I am buying a new set up from the Satellite Superstore. Having asked at
Wizard I found them unhelpful. They asked me to ask on the forums as they
didn't have time.
Anyway, I am getting the Technomate 1500 from them, but I need to know what
LNB to get, also what dish to get (hotbird astras and hispasat etc). For
these I need to go for a motorised system so will need one of those too.
Also a decent bracket. The one SS suggested is £59.99 but its a heavy duty
one.
Anyone have any good suggestions on a dish, motor, lnb and bracket. A free
standing one wont do cause of the back garden so will need attaching to the
house.

Thanks

Seconds away, Round 2 Ding Ding

In article <55qvl7F26g0n6U1@mid.individual.net>,
Pat <psweeney@riversway.ac.uk> wrote:
> I am buying a new set up from the Satellite Superstore. Having asked at
> Wizard I found them unhelpful. They asked me to ask on the forums as they
> didn't have time.
> Anyway, I am getting the Technomate 1500 from them, but I need to know what
> LNB to get, also what dish to get (hotbird astras and hispasat etc). For
> these I need to go for a motorised system so will need one of those too.
> Also a decent bracket. The one SS suggested is £59.99 but its a heavy duty
> one.
> Anyone have any good suggestions on a dish, motor, lnb and bracket. A free
> standing one wont do cause of the back garden so will need attaching to the
> house.

> Thanks

First, read all the info you gained in Round 1..! )

> Seconds away, Round 2 Ding Ding

OK! Round 2...:

The Technomate seems excellent. It might even have
USALS that work! )

The motor - which could also be a working Metronics,
such as you've just had, or the name-badged similar
from Myers Satellite perhaps, 1200D or some such...

Don't be frightened of a 'heavy duty' motor; if it
works it's good, if it doesn't - well, you already
know the rest - and to make the obvious first check
before mounting!

What size dish? You can now legally fit up to two
dishes, one of which may be up to 100cm, the other
(if fitting two) up to 60cm (I think?)...

A 100cm dish is significantly larger than an 85cm
dish - like the Fortec(?) one you've just returned
and which, dish alone, would have been very acceptable.
Mind - the extra 15cm of diameter over the 85cm dish
also means a much greater wind loading re inclemement
weather. Correspondingly you may need a heavier mount,
almost (could be good idea anyway) some heavier brackets
support a length of scaffold-pole. If you have a
builder's yard or somesuch nearby, they may be able
to advise - even quickly put up a scaffolding mount
for you if you drop a quiet backhand 'tip'...

A 100cm dish will get you some extra channels - whether
it's worth the extra expense and the extra mountings
is up to you. However, it might be worth it as the
dish and mountings could be a one-time cost. Once up,
they will service any boxes that you may add to your
collection ahead.. )

One thing to be careful about is that the larger the
dish the finer the 'tuning' - it becomes more difficult
to fix your signal without the help of your meter and
or your box's meter...

As for type of dish - some may be better than others.
I've found no problem, after three years, with one
LiDL's (Comag) 85cm dishes. Fortec does have a name.
Up to you, really. Perhaps go with the advice of your
box supplier - including their thoughts about the motor.

If it all goes pear-shaped again, (I doubt it will), then
you can reasonably expect them to assist. If, however,
you ignore their advice, then you will not have the best
of legs to stand upon..!

Other matters mentioned previously still apply:

1. Don't allow your mount to be fixed so high up
on your wall that there's a need for a continual
50.00gbp-a-time 'tradeperson' visit to correct
gale force drift and/or impossible collision
with guttering etc.

If you can possibly do it - no skyscraper nearer
than 10 metres(!) - try and mount your dish where
you can get at it easily - without it colliding
with a passing High Court Judge ..thus..

Making sure that you can reach the motor's reset
button with ease when it suddenly stalls and
refuse to turn in the direction you want.. )

2. Perhaps google Usenet for advice on how to make
sure that your mount is exactly perpendicular -
and that your motor and dish are zeroed exactly
at 'true' south, /before/ you start looking for
your first satellite.

Hint on the zeroing bit: You can 'zero' your
motor, on the ground, just by connecting it to
your box - before you've mounted the dish onto
it. It should have been factory set - but in
checking that it is zeroed, it will give a little
blip - and then smile at you! ..but don't trust
the smile until you know it means you no harm!

Remember.. the checking and initial mounting of your
dish to your motor - including rough setting of the dish
elevation (which will need to be fined up when tuning with
your sat meter) - and the setting of the motor's chassis
mount to your latitude can all be done, on the ground,
before you start hauling things aloft.

It's a lot easier doing this in your kitchen, hallway or
garage before trying to lift it up a height - even your
new lower, more easily reached, height!

...and if you've a trusted tradesperson doing it all for
you - (I had a tame retired TV engineer who was also putting
up his own dish and motor at the same time) - don't be
frightened of reading up on it all first so that /you/ know
what is going on. If you can circle around to it, then you
/can/ get Turksat at 42E ..and Hispasat at 30W or so ..and
a lot even further each side of those two positions.

