New 10 foot dish...suggestions??

[RFenergy]

Hello,
I have just managed to disassemble and haul home a ten foot Channel
Master Fiber Glass Dish. The mount is 3/8th steel, welded, built like a
battle ship. The mast is a 5" diameter pipe. Dish is in quarter sections
and I'd guess it's 100 pounds (just the FG dish) The old actuator is 18"
stroke. The LBNA is 99degree noise temperature, made by Avantek, Id
guess mid 80's....I wasn't into this back then - I waited for the price
to drop. I am in ME at 44N 69W (mid coast). The run (dish to reciever)
will be about 60'
Questions:

1. What is the minimum actuator I should purchase?
2. What controller should I get? (Receiver is Fortec Merc2)
3. If the mesh under the FG is too coarse for Ku can I
reasonably resurface the dish with metal (foil or finer mesh)?

Thanks in advance, RFenergy

[1captain]

What you got ia a SMC by Channel Master, an they had 2 types of them 1 was off white in color, an other was dove grey in color both are very good working dishes. you also should have a 4-leg feed that bolts tru each 1 of the 4-panels. an 1 thing to keep when you add you're ku is that scalar ring that came with that dish, USE IT, because the CM scalar has 8-bolts that mount to the feed legs an a chapperal scalar will only have 4 bolt mounting holes, because those feed legs (made out of stamped alum tube) are week an that scalar holds them tru an ridged. now for you're ???

Actuator, a 24 inch is need an a heavy duty drive like a V-76 von weise or a ball screw actuator. also they had different mounting saddels that the actuator was bolted in (block with 2 U-bolts) small 1 would fit a V-76, or the larger 1 fit their Channel mater actuator. so check you're size before getting a motor.

now for the controller, I have them for years, an I think the V-3000 by powertech is the best for its double counts, real nice peice.

Now for the Ku, Yes it will an do Ku ""GREAT"" when I worked with those dishes years ago that was the only dish that came close to the signal that my Micro-Dine gets, those SMC are great dishes built like a tank an work very well, years ago CM had a Mercez-benz sitting on top of a SMC dish in 1 of their adds. but do you're self a favor with ku don't put a bsc-621 on that dish go with a chapperal Ortho feed, an some good grade lnb's you got a high gain dish so take advantage of it, an you wont be sorry about buying that feed at all.

Good luck with all, an hope this helps.

[RFenergy]

1Captain,

Thanks for the quick response. I have made a note of each of
your points...God bless you for the news that it is a great Ku
band antenna, such a relief to hear that. Something about having
a 50db gain, being on the edge of a footprint yet still getting
a good signal. I have a 90cm offset Ku now & nothing on C.

I took the electronics apart including the scalar ring. The site
this thing sat at was about 1.5 miles from the Atlantic on the
Maine coast....salt in the air. So there is a bit of corrosion and
it took some coaxing to get it off. There were remains of
generations of wasps living in the feed. I have all the parts,
every nut and bolt and washer.

I still have to get the boat anchor base mast out of the ground.
I was given the dish so It's the least I can do for the owner of
the lawn its embedded in.

Thanks for giving me some directions as I build the new system.

RFenergy

[1captain]

here is a simple an easy trick to remove corrision from that scalar ring or any aluminium item, an you will be shocked how well it will work. 1st clean it with soap an water, then get a small bucket an set scalar ring in it, then go to a home improvement or hardware store, an get some phosphoric acid, then just pour in the bucket to cover the scalar, let it sit fo 1 hour take it out an wash with soap an water, sud be clean if not try same thing agin but at 15 minutes at a time.

[RFenergy]

1captain,

I will give the phosphoric acid a test tomorrow. Thanks for
that tip.

On the Feed horn and LNB... is the L.O. stability (PLL vs DRO)
worth what seems to be a big price difference? What other
differences Are there? Enough to justify the extra cost?
Lower Phase noise? does this give better result with a
weaker signal?

The actuator on the unit now is from Saganaw Gear Works.
I should clean it up and test it, just to know....I think I would
still buy a new one - too much wind in winter here.

Found another dish today, a Ku offset commercial 50" I would
guess. It is an up/down link, used by a local business but surplus
now. They are thinking about giving it up. This gets to be a
filthy vice doesn't it?, being unable to say no to a free dish.

RFenergy