Dish Damage

[fastek]

Hi-

Recently received a 36" Fortec Dish and noticed it had a bit of handling/shipping damage. In about a 6 inch wide area along the perimeter of the dish it looks like someone bent it back with pliers but likely it was dropped. My question before it goes up and I drive myself crazy trying to align everything...will I have problems because the dish got tweeked. How delicate are these dishes with regards to reception. It will be attached to a STAB motor.

[Anonymous]

Put the dish face down on a big flat surface, like the kitchen table.
Now check if it wobbles, if it does don't use it. It would be impossible to
align it to all sats.

[starman]

To answer your question, they are delicate. I would'nt worry too much about the damage at the lip, but the impact that caused that may have knocked the dish out of its intended shape. It may be warped. If it is, you might as well send it back, you will have troubles with it. Use Lintonds method or do this:
string line the face of the dish. One string from top to bottom, another string from side to side. Where they intersect at the center they should just barely touch, if they don't the dish is warped. On most dishes there are holes drilled in the lip so you can tie the strings there.

[Admin]

Use lintond's method and you shoud be fine. Don't try to straighten the bent edge. The dish could be fine as it is. If you bend it back go easy on it or you might cause unnecessary damage to the dish.

[fastek]

Thanks for the help. I'll check it out before I install it.

[Skelp]

I have a similar question to this one... When I was modifying my dish to fit the HH120 motor to it the LNB arm had to be moved from the back of the mounting plate to the front. When I tightened everything up it dented the center of the dish out a bit. I get good signals with the circular LNB but have a linear LNB on the way and was just wondering (since I hear the linear signlas are alot weaker) if this dent will throw off the linear LNB at all...

[bobkat]

It won't decrease reception that much if at all. I have done that before and put a little dent right in the middle of the dish -- didn't affect signal at all.

kat