Possible to buy mini-dish?

fluppet

I can get a receiver, etc. but I would like a discrete dish to receive Astra 2D/Eurobird1, such as a Sky Mini-dish. I have heard (correct me if I'm wrong) that the Sky mini-dish requires that you use a special LNB, which uses a special type of cable, etc., so you pretty much have to use Sky's equipment. If this is the case, is it possible to buy something similar that uses standard fittings to work with a normal FTA receiver? Something not too expensive would be best (I can get an ugly white dish in another country for just a few euros, so I would be willing to spend up to Eur 30 for a discrete dish).

Thanks.

watty

The cable is the same for any dish/LNB/receiver.

You can respray a dish with car paint in a few minutes.

Any 60cm to 70cm dish and Universal LNB is fine. Or if Wexford to Drogehda coast 45cm to 55cm. The actual Sky dish and LNB simply use a different plastic clip between the arm and the LNB. You can get holders for regular Universal LNB for a Sky Minidish.

I'd avoid a Sky Minidish or similar mesh dish. Mesh dishes rust too quickly. It just reduces manufacturing cost and shipping weight, no difference on wind loading.

On western seaboard in heavy rain you might even be better with a 70cm to 80cm dish for some channels (Astra2D BBC/ITV would be OK on smaller dish).

fluppet

Thanks for the helpful reply. I'm in Dublin, so I'd be going for a 50-60cm dish. I was just worried that painting a normal dish black/dark grey would look very ugly... I think part of the benefit of the mesh dish is that they are more discrete. So it is possible to buy a Sky mini-dish on its own (i.e. without a receiver)?

You can get holders for regular Universal LNB for a Sky Minidish.

So with a special extension you can use a normal (Universal) LNB on a Sky mini-dish? I thought you had to use a special LNB for Sky mini-dishes, not just because of the holder, but because of the shape of the dish... Where would you get all of these things (Sky mini-dish, the holder you mentioned, etc.)? I have looked at the sites mentioned in the Sticky about buying satellite equipment and I wasn't very impressed by most of them...

Thanks again

byte

Yes, most retailers should be able to sell you a Sky Minidish. If possible, try getting a Triax, or maybe Raven Minidish. I found that the EL branded minidishes rust faster than the others.

It may be just as handy to get the Minidish with the LNB, shouldn't be much of a price difference. The LNB's are slightly different to allow for the oval shape of the Minidish, though a standard LNB will work too, with the right bracket/collar.

watty

You can get solid dishes same size, similar colour and just as "discrete" as the Sky Dish. Mesh really wears badly.

L1011

You can get an actual Minidish in Power City under their "ZX" own-brand. Same shape, same LNB attachment, even has "zone 2" on the box...

fluppet

Thanks for the replies