The good news is that the new LNB arrived today, and when I fitted it
the missing channels came back.

The bad news is that the boom which holds the LNB is very rusty and is
nowhere as rigid as it should be. Are these obtainable as spare parts
or am I not looking at a whole dish replacement when the boom starts to sag?

Jim

On Mon 17/05/2021 16:52, Indy Jess John wrote:
> The good news is that the new LNB arrived today, and when I fitted it
> the missing channels came back.
>
> The bad news is that the boom which holds the LNB is very rusty and is
> nowhere as rigid as it should be.  Are these obtainable as spare parts
> or am I not looking at a whole dish replacement when the boom starts to
> sag?
>

You might as well buy new - they only cost about £30.

On Mon, 17 May 2021 16:52:39 +0100, Indy Jess John
<jimwarren@OMITblueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>The good news is that the new LNB arrived today, and when I fitted it
>the missing channels came back.
>
>The bad news is that the boom which holds the LNB is very rusty and is
>nowhere as rigid as it should be. Are these obtainable as spare parts
>or am I not looking at a whole dish replacement when the boom starts to sag?
>
>Jim
You surprised me by saying the new LNB brought the missing channels
back. Are you sure you didn't happen to bend the rusty arm as you were
fitting the LNB? I challenge you to see what happens when you put the
old one back!
--
Dave W

On 17/05/2021 23:56, Dave W wrote:
> On Mon, 17 May 2021 16:52:39 +0100, Indy Jess John
> <jimwarren@OMITblueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> The good news is that the new LNB arrived today, and when I fitted it
>> the missing channels came back.
>>
>> The bad news is that the boom which holds the LNB is very rusty and is
>> nowhere as rigid as it should be. Are these obtainable as spare parts

Joking

>> or am I not looking at a whole dish replacement

Yes

Bill

On 18/05/2021 01:37, williamwright wrote:
> On 17/05/2021 23:56, Dave W wrote:
>> On Mon, 17 May 2021 16:52:39 +0100, Indy Jess John
>> <jimwarren@OMITblueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> The good news is that the new LNB arrived today, and when I fitted it
>>> the missing channels came back.
>>>
>>> The bad news is that the boom which holds the LNB is very rusty and is
>>> nowhere as rigid as it should be.  Are these obtainable as spare parts
>
> Joking
>
>>> or am I not looking at a whole dish replacement
>
> Yes
>
> Bill

What's more the new dish won't fit on the old wall bracket and the new
wall bracket won't fit on the old wall bolts. You're fucked mate.

Bill

On Tue, 18 May 2021 01:42:35 +0100, williamwright <wrightsaerials@f2s.com> sprachen:

>What's more the new dish won't fit on the old wall bracket and the new
>wall bracket won't fit on the old wall bolts. You're fucked mate.

Wait til he sees what the new wall's going to cost him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

if love is a drug, then, ideally, it's a healing, healthful drug... it's
kind of like prozac is supposed to work (without the sexual side
effects and long-term damage to the brain and psyche)

On Mon, 17 May 2021 23:56:38 +0100, Dave W <davewi11@yahoo.co.uk> sprachen:

>You surprised me by saying the new LNB brought the missing channels
>back.

Maybe the old one was giving a weaker signal, water got into it or something. So the missing channels were the weaker ones. Or
maybe some tricky thing to do with capacitance was filtering out some frequencies. I dunno, microwave is voodoo. Except voodoo has
well-explained working principles.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

if love is a drug, then, ideally, it's a healing, healthful drug... it's
kind of like prozac is supposed to work (without the sexual side
effects and long-term damage to the brain and psyche)

On 18/05/2021 01:42, williamwright wrote:

> What's more the new dish won't fit on the old wall bracket and the new
> wall bracket won't fit on the old wall bolts. You're fucked mate.

Nothing that enjoyable :-)

I might (faint hope!) find the same dish that I have fitted offered for
sale somewhere. Then I can reuse the current wall bracket. Porcine
aviation anyone?

