7 dishes to one stb?

[Dee_Ann]

This has worked wonderfully for me. I'm an idiot and I was able to make this work and make changes to it fairly often. There are 5 ku dishes and two C band dishes on it right now.

It's the simplest and most reliable component in my system. I highly recommend it.

 

[Bobbe]

This has worked wonderfully for me. I'm an idiot and I was able to make this work and make changes to it fairly often. There are 5 ku dishes and two C band dishes on it right now.

It's the simplest and most reliable component in my system. I highly recommend it.

Very nice De Ann. How long have you been using that same switch?

 

[Dee_Ann]

Very nice De Ann. How long have you been using that same switch?

Oh gosh, I don't know for sure, I think maybe close to three years.

 

[Keith Brannen]

Yes I can see that baggin, the 95W is easy to get in. I was testing with my PrimeStar 1m today. First I tried to, well I had 103W on arm so I to get in 97 wit it but no deal, 97W would not come in. So then I put arm on 101W and tried to get 89W in no go. So just for the heck of it I tried 95W it came right in wit 101W both at a high signal. But I do not want 95W nothing on it now. So then I tried to put arm on 83W having a hard time finding it. So I put arm on 72W and tried to get 63W and 83W no go. So I just put it back on 103W. With my 4 dishes I am hitting G17 91W-103W-101W and 83W, I would like to also have 63W and 72W and 89W and 97W. It would be easier to get all sperate dishes but costly. I'll just take it slow and see what I can do.

103 and 97 should work (I have 97 at centre and 103 off-centre on a 80cm) you might want to point at 97 at centre (of course, always make sure you are aiming with a good strong transponder first, you can tweak for the weaker ones after you get it positioned) and then check your signal quality at 103 to see if it is acceptable being off-centre. If not, put 103 back at centre and re-try 97 off-centre.

101 at centre, 89 is 12 degrees off-centre, way too far away, remember 6 to 8 degrees off-centre is optimal (unless you put both off-centre and split the difference).

72 at centre, while 63 is only 9 degrees off-centre, there is only the one transponder, and I have noticed that it fluctuates in signal quality a fair amount and is not what I would call a strong satellite (some here have a hard time getting it, even after the signal was boosted) and wouldn't even try for it that far off-centre. As well, the mux will disappear July 31st! If you had a hard time finding 83 at centre (it seems to want pin-point accuracy, little margin of error) then I can see why you would have even more trouble finding it with 72 at centre (as it is 11 degrees away). I do have my 75e dish with 83 at centre and 72 off-centre and get very strong signals on 72, but that is because of two factors, I am using an elliptical dish, and (more importantly) 72 is a very, very strong satellite for me (probably one of the strongest I get). So you might want to try 83 at centre, and 72 off-centre to see if it is strong enough for your liking.

 

[Bobbe]

103 and 97 should work (I have 97 at centre and 103 off-centre on a 80cm) you might want to point at 97 at centre (of course, always make sure you are aiming with a good strong transponder first, you can tweak for the weaker ones after you get it positioned) and then check your signal quality at 103 to see if it is acceptable being off-centre. If not, put 103 back at centre and re-try 97 off-centre.

101 at centre, 89 is 12 degrees off-centre, way too far away, remember 6 to 8 degrees off-centre is optimal (unless you put both off-centre and split the difference).

72 at centre, while 63 is only 9 degrees off-centre, there is only the one transponder, and I have noticed that it fluctuates in signal quality a fair amount and is not what I would call a strong satellite (some here have a hard time getting it, even after the signal was boosted) and wouldn't even try for it that far off-centre. As well, the mux will disappear July 31st! If you had a hard time finding 83 at centre (it seems to want pin-point accuracy, little margin of error) then I can see why you would have even more trouble finding it with 72 at centre (as it is 11 degrees away). I do have my 75e dish with 83 at centre and 72 off-centre and get very strong signals on 72, but that is because of two factors, I am using an elliptical dish, and (more importantly) 72 is a very, very strong satellite for me (probably one of the strongest I get). So you might want to try 83 at centre, and 72 off-centre to see if it is strong enough for your liking.

