LNB Help

[wantogetstarted]

I have been doing a ton of research on FTA stuff but there are some questions I can not find answers to.

What is the difference between LNBs? I see there are universal LNBs, Linear LNBs, Circular LNBs, all kinds of options.

I want to be able to get as many FTA channels as possible. I want to be able to get the sats lyngsat lists as America and Atlantic. Is that possible with one Dish and LNB? I also want to be able to get feeds and backhauls? What is the LNB I need?

I have a ton more questions and I am so glad I found this site.

Also, if anyone knows of a good dealer/installer in the Pittsburgh area that would be great.

 

[PSB]

WELCOME to the SatelliteGuys.US FTA forum!


Both Standard and Universal LNB's will bring you exactly the same channels. A Universal LNB has two bands, in this country only one band is used. The only extra channel that a Universal LNB will get you is Cubavision on the Pas 9 satellite @ 58ºw

Depending on exactly where you are, you will only get the satellites above this country, because of the curvature of the earth satellites above the Atlantic and Europe will be under the horizon. Give us your zip code and we can give you a list of all the satellites available from your area.

Some satellites/signals are C-Band and would require at least a 6' dish and C-Band LNB

C-Band had 4 digit Freq.

Ku Band has 5 digit Freq.

 

[wantogetstarted]

Thanks!

I live a little north of Pittsburgh (Here we go Steelers! Here we Go!!)

my zip is 15044. I have seen other sites that claim I should get sats all the way to 7w. I think I got that right.

Do I need a special LNB to get feeds?

 

[PSB]

Same LNB for feeds

                      Gibsonia, PA 15044
         Latitude 40° 37.512'N Longitude 79° 56.658'W

                       Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
--------------------------------------------------------------
                               
                       Amos 1/2    4.0W  99.3 109.7  1.9 -48.5
                               
                Atlantic Bird 3    5.0W  99.9 110.4  2.7 -48.4
                               
                Nilesat 101/102    7.0W 101.3 111.7  4.2 -48.1
                               
     Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2    8.0W 102.0 112.4  4.9 -47.9
                               
