FullTimer,
I originally bought that dish, because it was so compact.
But when I got it, I saw that leveling it would likely take some engineering, with pieces of wood, rocks, or sand that might shift. Holding it down with the stakes is fine, as long as it's on level ground.
But as soon as my wife reminded me of my knee and back problems, and how I'd have to kneel to adjust it each time, I decided to get that bigger tripod and go with the free dish DirecTV brought with the TIVO.
Aside from it not being made for my particular situation, I still wouldn't mind having something that small to take down and store for travel. As it is, I have to swing the bigger standard dish, on the tripod, into the rig and lay it on the bed when we break camp. Not impossible, but definitely not as easy as your dish.
Have you had any problems with getting that bubble level at any sites?
Ran into one camper in Georgia, who had a DISH Network dish that he also had painted in Mexico. The artwork was fantastic! (In fact, it looked like so many of the Alaskan gold pan art that we used to see in all the shops in Alaska. And a scene we’d love to have on our dish. His only problem was that with the skew he has to put on that thing, once he reassembled the dish, the whole picture is turned way over to one side. I think he mentioned kicking himself for forgetting that slight “feature” when he brought it to the painter.
Steve