Finding the degrees of offset for a dish such as the Channel Master 1.2 meter is easy if you have the fixed or stationary mount hardware for it. Simply mount the dish on a pole that is perfectly straight and not leaning in any direction, then aim the dish at the satellite you will use for South and carefully tune it. The degrees of offset will be found by comparing the difference in elevation degrees of the Channel Master mount and the actual measured degrees (angle) of the dish. Yet another reason to start with a stationary mount.
Adding declination degrees to the polar mount dish system Does Not have to be precise because you have a few degrees of declination that can be used on the motor. So you can be off a little bit figuring the offset into total declination and still be OK. What is most important is to get the proper angle of the dish while it is installed on a pole without the motor hardware because this angle Will Not change. The dish angle degrees will be the same when aimed at the south whether it is on a stationary pole or a dish motor.
As for drilling holes, drill as many as you want or need. Make the metal look like a piece of Swiss Cheese if needed. Just because someone mounted one of these dishes using a similar plate does not mean it is right. But it may have been enough to suit the needs of the particular user.
Proper Declination is not needed to view a few satellites that are very close to the center of the arc. How many satellites may be viewed without declination will depend on where you are in the world. Some users may find the few degrees of declination supplied with the motor are enough to view what they want. But to set this system up properly where it will track a great distance in the arc will require either a prime focus type dish or great modifications to the dish declination.
