My SAT-playground

[CROSSBONES]

Aluminium?

No i think its made from cast iron??

 

[Captain Jack]

Maybe - it is quite heavy for what it is..

 

[CROSSBONES]

Maybe - it is quite heavy for what it is..

Nope its defo ali, just checked

 

[RimaNTSS]

Yes, confirm- it is casted aluminum. This is just unbendable mirror! I like big antennas, but this is certainly an exception.

 

[RimaNTSS]

I think dish perfectly fits and almost invisible behind a car in the garage (they call it GARAGE ). I do mot think wife, even is she see something will not understand what is that, maybe some decoration!
But seriously, this Prodelin is not so heavy than those I have in Latvia. Instead of 8 bolts to attach dish to mount, here is only 4.

 

[RimaNTSS]

Moved antenna's stand little bit more East today, so now I have place for another antenna, perhaps Fibo55. Will enlarge stand using some wood.
Fibo120 looking now at 28,2*E, yes signal is obstructed by balcony's infrastructure.

 

[RimaNTSS]

Before installing just put 55 and 120 nearby. Difference is considerable. Of course, performance is different as well.

 

[RimaNTSS]

As an SOP for all dishes I give them good hand wash (please do not tell my wife I use her expensive shampoos ;) ). After all dust is gone the dish looks really great. So after washing I've strung it and found out that there is no issues with warpage. Measures more or less precisely, it is 1345mm x 1206mm and 131,8mm deep. That means it has 26,3* offset angle and 89* opening angle.
BTW: Thanks Wim for helping me out again.

 

[Riverblue]

I bet your wife "loves" you, as if washing your dish in the bath wasn't bad enough, you're using her shampoo as well!

 

[RimaNTSS]

Weather was OK today, so I continued with Fibo55 installation. Did not catch any signals yet, but antenna is up. I think it will go from 55*E till 30*W. There are some pictures.

 

[sonnetpete]

you're using her shampoo as well!

That's why he's head and shoulders above all of us...

 

[Archived-1]

Weather was OK today, so I continued with Fibo55 installation. Did not catch any signals yet, but antenna is up. I think it will go from 55*E till 30*W. There are some pictures.
View attachment 69768 View attachment 69769 View attachment 69770 View attachment 69771 View attachment 69772

Nice install Rima , also nice to see you working with wood , don't forget my mount idea if you ever need any height for a dish.

 

[archive10]

As an SOP for all dishes I give them good hand wash (please do not tell my wife I use her expensive shampoos ;) ). After all dust is gone the dish looks really great. So after washing I've strung it and found out that there is no issues with warpage.

View attachment 69765

I thought it was a plastic dish? If it's metal, what're the ribs in the back made of?

 

[RimaNTSS]

I thought it was a plastic dish?

It is really is made of plastic, face and all ribs, everything is in one piece. All dish is quiet light.

 

[archive10]

It is really is made of plastic, face and all ribs, everything is in one piece. All dish is quiet light.
View attachment 69794

I see.
You really seem to find the exotic stuff! Nothing remotely like that here in DK... 8)

 

[Trust]

Found a own (forgotten) note about that dish , writen :
Northern Satellite
Modell-SSA12
Coko-Werk

searching on that last name found a company in Germany making plastic products .

 

[RimaNTSS]

Nothing remotely like that here in DK

Ooo, you newer know.... spend more time on second-hand market and you will be amazed what is available.

 

[RimaNTSS]

My DM8k lost bootloder somehow (does not want to boot), so it will take some time to get it work again. Problem is that I do not have any PC with serial out, ordered USB-to-Serial adapter from PRC.
My GB Quad is going to another owner, so I ordered and already received GB Quad Plus, by now I like it. It has 2 sat-tuners and one combo Terrestrial/Cable. Also installed 500 GB hard drive.
It was nice weather today, so started to tune Fibo55, started from my due-South satellite which is ~4,8* and easy got lock
, but to move antenna I need 5V from positioner. Maybe somebody can point me where is better place to take 5V?

 

[RimaNTSS]

That was actually not so difficult to get +5V out of positioner. Thanks Trust for advice. Hardest in this process was to find soldering iron
Replaced resistor R3 by direct wire (circled green), took +5V from JP3 (Red) and took ground (circled blue). So Fibo55 is already moving. If weather allows than during weekend will adjust arc and check limits and signal levels.

 

[RimaNTSS]

After today I made conclusion: It is easier to set-up small motorized antenna than big one, but, at the same time, it is much harder to perfectly set-up small motorized antenna than big one.
I mean, for small antenna put approximate declination and elevation, get central satellite and you are set. In this way got Fibo55 tuned today arc 53*E-30*W
Yes, 55cm antenna has surface about 19 times smaller than St1's new antenna