PBS Fixed dish LNB questions

[ftageekyyc]

I'm planning to put up a fixed dish for the 125W PBS channels, and I intend to park the dish on the downwind side of my chimney then hopefully ignore it for years to come.

I want to use an old StarChoice 33 by 30 inch oval dish that currently has a Cal Amp 150284 0.75 dB single output LNB on it. The dish came with the property when I bought it and the LNB worked for my subscription channels from Anik F1 when I replaced the dish with an elliptical.

It would be nice to have dual outputs from this dish but not essential as I will have other sources available if we really want to view something from 125 on more than one receiver at the same time.

I also have a Cal Amp 150478 0.8 dB old pop can style stacked LNB that StarChoice used back in the day.

Possibles...

1) Stay with the original LNB cuz ain't broke don't fix?
2) Throw on the stacked cuz might be able to configure later to run to a second receiver?
3) Or, throw a newer GeoSat single or double on there to start cuz the other ones are old and I might want/need a little better quality signal at my more 51 degrees N latitude location?

Any thoughts and suggestions for the Pros and Cons would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[cyberham]

I will monitor replies to you since this week I too have been trying to aim a fixed dish at 125W for PBS. I can't find that satellite! It's at 11 degrees elevation and about 40 degrees skew for me which probably increases the challenge. I'm using your item 3): Geosatpro SL2 bullet.

 

[jugghedd]

Im watching PBS using an SL2 bullet currently. I had some issues finding the sat until I started parking my dish, blind scanning, and moving in small increments (with motor) and blind scanning every couple of clicks. Even after finding it, tuning the signal better, I have a very hard time getting the meter to show anything. Even on high sensitivity. I'm sure this method could be a real pain with a stationary mount. But, consider that you could have a weak signal and decent quality. Makes a sat hard to find and even more worth the effort. Also makes me glad I spent the money and got a simple motor setup. Just be careful. Its been like an addiction for me already. More toys. more toys!

 

[Tron]

I have a repurposed Dish Network Superdish FSS stacked LNB bolted to the feedhorn of my Channel Master 1 meter dish for 125W, works wonderfully...

 

[wildbill47]

You need receiver capable of Mpeg4 h264 as most channels are this format on PBS. The trick is finding the bird as there neighbors are DBS high power on KU band. We find PBS net and back haul feeds really useful. OETA Oklahoma PBS is really good and hooked on Dr Martin on Thursday night and the movie club. My FTA receiver of choice is Openbox X5 and use it for C and KU bands. This receiver is less then $100 and really runs cool. I use a old prime star dish 36" and just works.

 

[ftageekyyc]

Thanks everyone,

I have two boxes that should be able to get the PBS HD channels, a Coolsat 8100 where I've seen varying reports of success with DVD-S2, and a Micro HD which should not have any problems.

I've previously made a couple of quick and dirty attempts to hit the bird from different locations (ShawDirect 60e with quad LNB in Calgary/StarChoice 30 inch round with CalAmp 150284 from Edmonton area), so the comments about finding the dish help. The light bulb has finally gone off that one of the issues is all the other birds so close together up there.

I think I will try again under optimum conditions in what I plan to be the permanent location when I have a new LNB and a meter.

 

[KE4EST]

With your location you might be better off going for a 1.2 meter Dish. At least go with a full meter. You will have a rough time with a smaller dish. Also you may not get oeta or montana at all..

 

[ftageekyyc]

Thanks ke4est,

That helps me change my priorities and dish plan.

I've also got a Fortec 1.2m with QPH-031 and a SG2100 I'm going to plant on a pole in the yard once the ground thaws.

I'll see what success I have with 125W on that dish first, then maybe the StarChoice 30 inch becomes a fixed multi-lnb 97, 103, etc...

 

[jugghedd]

I hope Im not adding too much here. But, that idea about using stronger signals is a good idea. What I did on a few was to tuned to a strong paid service by mistake, ran the motor away from it until signal dropped below like 30 percent. So, the meter still had a reading from the paid satellite which means the weaker one next to it NEVER would have popped on my "radar". I basically kept blind scanning as I moved away from the stronger signal and BINGO. So, in that scenario, no legible signal increase at all can have active sats.

