Star Choice 48" Dish - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

cyberham · 2012-06-02, 05:35 PM

Any comments regarding a Star Choice 48-inch dish I plan to pick up locally for a low price tomorrow? Anybody have experience using these for FTA with a motor?

Kraven · 2012-06-02, 07:15 PM

Nice dish! 48" = 1.2m = possible Mini-bud! If you can find a decent universal KNB for cheap then your styling.

Its definetley under 30lbs so a Sg2100 motor should support it NP.

Congrats man!

Cheers, K

cyberham · 2012-06-02, 07:28 PM

The seller is calling this a 48" dish probably because that may be how Star Choice referred to it. Now my reading is indicating this may actually be a Winegard DS-3100 dish. If so, its actual dimensions are 44.8" H x 41.3" W. And weight is 22 lbs. So this would make it still only a 1-metre dish. However, it is superior quality to the D*g*w*v* dish I'm using now. I like that it has two support struts for the LNB arm. I don't think I will try such a small dish on C-band.

Cham · 2012-06-03, 04:04 PM

Will be an excellent Ku dish for sure! SG2100 or Stab HH120 will work fine as long as the dish isn't exposed to high winds. I have one 1.2m dish mounted on a roof that I have to re-aim often after major winds, but the motor works ok. In my travels I have noticed larger dishes in more coastal areas especially Starchoice. Likely mostly due to weather etc... Though I would have to go that route with our Bell dish, it would lose signal when a cloud would go over. Finally figured out it just needed to be re-aimed.

Installer · 2012-06-03, 04:33 PM

it's actually a 42" dish, and yes I've used 1 with an sg2100 and a qph-031 lnb for 3 years. they are extremely well built, the 2g2100 will be a little slower coming up from the bottom end of the arc but like i said mines still ticking 3 years later.

ENJOY!!
dale9805

cyberham · 2012-06-03, 08:24 PM

I have installed this new dish. Since the LNB supplied with it would not deliver any quality of signal. I had to replace its LNB with my own. There may still be an issue of getting my LNB positioned at the correct feed point since the holder is not compatible with my 40mm LNB. The motor seems to be turning it OK.

Too early to say if this dish is better or worse than my 39-inch dish. I need to resolve getting the LNB positioned exactly correctly first. Here is a picture of the LNB that came with the dish. Can anybody identify this LNB?

dirtroad · 2012-06-03, 08:54 PM

That is one of StarChoice's lnbs basic linear, but this one has the cover removed.

cyberham · 2012-06-03, 09:03 PM

If it's linear, I wonder why I couldnt' get any quality. As soon as I installed my own linear LNB, I got reasonably good quality even though it's not yet positioned quite correctly.

Installer · 2012-06-03, 09:13 PM

put the lnb back on and make a cardboard template to maintain the correct focal point before you get to far into the mod.
the lnb's old...could be shot?

dirtroad · 2012-06-03, 10:19 PM

There should be a plastic lnb holder that mounts on the lnb's throat that allows for the proper skew and focus (there is a mark on the lnb in the photo where it once was). Without it the lnb would have low signal readings.

AFF · 2012-06-03, 10:42 PM

I've used black tape to build up the neck of the lnb so it fits the bracket. Most times it doesn't make any difference if you have the lnb forward or back. But I normally just put it in the middle of the neck.

cyberham · 2012-06-03, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirtroad

There should be a plastic lnb holder that mounts on the lnb's throat that allows for the proper skew and focus (there is a mark on the lnb in the photo where it once was). Without it the lnb would have low signal readings.

There is a plastic split two-sided adapter for the LNB holder which fits the original LNB correctly. With original LNB installed, I set skew for 0 degrees since I'm using a motor which automatically skews the LNB as the motor moves.

cyberham · 2012-06-03, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AFF

I've used black tape to build up the neck of the lnb so it fits the bracket. Most times it doesn't make any difference if you have the lnb forward or back. But I normally just put it in the middle of the neck.

To fit my own linear LNB into the existing LNB holder, I must remove the plastic two-piece adapter that fits in the LNB holder since the adapter hole is too small to fit my linear LNB. I will make a new adapter (maybe using tape) to fit my linear LNB. I did try moving both the original and my linear LNB forward and backward: not a lot of difference, but somewhere in the middle seems as good as any other position.

Kraven · 2012-06-04, 03:51 PM

Dude, am no Starchoice expert but that looks like a circular LNB IMO.

Cheers, K

stecle · 2012-06-04, 04:11 PM

I just found a 75e at a garage sale this weekend and thought that was a big dish.
I wasn't even aware that Shawdirect offered a 48 inch dish.