Yeah my 1m is elliptical also, but I only have like about a 4ft area in my yard that is clear from about 61W to 110W. So I have my 4ft dish up high cause of buildings and tree's. I cemented a 10ft fence steel pole into ground about 4ft with rocks and 240lbs of cement, then I got another pole and drill holes thru both of then and connected them with 3 bolts. So it is up about 12ft or 13. So I did not have another spot to put 1m dish on so I just cut a short pole and connected it to the other pole undeneath the 4ft dish. it is level but it moves around a bit when I am trying to find sat so it makes it tough to find 97W and 83W. On 97W first I put it on 95W and set EL for 97W and just moved it ahead slighty but no good. I do get 97W signal in to good here. When I had a motor on my 1.2m dish the highest Q I got was like 60% and the low ones where like 30 even 20%. Strange about that sat is one time I had a channel in good and receiver showed no Quality signal on it. Well I just rigg that dish up the 1m one. I know it must be much higher to get better signal on some sats but that is the only spot I have for it. to right I have a DTV world dish on pole hitting 101W. I have a extra plastic lnb holder that broke so I use that stuff mighty putty to fix it I am letting it cure for 3 days then I'll see if it is good, if it is I will use jigsaw to cut holes big enough for 2 linear lnb to fit in it. The Aspen lnb that came with dish is very small. all linear lnb's are 40mm right? but the bullet ones I have are 50mm. That is the problem with dish it will only fit small neck lnb in it. But it is a great dish it is small but it gets signals in almost as good as the 1.2m dish. Normaly I do not get into so much detail because I do not like to type but today I had to take some medicine and it is making me type, lol. More over to the right I have another DTV world dish on another pole hitting 83W maybe I can get 72W with that but the dish is a 36x22 elliptical maybe to small?
but with this pole cause of trees I cannot get anything past 95W. So that is why I would lke to get on my 1m dish 83W and 72W so I will be hitting another good sat and it will free up the other dish so I can put it on 97W or 89 or 63W. So Then I will be adding to mote sats bring me to 6 sats and then if I can hit 101W and 103W on my other DTV dish buy putting the 2 50mm lnbs in there I'll have 7 sats. And then I would just have to buy one more dish to hit 89W that'll be 8 sats. I can just put another dish under the DTV dish on one of the DTV poles. Ok thanks for the info Keith.

 

[Keith Brannen]

Bobbe,

Yes, most LNBs are 40mm.

The 36x22 dish you have pointed at 83, you should have no problem adding an LNB at 89 on that dish. As I mentioned, your 36x22 is not much different than my 75e (35 3/4 x 26 1/2) so I would also try adding 72 on that dish (the NBC mux is very strong) as it might come in quite well for you. You also might want to use something like SatStar - Satellite List to check the satellite strength in your area. If 72 doesn't come in well enough, then you might want to try the same combination on the 1m, with 83 again at the centre.

You could also try 97 (which should come in better than you have been getting, but check the above site) on your dish with 91. As always, it could be line of sight issues and/or interference that could be the culprit.

The point with multiple satellites on various dishes, is to try various combinations until you get some that work. Some satellites are stronger than others, and those are candidates for the off-centre LNBs. Sometimes, due to line of sight issues and interference, or limited space for dishes, you may get it on one dish, whereas a dish just a few feet away, you get nothing (I certainly have had those issues myself!).

I am wondering whether you are getting some interference (on some satellites) from the 4ft dish over top of the 1m dish (after looking at your photo) as the arm and LNB of the 4ft look to be in the line of sight of where the signals would be if pointed in a similar direction. What satellite is the 4ft pointed at?

 

[Bobbe]

Thanks Dee Ann I'll have to try'em.

 

[Bobbe]

Bobbe,

Yes, most LNBs are 40mm.

The 36x22 dish you have pointed at 83, you should have no problem adding an LNB at 89 on that dish. As I mentioned, your 36x22 is not much different than my 75e (35 3/4 x 26 1/2) so I would also try adding 72 on that dish (the NBC mux is very strong) as it might come in quite well for you. You also might want to use something like SatStar - Satellite List to check the satellite strength in your area. If 72 doesn't come in well enough, then you might want to try the same combination on the 1m, with 83 again at the centre.

You could also try 97 (which should come in better than you have been getting, but check the above site) on your dish with 91. As always, it could be line of sight issues and/or interference that could be the culprit.

The point with multiple satellites on various dishes, is to try various combinations until you get some that work. Some satellites are stronger than others, and those are candidates for the off-centre LNBs. Sometimes, due to line of sight issues and interference, or limited space for dishes, you may get it on one dish, whereas a dish just a few feet away, you get nothing (I certainly have had those issues myself!).

I am wondering whether you are getting some interference (on some satellites) from the 4ft dish over top of the 1m dish (after looking at your photo) as the arm and LNB of the 4ft look to be in the line of sight of where the signals would be if pointed in a similar direction. What satellite is the 4ft pointed at?

