Comments from a newbie to FTA

[k4otl]

Now I know why C band is raved about, it's sooo much better than Ku! (Not that Ku is terrible) I only have limited coverage of the arc on C band but 101,103, and 105 have so much on them FTA, it's come in handy too, good backups of channels I get OTA. I'm loving it already! Not that I need another reason/means to watch TV

 

[cyberham]

Now I know why C band is raved about...

I can relate to your comments and excitement after starting my satellite Ku adventure over 14 years ago. I've just joined the C-band Club with a legitimate dish installation of a Perfect 7.5-foot prime focus. I've wanted one of these for at least 23 years and thought about them back in the 1970s. No motor control here but I can easily manually swing the dish equipped with Titanium LNBF between 150W through 89W. Can it receive anything? You bet! I've added 6 dB to my reception of 139W ARCS over my 4-foot offset dish. And 135W and 125W have so many channels scanning in even before I fine tune that I can't wait to point at a satellite with more channels ITC such as the satellites you mentioned.

 

[k4otl]

I can relate to your comments and excitement after starting my satellite Ku adventure over 14 years ago. I've just joined the C-band Club with a legitimate dish installation of a Perfect 7.5-foot prime focus. I've wanted one of these for at least 23 years and thought about them back in the 1970s. No motor control here but I can easily manually swing the dish equipped with Titanium LNBF between 150W through 89W. Can it receive anything? You bet! I've added 6 dB to my reception of 139W ARCS over my 4-foot offset dish. And 135W and 125W have so many channels scanning in even before I fine tune that I can't wait to point at a satellite with more channels ITC such as the satellites you mentioned.

Nice! The way I think about escalating dish size is it's related to the area, not diameter. And the area is based on the diameter squared. So a 10' dish has about 6x the capture area as the 4' dish. That 7.5' has almost 4x the capture area of the 4' dish, thus the 6 db you've noticed. At least that's how I think of it.
Like I mentioned previously, I've become a dish/antenna addict. I was just gonna have only 1 36" dish, never would I get C band. But I always want to improve and expand my TV/radio reception (OTA or FTA), so its only a natural progression. My fear right now is that I told myself, "Once I get the 10 footer, there's no need for a 12 footer" haha.

 

[one_db_compression]

Nice! The way I think about escalating dish size is it's related to the area, not diameter. And the area is based on the diameter squared. So a 10' dish has about 6x the capture area as the 4' dish. That 7.5' has almost 4x the capture area of the 4' dish, thus the 6 db you've noticed. At least that's how I think of it.
Like I mentioned previously, I've become a dish/antenna addict. I was just gonna have only 1 36" dish, never would I get C band. But I always want to improve and expand my TV/radio reception (OTA or FTA), so its only a natural progression. My fear right now is that I told myself, "Once I get the 10 footer, there's no need for a 12 footer" haha.

One of the simplest rules is that the increase in system gain is roughly +3 dB (twice the signal level) for every 0.6 m increase in diameter (0.3 m increase in radius). This is consistent with terrestrial microwave parabolics.

For some geometries and efficiencies, it may be as low as +2.5. For a high performance reflector, it may be as high as +3.5.

 

[videojanitor]

I'm still kicking myself for, sometime after most analog feeds vanished, taking down both my 10.5-foot and 7.5-foot C-Band dishes.At the time I figured, "well, these will never be of use again." What a boneheaded move!

 

[a33]

Here comes the pics! Notice my homemade declination bolt, I bought a 3/4" hex head bolt, drilled a hole through it, cut the head off with a grinder, and voila!

Good!
Though I would personally like to have the declination bolt not at an angle at the L-bracket, as it is now.

But it is nice to get such a dish back to life again!

Greetz,
A33

 

[primestar31]

Though I would personally like to have the declination bolt not at an angle at the L-bracket, as it is now

My 7.5ft SAMI dish had the same problem, came that way from the factory. I drilled out the hole larger, so as to make the bolt go in straight. Then I used some large flat washers to cover the hole and tightened it all down. IF the OP doesn't fix his and tighten it down FLAT, that dish will flop a bit back and forth, and cause issues, mine did. k4otl

 

[k4otl]

My 7.5ft SAMI dish had the same problem, came that way from the factory. I drilled out the hole larger, so as to make the bolt go in straight. Then I used some large flat washers to cover the hole and tightened it all down. IF the OP doesn't fix his and tighten it down FLAT, that dish will flop a bit back and forth, and cause issues, mine did.

I will get to it at some point, I'll have to work on it regardless to make it track the arc better. Between 93 and 105W it works just fine. There's no slop in that bolt, it's tight as a drum, just at an angle. I'm pretty content for now (that'll likely change, look at me, I've got a 10' dish in my backyard), and nursing a cold too, so no rush on this end. And I've got a 1.2m Ku dish I need to put up at some point... I think I'm becoming a small-time dish farmer

 

[comfortably_numb]

I think I'm becoming a small-time dish farmer

Mine once looked like this...

 

[a33]

I will get to it at some point, I'll have to work on it regardless to make it track the arc better.

Did you already choose the length of the declination bolt, matching the needed declination offset angle for your location? (see my earlier post.)