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Picked a wire mesh over solid aluminum for my dish, totally different signal | DIY Satellite Dishes - Free To Speak

Picked a wire mesh over solid aluminum for my dish, totally different signal

Honestly I was torn between using a solid aluminum sheet and a wire mesh for my 4 foot satellite dish build. I went with the wire mesh because I heard it handles wind way better and it cost me about $12 less at the metal supply shop. After mounting it on my roof last weekend, the signal is actually stronger than I expected for C band channels, but I get a little bleed from side interference. Has anyone else tried mesh and regretted it or is this just normal with lighter materials?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_anthony1mo ago

Stronger than expected" huh? I'd be curious to see actual signal to noise numbers compared to a solid dish. Bet that bleed you're getting isn't just side interference either. Mesh dishes have a tendency to pick up RF noise from nearby cell towers or even your neighbor's wifi gear because the holes are big enough to let stray signals pass through. I've seen a few guys swap back to solid aluminum after a month because the wind difference wasn't worth the constant signal tweaking. For a 4 foot dish the wind load isn't that bad anyway unless you live in a hurricane zone.

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kimfisher1mo ago

Is it really that noticeable unless you're running some super sensitive setup?

shane_park921mo ago

Wait hold on, the neighbor's wifi gear actually leaks through the mesh? That's wild man, I never even thought about that being a thing. I always figured the holes were too tiny for that kind of interference, but I guess it makes sense if the wavelengths are close enough. Seems like a total nightmare to track down too, you'd be tweaking your setup for weeks before figuring out it's someone's router three houses down. Honestly I'm kinda shocked that happens, I thought mesh was just a compromise for wind and weight.