting a deeper design or lower F/D ratio. Unfortunately, I would not be able to comment on the application of the GEOSATpro 1.2M for multiple satellite reception other than on one set-up I am covering approximately 30 degrees 93W - 123W with a fixed 1.2M with acceptable CNRs on the ends.

Hope that this information is beneficial and helps you decide if this product is a candidate for your project.
 
I wanted to add a few questions to above answered ones: :)

- this dish spec shows 80% aperture efficiency resulting in 43 Dbi gain in Ku-band freq range. A competitor's dish of same size shows 70% efficiency with gain 42.1 Dbi in Ku-band. What technological advances resulted in significantly higher specked efficiency of your dish, and why it didn't result in proportionally higher signal gain?

- what's gage (sheet metal thickness) of this dish?

- what "shallow reflector" do you have in mind? That would mean even lower F/D ratio? Actually, I'm aiming at a motorized C / Ku multifeed - I know its unusual choice, but not everywhere. :) So for this purpose your above 30 deg range will be quite good. Knowing, how careful you're, I wonder if this dish can be picked up nearby... :)

Thanks again!
 
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Brian,

Another question. What lnb would correctly illuminate this dish?

Any off the shelf KU-band LNBF designed for an offset design dish. These LNBFs are typically spec'd at .6 FD ratio, but this is not an exact design and will not reflect a mismatch.

Maybe of interest...... I have a project with a scalar prototype for the GEOSATpro SL2 and I can squeeze out an additional 8% on problematic transponders on a 90cm.
GEOSATpro KU Scaler.JPG GEOSATpro KU Scaler.2.JPG
 
I wanted to add a few questions to above answered ones: :)

- this dish spec shows 80% aperture efficiency resulting in 43 Dbi gain in Ku-band freq range. A competitor's dish of same size shows 70% efficiency with gain 42.1 Dbi in Ku-band. What technological advances resulted in significantly higher specked efficiency of your dish, and why it didn't result in proportionally higher signal gain?
The GEOSATpro 1.2M reflector is produced to meet stringent Intelsat VSAT approval, but is packaged in this RX only package. These specifications are confirmed with independent lab testing and I would not expect any higher gain on our design. I suspect that the design of the .6 F/D ratio comparison reflector has significantly different side lobe or effective aperture characteristics.

To properly calculate the gain of this other dish we would need to know the variables such as the testing frequency, effective aperture, actual physical surface area, side lobe performance. It would also be beneficial to know the beam width for real life signal performance comparison.

- what's gage (sheet metal thickness) of this dish?
1.0T
 
Thanks Brian!

Since we were talking about dish calculations and specs, it may also benefit FTA fans to learn, how a typical dish is manufactured. I c/p this from a known dish maker brochure. Hope, this will further your Promo effort: :)

The Procedure of Dish Manufacture
There are altogether four main steps in the process for the whole satellite dish manufacture.
First is the mechanical machining process. In this process, the raw material for the reflector and its accessories part will be cut, formed with parabolic shape, punched or welded.

A. Cutting Process
1. Within this process, the steel coil is unfolded on an assembly line
2. The rough shape of the satellite dish reflector is then marked by technicians on the reflector mould against the unfolded steel sheet.
3. By using electric shears, technicians cut the rough shape of the reflector from the steel sheet according to the marks carved on the sheet.
4. The cutting machine is used to cut the raw steel pipes or steel belt plate to particular dimensions, which will be used in dish construction.

B. Shaping Process
1. The cut-down rough shaped reflector plate is put into the pressing machine to shape the reflector by a particular mould. The reflector is formed into a parabolic shape. Each time before the technicians put the rough shaped reflector plate into the pressing machine, the surface of the steel plate must be cleaned to avoid dusts forming tiny dents on the formed reflector.
2. The formed reflector is fed into the edge-cutting machine & drilling machine to cut the spare edge of the reflector & drill the reflector holes.
3. A punching machine, bending machine , welding machine, etc. are used to shape the various accessories from the raw materials.

C. PRE-PROCESSING BEFORE POWDER COATING
1. Oil Removal
The oil left on the surface of the work pieces during storage, transportation and processing is removed.
2. Pickling
Any oxide coating like tiny rust stains are removed from the components.
3. Neutralization Treatment
The acid wash residue on the surface of the components (especially the accessories) is removed to avoid any detrimental effect to the surface treatment liquid.
4. Surface Treatment
The main purpose of this procedure is to eliminate the rough surface and to form a uniform crystalline surface which enhances the speed of the phosphorization protective preparation.
5. Phosphorization Protective Preparation
In this process, the surface of the component will be coated with a layer of reactive phosphate which gives components a quality of anti-corrosion resistance.

D. ELECTROSTATIC POLYESTER POWDER COATING
Automatic polyester powder coating line is used for the surface coating. This is out of state automatic powder coating line with multi transportation chain and controls precise coating thickness automatically. The outdoor polyester powder comes from the world famous factories with perfect & reliable performance.
 
Thanks for posting the manufacturing steps. Definitely great information that I had not thought of passing on!

