Picking up some Sky Angel channels with a FTA dish

[Mr Tony]

Iceberg!!!

Can you get AMC4 Ku-Band at 101W and IA5 at 97W using just one LNBF? I have a 1.8m Channel Master dish. I also have an Invacom 0.3dB LNBF as well as a 0.6dB LNBF. It is possible to get signal from both satellite using just one LNBF and my 180cm dish?

AMC 4 Elevation is 42 and Azimuth is 255 and IA5 is 46 Elevation and 252 Azimuth. I am getting AMC 4 at 93/96 signal and 90 ~ 100 quality on most of the channels like 3ABN, Hope, FOX.

nope. The eye only sees one satellite.

If you're aimed at AMC4 you can put a 2nd LNB to the left (if standing in front of the dish) and connect with a hose clamp for IA5. The closest you can get with 2 LNB's is 4 degrees which works fine.

I've done this many times (2 LNB's on one dish) with no issues

 

[Mr Tony]

That will be great. Can this work on all dish or only the dish that they sell? Then I can have all the channels on AMC4 and Tel Star 5 (IA5).

any dish will work.

The signals on AMC4 (3ABN) are REALLY strong so you have a little leeway with 2 LNB's.

 

[Mr Tony]

I'll post tonight how to do it with a single dish and 2 LNB's (so you dont have to buy a SC dish)

 

[cablewithaview]

if you really want to get into FTA, check out some of this.
source: http://www.global-cm.net/

 

[greggor48]

How far and how higher will I have to put a second LNBF to receive 110 if my main LNBF is on 101?

 

[Mr Tony]

How far and how higher will I have to put a second LNBF to receive 110 if my main LNBF is on 101?

I think you mean 97. The religious channels are on 97 & 101 and it really depends on where you are located in the US

 

[Mr Tony]

Here was my old "5LNB on one dish" setup a while back

 

[greggor48]

Should I put the center LNBF on IA5 and use the other LNBF to pick up AMC4 being that AMC4 signal is quite strong? If so, how to put the LNBF?

 

[Mr Tony]

yes

I posted it in the other thread but here it is again

Depends on a few factors
-what LNB is aimed straight down the arm
-where you are located

If you aim at IA5 (97W) which is recommended, then the LNB for 101 (AMC4) would be to the left (if standing behind the dish) of the other

As to aim, it depends on where you live. In MN the elevation is only off by a fraction of a degree (they look almost level) but if you are on one of the coasts, it will be off by a little more. If you are in the Midwest part of the US (ND, SD, MN and draw a line straight south) they look almost even

When using multiple LNB’s (separated) its easier to aim for one and then add the 2nd LNB. When I used the SC dish, I had some fine tuning to do

 

[greggor48]

Iceberg I am in the Caribbean (St. Vincent and the Grenadines). latitude 13.15N and longitude 61.12W. My elevation for AMC4 is 42 and 255 Azimuth (compas angle). For IA5 it is 46 Elevation and Azimuth is 253.

 

[Mr Tony]

so you're as far away from an Iceberg (or snow for that matter) as you can be

Aim for IA5 (46 elev) and get that tuned in. Your skew is +68 (eek!) so you turn the LNB countercloickwise (if you're in front of the dish) so the bottom coax plug looks like its at about 4:00

For AMC4, since its at 42 degrees, set it right next to the existing LNB to the right (again, if in front of the dish...the "eyes" should line up) and S L O W L Y drop the LNB down a little bit. 4 degrees isnt much (maybe 1/2" lower than the LNB at 97). Since 3ABN is (no pun intended) ungodly strong (i can get it with an 18" dish with decent results) it should come in with good results.

I say aim at 97 with the 1st LNB because those signals fluxuate greatly

Here is some info on aiming
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/Satellite-Heading-Calculator.htm

 

[greggor48]

I am using a 180cm channel master antenna. I have a 0.3db Universal Invacom LNBF I guess I can use that for IA5 and the 0.6dB Manhattan LNBF for AMC4. with the 0.6dB I get AMC 4 3ABN and hope at 94 ~ 100% quality and signal is around 90 ~ 96%.

 

[Mr Tony]

The 0.6 will work just fine for Hope & 3ABN

Like I say, I used a dish 1/2 the size of the "standard" KU band (30" is standard) and was able to get a pretty good signal with a 18" dish

The kew is SKEW...If the LNB isnt skewed right, it won't work

 

[greggor48]

On my Manhattan Skyline FTA Receiver I see in the skew it have -45 for Horizontal TP and +45 for Vertical. I purchase a Pansat 2700A and it have +45 for Horizontal and -45 for Vertical for the Sket in the setup.

Does this really matter?

 

[Mr Tony]

in the receiver, no. that is used for a polorotor (the old C-Band setups were different). i have a Pansat 2100 that has that too

You need to physically skew the LNB. Sky Angel (Dish) uses circular polarities so regardless fo how the LNB was skewed (turned clockwise or counterclockwise) it still worked

Linear (IA5 & AMC4) you have to skew the LNB or the picture wont be good. As an example, for IA6 at 93W(my true south) skew is 0. The LNB connector is stright up and down. But for Galaxy 10 (123W) the LNB end looks like its at 4:00. if I put it to 0, I get almost no quality (like 5-10)

 

[Gary Z]

You need to physically skew the LNB.

So If you have 2 LNB's one for AMC4 and the other for IA5 on the same dish each LNB would have to be skewed individually?

I know this is a dumb question, but how are both signals from the LNB's combined to go to one receiver.

 

[Mr Tony]

Yes they have to be skewed individually but after you skew the main LNB (IA5) the 2nd one rests right next to it so you really don’t need to do anything extra with the skew

You combine them with a Diseqc switch
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/DiSEqC/SDS41C.htm

It allows up to 4 LNB’s to be hooked to one receiver. In the receiver setup, you tell it which port (1,2,3,4) to use and the receiver automatically goes to that port when you change channels.

Gary...there isnt any dumb questions (I think that question has been asked at least twice a week in the free to air area)

Gary where you located (just so I know how much skew is needed for the 2 LNB's)

 

[Gary Z]

)

Gary where you located (just so I know how much skew is needed for the 2 LNB's)

Seguin Texas 78155

latitude 29.5639
longitude -97.9689

 

[Mr Tony]

oh your lucky

The LNB's pretty much are aimed straight up and down (IA5 is your true south satellite) so skew isnt needed for your setup

(In Mpls, we're at 93.5W so the skew for me is like +6..not much)

 

[Gary Z]

oh your lucky

The LNB's pretty much are aimed straight up and down (IA5 is your true south satellite) so skew isnt needed for your setup

(In Mpls, we're at 93.5W so the skew for me is like +6..not much)

Thanks for your help Iceberg..... I almost have my wife convinced to let me go ahead and get this all set up!