Straightenng Out A Bent Dish Rib

[JFOK]

Hi All,

Need some advice from you experts.
While lowering my 7.5 KTI from its 20 foot perch to a more workable 8 foot height a year and a half ago, it made a slight impact with the ground bending 2 of its ribs. I was able to straighten them out somewhat, before putting the dish on its new pole. After the dish was in place, I noticed the ribs needed further straightening and I did the best I could with a rubber hammer and some well placed whacks, but there is still a slight bend in both ribs. Is there anyway I could straighten them close to their normal shape without removing the dish from the pole ? The dish works quite well as it is, but I'm missing some signals that I know I could get with further straightening.
I would also like to return to Ku on it. It was a great performer before its accident.
Thanks in advance.

John

 

[KE4EST]

Not sure John. Sounds like you did about the best you could without taking it down. You may have to disassemble it to get it right.

 

[wvman]

Hi All,

Need some advice from you experts.
While lowering my 7.5 KTI from its 20 foot perch to a more workable 8 foot height a year and a half ago, it made a slight impact with the ground bending 2 of its ribs. I was able to straighten them out somewhat, before putting the dish on its new pole. After the dish was in place, I noticed the ribs needed further straightening and I did the best I could with a rubber hammer and some well placed whacks, but there is still a slight bend in both ribs. Is there anyway I could straighten them close to their normal shape without removing the dish from the pole ? The dish works quite well as it is, but I'm missing some signals that I know I could get with further straightening.
I would also like to return to Ku on it. It was a great performer before its accident.
Thanks in advance.

John

Could you post a picture of the bent panels? I found a Perfect 10 that was bent in two places, but I was lucky with the way it was bent. The guy that had it backed his pickup with the shell on it into the dish. The two bends were only about 7 inches apart and I was able to take "C" clamps and two pieces of 1 inch square tubing and repair it. I just used the clamps and the tubing to get it back in shape, and then I drilled completely through both square tubes and the dish and installed 1/4 inch bolts to hold it is place.

If yours was dropped straight down on on the outer edge, it would be more difficult to fix. Pictures would tell more about it.

 

[JFOK]

Hi Michael and wvman,

Thanks for your response. I will post pictures later today.
I don't mind removing the damaged section of the dish if necessary, to reshape the damaged ribs.
Like I said earlier, it performs pretty well as is, but I know it could do even better with repair to those damaged ribs.
Just looking for ideas from those in a similar situation. Is it possible to repair those ribs without taking the dish apart ?
I know it would be easier to just replace that one section, if I knew someone who had a similar dish being kept for parts.

John

 

[wvman]

Hi Michael and wvman,

Thanks for your response. I will post pictures later today.
I don't mind removing the damaged section of the dish if necessary, to reshape the damaged ribs.
Like I said earlier, it performs pretty well as is, but I know it could do even better with repair to those damaged ribs.
Just looking for ideas from those in a similar situation. Is it possible to repair those ribs without taking the dish apart ?
I know it would be easier to just replace that one section, if I knew someone who had a similar dish being kept for parts.

John

Many of the old dish manufacturers are no longer with us, so unless you luck out and find another dish of the same brand, replacing a panel may not be an option. Depending on the severity and placement of the bend, in some cases it would be nearly impossible to put it back to it's original shape using home spun methods. I lucked out on the Perfect 10 because of the location of the bends. It was just a matter of applying pressure along the outer edge of the panel.

These bends were not bent in towards the center of the dish. They were bent along the top side of the square tubing where the mesh attached to the panel. Once I straightened those, the dish went back in shape and it was barely noticeable when you look across the dish edge to edge. Had it been bent the other way, not sure how the repair would have gone. I assume yours was dropped straight down with the dish vertical. Is that correct?

 

[JFOK]

Hi All,

I still have my 9 foot Radio Shack dish from 1991 in storage. The panels are in great shape with no warp or hail damage.
The reason I'm not using it, is that the polar mount didn't age well and in its present state its unusable. I wish there was a way I could attach it to my KTI mount or find a nice used polar mount that would work with that RS dish.

John

 

[primestar31]

Hi All,

I still have my 9 foot Radio Shack dish from 1991 in storage. The panels are in great shape with no warp or hail damage.
The reason I'm not using it, is that the polar mount didn't age well and in its present state its unusable. I wish there was a way I could attach it to my KTI mount or find a nice used polar mount that would work with that RS dish.

