Mini Bud on P*dish question

[putney]

Hi all! This is my first thread. I've read just about every MiniBud thread I could find but found the need to start my own. I've appreciated the wealth of knowledge I've gotten from this site, and hope to find a solution.

History: I found a oval P*star dish while hiking in the woods and decided to see what fta was about. I had to hack a mount off of a DN dish as the P*dish had none. Then I picked up a JSC322 Ku Lnb and picked up my first sat! Two weeks later I was mobile with a sg6000 and hitting ever sat I wanted, and pulling programming. Soon after programs started falling off; equity etc. So my next step was to go mini bud. I got a BSC421 (as I read that C/Ku lnbs suffer on the Ku side on mini buds). At first the BSC421 was on the side of my Ku, and I got a lock on a sat, but no channels. My next step was to shift priority to C-band and put Ku on the side. This brings me up to date.

On my Ku setup I figured I was 15º off center, so I reset my USALS for those sats. I find my Ku is down about 25-30Q points and it isn't following the arc I had set before. I fashioned a scalar ring out of aluminum flashing and as I pinched it into an oval (like the dish) the quality on one TP on one sat jumped from 55Q to 95Q! Excited, but could not reproduce those results anywhere else. My C-band, which is centered, doesn't follow the arc well either, but I do lock (no channels) on some. [BTW, Replacing the C for Ku lnb shows me my original arc is still on point.] I'm located at 90.6w so I aim my C at G17/91w. With some work I got 35-40Q on 3 TPs and 10Q on TP 3720. I've tried the BSC421 with the stock scalar ring and a conical ring, but use of these rings kill the signals for me. I'm thinking the feedhorn on it is too long for my dish.

Questions:

•Has anyone motorized a mini bud, or is that asking too much?

•Would I benefit by cutting back the feedhorn on my BSC421 to accommodate my small dish, or does that F* things up?

•Any thoughts on why my arc doesn't work with this new setup?

•Would an elliptical scalar rig work better with my P*dish?

•Is there a C/Ku LNB that works on a mini? (not the BSC621)

Thanks in advance for your help. I know that a bigger dish is the ultimate answer, but I want to get as much use as possible out of this setup.

 

[putney]

My attachments didn't make it. Try again

 

[Larobpra]

Interesting set-up. It almost looks to me like your c-band LNB is angled down too much (picture #4) and maybe not catching all the signal.

How's the homemade OTA antenna in the background work for you? I see 3 bays, are there more?

 

[turbosat]

You have some good skills at crafting, there! I suspect the c-band isn't in the right place also, but it may not be the best dish-shape to try C-band on. I can't recall a mini-bud with the 84e dish before, I think you would fare better with a 1m round or 1.2m. The elliptical dish I think has been used with multiple ku lnbs by others here.

 

[Anole]

opinion:

Questions:

•Has anyone motorized a mini bud, or is that asking too much?

•Would I benefit by cutting back the feedhorn on my BSC421 to accommodate my small dish, or does that F* things up?

•Any thoughts on why my arc doesn't work with this new setup?

•Would an elliptical scalar rig work better with my P*dish?

•Is there a C/Ku LNB that works on a mini? (not the BSC621)

Thanks in advance for your help. I know that a bigger dish is the ultimate answer, but I want to get as much use as possible out of this setup.

Here's an old discussion of mini-Budding on an 84e, by Iceberg.
I would call it more of a novelty than a blueprint for general use.
In other words, it worked a little bit, and everyone was amazed.
Beyond that, it's hard to call it useful.
But, he does list a few satellites he got.
The reason others aren't listed... well, you get the idea.

- Yes, people have motorized miniBUDs

- putting the LNBF at the correct focal point is the goal

- I don't think a conical scalar nor a flat are best. Your attempt at an elliptical one would be optimum.
But again, it's like optimizing a riding mower. You're still not gonna take it on the freeway! -

- There are enough troubles just getting C-band signals on a mini-BUD, expecting to overcome the difficulties of a combo C/Ku LNBF are pointless, so far as I have seen.

- Tracking the arc for one LNB should be no problem, if the LNBF is at the focus, and the dish/motor are adjusted properly.

- C-band will always be more forgiving than Ku for alignment.

 

[RtpiFan]

Sadoun sell's a bracket to adapt c/ku band for 90cm and up.
I think the bracket you are using part of problem with signal/quality you are having.
But nice setup regardless of results so far but try bring your c-band lnbf down little may help look like to high up.

