Channel Master/Laminas 1.8m project

Captain Jack

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Right but again don't forget that Laminas is much lighter dish and will not be as taxing on the motor as a fully laden CM. I know that the 1.5m Gibby isn't as heavy as the Laminas but 1224 made mince meat of the job driving it.

Polar mounts just don't do it for me in the slightest. Too many potential issues with them and would require more maintenance in the long run.
 
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Captain Jack said:
Right but again don't forget that Laminas is much lighter dish and will not be as taxing on the motor as a fully laden CM. I know that the 1.5m Gibby isn't as heavy as the Laminas but 1224 made mince meat of the job driving it.

Polar mounts just don't do it for me in the slightest. Too many potential issues with them and would require more maintenance in the long run.
Click to expand...
OK you've made your mind up, but something to think about the Laminas will be less stable in strong winds and will be flapping about like a kite, the wind pressure will be the same, nothing wrong with polar mounts if you can make your own to a good standard and fitted with a good quality actuator very little maintenance if made correctly just checking for play and greasing the actuator annually, the bought ones I wouldn't have given me.

You need to think more about your lnb arrangement on such a flimsy big dish, as for the 1224 95% of gears are plastic and wear very easy and the screws that hold the main part are only fit for a meccano set that's just my opinion of course and I wish you luck :)
 
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Sorry but I'll have to disagree with you there. I've never heard a bad word said about a Laminas dish and certainly never been described as "flimsy". It's a fibre glass dish...

Sigh... never mind, I'll just get on with it. Carry on...
 
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Captain Jack

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It is a concern to me too. I've no doubt that it's not as strong as the CM but it's undoubtedly stronger than most aluminium dishes of the same size. My Gibby 1.5m, if you remember, was warped slightly when it got here - easily fixed but the issue with large metal dishes is there. Heck, even the CM is not immune to warpage, if you saw other threads.

I definitely want to try the Laminas because of lighter construction and multi LNB friendliness. Whether I'll be happy with it is of course another matter.

Without either of us having experience with this particular dish, it's difficult to draw conclusions. I'll just have to try it.

Never know, I might well end up with the CM being my final dish.
 
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Welp, after a LOT of thinking, I have plumped for the Laminas 1800 dish. Total cost with shipping directly from Laminas - £616. Should have it early next week.

Reasons:

1) The Laminas is much lighter than the CM - 17kg vs 37kg. This makes it a very suitable candidate for the reenforced 1224 motor.
2) I can use the 1224 H2H motor! Linear count, wider arc and I have plenty of spares if it goes wrong.
3) Multi-LNB friendly, which makes it for a more tidy implementation.

Cons:

1) Potentially less sturdy than the CM but I can't see it being worse than an equivalent 1.8m steel/alu dish.
2) Er...

So... we'll see how it goes. The CM 1.8m is likely to be up for sale soon.
 
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Captain Jack said:
Welp, after a LOT of thinking, I have plumped for the Laminas 1800 dish. Total cost with shipping directly from Laminas - £616. Should have it early next week.

Reasons:

1) The Laminas is much lighter than the CM - 17kg vs 37kg. This makes it a very suitable candidate for the reenforced 1224 motor.
2) I can use the 1224 H2H motor! Linear count, wider arc and I have plenty of spares if it goes wrong.
3) Multi-LNB friendly, which makes it for a more tidy implementation.

Cons:

1) Potentially less sturdy than the CM but I can't see it being worse than an equivalent 1.8m steel/alu dish.
2) Er...

So... we'll see how it goes. The CM 1.8m is likely to be up for sale soon.
Click to expand...



.... the reasoning looks sound to me ;), carry on
 
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Captain Jack said:
Welp, after a LOT of thinking, I have plumped for the Laminas 1800 dish. Total cost with shipping directly from Laminas - £616. Should have it early next week.

Reasons:

1) The Laminas is much lighter than the CM - 17kg vs 37kg. This makes it a very suitable candidate for the reenforced 1224 motor.
2) I can use the 1224 H2H motor! Linear count, wider arc and I have plenty of spares if it goes wrong.
3) Multi-LNB friendly, which makes it for a more tidy implementation.

Cons:

1) Potentially less sturdy than the CM but I can't see it being worse than an equivalent 1.8m steel/alu dish.
2) Er...

So... we'll see how it goes. The CM 1.8m is likely to be up for sale soon.
Click to expand...
SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN POUNDS! Do tell us how you managed to bribe Mrs C Jack to allow you to spend that amount of money. :-Axechase
 
Captain Jack

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....it helps having separate bank accounts. I don't step on her toes and she doesn't step on mine. The amount of crap she buys far outdoes my purchases..
 
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Captain Jack said:
Welp, after a LOT of thinking, I have plumped for the Laminas 1800 dish. Total cost with shipping directly from Laminas - £616. ...
Click to expand...

You can get a brand new UK manufactured Elite Antennas 1.8m prime focus dish for just a little more money.
 
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Yeah, but it's not multi-LNB friendly - one of the reasons I want to give the Laminas a go over the offset CM. Besides, I already have a PF 1.8m dish, which I will probably put up at some point.
 
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Captain Jack said:
Reasons:

1) The Laminas is much lighter than the CM - 17kg vs 37kg.
Click to expand...

I think you´ll find it slightly heavier than 17kg, site shows it as 19.5 and the two I had delivered had a 100kg notice on, albeit mounted on a section of a pallet with two az/el mounts included. In theory should have been about 55kg, but was much more, about 75 - 80 kg I figure.
Either way, will watch intensely to see how you find it, still waiting for some steel to make the mounts for mine!
 
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Yeah, some sites said 19.5, some said 17. Well, 2.5kg won't make a difference. It should still be lighter than the CM. I hope..... with a baited breath.

I know some of you think I am mad choosing a Laminas over the granddaddy of them all but I like to be different :p
 
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If I get the chance tomorrow I´ll roll the two I have onto the bathroom scales just to confirm the weight. ( I´ll take the scales out rather than the dishes in! )
 
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Captain Jack said:
but I like to be different
Click to expand...
It is OK to be different...... bot no so much! :-lol And not for such a big money! Anyway, looking forward to your installs.
 
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If I am happy with the Laminas performance, I will likely sell the CM, so will claw some of the cash back. Not a total loss but ... sadly, this hobby isn't cheap :(
 
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Since my Fibo 90 got side tracked in the strong winds, I am going to move the installation to where the 1.8m will go. This will help me check the eastern limits. And see if I can persuade the neighbour to :-sawtheir tree branches.
 
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Hm welp, aligned the Fibo 90, roughly... Can see 53E and 55E... but only just. Cannot lock anything on 55E but my dish is definitely out a bit. Grozny on 53E is OK but weaker than it was at the previous place. The tree is definitely an issue.
 
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So, chaps, with the Laminas on the way to me, I am starting to think about mounting it. I have a 4.5" NPRM mount, which I can just plonk down on the grass and stick some paving slabs on top. I am not happy with trusting this though, but maybe I should?

The 1.5m Gibby was fine with 3 kerb stones - the Laminas won't be that much heavier, but it will be in a more exposed location and act as a larger sail.

So, would I be better off laying a concrete base and bolting the NPRM onto to it? Or would I be ok with paving stones weighing it down?
 
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Knowing the cost of the dish, shipping etc and the winds of late, I would err on the side of caution!
 
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