....and get a copy of "What Satellite and Digital TV" at 3.99
- lots of really useful info in this monthly magazine -
including all the satellites you can reach and their
transponders...

...and still very good luck, Pat. I guess you've passed the
first test of the budding professional with flying colours..

....Persistence!


)

hh...

Bill (Adopt) or ZFC...
e&oe

--
Adoption InterLink UK with -=- http://www.billsimpson.com/
Domain Host Orpheus Internet -=- http://www.orpheusinternet.co.uk/

"Bill (Adopt)" <adopt@billsimpson.com> wrote in message
news:4ec41b41c2adopt@billsimpson.com...
> In article <55qvl7F26g0n6U1@mid.individual.net>,
> Pat <psweeney@riversway.ac.uk> wrote:
>> I am buying a new set up from the Satellite Superstore. Having asked at
>> Wizard I found them unhelpful. They asked me to ask on the forums as they
>> didn't have time.
>> Anyway, I am getting the Technomate 1500 from them, but I need to know
>> what
>> LNB to get, also what dish to get (hotbird astras and hispasat etc). For
>> these I need to go for a motorised system so will need one of those too.
>> Also a decent bracket. The one SS suggested is £59.99 but its a heavy
>> duty
>> one.
>> Anyone have any good suggestions on a dish, motor, lnb and bracket. A
>> free
>> standing one wont do cause of the back garden so will need attaching to
>> the
>> house.
>
>> Thanks
>
> First, read all the info you gained in Round 1..! )
>
>> Seconds away, Round 2 Ding Ding
>
> OK! Round 2...:
>
> The Technomate seems excellent. It might even have
> USALS that work! )
>
> The motor - which could also be a working Metronics,
> such as you've just had, or the name-badged similar
> from Myers Satellite perhaps, 1200D or some such...
>
> Don't be frightened of a 'heavy duty' motor; if it
> works it's good, if it doesn't - well, you already
> know the rest - and to make the obvious first check
> before mounting!
>
> What size dish? You can now legally fit up to two
> dishes, one of which may be up to 100cm, the other
> (if fitting two) up to 60cm (I think?)...
>
> A 100cm dish is significantly larger than an 85cm
> dish - like the Fortec(?) one you've just returned
> and which, dish alone, would have been very acceptable.
> Mind - the extra 15cm of diameter over the 85cm dish
> also means a much greater wind loading re inclemement
> weather. Correspondingly you may need a heavier mount,
> almost (could be good idea anyway) some heavier brackets
> support a length of scaffold-pole. If you have a
> builder's yard or somesuch nearby, they may be able
> to advise - even quickly put up a scaffolding mount
> for you if you drop a quiet backhand 'tip'...
>
> A 100cm dish will get you some extra channels - whether
> it's worth the extra expense and the extra mountings
> is up to you. However, it might be worth it as the
> dish and mountings could be a one-time cost. Once up,
> they will service any boxes that you may add to your
> collection ahead.. )
>
> One thing to be careful about is that the larger the
> dish the finer the 'tuning' - it becomes more difficult
> to fix your signal without the help of your meter and
> or your box's meter...
>
> As for type of dish - some may be better than others.
> I've found no problem, after three years, with one
> LiDL's (Comag) 85cm dishes. Fortec does have a name.
> Up to you, really. Perhaps go with the advice of your
> box supplier - including their thoughts about the motor.
>
> If it all goes pear-shaped again, (I doubt it will), then
> you can reasonably expect them to assist. If, however,
> you ignore their advice, then you will not have the best
> of legs to stand upon..!
>
> Other matters mentioned previously still apply:
>
> 1. Don't allow your mount to be fixed so high up
> on your wall that there's a need for a continual
> 50.00gbp-a-time 'tradeperson' visit to correct
> gale force drift and/or impossible collision
> with guttering etc.
>
> If you can possibly do it - no skyscraper nearer
> than 10 metres(!) - try and mount your dish where
> you can get at it easily - without it colliding
> with a passing High Court Judge ..thus..
>
> Making sure that you can reach the motor's reset
> button with ease when it suddenly stalls and
> refuse to turn in the direction you want.. )
>
> 2. Perhaps google Usenet for advice on how to make
> sure that your mount is exactly perpendicular -
> and that your motor and dish are zeroed exactly
> at 'true' south, /before/ you start looking for
> your first satellite.
>
> Hint on the zeroing bit: You can 'zero' your
> motor, on the ground, just by connecting it to
> your box - before you've mounted the dish onto
> it. It should have been factory set - but in
> checking that it is zeroed, it will give a little
> blip - and then smile at you! ..but don't trust
> the smile until you know it means you no harm!
>
> Remember.. the checking and initial mounting of your
> dish to your motor - including rough setting of the dish
> elevation (which will need to be fined up when tuning with
> your sat meter) - and the setting of the motor's chassis
> mount to your latitude can all be done, on the ground,
> before you start hauling things aloft.
>
> It's a lot easier doing this in your kitchen, hallway or
> garage before trying to lift it up a height - even your
> new lower, more easily reached, height!
>
> ..and if you've a trusted tradesperson doing it all for
> you - (I had a tame retired TV engineer who was also putting
> up his own dish and motor at the same time) - don't be
> frightened of reading up on it all first so that /you/ know
> what is going on. If you can circle around to it, then you
> /can/ get Turksat at 42E ..and Hispasat at 30W or so ..and
> a lot even further each side of those two positions.
>
> ...and get a copy of "What Satellite and Digital TV" at 3.99
> - lots of really useful info in this monthly magazine -
> including all the satellites you can reach and their
> transponders...
>
> ..and still very good luck, Pat. I guess you've passed the
> first test of the budding professional with flying colours..
>
> ...Persistence!
>
>
> )
>
> hh...
>
> Bill (Adopt) or ZFC...
> e&oe
>
> --
> Adoption InterLink UK with -=- http://www.billsimpson.com/
> Domain Host Orpheus Internet -=- http://www.orpheusinternet.co.uk/
For what it will cost me Bill I might just see if I can mount it on a pole
in the garden. if not, nothing lost. Do you think I need a bog dish if I am
having a motor? I wonder if I will get away with a 60cm dish if its
motorized?