 

[KE4EST]

Yes that is what I would do given the resources you said. One thing though. I would go with a bigger motor those 2100s are not designed to handle that size dish. They have a hard enough time moving a 90cm dish that they were intended for.

 

[Mr Tony]

if you wanted to use the Starchoice LNB go with the flashlight (popcan) one....its stacked so you can just add a satellite splitter to it and use more than one receiver

 

[schlever]

I get everything just fine on my motorized 36" here in Regina, so you should have no problem with a 1.2m.

 

[ftageekyyc]

Yes that is what I would do given the resources you said. One thing though. I would go with a bigger motor those 2100s are not designed to handle that size dish. They have a hard enough time moving a 90cm dish that they were intended for.

Mental math breakdown on my part, the dish is a 39 inch. I picked up the dish, mount with braces, LNB, motor and a Chieta switch used for 100.00 CDN so if I have to replace the motor I could live with it. Another good reason to leave it easily accesible from the ground.

 

[ftageekyyc]

if you wanted to use the Starchoice LNB go with the flashlight (popcan) one....its stacked so you can just add a satellite splitter to it and use more than one receiver

The stacked LNB was one of the reasons I started thinking about putting up a fixed dish for PBS. I'm still trying to wrap my head around switching multiple LNB, dishes and receivers. Anole's examples are a lot of help.

Maybe I'll end up with more than one fixed dish up on the chimney. The wife is short, she'll never see them...

The key is keeping what she can see from the dining room window down to a minimum. Since I seem to have executive approval for a BUD, and a motorized Ku, I don't want to push my luck.

 

[ftageekyyc]

I'm bumping this because I have now managed to acquire a variety of dish size options.

I now have both a 1 metre, and a 1.2 metre ChannelMaster fibreglass dish I am willing to dedicate for PBS on 125W from my 53 degrees N latitude. At the moment this is the only sat I can see myself dedicating to a fixed dish.

I was thinking I would start by trying one of the smaller dishes I have then work up to see how well I can tune things in, but FaT Air suggested I test a few sats with the 1.2 then work down from there in size so I have an idea of performance at my location.

Both of the CM dishes have a 40mm throat adapter, so I could test with my existing StarChoice LNBs, or order something new.

For the purposes of initial evaluation is it safe to assume that the size of the dish will be more important than what I might gain by trying a newer LNB with a better noise figure?

 

[Anole]

Lot of choices

Well, just for conversation, it's best to optimize everything.
If that works well, you can scale back, keeping reliable reception.
Remember to factor in a little extra for those rain-days.

The 1.2 meter CM dish is your best.

The original feedhorn it came with is probably your best.

I would prefer to use the SatAV PLL Standard LNBF, but that conflicts with several of your desires.

Tron suggested the bandstacked LNB from a SuperDish.
I like that.

You have some SC bandstacked LNBs?
If it'll bolt on, I'd try that.

Im currently stalled on a project to convert PLL LNBFs to LNBs.
Single output, and dual output.
Should be exceptional.

You might also go with a stock single- or dual- output PLL LNBF.
Just go with the built in feedhorn.
Again, that's easy to test.

Fortec 1.2m with QPH-031 and a SG2100

I hope you have abandoned that plan.
Nothing in that soup I can recommend.

 

[ftageekyyc]

I've floated a few balloons in the last couple of months, so I'm not sure which one I should associate with this statement.

"I would prefer to use the SatAV PLL Standard LNBF, but that conflicts with several of your desires."

 

[primestar31]

I've floated a few balloons in the last couple of months, so I'm not sure which one I should associate with this statement.

"I would prefer to use the SatAV PLL Standard LNBF, but that conflicts with several of your desires."

He means that the SatAV pll lnb can't be bolted to the flange that the OP has already on his dish. He'd have to remove all that, and mount the PLL lnb special.

 

[Anole]

.. And, only a single output (receiver).

But if you have one, it's well worth testing.

 

[ftageekyyc]

Where's the light bulb symbol on this forum?