John

Why can't you attach it to your KTI mount? Seems to me nothing that some bolts and extra angle-iron couldn't cure. There's all sorts of people here that have adapted mounts to other dishes. It just takes a little imagination, hacksaw, drill, and a measuring tape and maybe some additional bolts, etc.

 

[JFOK]

Hi All,

Here is a picture of my dish. I circled the 2 bent ribs that I have straightened to date, but more is needed.

John

 

[JFOK]

Why can't you attach it to your KTI mount? Seems to me nothing that some bolts and extra angle-iron couldn't cure. There's all sorts of people here that have adapted mounts to other dishes. It just takes a little imagination, hacksaw, drill, and a measuring tape and maybe some additional bolts, etc.

primestar31,

I wouldn't know how to go about taking on such a project...where to begin.

John

 

[primestar31]

Hi All,

Here is a picture of my dish. I circled the 2 bent ribs that I have straightened to date, but more is needed.

John
View attachment 128946

Make a template out of 1/2 inch plywood matching the curve of one of the GOOD ribs. You can do that using thick pieces of cardboard duct taped up as a guide. Then you place that on the plywood, and use a pencil to draw the arc along the cardboard. Then cut out the plywood guide using a portable jigsaw. Once you do that, you can use that plywood template to get the bent ribs straightened out as close as you can to match that.

 

[armadillo_115]

JFOK...Too bad you are not closer to my location. I have an unbent KTI 7.5 that I have been trying to give away. No takers so far.

I'm about to salvage the new stainless bolts I put on it and haul the parabolic to the salvage yard.

 

[JFOK]

JFOK...Too bad you are not closer to my location. I have an unbent KTI 7.5 that I have been trying to give away. No takers so far.
I'm about to salvage the new stainless bolts I put on it and haul the parabolic to the salvage yard.

armadillo_115,

I also wished I lived closer to take advantage of your offer...very frustrating. Thanks anyway.
Replacing the damaged panel would be the quickest most effective way to bring my dish back to its optimum performance. However, finding a KTI 7.5 in my area is like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Most C-band dishes here are now gone, either by weather related events or by the hand of man.

John

 

[wvman]

Hi All,

I still have my 9 foot Radio Shack dish from 1991 in storage. The panels are in great shape with no warp or hail damage.
The reason I'm not using it, is that the polar mount didn't age well and in its present state its unusable. I wish there was a way I could attach it to my KTI mount or find a nice used polar mount that would work with that RS dish.

John

If you measure across the square tubing where the panels bolt together, and they are the same width or close, you may be able to use a mount off another brand. I don't remember how KTI's mounts attach to the reflector, but I've used mounts from other dishes on certain other brands. You may have to drill new holes where the saddle hooks to the dish. I know where there's a Unimesh 71/2 dish is that has 3 bad panels.

I only need the 1 good panel to repair a 71/2 footer I have. I plan of getting it, and I won't be using the mount. I would bet this mount falls under the weight restrictions on UPS or FedEX and could be shipped by either one of those to your location. Wouldn't be a big deal to build a shipping box if the mount and box was below their maximum shipping weight. If the ribs on yours would fit in the saddles, it would align itself in the mount. Just a matter of drilling 4 holes and sticking 1/4 inch bolts through them.

 

[wvman]

Hi All,

Here is a picture of my dish. I circled the 2 bent ribs that I have straightened to date, but more is needed.

John
View attachment 128946

Looks like you did a good job straightening them. A little more tweaking, and it should be fine. Even with a 71/2 foot, it's hard to handle by yourself. I've never dropped one, but I've came mighty close a couple times, and they were on a new install. That could have gotten expensive.

 

[JFOK]

wvman,

Thanks for your suggestions and generous offer. They are much appreciated.
I think I'm going to try to remove that panel with the bent ribs and using the good ribs and a flat surface, bend them back to their proper curvature.
Don't know if I'll be able to do that anytime soon, but will hope for the best. It's been 18 years since I put that dish together. I hope I remember how to take it apart
BTW...when I was relocating this dish from its 20ft. perch and eventually its new 8 ft. pole, I did it with the help of two other people. A bad back and a cautious attitude made me think otherwise about doing it myself.
Thanks again !!!

John