Yes I am getting interference from trees and house (3 floors) next door. satstar great site thank you. I seem to be in the footprints good on all of those sats mention. My 1.2m is hitting C-band side of 91W. I have to put testing on hold for now, because of very bad pollen infection. I am not even supposed to be outside to much during pollen season. It is saver for me to wait till after pollen season at end of July, but then 2 weeks after that is ragweed, so it is kinda hard for me. (I will go back out though after I am some what better. It is bad cause I have asthma also. Thanks!

 

[Keith Brannen]

Yes I am getting interference from trees and house (3 floors) next door.

Know what you mean, my neighbour, for some reason, refuses to remove his 2nd floor so I can get 30W! Everywhere else in the yard it is blocked by trees.

I have to put testing on hold for now, because of very bad pollen infection. I am not even supposed to be outside to much during pollen season. It is saver for me to wait till after pollen season at end of July, but then 2 weeks after that is ragweed, so it is kinda hard for me. (I will go back out though after I am some what better. It is bad cause I have asthma also. Thanks!

Hope you recover soon, and get back to the "addiction", I mean, hobby!

 

[Bobbe]

Know what you mean, my neighbour, for some reason, refuses to remove his 2nd floor so I can get 30W! Everywhere else in the yard it is blocked by trees.



Hope you recover soon, and get back to the "addiction", I mean, hobby!

Thanks I will. I've been thinking about getting some quad linear lnb so it can go in as many as 4 different rooms. So I will not change extra lnb holder yet till i get a few to test out. I am getting high signal on 1.m dish right now with 103W 77% Q. Ok Keith thank you. Man on my HD tv with my Omegasat stb pictures look like they are HD. But my stb is not, How good would it get if it was.

 

[Anole]

I've been thinking about getting some quad linear lnb so it can go in as many as 4 different rooms.

You might want to consider the more common dual-output Standard Ku LNBFs, followed by a multiswitch.
Especially if you want multiple satellite signals delivered to each room.
The Switches Simplified FAQ pretty well covers the subject, so no reason to discuss it here.

 

[Bobbe]

Well I finally was able to get it done. I am hitting 6 sats good enough for now. I got a 8X1 switch like Dee Ann. The 1.2m dish is on G17 C band, I am getting 3 sats on the 1m PrimeStar amc9 on the arm at 87% on RTV, then Galaxy 28 at 50% on ABC news and amc 6 at 60% on mux. Then on the DTV world dish on bottom is hitting 101W and DTV world dish on top is hitting amc1. As you can see in pics I used a c clamp on bottom dish and you can see that I do not have a good clear path to S/W sky. I ran out of lnb's to hit anything else on the DTV dishes. But I do not care about 95W or 97W anyhow. Thanks for the all the help guys. I got to put up my digital TV antenna someday.

 

[Keith Brannen]

Well I finally was able to get it done. I am hitting 6 sats good enough for now. I got a 8X1 switch like Dee Ann. The 1.2m dish is on G17 C band, I am getting 3 sats on the 1m PrimeStar amc9 on the arm at 87% on RTV, then Galaxy 28 at 50% on ABC news and amc 6 at 60% on mux. Then on the DTV world dish on bottom is hitting 101W and DTV world dish on top is hitting amc1. As you can see in pics I used a c clamp on bottom dish and you can see that I do not have a good clear path to S/W sky. I ran out of lnb's to hit anything else on the DTV dishes. But I do not care about 95W or 97W anyhow. Thanks for the all the help guys. I got to put up my digital TV antenna someday.

I'm glad that you were able to get out again and get it done to your satisfaction. Good to see that you were able to get the 72/83/89 combination with fairly good numbers. A little patience (or is it stubbornness?) goes a long way in this hobby (addiction)! All you need now is a couple of more LNBs, as you still have room on your 8x1 switch and dishes... LOL! Enjoy!

 

[Bobbe]

I'm glad that you were able to get out again and get it done to your satisfaction. Good to see that you were able to get the 72/83/89 combination with fairly good numbers. A little patience (or is it stubbornness?) goes a long way in this hobby (addiction)! All you need now is a couple of more LNBs, as you still have room on your 8x1 switch and dishes... LOL! Enjoy!

Yes it was stubborness Keith. I am in a very bad way with allergies and very bad pain arthritis and fibromyalgia. I just got over a very bad chest infection a few weeks ago. And I weigh 400lbs. It was very very hard on me to get up on the ladder I was in a lot of very bad pain during and after it. Something about being on a ladder kills my legs and back. And with all of the tree's and the house next door it was way harder then it should have been. I wish I was in the clear here for the sats then I'll just have'em like 4-5 feet up. But it is worth it now, but the TP 3800 30000 H n V on Galaxy 17, I was getting about 45% on it but I have lost it now died. It does that fades out then back in. TP 6204 3075 does it also it is coming in now for a while days but then it fades out. Yes the 3 lnb's on the PrimeStar 1m dish worked out well, thanks for your help with that Keith.
even though I am getting like 50-55 on abc on 89W and 60=65 on 72W mux when it rains I lose them. But 87W stays on. Ok.