Jim

On 18/05/2021 07:46, Indy Jess John wrote:
> On 18/05/2021 01:42, williamwright wrote:
>
>> What's more the new dish won't fit on the old wall bracket and the new
>> wall bracket won't fit on the old wall bolts. You're fucked mate.
>
> Nothing that enjoyable   :-)
>
> I might (faint hope!) find the same dish that I have fitted offered for
> sale somewhere. Then I can reuse the current wall bracket. Porcine
> aviation anyone?
>
> Jim
>
I have seen wobbly LNB arms reinforced by string running from the LNB to
nails in the wall...

Bill

On 18/05/2021 15:38, williamwright wrote:
>
> I have seen wobbly LNB arms reinforced by string running from the LNB to
> nails in the wall...

Perhaps one could try painting them with viagra? After all, judging
from the spam, it's freely available, what's to lose?

--

Fake news kills!

I may be contacted via the contact address given on my website:
www.macfh.co.uk

Is it all the way along? One might be able to splint it in some way and glue
it all together.
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Indy Jess John" <jimwarren@OMITblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:djwoI.53934$VN.24361@fx34.ams4...
> The good news is that the new LNB arrived today, and when I fitted it the
> missing channels came back.
>
> The bad news is that the boom which holds the LNB is very rusty and is
> nowhere as rigid as it should be. Are these obtainable as spare parts or
> am I not looking at a whole dish replacement when the boom starts to sag?
>
> Jim

How is the arm secured to the dish? I'd have expected anything that is that
open to the elements to be made of something that did not corrode or be very
well plated or painted. I still see splint it for fabricate something the
same size. It depends where it is but there is quite a bit of wiggle room at
the focus on some dishes.
However all of this does make me think I was right not going down the
freesat route myself.
Whatever happened to those horn aerials we used to see mounted on
balconies? Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"williamwright" <wrightsaerials@f2s.com> wrote in message
news:igi1rbF183rU1@mid.individual.net...
> On 18/05/2021 07:46, Indy Jess John wrote:
>> On 18/05/2021 01:42, williamwright wrote:
>>
>>> What's more the new dish won't fit on the old wall bracket and the new
>>> wall bracket won't fit on the old wall bolts. You're fucked mate.
>>
>> Nothing that enjoyable :-)
>>
>> I might (faint hope!) find the same dish that I have fitted offered for
>> sale somewhere. Then I can reuse the current wall bracket. Porcine
>> aviation anyone?
>>
>> Jim
>>
> I have seen wobbly LNB arms reinforced by string running from the LNB to
> nails in the wall...
>
> Bill

On 18/05/2021 17:54, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
> Is it all the way along? One might be able to splint it in some way and glue
> it all together.

It is a hollow tube with a square section. It starts from the mounting
behind the dish, so it goes vertically downwards until it is below the
bottom of the dish then bends to an acute angle which is only slightly
sharper than a right angle so that the LNB on the end of it is at a
focus from the dish.

The LNB is held in a plastic mount that bolts onto the end of the boom.
The plastic mount is is two parts so that they can be spread to insert
the LNB, and that means that there is a thin gap between the two halves
of plastic. Over the years some rain must have got through the gap and
into the hollow of the boom, where it runs downhill until it gets to the
bend and it rests there. Over time that has gradually rusted away the
bend from the inside until the underside of the bend has no structural
strength. Once it gets to that stage, the wind blowing on the LNB
slightly flexes the boom if it is a strong wind and the rust at the bend
gradually flakes off until the square section becomes an inverted U
shape. That is what I saw when I got up the ladder to change the LNB.

