My new "portable" satellite dish.. How flippin' big?!

[Christhecaravanner84]

I definitely read the desccription when I ordered it. I knew it was an 80cm dish, just didn't fully appreciate the size of it until it was stood in my living room.



It's a zone 2 dish. I went for that as I plan lots of trips to Scotland in the 'van, and also it will give me better gain at the inevitable height disadvantage whilst down South. Managed to get Freesat signal out the front of the flat, pointing towards a narrow gap between houses. It was easy enough to set up with the supplied sat finder. Only little niggle I have is the fact you need a spanner / socket to adjust the elevation. I plan to replace these nuts with wing nuts and washers at some point. The dish it's self isn't very heavy so will likely live under the bed when not in use (the LNB arm detaches).

I'm only in a one bed flat so not huge amounts of storage available. It's temporary home is in my bedroom at the foot of the bed. I'll probably wake in the middle of the night and think aliens have come to take me away...

Easy enough to put together, just as well because I couldn't find much in the way of destructions. All in all a nice bit of kit.

 

[RogerL]

That's NOT a zone 2 dish!

I bought a satellite set-up long ago, before the UK pencil beam was introduced - to receive the transmissions in the far north of Scotland and Outer Hebrides I was advised to get a 60 cm dish which worked fine including trips to the Outer Hebrides and the very far north-west Scotland - when the UK pencil beam was introduced a 40cm Zone 1 dish became adequate across the whole of the UK but I couldn't be bothered to change it for a smaller dish.

80cm dishes were recommended for traveller to southern France - the bonus is that a bigger dish than needed is easier to align.

 

[Buckman]

That is way over the top as a 60cm dish would have been okay. The last time went to Scotland in 2015 we used a 40cm dish and had no issues with reception. The 80cm would be handy if you propose visiting southern Spain as at least you can still get Sky.

What are you using to set it up? We used a Fringe signal finder which was easy to use and signal located quickly. https://www.fringeelectronics.co.uk/productshop.html

 

[JTQ]

Stuff of nightmares, will catch the wind so be blown of target and be way too challenging to live with storage, weight and in use, together with only be really "needed" for all but the remotest edges of the beam.
Is it returnable for a more practical, again a Triax based folding arm 65cm?

 

[Christhecaravanner84]

Stuff of nightmares, will catch the wind so be blown of target and be way too challenging to live with storage, weight and in use, together with only be really "needed" for all but the remotest edges of the beam.
Is it returnable for a more practical, again a Triax based folding arm 65cm?

How would difference is 15 cm really going to make?

 

[Buckman]

How would difference is 15 cm really going to make?

Probably none as far as reception is concerned. However it may have been better to buy a mesh dish instead of a solid dish as a mesh will allow some wind to pass through, but an 80cm is one big sail especially in Scotland. I think our Maxview was 55cm and no issue with Sky channels even done in Spain near Valencia.

 

[Christhecaravanner84]

Probably none as far as reception is concerned. However it may have been better to buy a mesh dish instead of a solid dish as a mesh will allow some wind to pass through, but an 80cm is one big sail especially in Scotland. I think our Maxview was 55cm and no issue with Sky channels even done in Spain near Valencia.

Well I'd like to know where all these kits with mesh dishes are, because I can't find them.

 

[Buckman]

Well I'd like to know where all these kits with mesh dishes are, because I can't find them.

There are loads available if you search. For example this ONE.

 

[Christhecaravanner84]

There are loads available if you search. For example this ONE.

But that's not a kit. I wanted a kit.

 

[Buckman]

But that's not a kit. I wanted a kit.

I have no idea what is in a kit as all I did was buy the dish and cabling separately. Seems you are now stuck with a very large dish that needs to be transported around. Find an old duvet to wrap around it to stop it damaging the interior fo the caravan while travelling. Have fun setting it up.

 

[Christhecaravanner84]

Im beginning to wish I never posted this thread.

 

[JTQ]

How would difference is 15 cm really going to make?

Whilst in reception here very little, but as the bulk is cubic law related, in storage a massive difference. In weight I expect the same gauge steel plate is used so that would be to a square law so about 2 thirds as heavy.
Is just adding extra hassle one way or another, but would be to those not up to speed, "impressive" when out on display!

