Chaparall Bullseye installed (Look)

[truckracer]

Well, My long awaited bullseye feedhorn is installed. My two Zinwell multiswitches came in yesterday.
Two DMSI c-band 13 degree cheap lnbs and two Norsat KU lnbs (came with the horn).

The system works great. Even the lnbs that are just getting 13V are doing fine.
I replace the corotor II with this unit.

I did notice a 2% signal quality drop using the passive multiswitches. I am assuming this was insertion loss.
Ku performance is stunning to say the least. Ku just pegs the meter on most tp's and sats (even on the pansat 9200HD-It is deaf!)
I am very happy with this arrangement.

Overall signal is as good and some better than the corotor.

This seemless flipping between H and V (like an lnbf) is great.
Now I have multilple receiver capability. I plan on putting an ariza receiver in my gazebo on a 31" CRT tv using the componet outputs. I may get a crispier picture. I have to brag to my pizza pan buddies who claim their fame with pizza pan HD Lite.
I always get them when I tell them.....Hey this is not an HD tv.....This is standard def stuff -LOL..Oh wait, lets go in the house and I will show you some real HD!!



I am posting pics.


I also posted my G1 4DTV signal levels on tp 3 and HBO/Max stuff.
My 10' is about half blocked by my apple tree now while pointed at G1.
Signal has taken a hit.

Oops! I accidentally uploaded pics of my pet Possum (however you spell it). He's about 6 mos old. Mother got hit by a car.
He is pettable and pretty tame. Gets along with the cats. Hangs out on the porch or the rear deck most of the time. Likes fried chicken and cat food. Also likes milk.

 

[linuxman]

I like mine too. I think they are fantastic feed-horns especially since they will allow any receiver to control them.

 

[tvropro]

Good Job

 

[thomas34461usa]

Well, My long awaited bullseye feedhorn is installed. My two Zinwell multiswitches came in yesterday.
Two DMSI c-band 13 degree cheap lnbs and two Norsat KU lnbs (came with the horn).

The system works great. Even the lnbs that are just getting 13V are doing fine.
I replace the corotor II with this unit.

I did notice a 2% signal quality drop using the passive multiswitches. I am assuming this was insertion loss.
Ku performance is stunning to say the least. Ku just pegs the meter on most tp's and sats (even on the pansat 9200HD-It is deaf!)
I am very happy with this arrangement.

Overall signal is as good and some better than the corotor.

This seemless flipping between H and V (like an lnbf) is great.
Now I have multilple receiver capability. I plan on putting an ariza receiver in my gazebo on a 31" CRT tv using the componet outputs. I may get a crispier picture. I have to brag to my pizza pan buddies who claim their fame with pizza pan HD Lite.
I always get them when I tell them.....Hey this is not an HD tv.....This is standard def stuff -LOL..Oh wait, lets go in the house and I will show you some real HD!!



I am posting pics.


I also posted my G1 4DTV signal levels on tp 3 and HBO/Max stuff.
My 10' is about half blocked by my apple tree now while pointed at G1.
Signal has taken a hit.

Oops! I accidentally uploaded pics of my pet Possum (however you spell it). He's about 6 mos old. Mother got hit by a car.
He is pettable and pretty tame. Gets along with the cats. Hangs out on the porch or the rear deck most of the time. Likes fried chicken and cat food. Also likes milk.

Looks like a great job you did there. I hope I can do the same when I get to that part! Love the photo's too. Took a double take at your Possum! Didn't read that part of your thread. Got me good!

Anyway thanks for posting some great photo's and let us know how well it performs in the future!

Thanks,
Tom

 

[turbosat]

Nice setup!
What a big rat too. I put a giant trap under the sink in this old junky house I rented one time, trying to catch a gopher that big lol. Checked when I came in from work, he had knocked a hole in the half-rotten boards under the sink, and took trap and all with him! But he didn't come back ,haha.
(we got plenty of old possums around here too)

 

[voomvoom]

Congratulations...!
I don't have an Orthomode, but I have a Dual C-Band I need to give a try with? You and Fred make the try very tempting..!!! I've actually used it for a week with my 922, but didn't hook a DVB receiver to it. I went back to the Corotor2, as at the time I was watching College Football on the Analog feeds on SBS6 ku & AMC6. I have a feeling the S E C is going to start there own Network (like Big Ten) and the Analog feeds will disappear...?? If/when that happens, the Analog won't be as necessary, so the Corotor2 won't be as valuable. At least not to me..?

 

[truckracer]

My analog receiver has the ability to control an "lnbf" which means it would control a multi-switch., since this setup is essentially a glorfied c and ku lnbf (but with better performance IMO).

I love this setup as I seem to be getting the best signal quality and the seemless switching of an lnbf. It is shame these feedhorns are so expensive new. If one could buy these for round 100.00 - 149.00 it would be great. (instead of 379.00 - suggested price from Chaparall).
Then you have to buy 4 lnbs.

 

[rv1pop]

HIJACK ALERT == (Riddle) Why did the chicken cross the road?


to prove to the Possum that it could be done!

