I made a conical feedhorn out of a cereal bowl that costs $1 at the dollar store. It actually improved the signal using my 1.2m dish. I had wanted to post how I made it as well as pictures and signal improvements, but I just haven't had the time.
One Meter Primestar Mini-Bud Experiment
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Hey Sat Phreak and Popcorn,
I appreciate both of your efforts in trying to get me fitted for a conical scaler. I think it can be achieved, but I am just not ready to tackle that part of it yet.
I did however put a new flat scaler on today and have it rock solid on the support arms. It will now hold any feed-horn I choose to put on it.
I still have to fine-tune the dish with this new scaler, but expect to see any improvement over what I had except that now it won't wiggle.
As you look at the pictures below, see how the bottom support arm is against the wave-guide as it now stands. The focal length is correct as I measured it, but I can't move it forward any further without digging into the wave guide.
I don't know if I could get a conical scaler to fit in the space I have.
Take a look:
I appreciate both of your efforts in trying to get me fitted for a conical scaler. I think it can be achieved, but I am just not ready to tackle that part of it yet.
I did however put a new flat scaler on today and have it rock solid on the support arms. It will now hold any feed-horn I choose to put on it.
I still have to fine-tune the dish with this new scaler, but expect to see any improvement over what I had except that now it won't wiggle.
As you look at the pictures below, see how the bottom support arm is against the wave-guide as it now stands. The focal length is correct as I measured it, but I can't move it forward any further without digging into the wave guide.
I don't know if I could get a conical scaler to fit in the space I have.
Take a look:
Hey Qwert,
Now that's something I could try.
I see also that you don't have the wave-guide flush with the far inside of the scaler either. How does that work out for you?
When I do the fine tuning, I will see where the best signal is. If I could move my scaler out even half an inch which would put the wave-guide flush with the rings on the flat scaler, I would have more room to breathe within the support arms.
I'll just have to see where the signal takes me.
Using the half funnel I get the best signal with the wave-guide and the front of the scaler ring at the same location. (Like in the picture)
Without the half funnel I get the best reception with the wave guide about half a centimeter behind the front of the scaler ring.
I have tried the "wave-guide flush with the far inside of the scaler" but it has never given me the best signal.
Thanks for the information!
Looks like I will have to do some more experimenting and try and make a conical scaler of some kind.
Could you cut the ends off of Pop / Soup cans, cut length wise, unroll a little and strap to a flat Scalar ring. To extend the existing rings to form a Conical shape.
That was a suggestion that I got from another member in a PM, and I may look into that too.
All good suggestions, just need some time to formulate it in my head.
Look how long it took me to come up with the holders.
EDIT: BTW, we had a pouring rain storm here a bit ago, and it looks like C-Band on the little dish survives better than Ku does. A little pixelation on the weak transponders, but picture never went out. On the stronger transponders, didn't even flinch.
A friend offered me his father's BUD but I don't have any room for it. He said I could get his Pansat 2500a and my old analog reciever (Star Trak 8000 I think) that I gave him about 7 years ago. Maybe I will ask for the feedhorn, lnb and possibly the acuater jack since he is going to scrap the entire dish.
It has a corotor C band lnb but I'm not sure if has a KU lnb or not. Both the analog reciever and the 2500a have skew control anyway, so it would'nt be a problem to go to either polarity.
I already said I would take the recievers, but told him that I don't have room for the dish. I need to live in the country again.
It has a corotor C band lnb but I'm not sure if has a KU lnb or not. Both the analog reciever and the 2500a have skew control anyway, so it would'nt be a problem to go to either polarity.
I already said I would take the recievers, but told him that I don't have room for the dish. I need to live in the country again.
A friend offered me his father's BUD but I don't have any room for it. He said I could get his Pansat 2500a and my old analog reciever (Star Trak 8000 I think) that I gave him about 7 years ago. Maybe I will ask for the feedhorn, lnb and possibly the acuater jack since he is going to scrap the entire dish.
It has a corotor C band lnb but I'm not sure if has a KU lnb or not. Both the analog reciever and the 2500a have skew control anyway, so it would'nt be a problem to go to either polarity.
I already said I would take the recievers, but told him that I don't have room for the dish. I need to live in the country again.
Go for it!!
I'd love to see your success.
LinuxMan, C-band isn't affected by rain. It has to do with the physicis of of the wavelength. I remeber when I had C band and a sub to EVU the Ku would go out but the C band would always work.
Mind you if it was in really heavy snow storm the C band would go out till I swept off the dish. That was the main resion that I stopped subbing to EVU and continued subbing to C band.
Until my BUD died, that was.
But that's when I had a choice of a BUD unlike now.
Mind you if it was in really heavy snow storm the C band would go out till I swept off the dish. That was the main resion that I stopped subbing to EVU and continued subbing to C band.
Until my BUD died, that was.
But that's when I had a choice of a BUD unlike now.
LinuxMan, C-band isn't affected by rain. It has to do with the physicis of of the wavelength. I remeber when I had C band and a sub to EVU the Ku would go out but the C band would always work.
Mind you if it was in really heavy snow storm the C band would go out till I swept off the dish. That was the main resion that I stopped subbing to EVU and continued subbing to C band.
Until my BUD died, that was.
Oh I know that C-Band on a BUD never goes out. I have had several inches of snow and ice on my BUDs and have never lost signal, but I was concerned that the lack of surface might affect it. Apparently not!