Jim

On 19/05/2021 01:04, Indy Jess John wrote:

>
> The LNB is held in a plastic mount that bolts onto the end of the boom.
>  The plastic mount is is two parts so that they can be spread to insert
> the LNB, and that means that there is a thin gap between the two halves
> of plastic. Over the years some rain must have got through the gap and
> into the hollow of the boom, where it runs downhill until it gets to the
> bend and it rests there.  Over time that has gradually rusted away the
> bend from the inside until the underside of the bend has no structural
> strength. Once it gets to that stage, the wind blowing on the LNB
> slightly flexes the boom if it is a strong wind and the rust at the bend
> gradually flakes off until the square section becomes an inverted U
> shape. That is what I saw when I got up the ladder to change the LNB.
>
> Jim

That's how they usually go. It's worse in coastal areas. Sometimes you
see the arm and LNB hanging down, swinging on the cable.

Bill

On 19/05/2021 01:29, williamwright wrote:
> On 19/05/2021 01:04, Indy Jess John wrote:
>
>>
>> The LNB is held in a plastic mount that bolts onto the end of the boom.
>> The plastic mount is is two parts so that they can be spread to insert
>> the LNB, and that means that there is a thin gap between the two halves
>> of plastic. Over the years some rain must have got through the gap and
>> into the hollow of the boom, where it runs downhill until it gets to the
>> bend and it rests there. Over time that has gradually rusted away the
>> bend from the inside until the underside of the bend has no structural
>> strength. Once it gets to that stage, the wind blowing on the LNB
>> slightly flexes the boom if it is a strong wind and the rust at the bend
>> gradually flakes off until the square section becomes an inverted U
>> shape. That is what I saw when I got up the ladder to change the LNB.
>>
>> Jim
>
> That's how they usually go. It's worse in coastal areas. Sometimes you
> see the arm and LNB hanging down, swinging on the cable.
>
> Bill

If that is a common occurrence, wouldn't you think that it might be a
replacement part?

As an aside, I did find a dish identical to mine for sale, but it came
as a complete set with some cable and a set-top box to receive the
satellite channels, and it was 3 figures of pounds.

I have decided that it will be cheaper to buy a new dish and drill some
new holes in my wall.

Jim

In that case it may be possible to find some good metal and attach a new
bottom plate bent to the suitable angle and held in by self tapping screws.
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Indy Jess John" <jimwarren@OMITblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:jCYoI.441592$PPIc.121029@fx15.ams4...
> On 18/05/2021 17:54, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
>> Is it all the way along? One might be able to splint it in some way and
>> glue
>> it all together.
>
> It is a hollow tube with a square section. It starts from the mounting
> behind the dish, so it goes vertically downwards until it is below the
> bottom of the dish then bends to an acute angle which is only slightly
> sharper than a right angle so that the LNB on the end of it is at a focus
> from the dish.
>
> The LNB is held in a plastic mount that bolts onto the end of the boom.
> The plastic mount is is two parts so that they can be spread to insert the
> LNB, and that means that there is a thin gap between the two halves of
> plastic. Over the years some rain must have got through the gap and into
> the hollow of the boom, where it runs downhill until it gets to the bend
> and it rests there. Over time that has gradually rusted away the bend
> from the inside until the underside of the bend has no structural
> strength. Once it gets to that stage, the wind blowing on the LNB slightly
> flexes the boom if it is a strong wind and the rust at the bend gradually
> flakes off until the square section becomes an inverted U shape. That is
> what I saw when I got up the ladder to change the LNB.
>
> Jim

I have a receipt from an 0800 bunch who charged £570 for a zone 1 dish install.

if I was you Id check a local firm or stop a sky van. Im a bit far away but I charge £80 inc dish and LNB (£40 labour plus parts)

On 21/05/2021 08:15, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
> In that case it may be possible to find some good metal and attach a new
> bottom plate bent to the suitable angle and held in by self tapping screws.
> Brian
>
I found an "as new" dish on ebay as an auction item, and my opening bid
was the only one so I got it dirt cheap. Apparently it was only used to
set up a Freesat PVR to be passed on pre-configured with all the
channels and it was never attached to a building, and having done its
job was surplus to requirements. So it will come with a LNB included.

Just occasionally I strike lucky, and I reckon getting a dish and LNB
for the retail price of the LNB is one of those occasions. It should
arrive next week. I will fit it myself.