In article <55tpkcF26ar22U1@mid.individual.net>,
Pat <psweeney@riversway.ac.uk> wrote:
> "Bill (Adopt)" <adopt@billsimpson.com> wrote in message
> news:4ec41b41c2adopt@billsimpson.com...
> > In article <55qvl7F26g0n6U1@mid.individual.net>,
> > Pat <psweeney@riversway.ac.uk> wrote:

[..]
> For what it will cost me Bill I might just see if I can mount it on a pole
> in the garden. if not, nothing lost. Do you think I need a bog dish if I am
> having a motor? I wonder if I will get away with a 60cm dish if its
> motorized?

Hi Pat..

Sorry for the late reply, just got back in..

...erm.. Although not experienced with it, I'm not too sure
if a 60cm dish will grab all of the available satellites,
or that it would manage to grab the wider range of channels
available on those satellites that it can focus upon...

I guess you may be able to get much of the channels from the
Astras at 19.2E and 28.2E/28.5E, which is where most (Sky)
60cm dishes or their smaller digital 45cm(?) dishes are aimed.
You might possibly be able to get much of the Hotbird group
at 13E as well, but I can only guess that Turksat 42E and
Hispasat 30W may prove somewhat more elusive.

(Perhaps the reason why some report that Turksat is impossible
to acquire is that they're using too small a dish).

Other satellites outside that range, especially at the far
extremes of our part of the Clarke Belt from NSS703/57E or
perhaps a bit beyond and Intelsat 9 at 58W will probably
prove difficult if not impossible to get.

I guess that 80cm/85cm might be a practical compromise -
although as said general planning regs have recently changed
to allow the use of a 100cm dish, plus an additional 60cm
dish.

As for the "pole in the garden", yes.. it should be OK,
providing it has some sort of stable base. I think Jim
(from Gibralter?), might be able to advise better here.
I believe he has a wide experience of such mounts ..but
remember that dishes in the UK are mostly aimed a little
'lower' - sort of 'along' the horizon - as compared to
those in more southerly latitudes, which point a little
more vertically into the heavens...

...but yes ..it should work if your mount or tripod is solid
enough to support the mass of your dish and motor. Remember
that, for the motor to be effective at pointing your dish
correctly around the arc, the vertical part of your mount
will still need to be not only very stable in all sorts of
weather - but remain perfectly perpendicular, otherwise it's
range of focus will very rapidly degenerate...

Certainly many mobile/camping setups also have such mounts -
although not always with motors - and as lighter-weight
mobile mounts are quite successful, at least for the
stronger satellite signals and general news/entertainment
channels from the stronger sources.

As for the dishes themselves, apart from size and such
details as being reasonably weatherproof etc, there's no
need to go to enormous expense. Mine, (a LiDL 85cm now
around 14.99gbp but at the time initially part of a
complete analogue kit at 39.95gbp), has to date withstood
the elements for the last 36 months without any sign of
distress, rust or lack of fine-focus performance..

I daresay there will be a few much more expensive dishes
that might be better contstructed, but as you know, purchase
price is not always a good indicator!

Similarly, you earlier mentioned the LNB. Yes, you will get
a more sensitive LNB at the high end of the cost scale - but
again whether or not it will get you anything more useful is
another matter.

(I can equally warrant that a 3.99gbp Universal LNB with a
3 year comprehensive guarantee from LiDL will get you most
everything - as indeed will many if not most similar LNBs)!

Perhaps, for the dish and the LNB, start at the cheaper end
with that which you judge to be of reasonable quality and
then only upgrade once experienced and looking for that small
increase in performance that might get you that extra feed
or two lurking in the background, among the many thousands
that you will already be enjoying...

hh... )

Bill ZFC
e&oe...! )

--
Adoption InterLink UK with -=- http://www.billsimpson.com/
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