Great pictures. I will be marking this one for future reference. Want to get and keep my farm to where other can maintain.
POP

 

[jsattv]

Truckracer, great pictures and explanations. Did you have to run power to the Zinwell Switch, since it looks like you mounted it outside close to your Dish?? Or does your Receiver power the Switch?

 

[truckracer]

Switches are passive (meaning they are powered by the receiver-No power supply of their own). I would imagine powered switches are better. I however would have to provide A/C power (in my case at the dish where I put them).

If you ran four coax cables to your basement or communication closet it would not be an issue as you probably already have an outlet there.

These passive switches were 6.99 on ebay. Couldn't beat the price even if they didn't work. LOL

I have been doing some blind searches and it works great. I am getting ready to add a receiver to my gazebo tv for the purpose of getting a better picture using direct componet video jacks from an old ariza fta box.

Here are some pics of my Gazebo tv setup where I am adding the receiver using a diseqc switch connected to the multiswitches on my 10' sami. I have a set of Acoustic research stereo speakers out there connected to a sony 70Watt x2 receiver.
Not too bad for outside. Have a speaker switch to a set of waterproof Bose landscaping speakers 8" subwoofer with tweeters When I am out in the driveway washing cars I can listen to music or a tv program.

 

[jsattv]

Nice Gazebo setup Truckracer. Since I currently only have 2 coax underground cables into the house (re Gabshere's Cable) I'm wondering if those 4 coax cables from your Zinwell Switch could be fed to say a Ecoda Switch outside to cut down on the number of cables needed to bring into the house to the Sat Receiver?

 

[truckracer]

Thank You all for the nice compliments.
I don't know very much about ecoda switches (getting ready to learn).
using straight fta and no 4dtv, you could use this setup and dedicate a fta box on each of your two cables with diseqc switch for each receiver mounted at the dish going into each multiswitch. That would give you two receivers.

Right now the video out in my gazebo is just an RF modulator in the house from the receivers with an amp. Pic quality is good but typical of analog rf modulator. I think componet or s-video looks much better.

 

[ACRadio]

Since I currently only have 2 coax underground cables into the house (re Gabshere's Cable) I'm wondering if those 4 coax cables from your Zinwell Switch could be fed to say a Ecoda Switch outside to cut down on the number of cables needed to bring into the house to the Sat Receiver?

Or better yet use a single 4x4 switch instead of two 3x4's and a 22khz switch. There is way too much crosstalk with an Ecoda switch...only 16db of isolation.

 

[truckracer]

I would have went with a 4x4 22k switch but I have a 4dtv receiver that can't generate a 22khz tone to switch. The switch is essentially built in the 4dtv requiring seperate c and Ku cables.

If I had FTA only I would have certainly went that direction making good use of the two coaxes ran to the house (another receiver).

If I ever quit subbing to 4dtv that is what I will do.

 

[dwingel]

Wher did you buy the Bullseye and what type LNB do you program into 4DTV receiver?
Thanks,
Dale

 

[truckracer]

I got the bullseye from ebay. I am using two dms international BSC-211 c-band lnbs (14.99 each). For KU I am using the Norsat KU lnbs that were mounted on the bullseye when I received it. It had norsat c-band lnbs but they were bad and full of corrosion.

Using multiswitches, I just set the 4dtv receiver under installation settings to "c and ku lnbfs"
That makes c and ku voltage controlled polarities. No need for servo wires or servo functions.

It makes the feed work like having lnbfs on each band but with better performance and the ability to add additional receivers to the dish.

Keep in mind I am running the vertical lnbs out of spec at 13v. They are supposed to be running at 18-20 volts. I am having no problems however. Reception is great and no problem on vertical transponders.
I could add a power inserter to the vertical lnbs but at this point with everything working I will follow the old "if it's not broke....don't fix it" motto. LOL.

 

[dwingel]

Ok thank you. So the wave guides on the Bullseye must select vertical or horizontal. Where does the 13V power supply come from?

Cheers,
Dale

 

[truckracer]

Yes there is a wave guide for each band and each polarity. Like this:

C band Vertical lnb 13v
C-band Horizontal lnb 18V
Ku Vertical lnb 13v
Ku Horizontal lnb 18V

(four total lnbs mounted- see pics above)

The multiswitch senses the voltage from the receiver on the coax just like an lnbf does. When the receiver wants a Vertical channel - It sends 13V up the coax and the multiswitch routes the voltage to the Vertical lnb thus sending the satellite signal back down the coax to the receiver. This occurs for each band as well. My diseqc switch switches between c and ku at the same time the multiswitches choose polarity.

This setup is essentially the function of a BSC-621 c and ku lnbf except it offers up much better performance.

 

[dwingel]

Thanks. Now I want to change my corotor for a bullseye and get rid of the servo motor. Sounds like time for an upgrade.

Peace,
Dale

 

[ACRadio]

Thanks. Now I want to change my corotor for a bullseye and get rid of the servo motor. Sounds like time for an upgrade.

Peace,
Dale

I learned that lesson many years ago with my dad. It was flip...flip...flip...flip...all night long and he went through a servo every 4 or 5 months. I got tired of changing them...