Jim

On 23/05/2021 20:25, Indy Jess John wrote:
> On 21/05/2021 08:15, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
>> In that case it may be possible to find some good metal and attach a new
>> bottom plate bent to the suitable angle and held in by self tapping
>> screws.
>>   Brian
>>
> I found an "as new" dish on ebay as an auction item, and my opening bid
> was the only one so I got it dirt cheap. Apparently it was only used to
> set up a Freesat PVR to be passed on pre-configured with all the
> channels and it was never attached to a building, and having done its
> job was surplus to requirements.  So it will come with a LNB included.
>
> Just occasionally I strike lucky, and I reckon getting a dish and LNB
> for the retail price of the LNB is one of those occasions. It should
> arrive next week. I will fit it myself.
>

I'll be most interested to hear how you get on aiming it correctly.

--
Brian Gregory (in England).

On 19/05/2021 11:12, Indy Jess John wrote:

>> That's how they usually go. It's worse in coastal areas. Sometimes you
>> see the arm and LNB hanging down, swinging on the cable.
>>
>> Bill
>
> If that is a common occurrence, wouldn't you think that it might be a
> replacement part?

Good heavens no. There'd be no money in it. And it just wouldn't be a
good idea. You'd be faffing about undoing rusty bolts, the LNB clamp
would break, etc etc. Much quicker and thus cheaper to give the customer
a complete new dish.

>
> As an aside, I did find a dish identical to mine for sale, but it came
> as a complete set with some cable and a set-top box to receive the
> satellite channels, and it was 3 figures of pounds.
>
> I have decided that it will be cheaper to buy a new dish and drill some
> new holes in my wall.

I applaud your decision. Have you got a good SDS drill?

Bill

On 23/05/2021 23:36, Brian Gregory wrote:
> On 23/05/2021 20:25, Indy Jess John wrote:
>> On 21/05/2021 08:15, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
>>> In that case it may be possible to find some good metal and attach a new
>>> bottom plate bent to the suitable angle and held in by self tapping
>>> screws.
>>>   Brian
>>>
>> I found an "as new" dish on ebay as an auction item, and my opening
>> bid was the only one so I got it dirt cheap. Apparently it was only
>> used to set up a Freesat PVR to be passed on pre-configured with all
>> the channels and it was never attached to a building, and having done
>> its job was surplus to requirements.  So it will come with a LNB
>> included.
>>
>> Just occasionally I strike lucky, and I reckon getting a dish and LNB
>> for the retail price of the LNB is one of those occasions. It should
>> arrive next week. I will fit it myself.
>>
>
> I'll be most interested to hear how you get on aiming it correctly.
>

dishpointer is useful for rough dish aiming then after that its a
spectrum analyser job..... or use teh reciever as a poor man's spectrum
analyser on its signal strength / signal quality page.

S.

On 24/05/2021 02:23, williamwright wrote:
> On 19/05/2021 11:12, Indy Jess John wrote:

>> I have decided that it will be cheaper to buy a new dish and drill some
>> new holes in my wall.
>
> I applaud your decision. Have you got a good SDS drill?
>
> Bill

I have a very good mains powered drill with a hammer setting, but it has
a conventional chuck rather than an SDS one. It was good enough to drill
through a 15 inch thick wall (I have an old house!) to run a pipe
through for an outside tap, so it will easily cope with a few holes for
a satellite dish.

Jim

On 24/05/2021 07:43, SH wrote:
> On 23/05/2021 23:36, Brian Gregory wrote:
>> On 23/05/2021 20:25, Indy Jess John wrote:
>>> On 21/05/2021 08:15, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
>>>> In that case it may be possible to find some good metal and attach a new
>>>> bottom plate bent to the suitable angle and held in by self tapping
>>>> screws.
>>>> Brian
>>>>
>>> I found an "as new" dish on ebay as an auction item, and my opening
>>> bid was the only one so I got it dirt cheap. Apparently it was only
>>> used to set up a Freesat PVR to be passed on pre-configured with all
>>> the channels and it was never attached to a building, and having done
>>> its job was surplus to requirements. So it will come with a LNB
>>> included.
>>>
>>> Just occasionally I strike lucky, and I reckon getting a dish and LNB
>>> for the retail price of the LNB is one of those occasions. It should
>>> arrive next week. I will fit it myself.
>>>
>>
>> I'll be most interested to hear how you get on aiming it correctly.
>>
>
> dishpointer is useful for rough dish aiming then after that its a
> spectrum analyser job..... or use the receiver as a poor man's spectrum
> analyser on its signal strength / signal quality page.
>
> S.

