120cm dish with C-Band performance - Now with HD!

[caddata]

Cascad:Tri LNBF Picture

I've enjoyed your exploits so much that you've caused me to start my own series of experiments with my .9M Fortec. I noticed from your photos of the Tri LNBF set up that the C Band LNBF appears to be level with or slightly below the center LNBF. If the dish is reflecting the satellite signal from the west back across it's axis to the east, the C Band LNBF should be positioned slightly higher than the center LNBF (the inverse of the satellite being lower on the belt). I've calculated that my C band LNBF, positioned to the east of the normal focal point like yours, should be approx. .400" higher than the normal focal point. I'm fabricating an aluminum sheetmetal bracket to position my C Band LNBF 15 degrees East and .400" higher than the normal focal point. This difference in height would vary with a larger dish. I'm confused by the appearance of your C Band LNBF. Is it an optical illusion caused by the camera angle? Keep up the posts, this is getting to be exciting. My satellite experiments began in 1982 with a homemade 15' dish (6 months to construct) and a Butch Simpson homebrew (old WWII C Band radar) receiver. Haven't had this much fun in a while.

 

[iammike]

Have you guys managed to get the analog backhauls on AMC3, IA6, G3C and IA5 with your 120cm? I am more interested in the sport backhauls (NBA, college football and soccer) than DVB contents. This would be the primary reason for me to try out my 120cm on these 4 birds.

I just want to get a heads up on what to expect when I actually try it out...

I came across the Texas-Anaheim game last night. It had a good bit of snow, but was watchable. I just got started with the Cband experiement though, so I'm not really sure how common that is.

 

[rangers00]

I came across the Texas-Anaheim game last night. It had a good bit of snow, but was watchable. I just got started with the Cband experiement though, so I'm not really sure how common that is.

Are you using the 120cm dish or 80cm dish? I happen to notice you have a 80cm fortec in your signature?

There are lots of sports backhauls on both C and Ku band. In the Ku band, there is an obscene amount of college balls, like 20-40 games of college football/basketball per week during the season. If the game is on TV, you can be almost certain to get it on Ku analog. What I want are the pro games: NHL and NBA. Unfortunately, very little of those are in the Ku-band. A few years ago, only the Nashville Predators and the Portland Trailblazers backhauls used Ku-band. Most of the other teams are in C-band.

You can check out this yahoo group to see what's up there:

http: //groups.yahoo.com/group/backhaul

If I can get the C-band backhauls with a 120cm, that would be a dream come true...

 

[Cascade]

caddata, the tri-LNB setup was just to see if I could pick up anything useable at that position. I've taken the other 2 LNBs off the dish and reattached the Cband in the primary position which is where it gives me maximum signal.

At the moment the scalar ring issue is definitely holding me back, after reading up on how it all works I can see why I have so much TI and other nasty RF getting in the way, the cone shaped horn will cast a shadow onto the parabola giving me a lot less noise. The setup I have now is allowing all the signal from the dish and everything else behind the dish into the LNBF.
The suggestion earlier in this thread was right, the scalar ring needs to be as far forward toward the mouth of the LNBF throat as possible.

As for analogue feeds I played with the receiver Iceberg sent me but haven't really picked anything up yet, first my sigmeter died a couple of weeks ago then the weather became too hot so I replaced the C with a Ku. One of our members helped me out on the sigmeter front (Appreciated a lot) and the weather's cooled down so I'll be working on analogue over the week.

If you haven't already guessed, my location is terrible for tree cover, I basically live in a forest and can see from Telstar7 at 129.0°W over to parts of T6 at 93.0°W on Ku, anything East of T6 and I have no chance.

Pics, The forest and an AMC1 feed (Not quite football).

 

[Cascade]

http://www.avcomm.com.au/page22u.htm

http://www.sepatriot.com/feeds-Patriot.htm

Man oh man!!!

You gonna need come jing-jing!!

Search on c-band offset feedhorn (or similar)

Good Luck!

Ouch.

