Motorised Dishes

After waiting years and years, literally, Westminster City Council is
going to install a couple of dishes on the roof of the tower block in
which I live which will be communally available. They will be
pointing to Astra, for Sky D, and the Hotbirds for European
broadcasts.

I might want a dish of my own pointing to 16 degrees East for Albanian
TV, and perhaps one other satellite (NileSat).

I asked two firms if they could put up a motorised dish system for me,
and both said that they did not deal with motorised satellite systems
as the work was too unpredictable i.e. it could take them too long to
align/set the thing up. They both recommended that I add one or two
fixed dishes.

What is so tricky?

Funnily enough, I know of one Council employee who set up his own
motorised system at home and he is an office worker and not a
technician or engineer!

Why the reluctance?

John

In article
,
JOHN PORCELLA wrote:
I asked two firms if they could put up a motorised dish system for me,
and both said that they did not deal with motorised satellite systems
as the work was too unpredictable i.e. it could take them too long to
align/set the thing up. They both recommended that I add one or two
fixed dishes.

I installed my first and only dish (from Lidl) with a Maplin rotator and
it works fine. Without any test equipment at all - other than the supplied
bleeper. I'd guess their problem is getting the fixing perfectly vertical
which is pretty essential. I'm lucky in that mine is easily accessible -
no ladder needed. So I spent some time getting this right.

--
*Change is inevitable ... except from vending machines *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article
,
JOHN PORCELLA wrote:
I asked two firms if they could put up a motorised dish system for me,
and both said that they did not deal with motorised satellite systems
as the work was too unpredictable i.e. it could take them too long to
align/set the thing up. They both recommended that I add one or two
fixed dishes.

I installed my first and only dish (from Lidl) with a Maplin rotator and
it works fine. Without any test equipment at all - other than the supplied
bleeper. I'd guess their problem is getting the fixing perfectly vertical
which is pretty essential. I'm lucky in that mine is easily accessible -
no ladder needed. So I spent some time getting this right.

--
*Change is inevitable ... except from vending machines *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

me too - I installed a French one (Leroy-Merlin = B&Q) and it was very
straightforward.

"JOHN PORCELLA" wrote in message
...
After waiting years and years, literally, Westminster City Council is
going to install a couple of dishes on the roof of the tower block in
which I live which will be communally available. They will be
pointing to Astra, for Sky D, and the Hotbirds for European
broadcasts.

I might want a dish of my own pointing to 16 degrees East for Albanian
TV, and perhaps one other satellite (NileSat).

I asked two firms if they could put up a motorised dish system for me,
and both said that they did not deal with motorised satellite systems
as the work was too unpredictable i.e. it could take them too long to
align/set the thing up. They both recommended that I add one or two
fixed dishes.

What is so tricky?



Presumably they have very little experience of this type of work.
It is not that difficult, but it would take extra effort.

'What Satellite' lists installers.

If there is a cable from your flat(?) that goes directly to the roof without
any intervening equipment, you might be able to make your own arrangements.
You could ask the Council what would be allowed.

--
Michael Chare

Michael Chare wrote:
"JOHN PORCELLA" wrote in message
...
After waiting years and years, literally, Westminster City Council is
going to install a couple of dishes on the roof of the tower block in
which I live which will be communally available. They will be
pointing to Astra, for Sky D, and the Hotbirds for European
broadcasts.

I might want a dish of my own pointing to 16 degrees East for Albanian
TV, and perhaps one other satellite (NileSat).

I asked two firms if they could put up a motorised dish system for me,
and both said that they did not deal with motorised satellite systems
as the work was too unpredictable i.e. it could take them too long to
align/set the thing up. They both recommended that I add one or two
fixed dishes.

What is so tricky?



Presumably they have very little experience of this type of work.
It is not that difficult, but it would take extra effort.

'What Satellite' lists installers.

If there is a cable from your flat(?) that goes directly to the roof
without any intervening equipment, you might be able to make your own
arrangements. You could ask the Council what would be allowed.


I'm installing about 5 a week at the moment and it's not hard. If the
motor or mount is set correctly, it should only take minutes to set...

