C-Band Dish Worth the Investment?

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WH07

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May 7, 2015
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Hey everyone I'm thinking of setting up a C-band dish and I was wondering if the amount and quality of channels are any better than Ku band? I've been looking on Lyngsat and looks like there are quite a few unscrambles channels, but if the content they're broadcasting is any good.

I already have a motorized KU band dish and a GeoSat MicroHD receiver and I love them. I've seen an unused 10' C-band dish a few miles down the road from where I live that looks to be in good condition, though I don't think the actuator motor works. I was also wondering if it was possible to use a switch to control both a motorized Ku dish and a C-band dish or if I needed another receiver?
 
There is also a C-band list at global-cm.net to take a look through. Apart from 125W Ku, the rest of the time we're watching something off C-band.

"C-band dish worth the investment"? I'd say for this household it's a definite yes.

The MicroHD should work fine to add on C-band. Apart from a switch, there will be additional wiring runs and components to add for a C-band dish.
 
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To put it simply: C Band ROCKS. Gotta say for something to watch, it's usually on C band. Ku has it's choice channels also, but it's usually tuned to C band. Usually somewhere between 87W and 107W.

AND, you can run a Ku motor and a BUD from one receiver. Use USALS for the Ku and DisEqC 1.2 for the VBox controller on the BUD at the same time. Put the switch out near the dishes to select which LNBF(band)
Coax goes from the receiver to the VBox out to the motor then the switch and off to the LNBF's.

Post some pictures. (inquiring minds)
 
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If you like what you get on your Ku setup, you'll definitely like C Band. Do you know what brand/model dish the one you might get is?
 
FaT is right. 80% of what I watch is on C-Band. I only find myself on Ku-Band when I'm watching PBS. Remember the old Disneyland
Tickets? Ku-Band is maybe a "C" ticket. But C-Band is definitely an "E" ticket :D
 
Question, why don't you guys just get directv or dish? I have dish and love it. What is this ku and cband stuff? Is it the really large dishes i stiIll see from
thirty years ago? Why?
 
Question, why don't you guys just get directv or dish? I have dish and love it. What is this ku and cband stuff? Is it the really large dishes i stiIll see from
thirty years ago? Why?
Because it's FREE content, and along with a good outdoor TV antenna for local channels, there is plenty of great programming to watch. I had both DirecTV and Dish in the past, for me, the cost doesn't justify what I can choose, I'd say 90% of the channels in their packages I never watched and I don't like being stuck in a contract... the KU band dishes are about the same size as Dish or DirecTV dishes, some slightly bigger, C band are generally the large dishes, but it is possible to pick up some C band on smaller dishes, just not as much as a full size C band dish...
 
Question, why don't you guys just get directv or dish? I have dish and love it. What is this ku and cband stuff? Is it the really large dishes i stiIll see from
thirty years ago? Why?

I have been paying for SlingTV which is nice to get a lot of the top channels for $20 a month, but honestly I don't watch pay tv a lot just because there's barely anything on it that I enjoy. I kind of get a thrill though when I scan the Ku sats and find new channels or come across a live satellite feed.
 
If you like what you get on your Ku setup, you'll definitely like C Band. Do you know what brand/model dish the one you might get is?
I'm not sure what brand it is, I know the guy who owes it is not using it so I might be able to remove it from his yard and get it for free. I think it's 10 foot mesh dish so probably won't be able to do a dual C/Ku band setup on one dish. I kind of like having two dish on separate bands anyways.
 
To put it simply: C Band ROCKS. Gotta say for something to watch, it's usually on C band. Ku has it's choice channels also, but it's usually tuned to C band. Usually somewhere between 87W and 107W.

AND, you can run a Ku motor and a BUD from one receiver. Use USALS for the Ku and DisEqC 1.2 for the VBox controller on the BUD at the same time. Put the switch out near the dishes to select which LNBF(band)
Coax goes from the receiver to the VBox out to the motor then the switch and off to the LNBF's.

Post some pictures. (inquiring minds)
Thanks! Yeah from looking at Lyngsat there's a lot of stations using C band to broadcast their content to their local affiliates. I know a few of the over-the-air channels I receive via antenna are being broadcast in the clear on C-band. I don't know if it's true...I have heard that there may be a push to move broadcasters off c-band to Ku so the government can reclaim that frequency spectrum. So that's kind of got me worried about investing the time and money to setup a system.
 
