Big Old C Band

[Big Red Dog]

I was wondering what do I need for a FTA set up?.
I have a 12' mesh dish and a c band lmb it is about 10 years old and the dish still works.
my feedhorn is a Chaparral I am not sure if it has a ku side on it.
My receiver is a Uniden Supra still working .
Could you point me in the right direction in what I need to get FTA tv.
Thanks

 

[dfergie]

to SatelliteGuys... I'm just getting into FTA myself with my 2 old BUD's... I am using a DVB world usb receiver, It's a real learning curve but I am getting there....

 

[PSB]

I was wondering what do I need for a FTA set up?.
I have a 12' mesh dish and a c band lmb it is about 10 years old and the dish still works.
my feedhorn is a Chaparral I am not sure if it has a ku side on it.
My receiver is a Uniden Supra still working .
Could you point me in the right direction in what I need to get FTA tv.
Thanks

have a look at the below web site........

More or less you will need a DVB receiver and a new C/KU LNBF would be nice!

www.skyvision.com

 

[7720driver]

Big Red Dog, first, read the second post from the top (Sticky: Some common questions...by Iceberg).

You could get the c-band FTA programs just by buying a FTA receiver. You'd also need to have a splitter to split the signal coming from the c-band LNB so that you'd have a signal for each reciver (the analog receiver and the FTA receiver). Your analog receiver most likely controls the polarity by means of a servo motor that twists a probe inside the LNB. Your FTA receiver thus could not control polarity. So you would have to "change channels" on your analog receiver in order to scan and register FTA channels of both polarities. This is doable...but it's cumbersome, and I doubt you'd be satisfied with it. Many times, changing channels on the FTA receiver would require you to change the channel on the analog receiver (in order to change the required polarity). It's just too much trouble.

If your big dish's feed horn also has Ku on it, and if you tried to put that dish's Ku signal to your FTA receiver, you'd also run into the same problem that I described above, namely, you'd have to fiddle with the analog receiver in order to change polarity.

You could replace the feedhorn and LNB with one that changes polarity via voltage. That would enable the FTA receiver to control polarity. But it would probably prevent your Uniden from being able to control polarity. (There are a few analog receivers that can control polarity by both methods, but I dont' think the Uniden Supra is one of them.)

You would have to rely on the analog receiver to move your dish from satellite to satellite.

So, the bottom line is....the polarity problem and dish movement problem complicate the reception of c-band FTA .

For a straight forward, easy to operate system, I recommend that the new user start off with a Ku only system. Get a FTA receiver and a Ku dish. Most people think the best channels are on the satellite G10R at 123 degrees west. So, for a stationary system, you'd probably want to point your dish at that satellite. But if you want to receive the channels on the other satellites, you'd need to get yourself a DiSEqC motor to move the dish. All that stuff is sold by Sadoun on the link at the top of this page.

But you have to know a lot of stuff to install a system. By all means, DON'T TRY TO INSTALL IT YOURSELF, unless you like a challenge and you can deal well with frustration.

 

[drhydro]

Big Red Dog, first, read the second post from the top (Sticky: Some common questions...by Iceberg).

You could get the c-band FTA programs just by buying a FTA receiver. You'd also need to have a splitter to split the signal coming from the c-band LNB so that you'd have a signal for each reciver (the analog receiver and the FTA receiver). Your analog receiver most likely controls the polarity by means of a servo motor that twists a probe inside the LNB. Your FTA receiver thus could not control polarity. So you would have to "change channels" on your analog receiver in order to scan and register FTA channels of both polarities. This is doable...but it's cumbersome, and I doubt you'd be satisfied with it. Many times, changing channels on the FTA receiver would require you to change the channel on the analog receiver (in order to change the required polarity). It's just too much trouble.

I do it this way for now (while waiting for my vbox II to be repaired), and while it can be a PITA, it is workable. You can also use a programmable remote like the Logitech Harmony that will do "macros", while I havent tried it myself I have heard it works good. The other option is a VBOX II (not the vbox dp710, they are garbage), it will take the diseqc 1.2 signal from a DVB STB and move your dish for you.

But you have to know a lot of stuff to install a system. By all means, DON'T TRY TO INSTALL IT YOURSELF, unless you like a challenge and you can deal well with frustration.

