I have been given 160cm satellite dish. No mounting hardware on back. What do I do?
If the 160 cm dish came without any of its rear hardware (no mount, no elevation bracket, no azimuth clamp, no feed arm hardware), you essentially have a bare reflector. You still have several practical options, depending on what you want to use it for.
Here’s a clear path forward:
1. Identify the mounting pattern on the dish
Flip the dish over and look for:
- A central plate with holes
- A set of 3–4 reinforced points
- A welded-on stub or bracket remnant
Most large dishes use a standard “polar mount” or “az–el mount” that bolts to these points. If the holes are intact, a custom bracket is easy to make.
2. Decide what kind of mount you want
A. Simple fixed mount (easiest)
For radio astronomy or general RF experiments, this is usually enough.
You need:
- A short steel “backplate” that matches the hole spacing on the dish
- A hinge or L-bracket to give elevation
- A pole clamp (e.g., U-bolts or saddle clamps) for azimuth
This can be welded by any metal workshop or assembled from 5–6 mm thick steel plate and angle.
B. Full adjustable az–el mount
If you want to repoint the dish, you’ll want:
- A vertical pole (75–90 mm diameter works well for a dish this size)
- An adjustable elevation bracket
- Azimuth rotation at the pole clamp
Commercial “big-dish az/el mounts” exist but are often costly; fabrication is common.
3. Build or buy a feed support
Most 160 cm dishes originally had a feed arm. Without it, you’ll need:
- Three or four aluminium tubes arranged as a triangular or quad feed support
- A central hub for holding your feed or LNA at the focal point
- Guy wires or cross-bracing to prevent sagging
The focal distance is usually around 0.35–0.45 × the dish diameter (≈ 56–72 cm), but can be measured more accurately if needed.
4. Check the dish’s shape
A 160 cm reflector is typically:
- Offset
- Prime-focus
- Or Gregory/Cassegrain style
The type determines mount geometry and feed placement. A photo would help identify it.