2012-06-02, 05:35 PM	#1
cyberham Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 422	Star Choice 48" Dish Any comments regarding a Star Choice 48-inch dish I plan to pick up locally for a low price tomorrow? Anybody have experience using these for FTA with a motor? Last edited by cyberham; 2012-06-02 at 05:39 PM. Reason: Added photo.

2012-06-02, 07:15 PM	#2
Kraven Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Shore, QC Posts: 530	Nice dish! 48" = 1.2m = possible Mini-bud! If you can find a decent universal KNB for cheap then your styling. Its definetley under 30lbs so a Sg2100 motor should support it NP. Congrats man! Cheers, K __________________ 6 ft BUD, motorized 39" KU, S10, Viewsat Ultra, CM 4228, home made SBGH

2012-06-03, 04:04 PM	#4
Cham Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Southern Manitoba Posts: 191	Will be an excellent Ku dish for sure! SG2100 or Stab HH120 will work fine as long as the dish isn't exposed to high winds. I have one 1.2m dish mounted on a roof that I have to re-aim often after major winds, but the motor works ok. In my travels I have noticed larger dishes in more coastal areas especially Starchoice. Likely mostly due to weather etc... Though I would have to go that route with our Bell dish, it would lose signal when a cloud would go over. Finally figured out it just needed to be re-aimed. __________________ Winegard HD7697P, FTA C-band, & various home made projects...

2012-06-03, 04:33 PM	#5
Installer Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 292	it's actually a 42" dish, and yes I've used 1 with an sg2100 and a qph-031 lnb for 3 years. they are extremely well built, the 2g2100 will be a little slower coming up from the bottom end of the arc but like i said mines still ticking 3 years later. ENJOY!! dale9805 __________________ "The quality of your question will directly effect the quality of your answer"

2012-06-03, 08:54 PM	#7
dirtroad Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 890	That is one of StarChoice's lnbs basic linear, but this one has the cover removed. __________________ If Life is a Highway,...then why is there no end to this dirtroad?

2012-06-02, 07:28 PM	#3
cyberham Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 422	The seller is calling this a 48" dish probably because that may be how Star Choice referred to it. Now my reading is indicating this may actually be a Winegard DS-3100 dish. If so, its actual dimensions are 44.8" H x 41.3" W. And weight is 22 lbs. So this would make it still only a 1-metre dish. However, it is superior quality to the Dgwv dish I'm using now. I like that it has two support struts for the LNB arm. I don't think I will try such a small dish on C-band.

2012-06-03, 08:24 PM	#6
cyberham Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 422	I have installed this new dish. Since the LNB supplied with it would not deliver any quality of signal. I had to replace its LNB with my own. There may still be an issue of getting my LNB positioned at the correct feed point since the holder is not compatible with my 40mm LNB. The motor seems to be turning it OK. Too early to say if this dish is better or worse than my 39-inch dish. I need to resolve getting the LNB positioned exactly correctly first. Here is a picture of the LNB that came with the dish. Can anybody identify this LNB?

2012-06-03, 09:03 PM	#8
cyberham Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 422	If it's linear, I wonder why I couldnt' get any quality. As soon as I installed my own linear LNB, I got reasonably good quality even though it's not yet positioned quite correctly.

2012-06-03, 09:13 PM	#9
Installer Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 292	put the lnb back on and make a cardboard template to maintain the correct focal point before you get to far into the mod. the lnb's old...could be shot? __________________ "The quality of your question will directly effect the quality of your answer"

2012-06-03, 10:19 PM	#10
dirtroad Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 890	There should be a plastic lnb holder that mounts on the lnb's throat that allows for the proper skew and focus (there is a mark on the lnb in the photo where it once was). Without it the lnb would have low signal readings. __________________ If Life is a Highway,...then why is there no end to this dirtroad?

2012-06-03, 10:42 PM	#11
AFF Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 671	I've used black tape to build up the neck of the lnb so it fits the bracket. Most times it doesn't make any difference if you have the lnb forward or back. But I normally just put it in the middle of the neck.

2012-06-04, 03:51 PM	#14
Kraven Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Shore, QC Posts: 530	Dude, am no Starchoice expert but that looks like a circular LNB IMO. Cheers, K __________________ 6 ft BUD, motorized 39" KU, S10, Viewsat Ultra, CM 4228, home made SBGH

2012-06-04, 04:11 PM	#15
stecle Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 117	I just found a 75e at a garage sale this weekend and thought that was a big dish. I wasn't even aware that Shawdirect offered a 48 inch dish.

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