One or Two Dish Antenna Avoid Rain Fade with HD?

[bradesp]

Guys,

In Raleigh, NC and looking to finally upgrade to HD with Locals. If I want to maximize signal strength to avoid Rain Fade would it be worth the hassle to use two Dish Reflector / Dishes vs one single Dish 1000?

Thanks!

bradesp

 

[oljim]

The Raleigh HD locals are on 118 so you will not use a dish 1000, you need a 500+ with one at 61.5 or a dish 1000+.
I would go with a 500+ and second dish at 61.5

 

[Tom Bombadil]

And if you wish to minimize rain fade from 61.5, use a D500 with an I-adapter to hit it.

 

[whatchel1]

I adapter

And if you wish to minimize rain fade from 61.5, use a D500 with an I-adapter to hit it.

Do you have the size of the I-adpater ? I would like to know if it fully illuminated a D500. If it does I may purchase a couple for my wing dishes. That way I could have the 20" instead of just picking up 18 of the dish.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Don't have any specs on it, but you can see one at The Dishstore:

http://www.dishstore.net/product_info.php?cPath=65&products_id=146

 

[whatchel1]

Already looked

Don't have any specs on it, but you can see one at The Dishstore:

http://www.dishstore.net/product_info.php?cPath=65&products_id=146

I have already looked at it thanks. But so far no one has been able to give the length of the item. For it to increase the gain of the LNB by seeing more of the dish it would need to be longer than the Y yoke. If anyone has the measurement of the length please let me know.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I thought it helped the gain a bit by being centered in the dish rather than using one of the offset positions. People have reported getting a few extra points on their signal using it as compared to using one of the slots out of the standard dual LNB mount. I've never tested it myself.

If the standard D500 with dual LNBs is such that only around 90%-95% of the LNB's circle of coverage hits the dish, then centering it would enable it to hit 100% of its coverage. Dish could have designed the D500 to be as small as they could make it and still work sufficiently. So it might not be perfectly aligned for maximum signal from both LNBs.

 

[whatchel1]

distance

I thought it helped the gain a bit by being centered in the dish rather than using one of the offset positions. People have reported getting a few extra points on their signal using it as compared to using one of the slots out of the standard dual LNB mount. I've never tested it myself.

If the standard D500 with dual LNBs is such that only around 90%-95% of the LNB's circle of coverage hits the dish, then centering it would enable it to hit 100% of its coverage. Dish could have designed the D500 to be as small as they could make it and still work sufficiently. So it might not be perfectly aligned for maximum signal from both LNBs.

The distance of the feeds in a y yoke would have to be closer and slightly angled to get the best signal for them they would most likely get the same signal strength as a Dish 300. For an I adapter to work it would have to be a little further out from the dish to get the whole of the dish illuminated. It would then be a 20 " rather than an 18" dish. The gain of a 20" dish over the 18 " would be about 12% higher if done correctly.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

The proof is actually in the pudding. Those who have used I-adapters have claimed to get stronger signals. If true, then that is all that matters.

But in looking at the pics, it doesn't look like the distance is any greater at all. If anything, it looks a little shorter, using the width of the adapter as a reference point.