From: cdv0@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (DOUGLAS GORDON VANCAMPEN)
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
Subject: $299 - sat. dish review
Date: 24 Jul 92 16:16:12 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University


    This past Wensday I bought a sat. receiving system for $279.  I found the
    ad. for this place out of a chinese mag., unfortunately I don't have it
    for this posting.  The dealer was selling the system out of her house in
    Plymouth Meeting, PA.  The Dealer knew very little about what she was
    selling.  She had her dish pointed at the K2 sat. to pick up the chinese
    station - that was all she thought she could pick up.  I wouldn't
    recommend her unless you knew exactly what you want.
        The receiver is a PANSAT BR1000.  It has three knobs and two
    push-buttons on the front.  The knobs control the tuning for the audio and
    video(analog control) and fine tuning for a polar-rotor if you have one.
    The buttons control the power and the polar-rotor(vert./horz.).  There is
    no power meter.
        On the back is the control output for the polar-rotor, RF in from the
    dish (950 - 1750 Mhz), a switch for C/Ku band, composite video output for
    B-mac or VCII, and various outputs for the TV set or VCR.  There is also a
    switch for scan-mode which rapidly scans thru all the stations which makes
    it easier to locate a satellite.  There is no 70Mhz loop-thru.
        The satellite dish is about 3' in diameter and is a solid sheet of
    aluminum.  On the dish there is a sticker with the following written on it:
            Pro Brand International
            1900 W. Oak Circle
            Marietta GA 30062
            (404) 424-7620
        The dish came with no instructions but it was obvious where the long
        and short bolts went- etc.  It came with a compass but still - no
        directions on how to aim it.  I assembled it in about 20min.  The dish
        is mounted on a ring stand and has a manual slide mech. to tilt the
        angle.  The slide mech. has like a ruler on it which indicates the
        angle.
    The Horn-feed had nothing written on it.  The LNB has only  WG 9000Ku and
    "this side up" written on it. It was intended that this assembly only pick
    up vert. polarized signal.
        After everything was hooked up, it was time to find a satellite.  I
    Switched the receiver to scan mode.  My wife happened to noticed the dealer had
    her dish  at an angle of 42.5 deg.  I knew that K2 was at 81deg. and
    that we were at 75deg 25min. (11 deg declination) so I aimed it south a
    slowly rotated the dish toward the west. a wierd pattern caught my I on
    the TV as i rotated the dish. so i kept this position and flipped the
    tuner to scan-off.  I then adjusted the tuner manually and then flash..
    the chinese broadcast(extremely clear) also i could get cyclesat.
        By rotating the feedhorn/Lnb assembly 90 deg. I could get the NBC
        horz. polarization broadcast but not as clear, but watchable. --
        This posting is getting too long, any questions about this system -
        please ask me.
    Overall- This system works for K2, other satellites haven't been tried.
    It is a pain to change the polarization and it will take effort to aim it
    at other satellites whenever you want a different variety of channels.  It
    is good for only Ku-band and is handy for appartment dwells.  I am
    mounting the dish on a lazy-susan to make it more useable.

            D.Van Campen