Comparing dishes, differences in antenna gain

[Zorak]

What is the wiring from the the LNB to the receiver? I am wondering how much loss is in the line now? I.e. is there a switch or something like it that could reduce signal by 3 dB? If so, you could temporarily remove the small loss in the line (if you have a source of a loss) then perhaps you could simulate what getting the 1.2M could do to improve signal strength?

 

[tvropro]

Not sure about signal strength, but in the sound world 3db means a doubling of loudness.

3db in the satellite world means quite a bit. 3db is doubling the signal here also, it depends on how much signal you started with but can make quite a difference.

 

[cracklincrotch]

Wiring as follows:

Viewsat -> 1' RG6 -> Coolsat -> 180' RG11 -> diseqc 1.0 -> 3' RG6 -> diseqc 1.2 -> 8' RG6 -> 1M minibud w/BSC421 LNB

 

[pendragon]

What is the wiring from the the LNB to the receiver? I am wondering how much loss is in the line now? I.e. is there a switch or something like it that could reduce signal by 3 dB? If so, you could temporarily remove the small loss in the line (if you have a source of a loss) then perhaps you could simulate what getting the 1.2M could do to improve signal strength?

I think there is some confusion here. Inserting or removing a loss in the path from dish to receiver is not the same as decreasing/increasing antenna gain by the same number of dBs with a different dish.

Increasing antenna gain will increase the difference between the signal and the noise floor (I know this is an oversimplification, but the details don't materially change the picture). This is one of the critical performance parameters, but not the only one. A larger dish will generally improve this ratio/difference.

The LNB amplifies the signal so it can be sent on the coax to the receiver with little deterioration. Ideally, the noise floor as amplified by the LNB is sufficiently stronger than the receiver's noise floor when the signal reaches the receiver. If this condition is met, the coax and switch losses in the path are not terribly important, because the original difference between signal and noise will be preserved (both signal and noise will be attenuated by roughly the same amount).

With 180' of RG-11, you will lose about 9 dB at 950 MHz and 12 dB at 1450 MHz. Unless your LNB has a very low gain or your receiver has a poor front-end, that is not enough to make a difference.

 

[rv1pop]

All I want is the nets/feeds on 99.

The 1M Winegard just barely gets the nets on 99 for me, with the Viewsat just at threshold and the Coolsat 2% below threshold. . Can you tell I'm married?

A happy wife makes a happy husband. I've been happy now for 10 years. No reason to change things over a dish.

About the 4th time I read that I asked myself the question... Is ALL you want 99W? I am thinking ..

I would try putting a receiver at the dish and see if the signal will then come in OK. If so, get a receiver with an RF remote and put it at the dish, et c'est tres bien, you get the signal you want. And the wife is happy????

My idea may be worse than my french - but I do not think it really could be!

Adding another receiver or two in the house might require a strange switch setup or running a new cable from the 99W receiver into the house (even RG59 at channel 3 )

 

[Anole]

nets on 99°w: two ideas

Well, nobody can guarantee you'll succeed with the 1.2m dish.
What you'd pay for it is reasonable, but if it doesn't do the job, it's a waste.
And if Nets are your goal, then no motor required, so that's a moot point; no more expense!

One thing that should help you is a conical scalar ring.
If you don't have one on your offset dish, you're not really serious.
Over the years of this discussion, members who've tried them have gotten better results.
You can search the forum for quantitative comments.
Here's an off-site post that seems to come to the same conclusion.
You could try it on your existing dish, or use it on the 1.2m if you get it.

But , I would prefer to put that $50 toward a 6' Fortec fixed dish.
It breaks down into small panels , so shipping isn't so outrageous.
I don't know what the satellite footprint is for your area, versus other members running the 1.2m dish down in the lower 48.
But, the bigger dish brings in more signal, AND it rejects adjacent interfering satellites much better than a 1.0 or 1.2m dish!

So, there's a suggestion, and a slam-dunk.

 

[cracklincrotch]

I'm going to have to have to work on the wife some more before I can put up a 6' dish. There's one down the street but I don't think that matters to her much because it's not in HER yard.

 

[Cadsulfide]

About the 4th time I read that I asked myself the question... Is ALL you want 99W? I am thinking ..

I would try putting a receiver at the dish and see if the signal will then come in OK. If so, get a receiver with an RF remote and put it at the dish, et c'est tres bien, you get the signal you want. And the wife is happy????

My idea may be worse than my french - but I do not think it really could be!

Adding another receiver or two in the house might require a strange switch setup or running a new cable from the 99W receiver into the house (even RG59 at channel 3 )

I have a Neusat reciever dedicated to 123 & 125 KU, and 99 C Band for the networks, (all fixed dishes) using a DP34 switch outside at the array, only one cable to house per reciever. It's in the utility room with the other recievers. It's coupled to a SB Extigy external for SPDIF audio, and both feed a Sadoun digital RF modulator tuned to ch 36 for whole house TV. I'm using Powermid remote extenders so the house does'nt look like JPL (wifey likes things just so). Putting all your gear out of sight allows you a lot of lattitude, out of sight, out of her hair so to speak.

 

[cracklincrotch]

It's a shame that I can't hide a 6' dish that's 15' in the air, 40' back from the patio door. It would go just above the two 75E dishes, in my avatar. That's the view from the patio right now.

 

[cracklincrotch]

As I posted in another thread to somebody looking to do a mini-bud, I'm feeling brave enough and strong enough today to order a 6' c-band dish. Got the wife flowers, four wine kits, and gave her cash to get her hair cut and colored this weekend. I don't think there's much else I can do but order it and see what happens.

Being on the northern east coast the 1M just isn't big enough to get what I want. But World Harvest on G16 @ 99W gives me about 70%Q and the WB feeds give me 77%Q on the Coolsat with that dish. But the nets just aren't there enough for me. And a actuator will get me just about anything else there is.