 

[iammike]

Are you using the 120cm dish or 80cm dish? I happen to notice you have a 80cm fortec in your signature?

There are lots of sports backhauls on both C and Ku band. In the Ku band, there is an obscene amount of college balls, like 20-40 games of college football/basketball per week during the season. If the game is on TV, you can be almost certain to get it on Ku analog. What I want are the pro games: NHL and NBA. Unfortunately, very little of those are in the Ku-band. A few years ago, only the Nashville Predators and the Portland Trailblazers backhauls used Ku-band. Most of the other teams are in C-band.

You can check out this yahoo group to see what's up there:

http: //groups.yahoo.com/group/backhaul

If I can get the C-band backhauls with a 120cm, that would be a dream come true...

I just set up a Primestar dish over the weekend, with one of PSB's lnbf's. I've played with KU since last fall, but am just getting started with the c-band experiment. I've had similar experiences to yours with KU, although I think there's some pro sports in 4:2:2 format. The NBA finals is a good example. There's also a fair bit on some of the regular KU channels, particularly on G10. It does seem like there's more pro sports on c-band though.

 

[n4bbq]

Anyone know where I can buy one of these?

Cascade,

I found a Japanese site that has the offset scalar ring and fired off an e-mail to see how much 10 of them would be. Maybe if a few of us could split the costs, it would pan out cheaper.

We'll see.

Here's the site: http://www.anysat.org/

 

[Cascade]

n4bbq, that's where I got the pics from

A group buy sounds like a fantastic idea if the price is good.

 

[CharredPC]

I found a Japanese site that has the offset scalar ring and fired off an e-mail to see how much 10 of them would be. Maybe if a few of us could split the costs, it would pan out cheaper.

I'd get in on some of that action

I got sick of waiting for little nickel-and-dime classified sales on here for my 120cm fund, so I got off my butt and renovated my old camper. It goes in the local paper tommorrow for $600 OBO; C-Band, here I come!!!

 

[rkrenicki]

Id definitely get in on that offset scalar ring group-buy...

That even comes with the mount for a 1.2m dish, so no more fabrication!.. except for mine, since the 1.2m Channel Master-like dish I have only has three aluminum tubes for arms, not the square channel that most dishes have..

 

[rkrenicki]

Looks like that ring is 5,880 Yen, which I believe includes the 5% Goods Tax in Japan. Which is approximately $53 USD.. not really sure if its worth that much....

 

[n4bbq]

Looks like that ring is 5,880 Yen, which I believe includes the 5% Goods Tax in Japan. Which is approximately $53 USD.. not really sure if its worth that much....

Geeperz...

By the time it is shipped, we're looking at a minimum of $75 each I bet. Alas....

 

[Cascade]

HD on C-Band, stunning pic quality with only 21% signal and 79% quality.

 

[Mr Tony]

HD on C-Band, stunning pic quality with only 21% signal and 79% quality.

assuming that is with the PC card and not the Coolsat

 

[maddawg]

I might be able to pickup a vision sat card for $65 canadian, it is used but what the hell. Maybe its time for that 1.2m dish

 

[Mr Tony]

to the people who have been able to get this to work....

Do you know if the levation is lower than KU or the same?

I tried this on my G3 dish (DirecPC) and got nada...so I dont know if it needs to be lower or what

 

[Cascade]

assuming that is with the PC card and not the Coolsat

I wish it was with the Coolsat.
HD looks absolutely amazing from this, doesn't look like they're skimping on the bitrate either.

 

[Cascade]

Ice, I had to tilt my dish down by a degree or 2 earlier this morning.

 

[Mr Tony]

Ice, I had to tilt my dish down by a degree or 2 earlier this morning.

OK...Might have to try G3 tonight....really dont need that Dish until October (for Hockey

 

[Cascade]

G3 still eludes me, I've had enough for today, the weather's getting hot, the mosquitoes are devouring me and I have some nice free HD to watch for now.
Back to the grindstone tomorrow.