Fortec Star!

[aceb]

Just been out to knock the snow and ice off the 1.8 and it's got me thinking about the summer and any nice projects to play with when it's 25° warmer. For some time I've been having that inevitable urge for a bigger dish but all along knowing I'll never have the money to throw at anything decent that's a worthwhile jump up in size. The Precision has a tubular rim to it which will make adding any extensions very tricky and I don't want to be drilling the reflector face at all. That leaves one option, (look away now those of a nervous disposition) the infamous 2.4m Fortec Star. I know they have a bad rep but all the slagging off I've seen is either for poor performance on Ku or due to mechanical construction which I'll take a chance on. I can probably come up with some strengthening and the design looks suitable for adapting my 1.2m Precision PM so I can motorise it.

So, simply this, has anyone ever tried a 2.4FS on C band or can point me in the direction of a test of one on C band? I've seen some photos of them (badged Jonsa) being used but never a performance report, these things must come up second hand from time to time so I'll keep an eye out. If I can source one cheap enough second hand I'll get it and do the tests myself but it would be nice to see what others have found.

 

[Lazarus]

Nice idea, aceb >>> You could call it "The Origami Project"! ^-J

 

[Channel Hopper]

There was one person on the site that spent ages modifying his to give respectable results,

Joddle had an insurance payout after the first breezy day

http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/topic/130823-prime-focus-from-maplins-any-good/?hl=%2B2.4m+%2Bjonsa#entry685420

If I recall ttime was another poster with the 2.4m version, but his was strapped to two very solid brick walls.

 

[aceb]

Thanks for the link CH, it confirms everything I've ever read about them, shite construction and crap on Ku! I must be mad but I'm still keen to try one on C. I can help the poor mechanical construction with some extra bracing but from what I read about it on Ku it sounds like it's quite an inefficient reflector even when put together properly and strung, it would be interesting to see how that translates on C band. Well if anyone hears of one going second hand let me know, I might just get it!

The most frustrating thing about all of this is when reading US forums, 3m+ meshes are getting binned daily as there's no market for them these days :-crying

 

[Captain Jack]

Maybe get one shipped across from the States, Paul? Will be cheaper than buying one here... if you do it be sea instead of air?

Also, there's a guy on here, Costacs, from Canada using his 2.4m FS dish for C-band with seemingly good results.

 

[aceb]

Ah, does he, I hadn't spotted that. Are you lurking Costacs?

 

[Captain Jack]

Stupid forum - hate this software. Been trying to find his photos but couldn't work out how. He does list it in his profile - http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/user/388582-costactc/

Ah got it - http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/topic/154740-my-arc-scanners/

 

[Analoguesat]

For a specific post click on the post number within the thread on the grey bar at the top of the post

http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/topic/157421-fortec-star/?p=831421

will link tou post #7 in this thread - which is yours CJ.

 

[Captain Jack]

I couldn't work out how to scan for user's posts but eventually found a "find content" button in a random place which does it.... as opposed to in "Posts" tab in the user profile which tells you almost nothing.

 

[aceb]

Stupid forum - hate this software.

You and me both, it's the only forum I use that wont let me open thumbnailed photos in seperate tabs, either mouse button pops them up over the page I'm on. Thanks for the links chaps, I've PM'd him a couple of questions including asking about the polar mount his FS is on but hopefully he'll come up on this thread too.

 

[Costactc]

I am using my 2.4m Fortec for ku band with excellent results. When I installed the dish initially I was using a c/ku lnbf and c band signal quality was through the roof, even some of those tough s2/8psk channels. The 2.4 is set up with a 24" VonWeise actuator and no modifications were required. I originally had a 1.8m DH dish which cost a pretty penny and it was definitely flawed in design as my 1m geosat dish was outperforming it. The 2.4 will pick up all tp on my ku arc that have a spotbeam for this part of the world-15-123w. I'm using it in combination with a scalar ring and a jsc322-2 universal lnbf.

 

[aceb]

That's interesting, so a polar mount is available for the 2.4. I've only ever seen them over here advertised with a fixed ground stand sort of thing. I'll take a look through some North American suppliers and see if I can spot one. CJ, it's a shame surface shipping wasn't more straightforward from the States, 3m+ mesh dishes come up on Craigslist free to a good home! It's needs some enterprising anorak over there to get them, break them down and arrange shipping to Europe.

 

[Costactc]

I don't think they manufacture them anymore, this was the last of the lot from my sat guy. Polar mount on a 12' pole that is 4' in the ground for the frost line here in Canada. They weigh a ton as well, if I recall 125lbs(56 kg).

 

[Captain Jack]

Polar mounts can probably be manufactured by a local welder - just take some designs to him and explain what needs doing. It's a pretty simple design..

 

[Channel Hopper]

Jonsa have a range of 2.4m antenna production facilities, it is quite likely that the one delivered to the US is from a different factory to that supplied to Europe, or the Middle East

 

[aceb]

The only place I can see mention of the FS/Jonsa PM is on their website so it would seem to be a non starter now. Fortunately with the light weight of the 2.4 and the support ring on it it looks like a straight forward to connect it to the Precision 1.2 PM.

While searching I kept coming across sites like Alibaba and the range of C band dishes available direct from China is quite impressive, lots of mesh dishes from 2.3 - 9m like these ones.
_http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/287587502/2_3m_3_0m_3_69m.html

This one even lists a price although I'm not entirely sure how to enterprete it, seems cheap though!
_http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/605510180/c_band_240cm_satellite_dish_antenna.html

One of the searches for Chinese dishes then brings me straight back to this forum and a tale of woe from BombedOne http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/topic/102692-what-happens-to-cheap-chinese-mesh-dishes-under-moderate-wind/ Tempting but caveat emptor.

 

[Channel Hopper]

They look like KTI dishes, and could be exact clones, or possibly the source of the originals.

Since the main page mentions monthly production of 10,000, I doubt very much they are going to freight just one sample out to anybody.

 

[aceb]

The manufacturer on the first link 'Guangzhou HPT Electronic Technology Co., Limited' appears against the majority of dishes I found from China, I did wonder if they are the original manufacturer of many of the unbranded dishes available. It's the word 'set' that confuses me, it might mean one dish package or it might mean one pallet. I've sent an email to find out and what shipping methods they use if it is one piece, just out of curiousity like. :-nuts

 

[Captain Jack]

Be very careful with Alibaba - I got burned there once. Ordered a Vu+ Duo receiver for a very good price about 3 years ago (before clone days) but I just received some cheap knock-off headphones instead. Managed to get most of my money back though from Alibaba themselves as the "company" I got it from had many such victims and it got shut down.

Certainly never send money using Western Union and such-like. AliExpress is better as it's more like eBay and offers a better degree of protection but I never used it.