How do you get it free? That is crazy . . . does it come in HD?
Yeah it's free and there are HD channels. Pretty much everything you watch on tv whether delivered via satellite, antenna or cable was first broadcast via satellite to your cable company or local station. A lot of those channels are encrypted, but there are quite a few that are not. Mainly because it cost money for the content provider to encrypt their broadcast and since most of it is already being delivered to consumers via free antenna tv (OTA aka DTV) they don't bother with encrypting it. You do need a Ku band or C band dish to receive the signal and a good FTA receiver and you're pretty much good to go.
 
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I'm not sure what brand it is, I know the guy who owes it is not using it so I might be able to remove it from his yard and get it for free. I think it's 10 foot mesh dish so probably won't be able to do a dual C/Ku band setup on one dish. I kind of like having two dish on separate bands anyways.

10' is a good size. It'd be good to know what it is, or see a picture of it, there is a few types of dishes that are not so good. I have a 9' and a 12' here and the 9' works almost as well as the 12'. The 9' has lower Q, but it doesn't miss any channels. I like keeping the Ku and C separate too. I have six Ku dishes setup and the C dishes, running through a DISEqC switch.

Setting up the C Band dish and your Ku dish both to your MicroHD [good receiver :)] won't be hard, the LNBs can connect through a DISEqC switch, which a good one can be bought for around $20. You want a good one, the cheapo $5 ones just don't hold up well, in my experience. If the dish needs a new LNBF, [which what's on it may be fine] a good PLL one can be bought from Titanium Satellite for around $50, I think, maybe even cheaper. He actually sells good DISEqC switches too.

For the C Band dish you will have to get a V-Box to move it, or a ASC1, those are about the only options there, unless you use a old, old receiver just to move it, but that's usually a PITA. A V-Box is around $30 to $60, depending on where you buy it, the ASC1 is $180. The ASC1 will control a polorotor for switching polarity if the feed on the dish has one, the V-Box won't. If it does have a polorotor, I'd just change the feed to a PLL one.

http://www.titaniumsatellite.com/products

I'd bought a V-Box here a few years back and it's worked good, Maybe if someone has bought from them recently they can comment on whether they're still good or not.

https://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Motors/Positioners-controllers-Vbox-Gbox.htm

My V-Box controls my 9', I also have a ASC1 that controls the 12'. Was, rather, I'm in the process of moving the 12' to another spot in the yard and once that's done, I'm gonna move the 9' and all the Ku dishes, so right at the moment it's not setup. :eek:

Probably the only thing that may be expensive for you is if the actuator needs to be replaced, you said that you think it doesn't work? But, could very well be something fixable too, if it doesn't work. You'd need RG6 coax to run to the LNB on the dish and cable to run from the V Box/ASC1 to the actuator motor.

Many, many more channels on C Band than there is on Ku! :D

Another place to look at what's up there, may not be entirely up to date, but I find it easier to read than others:

http://sathint.com/america
 
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Like a Producer provides type quality has been held in C Band in the past; KU Band is the same thing. The channel, production, whether live or on tape; is defined; or Produced at a certain bandwidth, with certain multi-video/audio produced qualities such as 480i/p-1080p and Dolby or AAC; all digital. There are others, such as signal qualifiers, or encoded messages to say whether you have enough signal from your dish; where certain continual streams make changes in the bandwidth to keep the lock; or continuing of the "liveness"; as like the NBA did using stepdown to 720p in their live game broadcasts. There is even analog feeds in KU band still; and each band can be either an original broadcast decision or a 24 hr. per day re-broadcast In quality and/or originals. Most US Origination is C Band however; and in English; and with many types of Origination; so too did they choose it for it CONUS of US broadcasting; but for its better because the dish is bigger vs. rain/snow/signal of sun; ingress. The physic's of a microwave require a broadcast to be very weak; un-like a microwave oven basically. This gives the size of the dish possession of a real amplifier in the dishes reflection; unlike KU where the freq. already doubles the amps of the signals; and the dish reflection does very little amplification. In a real green world; a microwave needs to be kept at a low power; where no harm is caused. This is because the terrestrial beams we use for bandwidth; cable cellphones; will CUT your genetics off; basically only if you stand in front of them for a certain period of time...
 
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