Comparison between a 0.5 and a 0.4 LNB

[Mr Tony]

In my quest for a better signal, I replaced the .5 dual LNB with a .4 Universal on my motorized setup. Now I have never worked with a Universal until Saturday, so I didn’t know what to expect. Took some numbers with the dual and with the Universal

Here are the results (Using a Pansat 1500 on a clear sunny Saturday)...I’m not listing TP’s just whats on them (I am now able to get PAS9 but didnt include it because the .5 isn’t a universal)

Satellite Dual Univ
SBS6
ONN 95 99

AMC5
NYN 28 50
KULC 62 71
KTEL 69 75

AMC9
TAN 30 60

AMC3
PATIENT 89 90
MONT 60 75

G11
PRIME 34 45

IA6
DOC 59 75
ABCSAT 42 50
CBS 40 45

G3
CCTV 73 75

AMC4
CHUCK 30 45
RTPI 60 70
KUIL 60 90
WVGN 15 30—the 15 is a flicker...the Universal gave me a chance at the signal

AMC1
PENT 10 30

DISH121

TEST 40 48

G10
11799 46 59
TUBE 39 47
CBS 62 73
12114 93 99

So a lower LNB does help....I wonder what a .3 would do

 

[PSB]

Nice results thanks for taking the time : )

 

[Mr Tony]

took me longer to get on the roof to change it than to get the results

 

[sbacchus]

those numbers are pretty much in line with what i got going from a fortec universal to an invacom. typically an improvement of 10 or less. or course for some channels every little bit helps..

 

[PSB]

Exactly it can make the difference between picture and no picture!

 

[Cascade]

Add to the fact that it may be able to pull in channels you couldn't before.
On one sat I can pull in a channel with a spotbeam in Central America, couldn't do that without the Invacom.

 

[Mr Tony]

those numbers are pretty much in line with what i got going from a fortec universal to an invacom. typically an improvement of 10 or less. or course for some channels every little bit helps..

For Pentagon & WVGN it gives me a chance to see a picture. We'll see what happens when I get the 36" motorized

 

[sharris]

I went from a 0.5 linear to a 0.3 universal (big sat). Wow, what a diffierence in southern canada. I had difficulty getting AMC 3, now, no problem. I would say diff was 0% qual (0.5 linear) and 40% (0.3 universal). Made a marginal on G10, I would say approx 5-15% across the board. The 0.3db universals are common in europe. I got mine from germany on ebay for around 25$ CAN, so approx 20$ USD Brand new. I would recommend anyone on the fringe areas use a 1m + dish and one of these, definetely worth it.

 

[Mr Tony]

Once I get the 36" dish up and motorized, I'll post the .4 results for that

 

[PopcornNMore]

Iceberg, you didn't get that 36" dish up and running yet? What did you do all weekend?

 

[Mr Tony]

Iceberg, you didn't get that 36" dish up and running yet? What did you do all weekend?

read the 36" dish "saga" in reviews

I have the 36" on G10 right now...havent put the 2nd one up to motorize yet (roof issues)

 

[mark_calgary]

I went from a 0.5 linear to a 0.3 universal (big sat). Wow, what a diffierence in southern canada. I had difficulty getting AMC 3, now, no problem. I would say diff was 0% qual (0.5 linear) and 40% (0.3 universal). Made a marginal on G10, I would say approx 5-15% across the board. The 0.3db universals are common in europe. I got mine from germany on ebay for around 25$ CAN, so approx 20$ USD Brand new. I would recommend anyone on the fringe areas use a 1m + dish and one of these, definetely worth it.

I'd be interested in knowing more details of your setup since I have no problems getting AMC-3 from Calgary on a 90cm dish, Pansat 2500a, and the cheap 0.7dB NF LNB that came with the dish (I don't know the manufacturer of the LNB - I don't even remember if it was on the label).

That said, I'll be getting a universal Invacom 0.3dB next week when I visit the relatives in Holland as I had one of them pick it up for me from a local shop 2 months ago for 29Euro - now they've become easier and cheaper to get here. I will record the performance changes once I get it installed.

My goal in life right now is to receive PAS-9 as I need/want/desire the European feeds that seem to appear there. In the long term I am also looking at installing a small C-band setup for the same purpose and am intensely following the C-band on a 1.2m thread so I can estimate the minimum dish size I might need for acceptable but not necessarily perfect performance from here. Sadly, the location I am in (and the wife) would prevent me from putting up a massive dish on my garage roof. 1.8m would be acceptable, 2.4m would likely annoy too many of my nice neighbours.


On a side note, I wonder if anybody in southern Ontario objects to you claiming Calgary is in southern Canada

 

[Mr Tony]

On a side note, I wonder if anybody in southern Ontario objects to you claiming Calgary is in southern Canada

With my StarChoice system, I say I am from "Southern Northwestern Ontario...bout 300 miles south of Thunder Bay"

 

[Cascade]

Let's see a .3/.4/.5 comparison

 

[Mr Tony]

Let's see a .3/.4/.5 comparison

already thought of that

 

[snathanb]

Wow... I've got a big 1 meter Dway dish I'm using, with the original LNB on it, which I think is probably a .6 I get the tube at 55-60% quality on a fortec ultra, in Dallas. Bet I could really lock it in strong with a .3 or .4

 

[Mr Tony]

Wow... I've got a big 1 meter Dway dish I'm using, with the original LNB on it, which I think is probably a .6 I get the tube at 55-60% quality on a fortec ultra, in Dallas. Bet I could really lock it in strong with a .3 or .4

I've got a DirecPC dish that is set to G3...meter pegs at 90-92 all the time (vs 75 with the other dishes)

I think those are .6

 

[PSB]

One of these Invacom LNBF's will bolt right onto the feedhorn of a direcPC dish, making it 0.3db super low noise.

http://invacom.net/products/snf031.htm

 

[dishMIKE]

I just got Hispasat with my Invacom SNF 031 mounted on my 84cm Primestar dish . These Invacom LNBs are great! I'm getting 90-91 quality. I love this hobby!!! Thanks, Mike

 

[Mr Tony]

my .5 died (well, part of it)

When I was swapping out the LNB, one of the outputs screwed off when I was taking the cable off. I put it back in (just screws in) and it don't work

So I might be using the .4 & the .3 (have to figure out a good way to split the .4 feed to 2 setups)