Smallest C-Band Dish
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Much larger than any HOA is going to allow (because regulations only force them to allow 1m dishes).
This same question came up 12 years ago (and probably many times in between):
Smallest dish size for C Band
The search feature can be your friend if you let it.
This same question came up 12 years ago (and probably many times in between):
Smallest dish size for C Band
The search feature can be your friend if you let it.
I live in a Mobile Home Park, where I own my home. We all have our own yards. I have seen some 120cm dishes in another park like mine, and it was c-band. Just wondering what kind of reception you would get. Of course way back my 10ft c-band dish was using 120deg lnb. Not sure what the lowest deg are today.
Regardless of what you thought you saw, the recommendations seem pretty universal that you need something larger than 150cm for reliable results on the popular satellites. If you search as I suggested, other threads almost universally come to the same conclusion.
97W seems to be widely recognized for having relatively low signals and that probably has a lot to do with the recommendations.
I have no issue with someone asking repeat questions. We want to encourage participation on the forum to run it off. 
mr.crane look at LyngSat or Sathint.com and you will see what is currently available. You can get some with a 4 footer but will be very, very limited. You really need to try for an eight footer or bigger.
mr.crane look at LyngSat or Sathint.com and you will see what is currently available. You can get some with a 4 footer but will be very, very limited. You really need to try for an eight footer or bigger.
4 foot is the bare minimum, 6 foot really should be the bare minimum, and after installing either of those choices, you'll be disgruntled and WISH within a week or so that you had installed a 10 footer.
I have been looking at houses lately and I was looking at some of the gated neighborhoods in central FL. They all have the large powerful HOAs and most have privacy fenced backyard. In that case, couldn't I not put up my 7.5" mesh on the smallest polar mount that allows it to turn and have it below or right at the fence line? Has anyone tried this?
I chose a house based on the area not having an HOA, so I'm not an expert but I imagine an HOA is really only concerned with what can be seen from the street/neighbors.
If your fences are 6 feet high and you stick to satellites in the center of your arc, you can probably fix up a 7.5ft dish that doesn't poke over the fence line. A few 8ft bushes/trees in pots along the fence line between the dish and the street would further stealth your set up.
You just run the risk of someone seeing it and complaining.
If you're looking at a smaller dish, such as a 4-6 footer, look at the forecast signal strength in central Florida. If you put your location in Lyngsat, it's listed under the transponder frequency. Obviously, the higher the number, the stronger the signal.
You also need to look at the transmission specs: DVB-S will be easier to receive than DVB-S2, lower FECs such as 2/3 or 3/4 have much more error correction (and so much more tolerant of poor signals) than 7/8 or 9/10.
It won't help you with a C-band dish, but remember the FCC says you can have an outdoor TV antenna and dish up to 1 meter on your property. This overrides all HOA rules.: Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule
I tried with a 90 cm and a 4-footer and did not get any satisfying results. The only channel I was able to get reliably was "The Word" on 91W. I was also getting Art Showcase quite well on 91W, BBC radio on 55.5W, the LESEA mux on 99W but not reliably, and Telesur on 113W with great difficulties.
surprisingly, the receiver was also an important part of the equation. I tried with a Fortec Mercury II (DVB-S, MPEG2 only), and then with an Amiko MiniHDRE, and they were getting different results. Some channels would work on one box, and not on the other, and for other channels it was the opposite.
As everything with satellites, it's fun to experiment with, but if you are hoping for any reliable reception, you'll likely be disappointed.
surprisingly, the receiver was also an important part of the equation. I tried with a Fortec Mercury II (DVB-S, MPEG2 only), and then with an Amiko MiniHDRE, and they were getting different results. Some channels would work on one box, and not on the other, and for other channels it was the opposite.
As everything with satellites, it's fun to experiment with, but if you are hoping for any reliable reception, you'll likely be disappointed.
You need to ask the HOA what they will and won't allow. Their C&Cs are often composed of standard HOA boiler plate and as such, contemplate things that you might not expect (like requirements that you keep your section of the sidewalk free of snow).
Being part of an HOA means that you forfeit some rights that are otherwise taken for granted in a non-HOA situation. OTARD doesn't apply here as a dish of sufficient size (or an array of dishes) is not covered.
I agree, I wouldn't waste the money or time on a 4 footer. I have the same 7.5 footer (tight mesh reflector) for 23 years and it still serves it's needs, even for Ku, but if I was setting up a dish today it would be a 10 footer minimum.
Assuming you have the acreage, the cost of "free" TV is much less than it used to be.
Back in the day, a C-band system was more expensive than a car and now you can get much of the hardware for transportation costs.Getting something for nothing will always be attractive -- no matter how much it costs.
So my question is what practical reason is there to have a C Band other than for nostalgia. I had one in the early 80’s and still have a fascination just like I do for the LaserDisc player I used to own. I now have a Dish antenna which works better on my RV roof
There are TONS of "free for the watching to anybody that has the equipment" c-band channels and feeds up there. It's like the mid-'80's before scrambling, only better and MUCH cheaper (many times just for the asking to get a dish and such)!
There are also many channels that are not offered on cable or subscription satellite. Either because they have foreign origins (CGTN Documentary, TRT World, Press TV) that are not always in tune with the mainstream US population views, or because they are in foreign languages.
If you ever want a 12 footer, it won't be an inexpensive "hobby". Even finding a used 10 footer in good condition will be difficult to find. If I have to replace or re-mesh my 12 footers, I'll probably stop doing this and just pay for streaming off the internet - depends on what I can afford or willing to pay. With Netflix jacking up their prices next month, I might just drop them and just live with what I can get OTA (not a big selection of stations around here). Or, I could just go do something constructive.
What are you doing with those other dish's you found? having them worked on? Where is my Christmas gift lol not for me for mom hehe
TVROSat.com - for me seems to be the best at keeping current channels.
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