Don't forget that I already have a rusty one pointing in the right
direction, so I already know the direction (mid-way between a chimney
pot and a tree[1], neither of which have moved since I put the original
dish in place), so it is really only the vertical alignment I have to
sort out.

[1] I did try dishpointer and it confirms that alignment.

Jim

On 24/05/2021 08:37, Indy Jess John wrote:
> On 24/05/2021 07:43, SH wrote:
>> On 23/05/2021 23:36, Brian Gregory wrote:
>>> On 23/05/2021 20:25, Indy Jess John wrote:
>>>> On 21/05/2021 08:15, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
>>>>> In that case it may be possible to find some good metal and attach
>>>>> a new
>>>>> bottom plate bent to the suitable angle and held in by self tapping
>>>>> screws.
>>>>>    Brian
>>>>>
>>>> I found an "as new" dish on ebay as an auction item, and my opening
>>>> bid was the only one so I got it dirt cheap. Apparently it was only
>>>> used to set up a Freesat PVR to be passed on pre-configured with all
>>>> the channels and it was never attached to a building, and having done
>>>> its job was surplus to requirements.  So it will come with a LNB
>>>> included.
>>>>
>>>> Just occasionally I strike lucky, and I reckon getting a dish and LNB
>>>> for the retail price of the LNB is one of those occasions. It should
>>>> arrive next week. I will fit it myself.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I'll be most interested to hear how you get on aiming it correctly.
>>>
>>
>> dishpointer is useful for rough dish aiming then after that its a
>> spectrum analyser job..... or use the receiver as a poor man's spectrum
>> analyser on its signal strength / signal quality page.
>>
>> S.
>
> Don't forget that I already have a rusty one pointing in the right
> direction, so I already know the direction (mid-way between a chimney
> pot and a tree[1], neither of which have moved since I put the original
> dish in place), so it is really only the vertical alignment I have to
> sort out.
>
> [1] I did try dishpointer and it confirms that alignment.
>
> Jim
>

Dishpointer does tell you the skew requried for the constellation of
satellites at 28.2E and there is often a degree marking scale on the Sky
minidish so thats one adjustment done so far. :-)

As for elevation, the back of the dish face tends to be really close to
dead vertical so you would be quite close to the correct elevation.

Then you can use a simple cheap signal strength meter[1] to then
optimise the azimuth.

Then go back and adjust the elevatino to try and get the signal up as
much as you can.

Then optionally you can check the skew.

[1] I know I mentioned using the Sig Str & sig qual meters on the
Reciever but they are slower to respond and its not always practical to
have teh TV set and reciever next to the dish[2], so a small hand held
sat finder meter is really useful.

[2] I did on one occasion borrow my wifes mobile phone, initiate a vide
WhatsApp call between her handset and mine. I positioned her phone to
look at the Lounge TV. I then took my own phone up the ladder and I
could see the Lounge TV set on my mobile phone[3]

[3] I had a humax proper satellite reciever and the sig str & sig qual
meters on it were much more responsive than a sky box....

On 24/05/2021 09:58, NY wrote:
>
> Given that a dish needs to be pointed in the correct direction to
> within +/- 1 degree (or maybe even more accurately),

Not the domestic 40cm dishes. In fact their beam-width is so wide, when
you pan east to west looking on an analyser and satellites that are only
3 degs apart merge into each other.

I managed to set my dish up perfectly on the wrong satellite recently,
trying to get 28.2 E