 

[woodsieboy]

I shouldn't worry too much about the size, the difference between 65 and 80 is only 15cm , so not huge,we use a 70 dish mainly for France and have never had it blow over, even when using a taller tripod than yours.We have invested in a decent satellite finder, hand held that shows the name of the satellite you want to connect to on a screen, my advice is to make sure you peg the legs of the tripod, I drilled a hole in each of ours , then used awning rubbers through the hole and peg down with rock pegs

 

[RogerL]

How would difference is 15 cm really going to make?

In the early days I struggled to keep my 60 cm dish upright in windy conditions - so I added guy ropes to the top of the dish which is fine even in gales. An 80cm dish has 77% more area than a 60 cm - if you're only touring in the UK you don't even need a 60 cm dish now, not even for the extremes.

 

[GaryB]

If you don't use it it'd make a decent sized Cadac plate!

 

[otherclive]

You could offer it out as a sub station to Fylingdales. Could give us all an extra 30 seconds warning. 😂

 

[Christhecaravanner84]

I’ve had a word with the supplier . They can’t take it back because I’ve assembled it, but they can supply a 60 cm dish which works with the rest of the kit for £25. I think I’m going to go for that. As I do get the points people are making about wind and storage.

 

[Hutch]

I’ve had a word with the supplier . They can’t take it back because I’ve assembled it, but they can supply a 60 cm dish which works with the rest of the kit for £25. I think I’m going to go for that. As I do get the points people are making about wind and storage.

There is bound to be a Newbie caravanner who is wanting to buy it.

 

[Christhecaravanner84]

There is bound to be a Newbie caravanner who is wanting to buy it.

New dish hopefully arriving tomorrow. I will effectively have what they call their combo kits, biggun for if I go abroad and the 60cm one for UK. Just need to work out where the big dish is going to live. I have a sheltered parking area I could possibly leave it in. I doubt anyone is going to run off with it!

 

[Hutch]

I spent a nice afternoon at a site called Waterrow in Somerset ,watching a bloke in a caravan messing about for a couple of hours trying to set up his satellite dish ready for the football later, eventually I wandered over and gave Dusty Dog a well deserved beer. 🍻😃

 

[Christhecaravanner84]

If you don't use it it'd make a decent sized Cadac plate!

Or i could make a fire pit out of it.

 

[Beachball]

I spent a nice afternoon at a site called Waterrow in Somerset ,watching a bloke in a caravan messing about for a couple of hours trying to set up his satellite dish ready for the football later, eventually I wandered over and gave Dusty Dog a well deserved beer. 🍻😃

it was one of our favourites when we had a caravan great facilities

 

[Dustydog]

Shame you bought it Chris. Maxview have been producing portable satellite systems for decades. Our 66 cm elliptical nearly 20 years old , easily tool free adjustments for elevation skew and orientation. I use a cheap quad LNB and a semi professional sat finder.
Similar to thishttps://www.satellitesuperstore.com/satellitemeters.htm#sf700
And of course the faithful Sky HD Plus box. Never failed me except when Hutch put the curse on the box. I bought a new box which I didn’t need!🤪🤪

 

[Christhecaravanner84]

Shame you bought it Chris. Maxview have been producing portable satellite systems for decades. Our 66 cm elliptical nearly 20 years old , easily tool free adjustments for elevation skew and orientation. I use a cheap quad LNB and a semi professional sat finder. And of course the faithful Sky HD Plus box. Never failed me except when Hutch put the curse on the box. I bought a new box which I didn’t need!🤪🤪

Except Maxview would have been almost double the cost. Absolutely nothing wrong with this system, I just bought too big a dish. Even with having to spend extra on the smaller dish it's worked out loads cheaper.

 

[Buckman]

Except Maxview would have been almost double the cost. Absolutely nothing wrong with this system, I just bought too big a dish. Even with having to spend extra on the smaller dish it's worked out loads cheaper.

Wise move changing to the smaller dish. At least now you do have the option for when you decide to visit the continent. Hopefully advice on here helped you in some way?