Members might also be interested that the moulds have a limited estimated life span for the number of presses. The moulds are a very valuable and guarded asset which are normally destroyed to a when no longer producing a product to spec. The moulds and reflectors are spot checked throughout the production run for accuracy. When the OEM specification is not being exceeded, the production is stopped and corrective measures are taken or the units are pulled for "B" stock customers.

FYI: The accepted manufacturing variance for the GEOSATpro 1.2m is RMS ?0.5mm (500µm). For comparison, commercial offset dishes of similar size are typically rated RMS ?0.45 (450µm) and consumer, solid 6 panel design dish typically is RMS ?1.5mm (1500µm).
 
For all prospective buyers of this dish...

My brother and I bought four of these a few years ago. I have a write up regarding the installation and setup here somewhere - with pix and tips. Look into the eq review section.

I am still using this dish today, right now in fact, and so is my brother. I sincerely recommend it highly. It is a well constucted dish and works very well with all of the LNBFs that I have tested over the past few years. My brother has converted one of his into a Mini-Bud and is getting quite amazing results from several C-Band sats with it. I watched some of these C-Band channels (from 91.0°W Galaxy 17) this weekend and they were clear as a bell!

Now, please understand that I am not trying to add to any sales pitch here. But, when I know a really good (or a really bad) product, I am going to let you know about it. This dish is really quite good, so if you are looking for something along this line, I can give you first hand information that it is worth it.

I mounted this dish on my DG-380 Power Tech motor. If you do the same, you will have to be aware that the DG-380 motor tube is possibly a bit small and has a very slick finish. You need to apply either a third U-Bolt or some doubled over sand paper around the motor stem so that there is more surface area contact to prevent the dish mount from slipping on the motor stem (tube). I used a third U-Bolt and it has been fine through all weather conditions and extreme winds for several years (65-70 mph gusts did not phase it).

RADAR
 
Looks like the SG-9120A motor would be a perfect fit for this dish. The bottom of the motor shaft has a "lip" that would prevent the dish from sliding off.
 
Looks like the SG-9120A motor would be a perfect fit for this dish. The bottom of the motor shaft has a "lip" that would prevent the dish from sliding off.

Where would I want to buy one of these? I looked at the WS International web site, didn't see how to buy from them or what the price is.
 
I have a handful of comments relative to this dish. I currently am very happy with three of these, two on motors (DG-380 and on C-band HH motor) and one fixed. I heartily recommended another to a friend, who is also using a DG-380.

For the DG-380 I reamed out the mount's holes to use three, larger diameter U-bolts griping a section of 2" Schedule 40 PVC split in half over the motor tube. I have a lot of high wind, and this prevents the slipping I saw with stock parts. However the dish with the DG-380 bounces around in even moderate winds and easily loses lock, so I tried mounting the second dish to a HH motor. This is far more stable, but not perfect for reasons I did not discover until I put up the fixed dish. I thought the latter would be a no-brainer, but it too wobbled.

Finally I went up during one of the wind storms to see what the problem was. I put a laser level on different parts - the pole was rock solid but the sheet metal mount of the dish that attaches to the pole and dish was flexing laterally. This appears to be the weak link and would require heavier gauge metal or more reinforcement to withstand my winds. In the end I stabilized the LNB on the fixed dish with a lightweight pole and it will hold lock during horrid wind storms. I presume few others have wind problems like I do, as I have seen no one else commenting on it.

With regard to zamar's f/D question, this isn't completely tiddlywinks. If you have a true 0.6 f/D feed/LNBF on a 0.5 f/D 1.2m dish, you are reducing the effective diameter the feed sees to 1.0m. That's theoretically a 1.6 dB loss, which isn't small in my book. However there is more to the story, some good, some bad. The GEOSATpro 1.2m does appear to be a very accurate and solid dish. It will certainly outperform flimsy 1.2m dishes, even those with a matched f/D.

On the other hand it's often tricky to ascertain the actual f/D of a Ku feed. I have measured some LNBFs that were spec'ed at 0.6 as even higher, but haven't found one that measures 0.5. I did hack a Ku feed to be adjustable up to nearly 0.6. It did measure higher CNRs on the GEOSATpro 1.2m when set to a lower f/D. But since I picked up a 1.8m Prodelin offset, maximum CNRs off my 1.2m dishes are no longer that important to me and I'm back to using stock LNBFs and taking the gain hit.

I have no interest in miniBUDs, but a low f/D should be a big plus in adapting C-band feeds as has been pointed out before. All in all I've been very happy with my three dishes, and for this price it's nearly a steal.
 
Tiddlywinks? :idea:

Interesting comment. Just looked at dish mounting bracket again, and don't see a hole for a screw to go through motor shaft perpendicular to it - to make dish & motor alignment easier. Is it there? Yaah, it may be a bit weak to handle high wind pressure - my 95cm Jonsa dish bracket suffers from it too, especially at higher winds. Since the inner bracket is large enough, for extreme conditions it can possibly be reinforced by inserting some stiffness profile(s). :)
 
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