Help me start my satellite farm

[. Raine]

I think Fred's right, about 4 degree separation is the best I could get here with multiple LNBs. Like to get 103W and 97W with regular LNBs, mine were crammed right next to each other with one a bit forward and above the other.

Or it may have been 103W and 99W, it's not setup right now. I think the best you can expect is four degree separation. The more LNBs too, the more you'll shadow the dish and block signal too.

I believe I have read on here somewhere about people using bullet LNB's, I think they were called? Maybe 2 degree separation might be possible with them, I myself haven't ever tried them.

Found something, there's some talk here in this thread about the bullet LNBs and Pendragon talks about cutting the scalars of regular LNBs to get 2 degree separation, might help you a bit, maybe.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/threads/requesting-help-for-installing-a-toroidal-antenna.356997/

 

[fred555]

Besides separation issues, here are some other factors to consider:
(anyone else with differing experiences please chime in.)

125W - at least a 1.2m dish to be practical. tough on a 90cm.
123W - FSTV, probably need a 1.2m at least for this
121W - Im not sure if the one popular FTA channel here can be picked up on a 90cm, I don't think I even got a hint of signal last time I tried on a 90cm.

113W - no experience here

103W, 97W - 6 degree separation, will work side by side on a 90cm.

95W - a separate little DISH or Directv Dish works great for for the STRONG CCTV channels.
That is what I use for this sat, and its all you need. Member JasonS and myself both have threads around here about our experiences converting both types for FTA use. I personally have found DirecTv dishes easier to convert, with no special fabrication besides drilling one hole needed.


I do not have figures or experience for how far you can spread out lnbfs on a 90cm or 1.2m.

 

[Titanium]

The link to your 90cm dish kit is a bit confusing as it shows two different type of dishes as the links are clicked.

Is the dish stamped with Azure on the mount/elevation bracket? If so, two Mini LNBFs (I.E. SL1 bullet)will provide 4 degree separation (40mm center to center) or 6 degree separation with standard scalar LNBFs (60mm center to center).

 

[FaT Air]

Multiple LNBF's and multiple receivers = take a look at
Switch setups simplified in the FAQ's section.

 

[danristheman]

For 121w ku you can get that channel on a small dish I have. I never got 125w cause of the apartment next to me. I have reception in all 3 rooms of my apartment with the switches that I learned from the Switches Sticky in the FTA forum plus help from FAT AIr. I am using a 1.2 meter dish I can squeeze out 4 degree separation 99w c band and 103w ku.

 

[hank123]

Wow guys thanks!

I can get the world Direct Dishes no problem and I even thought about taking slimlines and using them too.

So from the sound of it I may have to run 3 different dishes and dump it into a set of switches.
It is some work but the reward is worth it.

 

[fred555]

What I used to Convert a Pay TV dish for 95W:

http://gotcband.com/collections/brackets/products/universal-single-bracket

Mount the bracket a little further away from the dish than I did.
As you can see the lnbf is all the way forward in the holder as far as adjustment goes.

The correct angle is accomplished by bending the bracket fore and aft.

 

[fred555]

Here is my current dish for 95W.
For a Turbo Dish, fabrication of an extension is needed:

 

[fred555]

Since CCTV are all H and the good PBS on 125W are all V (I use a stationary 6 foot dish for 125W), I used single output LNBfs I had laying around and wired them in like this on the third switch for multi-receiver viewing:

Just a way to conserve the amount of multiswitches needed if you are looking to get 95W and 125W.

 

[Jason S]

I can get the world Direct Dishes no problem and I even thought about taking slimlines and using them too.

Linked below is a neat jig that member Polgyver posted to aid in positioning an FTA LNBF on a dish:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/thr...ning-of-replacement-lnbf.353223/#post-3731634

 

[hank123]

Can someone give me a guide or tell me the setting I need to put in my birdog to tune my C band dish?
Going for the 107W to center the dish and set up my ASC1.

Thanks

 

[hank123]

Or better yet does someone have a list they are willing to share for the Birdog?

 

[wvman]

Free is excellent. And its a 10 footer, get it ASAP.

Do you have pictures of the fiberglass dish?
The back of the dish where it mounts to the pole would be good to see too.
Interested to see if it has a stationary, or polar (motorized and movable) mount.
Just be prepared for the fiberglass dish being heavy.

I would look out for 3 to 4 foot oval Ku dishes too.

UFI made a 1 piece, 10 foot solid fiberglass dish. I used a ton of them back in the day, but they are getting hard to find. Be careful though. If it's a true UFI dish, it will have the letters UFI made into the fiberglass on the outer edge of the dish. There were a lot of blow-offs of this dish that didn't have a very good efficiency rating. These had a single mast feed that went through a hole in the middle of the dish that made adjusting the polarity a snap from behind the dish. No climbing around out front of the dish.

You could use a 700lb actuator on these or you could go with a Saginaw 1500 ball drive if you chose to. I know where there's one of these babies that I am thinking of trying to acquire for a stationary mount. Big dishes in general are getting hard to locate. If you find one, you better snatch it up.

 

[hank123]

Can I add a diplexer to pass my OTA with a diplexer on the receiver end?
This way I can still keep it single line?

Thanks

 

[Titanium]

Yes, but they introduce significant loss to the OTA signal. If your OTA signals are strong, this should not be a problem.

 

[hank123]

Thank you sir!


OK trying to figure out this Birdog and C band.

Do I have this loaded right to tune my C band dish??

 

[gpflepsen]

Thank you sir!


OK trying to figure out this Birdog and C band.

Do I have this loaded right to tune my C band dish??

View attachment 118225

No idea what you have there as I don't have a bird dog. I'm guessing that LNB is for the LO frequency which is probably 5150.

 

[wvman]

I found this yesterday. Looks like its in ok shape. the mesh is bent in one spot that can be bent back and a few dings from hail.View attachment 116532 View attachment 116533 View attachment 116534 View attachment 116535

Let me know if you think its worth taking down.
Also found a fiberglass today a block away from my house.

I have room to set up a sat farm.

Can I offer a little advice? Take some string with you. Take one piece of string and fasten it behind he dish, throw it over the top and down in front of the dish, pull it tight and tie it off so its in the center of the dish. Do the same thing from left to right so the strings cross each other in the center of the dish. The strings should touch, or come very close to touching. If they do, the dish is not warped. If there's a big gap, the dish is warped and will not perform well. Shouldn't be more than a 1/4 inch or so ideally between the two strings in the middle. No gap is preferred.

It looks like water froze inside the ribs on some of them and expanded the tubing, but this probably won't offer much of a problem.

 

[hank123]

Can I offer a little advice? Take some string with you. Take one piece of string and fasten it behind he dish, throw it over the top and down in front of the dish, pull it tight and tie it off so its in the center of the dish. Do the same thing from left to right so the strings cross each other in the center of the dish. The strings should touch, or come very close to touching. If they do, the dish is not warped. If there's a big gap, the dish is warped and will not perform well. Shouldn't be more than a 1/4 inch or so ideally between the two strings in the middle. No gap is preferred.

It looks like water froze inside the ribs on some of them and expanded the tubing, but this probably won't offer much of a problem.

I did and they touch in the center. So the dish is golden. It's about perfect.
I may have to center the lnbf a bit more.

I have the C2W-PLL C-band LNB.

Thanks

 

[hank123]

BIG DAY!

Think I got it home without screwing it up. The lip is bent a little but I dont think it will effect it any,.
Ajax with Paraclipse dish. Time to kick some ass!