C band television should be with us for several more years. More channels and feeds will probably move to 16 and 32apsk modulations which will require a larger dish or reflector to receive them. In recent years, most homeowners have gotten good signal results on C band using reflectors 3 meters or less in diameter. Reflectors larger than 3 meters were needed when satellite television was first introduced due in part to low transmit power, and poor spacecraft design. In the mid 1980's and through the 1990's, reflector sizes for C band television were 3 meters or less for most installations at a home or residence. Commercial radio and television stations do not normally have many "small" dishes or reflectors. The smallest commercial television ku dishes are about the same size as what a homeowner would use for c band, or around 3 meters in reflector size.

There are not a lot of options for a decent reflector that is larger than 3 meters for C band operation. What is available can be expensive. You can expect to pay at minimum about 100 U.S. dollars per reflector foot for a new mesh dish that is larger than three meters. There is a little over 3 feet per meter, so you could expect to pay over $1,000 dollars for a New 3.7 meter mesh dish.

Mesh dishes can have many problems. The trick to getting a decent signal from the C or Ku satellite is to have a reflector that has a nearly perfect shape. Most mesh dishes are light and flimsy, so they do not hold their shape as well as a better built dish, which costs more money.

Commercial dishes are made to stricter standards than the mesh dishes that are sold to homeowners. Some commercial dishes may be used for both transmit and receive, which makes the shape of the reflector even more critical. Variables such as wind, snow and ice are considered when building a commercial dish, and steps are taken to ensure the dish or reflector will hold its shape under different weather conditions.

Many C band dishes are not being used. You can find both commercial and flimsy made mesh dishes in most parts of the United States if time is spent looking. A lot of these dishes may be removed for free if you only ask for them, while others may be purchased for a small amount of money. Every used dish should be checked to make sure it still has its parabolic shape before purchase or removal. It makes little sense to spend time and money installing a dish only to find that it performs poorly.

Consider carefully what you need. For example, a 7.5 foot dish will receive almost everything a 10 foot dish will receive, providing both dishes are aimed correctly, and providing both dishes have the correct parabolic shape. The 10 foot dish would produce a narrower, and slightly stronger signal which helps tremendously in areas of the satellite arc where many satellites are transmitting.

My current C band dish is about 7.5 feet or about 2.3 meters. I have spent some time looking for a replacement dish and finally found a 12 foot or 3.7 meter commercial dish. It is my plan for this thread to cover the installation of this commercial dish. The shape of the dish or reflector has been checked, and I expect to get much stronger signals when compared to the old mesh dish.