                     Express A3   11.0W 104.1 114.5  7.2 -47.4
                               
                     Telstar 12   15.0W 106.9 117.4 10.2 -46.6
                               
                   Intelsat 901   18.0W 109.1 119.6 12.4 -45.8
                               
                          NSS 7   22.0W 112.2 122.6 15.4 -44.7
                               
                   Intelsat 905   24.5W 114.2 124.6 17.2 -43.8
                               
                   Intelsat 907   27.5W 116.6 127.0 19.4 -42.7
                               
                  Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 118.7 129.1 21.1 -41.7
                               
                   Intelsat 801   31.5W 120.0 130.4 22.2 -41.1
                               
                   Intelsat 903   34.5W 122.7 133.1 24.2 -39.7
                               
                    AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 125.4 135.9 26.3 -38.2
                               
                        NSS 806   40.5W 128.4 138.8 28.2 -36.5
                               
                      Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 130.9 141.3 29.8 -35.0
                               
                         Pas 1R   45.0W 133.0 143.4 31.0 -33.7
                               
                   Intelsat 705   50.0W 138.5 148.9 33.9 -30.2
                               
                   Intelsat 707   53.0W 142.0 152.5 35.5 -27.8
                               
                   Intelsat 805   55.5W 145.1 155.5 36.7 -25.8
                               
                          Pas 9   58.0W 148.3 158.7 37.9 -23.5
                               
                       Amazonas   61.0W 152.2 162.6 39.1 -20.7
                               
                     EchoStar 3   61.5W 152.9 163.3 39.3 -20.2
                               
                      Rainbow 1   61.5W 152.9 163.3 39.3 -20.2
                               
               Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 154.9 165.4 39.9 -18.8
                               
                   Brasilsat B2   65.0W 157.7 168.1 40.6 -16.7
                               
                   Brasilsat B1   70.0W 164.9 175.4 41.9 -11.4
                               
                       Nahuel 1   71.8W 167.6 178.0 42.3  -9.4
                               
                      DirecTV 1   72.5W 168.7 179.1 42.4  -8.6
                               
                          AMC 6   72.0W 167.9 178.3 42.3  -9.2
                               
                          SBS 6   74.0W 170.9 181.3 42.6  -6.9
                               
                     Echostar 4   77.0W 175.5 185.9 42.9  -3.4
                               
                          AMC 5   79.0W 178.5 189.0 43.0  -1.1
                               
                      Nimiq 2/3   82.0W 183.2 193.6 43.0   2.4
                               
                          AMC-9   83.0W 184.7 195.1 42.9   3.6
                               
                   Brasilsat B3   84.0W 186.2 196.6 42.8   4.7
                               
                          AMC 2   85.0W 187.7 198.2 42.7   5.9
                               
                          AMC 3   87.0W 190.8 201.2 42.5   8.1
                               
                           IA-8   89.0W 193.8 204.2 42.1  10.4
                               
                      Galaxy 11   91.0W 196.7 207.1 41.7  12.6
                               
                     Nimiq 1/4i   91.0W 196.7 207.1 41.7  12.6
                               
                   Brasilsat B4   92.0W 198.2 208.6 41.4  13.7
                               
                           IA-6   93.0W 199.6 210.0 41.1  14.8
                               
                      Galaxy 3C   95.0W 202.4 212.9 40.5  16.8
                               
                           IA-5   97.0W 205.2 215.7 39.9  18.9
                               
                      Galaxy 4R   99.0W 207.9 218.4 39.1  20.8
                               
                     Spaceway 2   99.2W 208.2 218.6 39.0  21.0
                               
                DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 210.6 221.0 38.3  22.7
                               
                          AMC 4  101.0W 210.6 221.0 38.3  22.7
                               
                     Spaceway 1  103.0W 213.2 223.6 37.4  24.5
                               
                          AMC 1  103.0W 213.2 223.6 37.4  24.5
                               
                         AMC 15  105.0W 215.7 226.1 36.4  26.3
                               
                      Anik F1/R  107.3W 218.5 228.9 35.3  28.2
                               
                      DirecTV 5  109.5W 221.1 231.5 34.1  29.9
                               
                EchoStar 6/8/10  110.0W 221.6 232.1 33.8  30.3
                               
                        Anik F2  111.1W 222.9 233.3 33.2  31.1
                               
                  Solidaridad 2  113.0W 225.0 235.4 32.1  32.4
                               
                       SatMex 6  113.0W 225.0 235.4 32.1  32.4
                               
                       SatMex 5  116.8W 229.0 239.5 29.9  35.0
                               
                         AMC-16  119.0W 231.3 241.7 28.5  36.3
                               
                     DirecTV 7s  119.0W 231.3 241.7 28.5  36.3
                               
                     EchoStar 7  119.0W 231.3 241.7 28.5  36.3
                               
          EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 233.2 243.7 27.2  37.4
                               
                     Galaxy 10R  123.0W 235.1 245.6 25.9  38.5
                               
                      Galaxy 14  125.0W 237.0 247.4 24.5  39.5
                               
                  Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 238.8 249.2 23.1  40.5
                               
 Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 240.5 251.0 21.8  41.4
                               
                         AMC 11  131.0W 242.2 252.7 20.3  42.2
                               
                      Galaxy 15  133.0W 243.9 254.3 18.9  43.0
                               
                         AMC 10  135.0W 245.5 256.0 17.5  43.7
                               
                          AMC 7  137.0W 247.1 257.6 16.0  44.4
                               
                          AMC 8  139.0W 248.7 259.1 14.6  45.0
                               
                   EchoStar 1/2  148.0W 255.3 265.7  7.9  47.2

       Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. Lutus

 

[brentb636]

If you restrict yourself to Ku band ( 30" dish minimum ) and an FTA receiver you can hit most any bird seen from North America with an Invacom QPH031 quad LNB. The LNB ( a heavy devil ) has 4 output ports, 2 for its linear LNB and 2 for its circular LNB . It's low noise rating (.3dbm ) and versatility is making it something of a favorite. It is a little pricey, but having a single LNBF at the focal point is an advantage.

 

[PSB]

Remember to check Lyngsat to see if the signal/satellite is Ku or C-band

Pink = C-Band satellite

Green = ku Band

Yellow = C+Ku band



The below may also help with lyngsat.

http://www.dmsiusa.com/charts.htm

 

[wantogetstarted]

Wow! You guys are great! Thanks!

What size dish would I need to hit the sats that were far away? Like, in my case, Atlantic Bird 2 or AMC 8. (Assuming they are Ku, which is what I would be interested in) Would a 30" still be enough?

 

[PSB]

30" is the minimum and good enough for the vast majority of FTA signals, but you always want to get the BIGGEST dish you can afford and get away with. A 1m dish would be NICE!

I use a 36" / 90cm dish and it works GREAT!

 

[wantogetstarted]

Cool! But I found something out on another forum that it may not do me any good to be able to hit those far away satellites because they may not beem anything to North America. Correct?

 

[Mr Tony]

correct

alot of the atlantic satellites do not have anything being beamed to this side of the ocean

 

[brentb636]

True. Lyngsat is your best guide as to which of the Atlantic satellites have a North American beam. Amazonas at 61W is as far east as I have found anything useful. A larger dish than the minimum will give you a stronger signal on the North American birds as well, giving a better margin for error in bad conditions.

 

[PSB]

A LOT of good stuff at 30ºw

 

[brentb636]

"
A LOT of good stuff at 30ºw" Braggart !

My motor won't turn that far ! ( looks sweet enough that maybe a fixed dish would be in order ! )