C-Band/Ka-Band Reception in the UK (Dish Project: LNBs, Dish, Alignment) - Post your results here...

K

kippysat

Donating Member
Messages
250
moonbase said:
@kippysat

Where are you in the UK, that has a bearing on how well you can receive 40.5W?
I am in Surrey, just inside the M25 and get 40.5W no problem with the 2.0m dish when I use it.

Also, please note that the build quality of the dish and the accuracy of its surface can play an important part in signal level reception.
I am not sure how readily available a 2.4m dish would be if that is what you are hoping to go for. The options I can think of are:

1. Channel Master 2.4m - very heavy dish, other forum members also on the sniff for one of these. Couple of sales in the last few years at less than a monkey.
2. Fortec Star 2.4m - also known as the tin dish, multi piece petal dish, cheap, useless for Ku-Band, OK for C-Band. Worth a deuce, possibly a little more.
3. Elite Antennas/Precision Antennas 2.4m - single piece spun aluminium, a very good dish if you can find one but not cheap. I sold one a while ago for in excess of a bag of sand.
4. Chinese mesh 2.4m - cheap as fúck, hassle is importing them. If importing, get it wooden crated to prevent damage, cardboard packed options are often damaged in transit.

My advice would be to consider a 2.0m or 2.2m dish as an option as well as a 2.4m, especially if you are doon Saaarf where signals are often a little easier to lock.
The other thing to consider is that there is a learning curve moving up to these sizes from a nano sized dish such as a 90cm. They are not as easy to handle and definitely require robust heavy duty stands and mounts.

Good luck...
Click to expand...
Thanks Moonbase.
So I am based in South Hertfordshire five or so miles north of the M25.

I would love to do this as a project and use the smallest dish possible to get a good signal. I have
found someone selling a cheap 1.5m on the auction site and was going to offer, but wanted to
check if 1.5m would do it. I trust the advice on this forum so I am going to look at a second hand
2.0m and trust that my location will help.

There is an installer who lives up north that I know who is widely considered an expert in satellite
dish installations. I can't mention his website as that is against forum rules, but I believe he could
handle an install like this.

I'm going to give this a crack, it's just a case of time, organisation, research and planning for me.
I tend to be quite careful and pedantic about the things I do, so will not start until I have done my
homework. That's why I will also have to be sure about whoever the painter of the dish will be.

One of the keys for me is that the dish can be disguised so that on first glance and from a distance
it looks like a tree/foliage. It has to fool my neighbours and not attract their attention.
 
manic01

manic01

Super VIP
Messages
2,515
kippysat said:
Thanks Moonbase.
So I am based in South Hertfordshire five or so miles north of the M25.

I would love to do this as a project and use the smallest dish possible to get a good signal. I have
found someone selling a cheap 1.5m on the auction site and was going to offer, but wanted to
check if 1.5m would do it. I trust the advice on this forum so I am going to look at a second hand
2.0m and trust that my location will help.

There is an installer who lives up north that I know who is widely considered an expert in satellite
dish installations. I can't mention his website as that is against forum rules, but I believe he could
handle an install like this.

I'm going to give this a crack, it's just a case of time, organisation, research and planning for me.
I tend to be quite careful and pedantic about the things I do, so will not start until I have done my
homework. That's why I will also have to be sure about whoever the painter of the dish will be.

One of the keys for me is that the dish can be disguised so that on first glance and from a distance
it looks like a tree/foliage. It has to fool my neighbours and not attract their attention.
Click to expand...
We all know who he is lol
 
M

moonbase

VIP
Donating Member
Messages
540
kippysat said:
Thanks Moonbase.
So I am based in South Hertfordshire five or so miles north of the M25.

I would love to do this as a project and use the smallest dish possible to get a good signal. I have
found someone selling a cheap 1.5m on the auction site and was going to offer, but wanted to
check if 1.5m would do it. I trust the advice on this forum so I am going to look at a second hand
2.0m and trust that my location will help.

There is an installer who lives up north that I know who is widely considered an expert in satellite
dish installations. I can't mention his website as that is against forum rules, but I believe he could
handle an install like this.

I'm going to give this a crack, it's just a case of time, organisation, research and planning for me.
I tend to be quite careful and pedantic about the things I do, so will not start until I have done my
homework. That's why I will also have to be sure about whoever the painter of the dish will be.

One of the keys for me is that the dish can be disguised so that on first glance and from a distance
it looks like a tree/foliage. It has to fool my neighbours and not attract their attention.
Click to expand...