 

[Keith Brannen]

Yes it was stubborness Keith. I am in a very bad way with allergies and very bad pain arthritis and fibromyalgia. I just got over a very bad chest infection a few weeks ago. And I weigh 400lbs. It was very very hard on me to get up on the ladder I was in a lot of very bad pain during and after it. Something about being on a ladder kills my legs and back. And with all of the tree's and the house next door it was way harder then it should have been. I wish I was in the clear here for the sats then I'll just have'em like 4-5 feet up. But it is worth it now, but the TP 3800 30000 H n V on Galaxy 17, I was getting about 45% on it but I have lost it now died. It does that fades out then back in. TP 6204 3075 does it also it is coming in now for a while days but then it fades out. Yes the 3 lnb's on the PrimeStar 1m dish worked out well, thanks for your help with that Keith.
even though I am getting like 50-55 on abc on 89W and 60=65 on 72W mux when it rains I lose them. But 87W stays on. Ok.

Sorry to hear about your health issues, it sure does show that you are a true FTAer (in other words, addicted!) to get out and perservere to get the signals!

Off-centre LNBs will always be the first to go in event of rain (unless it is a really strong signal), as you have already decreased their signal by having them off-centre in the first place. Usually, I find (unless it is a torrential downpour) that the signal disappears before it rains, and comes back (reduced signal) while it is raining. Sometimes just an additional tweaking of the LNB can raise the signal a few points, enough to keep it a bit longer.

Don't have a C-band dish myself (unfortunately) so don't know whether those transponders are prone to varying signal strength as a rule (as some Ku band signals can be). Might be a small tweak of the dish would help some.

Good luck!

 

[Bobbe]

Sorry to hear about your health issues, it sure does show that you are a true FTAer (in other words, addicted!) to get out and perservere to get the signals!

Off-centre LNBs will always be the first to go in event of rain (unless it is a really strong signal), as you have already decreased their signal by having them off-centre in the first place. Usually, I find (unless it is a torrential downpour) that the signal disappears before it rains, and comes back (reduced signal) while it is raining. Sometimes just an additional tweaking of the LNB can raise the signal a few points, enough to keep it a bit longer.

Don't have a C-band dish myself (unfortunately) so don't know whether those transponders are prone to varying signal strength as a rule (as some Ku band signals can be). Might be a small tweak of the dish would help some.

Good luck!

Yeah Kieth I do like to set up the dishes and work on cars but now it is very hard for me to do either. I got a lot of tools but I do not use them to much anymore. As far as the c-band from what I read it is because my dish is only a 4footer. You need at least a 8 footer to be good for the most part. I did try to peak TP3800 it is no good it is already hitting as good as it can be. The only really strong TP on thre for my set up is 3720 26700 I get that at 73% and he rain does not do anything to it, it stays there even when it rains. I wish I could get 125W amc 21 but I am blocked from going anywhere past 110W. 97W would not be to bad to have there are a few channels on there that are pretty good but that would mean I would have to get back on ladder to top DTV world dish that is on 103W and it just is not worth it for me. I have ground cable TV right now anyhow. But if I put my air TV antenna back up with my lcd tv then there are another 12 channels also. So that would make a pretty good package between the both. You know I had DTV for like 10 years and the guy that set it up only had me getting a 62% signal, ever time it rained I lost TV. I guess I am setting them up way better then him lol. Thanks to the help of you and a lot of other people on the sites. He had it on my roof. I do miss Turner Classic movie channel though I loved hat channel. It was the only channel I watched on it really. I love those old classics, from the thirties forties and fifties and sixties. Even the silent movies from the twenties I like to. You know cable TV keeps showing the same stuff over and over. They hav a real lot more tuff they should be showing but the want you to buy te DVD's and the DVD's are all junk after you watch them a few times they start freezing up or skipping. The VCR tapes lasted much longer. When they came out with dvd they said they would last forever thats a laugh. Just easy money for them keep showing people the same old stuff and keep selling dvd's of 50 year old shows. And remaking old movies. Man Walking Tall the first one with Joe Don Baker was my favourite movie of all time. And that remake they made a few years ago was a joke, it was a insult to the original picture. How about Clint Eastwood week or Rocky week on AMC C'mon Make My Day AMC and buy some new movies. OK.