Advice Needed Received a Channel Master 1.2m - slight damage to face & what are my motor options

[Manikm909]

thanks - dish has Mold No: 3040646

is that a earlier CM or Raven or Andrews iteration?

also how do i align it to a fixed sat without a jack? it just flops about currently (not installed)

 

[ozumo]

also how do i align it to a fixed sat without a jack? it just flops about currently (not installed)

Channel master smc 1.2m restoration

Keep it only in case if you're going to move to Eastern Europe where many Russian channels are available from 36*E. :D No, i will stay in France i already moved too much :rolleyes:

www.satellites.co.uk

 

[moonbase]

... also how do i align it to a fixed sat without a jack? it just flops about currently (not installed)

Use some eye bolts or track rod ends and a threaded rod in place of the actuator.

.

 

[Channel Hopper]

haha i want to do this on the cheap! hence only paying 30 quid for dish etc.
actuator seems cheapest - plus my diseq and laminas is working ok currently...its just nice to have the CM as an option down the line.
could sell laminas, but would want a nice price for it on the basis i paid about £250 last autumn
also - assuming the attached pics are the original CM polar mount???
(digger not to scale)

The 'dent' looks very recent from the second image.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I can get 53°E (dish hits the pole it's mounted on if I try to go further), to way past 45°W with my CM 1.2m and polar mount with 18" actuator.

Never actually picked anything up past 45°W (don't know if the roof it blocking it, or just that there is nothing strong enough for me to pick up).

The base of the reflector shouldn't touch the post unless you have the polarmount installed over a NPMM with additional braces.

The o/p will most likely be fitting more than one LNB for multi bands, and so the additional mass at the front will shorten the life of the actuator on a standard CM polarmount design, and possibly the V-Box/receiver at the extreme angles.

 

[cokeaddict]

The base of the reflector shouldn't touch the post unless you have the polarmount installed over a NPMM with additional braces.

 

[antrabe]

just one doubt about this kind of dish has better gain than aluminium in the same size?

 

[Channel Hopper]

Which latitude are you at ?

 

[RimaNTSS]

also how do i align it to a fixed sat without a jack? it just flops about currently (not installed)

Once I made the special tool to replace the jack. It does not only replace it but also allows fast tuning to the arc. It only takes coup,le of seconds to move antenna H-H. Went outside and made a couple of pictures.

just one doubt about this kind of dish has better gain than aluminium in the same size?

For sure, aluminum 1.2m antenna will have same gain as 1.2m Channel Master. Assuming both antennas have properly installed LNBs and their illumination angles fit the opening angles of the antennas. But, after some time aluminum antennas tend to lose their perfect shapes and therefore the gain will drop. Channel Master will always stay in the same perfect shape. So, CM is always better choise.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Once I made the special tool to replace the jack. It does not only replace it but also allows fast tuning to the arc. It only takes coup,le of seconds to move antenna H-H. Went outside and made a couple of pictures. View attachment 136372View attachment 136373

For sure, aluminum 1.2m antenna will have same gain as 1.2m Channel Master. Assuming both antennas have properly installed LNBs and their illumination angles fit the opening angles of the antennas. But, after some time aluminum antennas tend to lose their perfect shapes and therefore the gain will drop. Channel Master will always stay in the same perfect shape. So, CM is always better choise.

Offset dishes aside, I've not had the IRTE prime focus reflectors distort on any dish installed in 30 years of fitting, they are light and the back plates will keep them sufficiently in shape ( with the rim bolted version the possibility of gravity on the parabola never arises). They can get damaged by careless moving and building debris however.

The Precison reflectors have been hit and miss from the start owing to damage during transit, indifferent attachment to the backing ring (riveting on the earlier models was particularly temperamental) and distortions of the parabola following winter snow in higher latitudes.

 

[Manikm909]

Once I made the special tool to replace the jack. It does not only replace it but also allows fast tuning to the arc. It only takes coup,le of seconds to move antenna H-H. Went outside and made a couple of pictures. View attachment 136372View attachment 136373

For sure, aluminum 1.2m antenna will have same gain as 1.2m Channel Master. Assuming both antennas have properly installed LNBs and their illumination angles fit the opening angles of the antennas. But, after some time aluminum antennas tend to lose their perfect shapes and therefore the gain will drop. Channel Master will always stay in the same perfect shape. So, CM is always better choise.

ingenious

 

[Manikm909]

i'll be interested to see if theres any signal gain over my Laminas 1.2 (plastic \ fibreglass)

 

[Manikm909]

i banged the dent in today, sanded it gently and pva'd it, i then used p40 (proworx fibrefix) on the back, and on the edge (a very small chunk of fibre glass was missing) - pleased with the results. next i will clean it, and spray it white (weekend job) - im sure the damage won't be visible after that

 

[Manikm909]

i dont get how the polar mount creates an ARC - it seems to just left horizontal left and hortizontal right....is it the actuator that arcs it? i dont get the pivot

 

[moonbase]

i dont get how the polar mount creates an ARC - it seems to just left horizontal left and hortizontal right....is it the actuator that arcs it? i dont get the pivot

There is a declination angle to set in the polar mount that tilts the dish downwards slightly.
Once this angle is correctly set in conjunction with the elevation angle the mount should traverse an arc.

 

[Chr0nik]

Related to the question above... Is it possible to add a second actuator on a CM polar mount to catch inclined sats?

 

[Channel Hopper]

Related to the question above... Is it possible to add a second actuator on a CM polar mount to catch inclined sats?

Yes, but not recommended without adding additional bearings within the major elevation pivot point, plus upgrading the polarmount bearings for something more suitable /resilient.

Your profile mentions the IRTE prime focus 120cm, if it is a motorised system then check the polarmount and order similar. With the correct rivet tool it should serve you for a number of years

 

[Manikm909]

what powers the actuator - is it the VBOX thingy?

 

[moonbase]

what powers the actuator - is it the VBOX thingy?

Yes.

 

[purplemarina]

Related to the question above... Is it possible to add a second actuator on a CM polar mount to catch inclined sats?

This is how i did it