@kippysat

Take it from me, you aint gonna be locking ESPN with a 1.5m dish from just north of the M25 unless they drastically increase the signal level or change the modulation type to a more friendly type for a 1.5m dish.
If you gonna stick the install on a mobile platform why bother with what the neighbours say?

There aint owt to these installs, just make sure there is enough anchorage for the dish, the pole is vertical and crack on with it.
One thing is certain, you aint gonna be securing it to the side of a building or a chimney stack so it's gonna be at ground level which makes it easier.
Hardest part is getting enough hands to help get the dish onto the mount while it is bolted in place.

Dont over-think it, keep it simple, no need for spreadsheets, calculus and quantum mechanics, its just a pile of metal or metal and resin compund (CM), a few bolts and some weighty anchorage.
 
K

kippysat

Donating Member
Messages
250
moonbase said:
@kippysat

Take it from me, you aint gonna be locking ESPN with a 1.5m dish from just north of the M25 unless they drastically increase the signal level or change the modulation type to a more friendly type for a 1.5m dish.
If you gonna stick the install on a mobile platform why bother with what the neighbours say?

There aint owt to these installs, just make sure there is enough anchorage for the dish, the pole is vertical and crack on with it.
One thing is certain, you aint gonna be securing it to the side of a building or a chimney stack so it's gonna be at ground level which makes it easier.
Hardest part is getting enough hands to help get the dish onto the mount while it is bolted in place.

Dont over-think it, keep it simple, no need for spreadsheets, calculus and quantum mechanics, its just a pile of metal or metal and SMC, a few bolts and some weighty anchorage.
Click to expand...
Ha ha ha....I love it.
Moonbase, you haven't seen me in action. I will use a project planner to organise all the steps and tasks to
complete the install...lol

PS: I intend to mount the dish at least 4m in the air on a suitable pole even in the back garden, hence the whole tree disguise.
 
M

moonbase

VIP
Donating Member
Messages
540
kippysat said:
Ha ha ha....I love it.
Moonbase, you haven't seen me in action. I will use a project planner to organise all the steps and tasks to
complete the install...lol

PS: I intend to mount the dish at least 4m in the air on a suitable pole even in the back garden, hence the whole tree disguise.
Click to expand...


@kippysat

If you try to install a 2.4m dish 4 metres up in the air you need to get some seriously heavy bracing for the king post, there will be huge wind load on the dish and at 4 metres up in the air the king post is gonna be stressed up big style, plus it increases the anchorage required. In my personal opinion it will cost serious wad to get that done, particularly if you use external installers/contractors.

If all you want is ESPN and Fox, get a Chinese receiver with an IPTV server on it and save £K's of green.
 
manic01

manic01

Super VIP
Messages
2,515
moonbase said:
@kippysat

If you try to install a 2.4m dish 4 metres up in the air you need to get some seriously heavy bracing for the king post, there will be huge wind load on the dish and at 4 metres up in the air the king post is gonna be stressed up big style, plus it increases the anchorage required. In my personal opinion it will cost serious wad to get that done, particularly if you use external installers/contractors.

If all you want is ESPN and Fox, get a Chinese receiver with an IPTV server on it and save £K's of green.
Click to expand...
He has all that already lol but not live enough, must be getting into live sport gambling lol
 
A

amdade

Registered
Messages
76
moonbase said:
@kippysat

Where are you in the UK, that has a bearing on how well you can receive 40.5W?
I am in Surrey, just inside the M25 and get 40.5W no problem with the 2.0m dish when I use it.

Also, please note that the build quality of the dish and the accuracy of its surface can play an important part in signal level reception.
I am not sure how readily available a 2.4m dish would be if that is what you are hoping to go for. The options I can think of are:

1. Channel Master 2.4m - very heavy dish, other forum members also on the sniff for one of these. Couple of sales in the last few years at less than a monkey.
2. Fortec Star 2.4m - also known as the tin dish, multi piece petal dish, cheap, useless for Ku-Band, OK for C-Band. Worth a deuce, possibly a little more.
3. Elite Antennas/Precision Antennas 2.4m - single piece spun aluminium, a very good dish if you can find one but not cheap. I sold one a while ago for in excess of a bag of sand.
4. Chinese mesh 2.4m - cheap as fúck, hassle is importing them. If importing, get it wooden crated to prevent damage, cardboard packed options are often damaged in transit.

My advice would be to consider a 2.0m or 2.2m dish as an option as well as a 2.4m, especially if you are doon Saaarf where signals are often a little easier to lock.
The other thing to consider is that there is a learning curve moving up to these sizes from a nano sized dish such as a 90cm. They are not as easy to handle and definitely require robust heavy duty stands and mounts.