Glenn..

In article ,
Glenn Millar wrote:
I'm installing about 5 a week at the moment and it's not hard. If the
motor or mount is set correctly, it should only take minutes to set...

Does anyone make a mounting with easy adjustment to get the main part
vertical? I used aluminium shims - but that would have been a right faff
if I'd had to use a ladder.

--
*Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"JOHN PORCELLA" wrote in message
...
After waiting years and years, literally, Westminster City Council is
going to install a couple of dishes on the roof of the tower block in
which I live which will be communally available. They will be
pointing to Astra, for Sky D, and the Hotbirds for European
broadcasts.

I might want a dish of my own pointing to 16 degrees East for Albanian
TV, and perhaps one other satellite (NileSat).

I asked two firms if they could put up a motorised dish system for me,
and both said that they did not deal with motorised satellite systems
as the work was too unpredictable i.e. it could take them too long to
align/set the thing up. They both recommended that I add one or two
fixed dishes.

What is so tricky?

Funnily enough, I know of one Council employee who set up his own
motorised system at home and he is an office worker and not a
technician or engineer!

Why the reluctance?

John

You need to know what you are doing. Also working at height directive.

It can be done. I set up my 1.2m steerable dish "right first time" in 1996,
but it many satellite fitters are rubbish.

"Glenn Millar" wrote in message
...
Michael Chare wrote:
"JOHN PORCELLA" wrote in message
...
After waiting years and years, literally, Westminster City Council is
going to install a couple of dishes on the roof of the tower block in
which I live which will be communally available. They will be
pointing to Astra, for Sky D, and the Hotbirds for European
broadcasts.

I might want a dish of my own pointing to 16 degrees East for Albanian
TV, and perhaps one other satellite (NileSat).

I asked two firms if they could put up a motorised dish system for me,
and both said that they did not deal with motorised satellite systems
as the work was too unpredictable i.e. it could take them too long to
align/set the thing up. They both recommended that I add one or two
fixed dishes.

What is so tricky?



Presumably they have very little experience of this type of work.
It is not that difficult, but it would take extra effort.

'What Satellite' lists installers.

If there is a cable from your flat(?) that goes directly to the roof
without any intervening equipment, you might be able to make your own
arrangements. You could ask the Council what would be allowed.


I'm installing about 5 a week at the moment and it's not hard. If the
motor or mount is set correctly, it should only take minutes to set...

Glenn..


You have had some practice then!

--
Michael Chare

On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:31:26 +0100, Glenn Millar
wrote:

Michael Chare wrote:
"JOHN PORCELLA" wrote in message
...

Ah, that's why the OP is not there ... gmail is such a spam house now
that in common with others I just plonk everything from there.

If the OP wants a look at what's involved in setting up a rotor for
himself, I've done a page on it (I'm currently greatly expanding the
Sat TV section of the site, but that's all there is at the moment)
http://tinyurl.com/6enphd
.... standing in for ...
http://www.cemh.eclipse.co.uk/JavaJi...liteRotor.html

I might want a dish of my own pointing to 16 degrees East for Albanian
TV, and perhaps one other satellite (NileSat).

I asked two firms if they could put up a motorised dish system for me,
and both said that they did not deal with motorised satellite systems
as the work was too unpredictable i.e. it could take them too long to
align/set the thing up. They both recommended that I add one or two
fixed dishes.

What is so tricky?

Presumably they have very little experience of this type of work.
It is not that difficult, but it would take extra effort.

'What Satellite' lists installers.

If there is a cable from your flat(?) that goes directly to the roof
without any intervening equipment, you might be able to make your own
arrangements. You could ask the Council what would be allowed.

I'm installing about 5 a week at the moment and it's not hard. If the
motor or mount is set correctly, it should only take minutes to set...

"Java Jive" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:31:26 +0100, Glenn Millar
wrote:

Michael Chare wrote:
"JOHN PORCELLA" wrote in message
...

Ah, that's why the OP is not there ... gmail is such a spam house now
that in common with others I just plonk everything from there.


He didn't post via GG in his "MESSAGE ENDS" sig days.


--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%