Channel masters - cant give em away

Manikm909

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ive noticed on facebook sales, and ebay - people just aint buying channel masters

i cant work out why - i thought they were highly sought after...?

do you think that its because they cant be diseq motor mounted, and you need the extra stuff, i.e motor, cable, and positioners...?

mystery to me, i nearly bought one, and might still , for 30 quid, inc actuator and 20 metres of cable.
 

Mickha

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I would think due to improved satellites, with spot beams, so that it's not as easy to pick up the extra channels, that a CM 1.2M can provide.
Add to that the improvement of broadband, and IPTV services, plus a lot of people are not that interested in any satellite, other than Sky, even those that have moved abroad, still want British television, which I can't understand.

Even my 1.2 CM dish doesn't get used as much as it used to, as I tend to use Kodi, to download, and view, the few films, and TV series, that I want to watch, and quite often I can spend a few hours watching videos online, as you search for one video, like the Marcus Jeter case, and end up finding numerous other examples, or find links you find funny, like some of the Trevor Noah shows.

Maybe a 1.8 CM dish would provide more choices, than the Penta 85cm, I got for my mother, but I can't get a lot extra, from the available satellites, than she can get on her dish.
If you're a dedicated feed hunter than a 1.2M CM dish might find more feeds, but where I'm situated, in the North West, even a feed on a 1.2M dish, can be dodgy, when the weather isn't great.
 

ozumo

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do you think that its because they cant be diseq motor mounted, and you need the extra stuff, i.e motor, cable, and positioners...?

There's also the lurgy going round which makes people less want to travel or visit houses of people they don't know, a 1.2m won't fit in the back of most cars either. However there's also the fact that most people who want a Channel Master will already have one (or several) already.

BTW I just picked up a 1.2m for nothing (other than the cost of diesel) courtesy of Dggrr last week :Y
 

jeallen01

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And don't forget the relatively small sizes of many people's modern properties and gardens, and then there's the planning regs and the "1m rule" - above which you need planning permission (possibly "avoidable" in "certain circumstances" :)), which is both time-consuming and comes at a cost..

PS: and "finally" (??) there's the overall "cost" in terms of cash to buy the "full kit", the effort, "dedication" and skill required to then install and get it set up "correctly" - many/most people just don't have all (except possibly the time, ATM) of those in the current "situation".
 
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Chr0nik

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It's a shame to be honest... with IPTV and streaming in general, some people just don't need them.

However, the lack of demand would, I assume, make them less expensive and here we are...
 

jeallen01

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It's a shame to be honest... with IPTV and streaming in general, some people just don't need them.
...
That's how I got the TD78 & Monobloc (and some VERY long T&K brackets - anyone want them foc for collection, or the postage cost?) for fifteen quid + a bit of diesel - the guy had moved into a block of flats with 1Gb broadband, and couldn't use / didn't need them.
 

Analoguesat

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It is my belief that the reasons outlined here are the main reason our hobby is dying atm. All the forums are very quiet nowadays and at least one I was involved with a few years ago has ceased operations recently.
 

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When I used to live with my parents in a terraced house I used to have a motorised channel master 1.2m dish setup installed. It cost a fortune but because of digital and the fact just about everything interesting is encrypted I saw no point in it anymore so after nearly 10 years I decided to sell it. I never had planning permission for it and nobody complained. The thing was up for at least 8 years but I hardly ever used it, it was always on Astra 2.

With this dish you need a 76mm pole for the mount. It costs more. There are now cheaper options which use the more standard 50mm pole mount and if all you are interested in is Astra, Hotbird and Eutelsat you don't really need a big dish unless you want something on a spot beam. Of course for some people a big dish is not practical and the CM 1.2 dish is huge.
 

Channel Hopper

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I would add that a ChannelMaster dish, once used for a while is going to need some servicing before it will perform as the manufacturer intended.

The feed horn and associated clamp and arms are a known weak point, as are the reflector surface and paint finish of the mount, all are subject to weathering and damage during transit unless protective material is used.

Many potential buyers will be put off by them not being functional 'out of the box', though other dish types suffer the same issue once second hand.
 

a33

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With what to service the reflector surface, then?

I guess that would count for all "plastic" dishes, so also the Cahors/Visiosat ones? (I have some of those.)

Greetz,
A33
 

Channel Hopper

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With what to service the reflector surface, then?

I guess that would count for all "plastic" dishes, so also the Cahors/Visiosat ones? (I have some of those.)

Greetz,
A33

It's been a long time since I installed a Visiosat dish but the reflector surface had a reflective coating, unlike the satin/semi matt finish on the CM.
They are also white from memory, which better reflects the sun than the light grey of the CM, which I have seen break up over time, leaving the metal perforations visible. It could be Visiosat has this buried further into the medium.
 

Channel Hopper

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I've just pulled an old Prodelin reflector from the lock up and - apart from surface dirt/dust on the surface it shows no visible degradation. It also has a somewhat whiter reflector than the Channel Master lying underneath, though not as bright as the Visiosat. I have seen corrosion and flaking material on some that have been out in the mediterranean/ME sun for years, or are installed near the sea, again not as bad as CM reflectors.20200919_145322[1].jpg
 

statalite

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Is this just a thread to trash CM dishes?
 

Manikm909

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Is this just a thread to trash CM dishes?

No, no, not at all. Well, that certainly wasn't my intention when posting. I was just a little perplexed that not one channel master on eBay had sold AFAIK, if they had, it was for peanuts - there are a few on local facebook marketplace that arent shifting either...and i wondered why - but the reasons on here help to explain, having said that, its probably just satellite dishes in general not selling, again due to the reasons mentioned in this thread.
 

daro2096

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This was 12 years ago roughly but my CM dish had one of those Jaeger H to H motor mount for it. I remember it cost about £400 new over 20 years ago. Think I sold the whole lot including wall mount and digital receiver and an Echostar LT8700 which was used mostly as a positioner(the only analogue stations at that time was at 19.2e) for about £600 but that was back around 2007 roughly. Everything looked in good condition. The wall mounts had some traces of rust though.
 

Manikm909

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in 2007 - there was probably quite a bit "available" with cams and cards - i think there was quite a bit available on 13e and 30w too - and not so much high quality streaming like there is nowadays, so it makes sense that you was able to sell at a decent price \ profit. you still cant beat the quality of a good sat feed! :)
 

daro2096

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I had probably spent the best part of £2000 on it though. I think I got the Echostar second hand but everything else was brand new when it was installed. The wall mount and pole came from Satellite Superstore. That was heavy duty and not cheap. Those Channel Master dishes weren't cheap either. The motor was the most expensive bit of kit. Got 68.5e to 45w on it. Back in the 90s I loved going to 18w and catching news feeds in the morning.
 

Captain Jack

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I just bought a Channel Master - simply because it came with the Fibo 1.2m I bought. But yes, there's certainly far less desire in general to hunt satellites. Even my 1.8m CM is mostly parked at 5e - a job that a good 1m can do here. But it's nice to know that I *can* :D
 
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