You need to make clamps to hold the scalar ring with like Caddata and I did. They work great and are easy to make. I will try to find the link.
Hi Popcorn,
I like Caddata's and your clamps, and I see they could be made pretty easily if I had the right tools, and a bit that size to drill the big holes.
I stopped by Lowe's today and got some hangers that I think will work just as well without too much fabricating.
It is supposed to clear up and quit raining sometime tonight and be clear and cool all weekend. Maybe I can make a little more progress.
Ok, I have some questions for clarification and a picture with a question in it.
My longitude is 90.747 and latitude is 38.931, and most calculators agree that my elevation should be 39.6 degrees and 5.4 degrees declination rounded off for a total elevaton of 45 degrees. (44.9 specifically)
I now have my motor set using the latitude scale on the side of the motor at 39.
When trying to add up the degrees of off-set for the dish downward tilt from 45 degrees you have 22.6 degrees off-set automatically as per factory specs.
Do you also figure in the 5.4 degrees for declination in the downward tilt?
If so, that is 22.6 plus 5.4 = 28 degrees of downward tilt from 45.
45 degrees minus 28 degrees should leave the dish face angle at approx. 17 degrees measuring with a digital zeroed out at 90 degrees. Is this correct.
The reason for going through this extra question and answer is that the CK-1 does not set precisely where the OEM LNBF used to set. I didn't measure the face of the dish with the OEM LNBF when I had it on with the motor set correctly at 39, but I remember measuring it once when I was doing all the motor up and downs and the dish measured 20 degrees on the face with best signal.
In the question above about figuring in the declination for downward tilt, if you don't use the declination figure, the face of the dish should read somewhere around 22.3 degrees and adding the 22.6 factory offset would give the 49.9 desired setting. Is that correct?
I also have a question about movement of the LNBF and movement of the dish to make the correction.
I have a picture with lines drawn with current readings and proposed movement of the LNBF. The blue line indicates the 45 degrees of elevation to receive signal from 91W, my True South satellite. The white line running through the CK-1 hits the dish and receives signal from the blue line and is where I am currently getting good signal. The green line represents a proposed movement of the LNBF upwards if the dish should be somewhere other than the current face degree reading of 18 degrees.
Which way do you tilt the dish after moving the LNBF upward/counter-clockwise or downward/clockwise?
While we are at it, if you moved the LNBF downwaard, which way would you tilt the dish after moving the LNBF downward, downward/clockwise or upward/counter-clockwise?
Here's the picture:
EDIT: Uploaded the wrong picture the first time.
Sorry for being so dense!
My longitude is 90.747 and latitude is 38.931, and most calculators agree that my elevation should be 39.6 degrees and 5.4 degrees declination rounded off for a total elevaton of 45 degrees. (44.9 specifically)
I now have my motor set using the latitude scale on the side of the motor at 39.
When trying to add up the degrees of off-set for the dish downward tilt from 45 degrees you have 22.6 degrees off-set automatically as per factory specs.
Do you also figure in the 5.4 degrees for declination in the downward tilt?
If so, that is 22.6 plus 5.4 = 28 degrees of downward tilt from 45.
45 degrees minus 28 degrees should leave the dish face angle at approx. 17 degrees measuring with a digital zeroed out at 90 degrees. Is this correct.
The reason for going through this extra question and answer is that the CK-1 does not set precisely where the OEM LNBF used to set. I didn't measure the face of the dish with the OEM LNBF when I had it on with the motor set correctly at 39, but I remember measuring it once when I was doing all the motor up and downs and the dish measured 20 degrees on the face with best signal.
In the question above about figuring in the declination for downward tilt, if you don't use the declination figure, the face of the dish should read somewhere around 22.3 degrees and adding the 22.6 factory offset would give the 49.9 desired setting. Is that correct?
I also have a question about movement of the LNBF and movement of the dish to make the correction.
I have a picture with lines drawn with current readings and proposed movement of the LNBF. The blue line indicates the 45 degrees of elevation to receive signal from 91W, my True South satellite. The white line running through the CK-1 hits the dish and receives signal from the blue line and is where I am currently getting good signal. The green line represents a proposed movement of the LNBF upwards if the dish should be somewhere other than the current face degree reading of 18 degrees.
Which way do you tilt the dish after moving the LNBF upward/counter-clockwise or downward/clockwise?
While we are at it, if you moved the LNBF downwaard, which way would you tilt the dish after moving the LNBF downward, downward/clockwise or upward/counter-clockwise?
Here's the picture:
EDIT: Uploaded the wrong picture the first time.
Sorry for being so dense!
This is how I used the cereal bowl.
Go to the Dollar Tree store and buy a plastic cereal bowl for $1. They sell them in Hot Wheels and Barbie styles which are the perfect size for a C band cone. I bought the Barbie bowl (my daughter laughed) and cut the bottom out the exact size of the feedhorn. I then covered with foil and placed onto the feedhorn. I got good results, but didn't write down any signal measurements. I hope to get time soon to write down before and after signal strength results and how well it reduced reflections from adjacent satellites.
Hi Popcorn,
I like Caddata's and your clamps, and I see they could be made pretty easily if I had the right tools, and a bit that size to drill the big holes.
I stopped by Lowe's today and got some hangers that I think will work just as well without too much fabricating.
It is supposed to clear up and quit raining sometime tonight and be clear and cool all weekend. Maybe I can make a little more progress.
I gave Caddata's drawing to our shop guy at work and had him make me the clamps in exchange for a free lunch.
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