Some Questions From Cheshire

[TKDNick]

Afternoon all,

Can i firstly say - Nice forum, very informative!

So... I'm kinda now convinced I'm going to step into the world of Satellites.

Also completely convinced I was to do all of the setup myself - am looking very much forward to the minute of seeing my first sat channel that I made come into my house

But before I get carried away...

I've done quite some reading and think I've taken some/most of it in... I'm quite techie so have enjoyed learining new stuff...

I want to get a motorised setup going and am thinking of a 1m dish, I wanna get as much as is possible from my location - figured I might as well aim high :-) Besides I'm not quite sure what I'll want to watch, if I can get the most possible then at least I'll have the option then.

Anyhow, back to the dish - presumably there are massive variations on the quality of dishes - and presumably this will effect the number of channels I can receive?

Is this true - also can likewise be said for the LNB??

How do I know which to purchase - is difficult as so far I have no frame of preference...

Any help is more then greatly received...

[robbo71]

Hi, The most important factor in determining what you will get is dish size, but of course the quality of the LNB and dish will have an affect too.

I have 3 dishes, a 90cm Fortec star, a 1m Orbital and a 110cm Triax. Of those 3 the Triax performs the best. The bracket on the Triax is rubbish though.

A couple of good performers, so I have heard are the Fracarro penta and a Gibertini 1m.

After that you have the professional dishes such as the Channel Master (ASC signal now), these are more expensive.

Robbo.

[TKDNick]

Excellent - thanks,

So - basing it on the max I can get without planning consent is, from what I understand 1 meter, would a Triax 1m be best for a mid price range type of dish.

Or is simply the fact that your Triax an extra 10 cm making it the best dish you have?

Also what are good makes of LMB's to look for - I have seen a titanium 0.2 LNB which looks good. But I'm basing that on the fact it was slightly more expensive then the 0.3?

Still getting up to speed on this me thinks :-)

Thanks,

[robbo71]

I think it is the extra 10cm that does it

Because all three are relatively cheap average quality dishes.

I dare you to try the Penta.

The quality of LNBs vary and people have different experiences with the same ones. Again I have 3, the 0.2 Smart Titaniun, the 0.2 Inverto Sivertech and a Fortec 0.3. The Inverto performs better for me every time. The Whitech is said to perform better that the Silvertech. One of the other mods here uses MTI blue lines. LNB choice is a bit of suck it and see. None will perform optimally. The only way to do this is to buy a professional dish and a matched feedhorn, but obviously a lot more expensive.

Robbo

[TKDNick]

ha - size once again is important :-)

I take it penta are not the best?? :-)

Ok so Triax 1m probs seeing as that's the biggest I can go... and an inverto lnb quite poss. I'd actually seen an MTI supreme line 0.2 - any throughts on this?

Also can I ask what the main 'noticable' or otherwise difference between 0.2 and 0.3 lnb's are??

Thanks!

[robbo71]

No, quite the opposite, the Penta is a funny shape, that's all, but is reported to perform very well.


The noise figures quoted for LNBs can not be trusted, 0.2 and 0.3 are pretty similar.

Not tried the MTI so i can't comment.

They don't do a 1m Triax, it is either a TD88 or a TD110. The 110 is actually approx only 105cm wide. I don't have planning permission, but mine is quite discreet at ground level.

My main reason for going to the TD110 was to get the mbc channels on 7W, which I can now receive 24/7 if it is not raining. I probably would have stayed with the 90cm I had otherwise.

[TKDNick]

Ah yes - have just seen a penta dish - kinda diamond shaped :-) surely with that the corners of the satellite tv shows will be missing :-)

105cm eh - sure I may be able to sneak that on the wall at the back of the house - I'm not overlooked at the back so hopefully that'll help...

Right, final question - don't want to chew your ear off... but...

If i am going for this 105cm dish - does that limit the motor I will need to drive the dish? presumably it will need to be pretty strong...\

Oh and sorry also, when you mentioned about that the triax brakets are not great does that mean I need to factor in purchasing seperate brakets too??

Thanks!!

[kerrywez]

Robbo does the law about the biggest size of dish apply if the dish is on the ground. I was of the opinion that it applied to buildings only, I am not at all sure and that is why I am asking. If I am right then he could have a much bigger dish on a ground mount and get away with it.

Very best regards Wez

[robbo71]

I don't know wez. The planning guide does not say. A ground stand is not permanent so it is possible that permission is not needed.

The main reason you can get away with it is because no bugger can see it, thus no complaints, no problem.


As for the motor, yes it will need to be strong enough. It is not just a case of being able to drive it, but also being able to support it in severe weather.

I have my TD110 on a measly little motor designed for a a 90cm dish max.

It turns fine, but I have mine close to the ground in a very sheltered location. If the motor breaks I would buy a stronger one.

The metal geared Dark motors are supposed to support up to a 1.4m, so should be fine on a 1.1.

[kerrywez]

I was looking at that Darkman motor, the only think that I would not be that happy about is that the metal gears might be sh!tty alloy and be worse than nylon ones. On the dark side they tell you it is very good, but they would and it is being offered cheap from Ian, at Southernsatellits.

Very best regards Wez