I had no knowledge whatsoever of c / ku satellite installation 1.5 years ago, but with the help of a few websites (take a look at the c-band forum at the FAQ) and this forum, I was able to set up my own c band dish, and multiple KU dishs. It really isnt that hard, but does take some patience. A helpful friend or wife/girlfriend unit really makes the process much easier.

 

[gizzer777]

Errrr

Big Red Dog, first, read the second post from the top (Sticky: Some common questions...by Iceberg).

You could get the c-band FTA programs just by buying a FTA receiver. You'd also need to have a splitter to split the signal coming from the c-band LNB so that you'd have a signal for each reciver (the analog receiver and the FTA receiver). Your analog receiver most likely controls the polarity by means of a servo motor that twists a probe inside the LNB. Your FTA receiver thus could not control polarity. So you would have to "change channels" on your analog receiver in order to scan and register FTA channels of both polarities. This is doable...but it's cumbersome, and I doubt you'd be satisfied with it. Many times, changing channels on the FTA receiver would require you to change the channel on the analog receiver (in order to change the required polarity). It's just too much trouble.

If your big dish's feed horn also has Ku on it, and if you tried to put that dish's Ku signal to your FTA receiver, you'd also run into the same problem that I described above, namely, you'd have to fiddle with the analog receiver in order to change polarity.

You could replace the feedhorn and LNB with one that changes polarity via voltage. That would enable the FTA receiver to control polarity. But it would probably prevent your Uniden from being able to control polarity. (There are a few analog receivers that can control polarity by both methods, but I dont' think the Uniden Supra is one of them.)

You would have to rely on the analog receiver to move your dish from satellite to satellite.

So, the bottom line is....the polarity problem and dish movement problem complicate the reception of c-band FTA .

For a straight forward, easy to operate system, I recommend that the new user start off with a Ku only system. Get a FTA receiver and a Ku dish. Most people think the best channels are on the satellite G10R at 123 degrees west. So, for a stationary system, you'd probably want to point your dish at that satellite. But if you want to receive the channels on the other satellites, you'd need to get yourself a DiSEqC motor to move the dish. All that stuff is sold by Sadoun on the link at the top of this page.

But you have to know a lot of stuff to install a system. By all means, DON'T TRY TO INSTALL IT YOURSELF, unless you like a challenge and you can deal well with frustration.

I am no genius but I do not believe that you need anything but a compass and MAYBE a cheapo sat signal finder to set up a BUD...way back when it was a mystery, the installers said you had to be blessed by the good tooth fairy, but now there is tons of info...check out the faq in the c-band forum or PM me and I can help!

The hardest part is making the cement foundation and making sure the post is Plumb! Easy with the 4dtv as well!

Jeff

 

[7720driver]

Well said, drhydro. Installing my BUD and FTA system was fun for me. But then I'm the type that enjoys the technical part as much or more than watching FTA TV.

I have been thinking about getting a vboxII to enable my FTA receiver to move my
BUD. But if I were to do that, then my analog receiver's position counter would get out of sync. I see that you have TWO BUDs. I guess you use one for analog and the other for FTA.

That was a great suggestion you had about using programmable remotes and macros to tune in c-band FTA programs. You could make a macro to: (1) tell your FTA receiver to go to a particular favorite channel, (2) tell your analog receiver to move the BUD to the desired c-band satellite and (3) tell your analog receiver to go to a channel that would be of the correct polarity for your FTA receiver to get the channel it was told to tune.

That's a FANTASTIC idea, drhydro. I'd follow through with it myself, except I can't. My analog receiver is controlable only by a UHF remote. I know of no learning remote that has UHF capability.

This is a project that ought to be done, and ought to be talked about. I think I'll start a new thread, asking the guys in this forum to think about doing this.

 

[drhydro]

7220 driver,
Thanks for the compliment on the programmable remotes, but I cannot take credit. I read of that idea on the cband forum here, cannot remember the o.p. tho. As my vbox II is deader than a doornail, and the place i bought it from is not (currently) helping me get it repaired, i think i am going to try the programmable remote myself. Luckily my drake 1724 can use an IR as well as a UHF remote.

I only have one of my BUDS hooked up right now, as soon as spring hits I will hook up the other one. At that point i will use one for FTA and one for analog/ digital sub.