 

[putney]

It almost looks to me like your c-band LNB is angled down too much (picture #4) and maybe not catching all the signal.

I saw others that used the stock scaler attached to the old P* mounting bracket with good results, but suggested it was too high. I pulled the old bracket off and used the sprinkler system hanger (upside down) to give me more flexibility of movement, but found the signal locked at about the same point. The angle to the dish was less forgiving and took a while to dial in.

(rain is keeping me inside today, I'll play on the roof tomorrow)

How's the homemade OTA antenna in the background work for you? I see 3 bays, are there more?

It's doing well. Yeas three. Most towers are directly south of me40 miles, but the terrain is hilly with me at the bottom of a hill, so two bring in the bulk. Then one tower is about 30º north of the others, so the third pulls that one, for a total of 7 stations. Two more still exist, one west, and one north, so some day a good omni will be bought.

 

[putney]

- Yes, people have motorized miniBUDs

- putting the LNBF at the correct focal point is the goal

- I don't think a conical scalar nor a flat are best. Your attempt at an elliptical one would be optimum.
But again, it's like optimizing a riding mower. You're still not gonna take it on the freeway! -

- There are enough troubles just getting C-band signals on a mini-BUD, expecting to overcome the difficulties of a combo C/Ku LNBF are pointless, so far as I have seen.

- Tracking the arc for one LNB should be no problem, if the LNBF is at the focus, and the dish/motor are adjusted properly.

- C-band will always be more forgiving than Ku for alignment.

Thanks for all of that. Yeah the combo was a stretch, but this is a new hobby for me and I take the 'worst scenario' approach to things. If i can get results with this then a better setup will be a breeze. .......and what's wrong with driving a mower on a freeway?

 

[putney]

Sadoun sell's a bracket to adapt c/ku band for 90cm and up.
I think the bracket you are using part of problem with signal/quality you are having.
But nice setup regardless of results so far but try bring your c-band lnbf down little may help look like to high up.

Can you explain what you think the problem is ? Both LNB have maximum flexibility for placement and hold rigid when tightened.

It seems to me that the focal point is near the end of the feedhorn. The LNB pickups (or whatever they are called) are about four inches back. If I push the LNB forward three inches I get the same(ish) signal but the LNB end is very close to the dish at that point. That's what got me thinking about cutting a little of of the feedhorn.

After asking about that I found a post where a guy cut 1/4" off of a 621-D on his 7.5 footer, and got a better signal. So maybe when I've exhausted all other options, I get to hackin'.

 

[putney]

After tweaking the scaler and LNB, I was able to hit C-band on 91w, 113w, 118.8, 123w, 127w, 127w. ( I dropped the LNB and angled it up higher on the dish as suggested) Some were just locks on empty TPs (118.8), but I peaked at 75Q on one TP on 91w. All in all successful at finding strong C-band signals, but it was all christian broadcasting, which is already abundant on Ku. My Ku on a 15º offset tracked the arc and locked on 85% of the signals I had when the LNB was centered, but the signals were down 30Q points.

I've abandoned the C project in order to reaquire a strong signal on Ku. Craigslist has a free 10' mesh. Waiting for a reply, but I don't think I can put it up without violating local ordinances.

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[Anole]

reality acquired:

After tweaking the scaler and LNB, I was able to hit C-band on 91w, 113w, 118.8, 123w, 127w, 127w.

Good work! - :up

All in all successful at finding strong C-band signals, but it was all christian broadcasting, which is already abundant on Ku.

My Ku on a 15º offset tracked the arc and locked on 85% of the signals I had when the LNB was centered, but the signals were down 30Q points.

Guys here will spend money and stay up late at night for 5 Q points! -

Craigslist has a free 10' mesh.

Now yer talkin'! -
Though, I'm sure you can find some nice 8' dishes out there, too!

Waiting for a reply, but I don't think I can put it up without violating local ordinances.

What is it the guys here say?
"Better to ask forgiveness, than to ask permission"
Oh, maybe that only works on wives...

 

[1ADAM12]

Guy on the UK site posted this same P*e using an elliptical Scalar he made motorized with HH90. He posted pics. from 123, 99, 58 and 3c.

 

[1ADAM12]

I just noticed that your lnbf should be skewed 90 degrees counterclockwise. Typical of BSC421 on small dish.

 

[putney]

I wondered that myself, but others online had theirs posted with zero up. I had no problem pulling horizontal or vertical this way.

 

[1ADAM12]

I pulled this from another site.

Also noted that conical Scalar on P*e would yield performance of 70 cm offset.