Need Small C-Band Dish Info

[LoTech]

With the news that Equity is selling off many of its stations on G-18 I've been toying with the idea of a small C-Band dish.

I know that to get good reception on C-Band you need about a 6-foot dish, but installing a big dish really isn't an option right now. Has anyone had any luck with a 1 meter or 1.2 meter dish on C-Band? Lyngsat Maps show many C-Band satellite signals that it says can be picked up with a 90 to 115 cm dish.

If anyone has tried this or has any info on any network tv (ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, etc...) that can be picked up with this type of dish, please respond.

 

[Mr Tony]

I really hate to use this line but a search can give you a bunch of info

search mini-bud

There are a few folks who have a 1.2m dish and can get some of the strong C-Band stuff...
Here is a post just recently
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/171227-bsc621-ku-band-problems-solved.html

I haven't had time to try out the 1.2m dish I got (damn weather)...hopefully this week

 

[Anole]

to each his own:

I don't suggest you actually read these threads... just scroll through them and look at the pictures.
Then, in Linuxman's thread, go near the end where he lists birds and transponders he got on a 1 meter Primestar.

Based on what I've read, a 1.2m dish is on the edge of being useful (depends on your definition)
... but a 1.0 meter dish is more in the toy range.
So, if you want to actually do it and expect performance, find a 1.2m dish, LNBF and a conical scalar. (probably the Standard model)
Any less is fun, but seems frustrating... if your goal is more than braggin' rights.

Hey, I got nothing against experimenting. Here's my test on a 36" dish.
But I sobered up and snagged two real BUDs, (see signature) and don't plan on fiddling with 6', 4', or 3' dishes any more.


Satcom1 on C-band with 84e dish
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...9-primestar-84e-bsc621-2-lnbf-experiment.html

Linuxman on C-band with 1m round Primestar
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...-one-meter-primestar-mini-bud-experiment.html

 

[qwert1515]

If anyone has tried this or has any info on any network tv (ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, etc...) that can be picked up with this type of dish, please respond.

I can pick up the SD network channels on 99° C-Band with my 1.2 Meter dish, however I do prefer my local channels in HD with an OTA antenna.

 

[Mr Tony]

qwert
what kind of signal quality do you get on those?

 

[qwert1515]

I am getting a 20 - 22% Quality on my Pansat 3500 with my C-Band LNB on the side of the Ku band LNB. If the LNB is in the center (correct place) it is quite a bit stronger. I can pick up the nets with as low as 15% quality if I move the dish away from the satellite.

 

[Mr Tony]

good to know.

 

[pendragon]

Lyngsat Maps show many C-Band satellite signals that it says can be picked up with a 90 to 115 cm dish.

The Lyngsat recommendations need to be taken with a grain of salt; they are pretty much the best possible case. It appears the only criteria considered is received power. They don't factor the additional SNR needed for high SR signals and DVB-S2, nor do they consider the problems of interference from adjacent orbital positions (small antennas have wider beamwidths). A 6' dish doesn't completely solve these problems, but it performs noticeably better.

Remember that an offset antenna is slightly larger in the vertical dimension than the "effective" diameter indicates. My 1.2 m is about 54" tall and 48" wide. My 1.8 m (6') is a bit under 72" in diameter if memory serves. Put next to each other, the size difference doesn't seem as dramatic as the performance actually is.

 

[AcWxRadar]

I loaned my brother my 1.0 M (offset) Winegard dish to experiment with C-Band. He made his own conical scalar ring, but eventually purchased a manufactured one. He is getting quite a few C-Band channels, however, there is a problem with this when using a motorized system.

He informs me that it is so damned picky with the alignment that you nearly have to re-aim the dish everytime as you move from sat to sat.

He was playing with this project again over the weekend last (4/17 - 4/19) but it was poor weather on Saturday so I don't know what all he accomplished further than that. He asked me to come over and assist him, but I was involved in the Fortec Dynamic testing at that time so I missed out on anything new he might have determined.

Look for some posts from Walrus1957. He may have mentioned it here.

RADAR

 

[Babadem]

I loaned my brother my 1.0 M (offset) Winegard dish to experiment with C-Band. He made his own conical scalar ring, but eventually purchased a manufactured one. He is getting quite a few C-Band channels, however, there is a problem with this when using a motorized system.

He informs me that it is so damned picky with the alignment that you nearly have to re-aim the dish everytime as you move from sat to sat.

He was playing with this project again over the weekend last (4/17 - 4/19) but it was poor weather on Saturday so I don't know what all he accomplished further than that. He asked me to come over and assist him, but I was involved in the Fortec Dynamic testing at that time so I missed out on anything new he might have determined.

Look for some posts from Walrus1957. He may have mentioned it here.

RADAR

RADAR, don't you own a 1.2m dish on a C-band motorized? Is this tracking problem only with 1.0m dishes? Anybody on 1.2m dish experiencing the same issues as RADAR's brother? BTW, what kind of motor is your brother using?

 

[brentb636]

I've got a newly setup mini-bud on a 1.2m, and tracking does not seem to be a problem ( DG380) .
I get the more powerful channels on
AMC1
AMC11
Galaxy 23
Galaxy 17
Galaxy 16
and 127 W C-band .
Not a lot of room for heavy weather reception, but the baseball feeds that I look for, are some of the strongest stuff out there.

 

[TRG]

the baseball feeds that I look for, are some of the strongest stuff out there.

Are the baseball feeds mainly in HD these days?

 

[bruin95]

Are the baseball feeds mainly in HD these days?

Yes.

 

[AcWxRadar]

RADAR, don't you own a 1.2m dish on a C-band motorized? Is this tracking problem only with 1.0m dishes? Anybody on 1.2m dish experiencing the same issues as RADAR's brother? BTW, what kind of motor is your brother using?

Babadem,

My brother is using my 1.0 meter Winegard and his SG2100 motor. I don't have any larger dish than the 1.0 Meter (YET).

They spoke of this on the FTA SHOW on Access America (97.0W) a few weeks back. When you install the conical scalar ring, that brings in the C-Band channels, but it is really picky with the alignment of the dish, so any small error just kills the signal.

I believe that if we did have a 1.2M dish, this would be less of a concern.

RADAR

 

[scottc98]

I can pick up the SD network channels on 99° C-Band with my 1.2 Meter dish, however I do prefer my local channels in HD with an OTA antenna.

Q is about 60 with my B1stacked and conical ring dead center on this mux

 

[scottc98]

RADAR, don't you own a 1.2m dish on a C-band motorized? Is this tracking problem only with 1.0m dishes? Anybody on 1.2m dish experiencing the same issues as RADAR's brother? BTW, what kind of motor is your brother using?

you don't usually need to realign, but there are some tps that come in better a little left or right than others on some sats. They aleays say that Cband is not affected as KU. On a large dish, that may be true. On a 1.2m, wind/rain/snow can affect the signal enough to drop picture (especially if you are fringe to begin with)

Some feeds on G17 I have to nudge a little with the motor to lock in. Its no biggie though