Good luck...
Click to expand...
Just for clarity my 2.4m is the Fortec Star (or copy), I was not expecting much but its lated a few years now and performed better than I thought it would.

Also note that it is a very heavy bit of kit you will need at least 2 people to install / assemble it and its not very mobile. One project for me is to do the pallet on wheels idea....
 
butchyboy

butchyboy

Registered
Messages
300
amdade said:
Just for clarity my 2.4m is the Fortec Star (or copy), I was not expecting much but its lated a few years now and performed better than I thought it would.

Also note that it is a very heavy bit of kit you will need at least 2 people to install / assemble it and its not very mobile. One project for me is to do the pallet on wheels idea....
Click to expand...
Where are you located?.
 
M

moonbase

VIP
Donating Member
Messages
540
kippysat said:
Ha ha ha....I love it.
Moonbase, you haven't seen me in action. I will use a project planner to organise all the steps and tasks to
complete the install...lol

PS: I intend to mount the dish at least 4m in the air on a suitable pole even in the back garden, hence the whole tree disguise.
Click to expand...


@kippysat

I am 50-50 undecided if this is a wind up re putting a 2.4m dish 4 metres up in the air on a long pole.
If it is a wind up, well done, you caught me.

If it is not a wind up, my advice would be to think again and look for an alternative option to placing the dish that high.
The logistics with installing a 2.4m dish up on a 4 metre pole are daunting and not something most satellite hobbyists would take on.
 
M

moonbase

VIP
Donating Member
Messages
540
amdade said:
Just for clarity my 2.4m is the Fortec Star (or copy), I was not expecting much but its lated a few years now and performed better than I thought it would.

Also note that it is a very heavy bit of kit you will need at least 2 people to install / assemble it and its not very mobile. One project for me is to do the pallet on wheels idea....
Click to expand...


The Fortec Star get slated for Ku-Band performance but for C-Band the 2.4m model performs quite well according to a few reviews.
There are a couple of good reviews and installation topics about the "tin dish" on another forum, one of the guys had it on a mobile pallet.

Signal levels were pretty good if I recall correctly.
There used to be adverts on eBay for the 2.4m models a few years ago but I have not seen any for a while, possibly stocks run out?
 
M

moonbase

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Donating Member
Messages
540
manic01 said:
I meant for feeds in general
Click to expand...

Sure, but he does not need a 2.4m dish on C-Band for live sports betting.
There are plenty of feeds in Ku-Band that are available with a smaller dish.

As I indicated earlier, I think this 2.4m dish up on a 4.0m pole could be a wind up.
I have only come across one instance in the UK where a satellite hobbyist installed a large dish (2.4m+) up on a long pole of 4 metre or thereabouts.
That guy was possibly one of the best satellite hobbyist fabricators in the UK and would leave the purple man standing in the blocks.

The challenges are considerable and need equipment such as a hoist and gantry to get the dish up on the mount unless the pole has a lockable swivel join in it that allow it to be raised and lowered using steel cable on a winch. Add in the wind load on the dish, anchorage required, motors/actuators required to keep the dish on the arc and it really is a daunting project for anyone without a decent level of experience at this type of install.

If it is not a wind up, I wish @kippysat the best of luck with the install, he will need to dig deep into the wallet.
 
Last edited:
K

kippysat

Donating Member
Messages
250
moonbase said:
@kippysat

I am 50-50 undecided if this is a wind up re putting a 2.4m dish 4 metres up in the air on a long pole.
If it is a wind up, well done, you caught me.

If it is not a wind up, my advice would be to think again and look for an alternative option to placing the dish that high.
The logistics with installing a 2.4m dish up on a 4 metre pole are daunting and not something most satellite hobbyists would take on.
Click to expand...
Morning Moonbase, Amdade, et al,

It's not a wind up, but now dawning on me that this project may not be feasible.

We have a decent sized back garden. Our plot is also odd in that the ground level at the back of
the garden is 2 metres lower than the ground level at the front of the plot. It slopes a lot front to back.

The westerly satellites along the clarke belt face our house almost directly. So if you stand at the back
of our garden in the centre looking at the back of the house, you are facing in a South Westerly direction.

We did a check on dishpointer and we think we could only clear our roofline and hit 40W if we
placed the dish a few metres in the air. Thor 1 west and 5 West are easier because they are higher in the
air. Based on dishpointer, 40.5W is a lot lower in the sky and doesn't clear our roofline at ground level.
If our garden went back another 20+ metres then we would probably be ok.

I'm in the building trade and know a structural engineer who can help me with wind load calculations, but
if you guys in the know are expressing genuine concern about the dish being that high, then I'm going
to listen.
 
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