Primestar dish, which LNB is best?

[Anole]

Yes I have all original equipment, it used to work on, well I can't remember which sat it was, there where a lot of RetroTV channels on it, anyway it worked great, but now I can't even get it to show signal, or quality readings at all, that is why I am assuming it is the LNB, I have adjusted the up down, and side to side, I can't get anything...

Edited to add, the LNB twists freely on the holder, like there is no resistance, don't know if that means anything or not.

The LNB should not twist freely.
I will go out on a limb here and say that is the problem.
I don't have any which are operational (yet), so could someone tell the OP how to orient the LNB correctly?

 

[Pixl]

I will go out on a limb here

Looks like you already are out on a limb! ha

 

[turbosat]

If he has the original round lnbf from the dish, sounds like the little screws/bolts that are used to adjust the skew have been left loose.
Some had screw-heads and I think others just had a tiny hex-head bolt that takes a very small wrench. Loosen those 3 or 4 bolts a little and you can twist to adjust skew. Mine all have a scale on the feedhorn body and theres a tiny mark to match up with on the lnbf-top to set skew angle.

 

[TMair]

If he has the original round lnbf from the dish, sounds like the little screws/bolts that are used to adjust the skew have been left loose.
Some had screw-heads and I think others just had a tiny hex-head bolt that takes a very small wrench. Loosen those 3 or 4 bolts a little and you can twist to adjust skew. Mine all have a scale on the feedhorn body and theres a tiny mark to match up with on the lnbf-top to set skew angle.

Ok the LNBF is not round, but I am sure it is the original, I have seen a cuple that look like it, it is flat, kind of like a sardine can, but larger, it mounts to the feed horn on one of the flat sides, then it has the leeds that you hook the cable to on the bottom, one for H and one for V, it does have the little scale on the feed horn side to set the angle with, but it does not say weather it is for H or V, so not sure how to set it, I read some where that if you hook up to one of the leads either H or V that the voltage will either burn out the LNB, or the receiver, can't remember which one now, land don't know if that is true or not, I know it worked fine when I was hooked up to the V side, I never have gotten it to work on the H side!
Thanks for all the replys
Terry

Edited to add: the LNBF looks just like the one in pictured in the first post of this thread:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/57938-primestar-lnbf-1x-7-cm-dish.html

 

[Anole]

dovebar LNB

These pictures were previously posted to the forum.
I think the casual nickname we use for 'em is: dovebar
Not sure why you'd ever want to skew the LNB when you should be skewing the elliptical dish instead.
Note the V and H markings on the back side.

I've never seen one in the wild, but maybe someone who's used 'em will chime in.

 

[TMair]

These pictures were previously posted to the forum.
I think the casual nickname we use for 'em is: dovebar
Not sure why you'd ever want to skew the LNB when you should be skewing the elliptical dish instead.
Note the V and H markings on the back side.

I've never seen one in the wild, but maybe someone who's used 'em will chime in.

Ok that is what mine looks like, how would you skew the dish instead of the LNB?
Terry

 

[Anole]

You stand in front or behind the dish, and put one hand to each side.
Your hands go at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock.
If you can twist the dish like a steering wheel of your car, that's skew.
There should be some bolts on the back side to loosen , of course.

See table in this post for how it may be identified.
But what worries me, is that those dove bars are skewable, so maybe the dish mount isn't!?
Never had one, and never read that much about one, so I just don't know.
Take a look on the back side of the mount, and tell us (or post some pix).

 

[stogie5150]

I took a dove bar off a 1m Primestar, but didnt hook it up to see how it worked. The Oval Primestars ( 60e.75e, 84E) feedhorn has a line cast into it, and the LNB's, especially the aluminum cased ones, have a line stamped into them. You line them up, and you are at zero skew, if you install it on the dish vertically at the TS satellite. I think I still have the dovebar, if I do I'll check and see if I can discern the mounting position for ya.

I had good performance with the regular Invacom circualr/linear combo on an 84e and a 1m, but I agree with the crowd, no matter the LNB, you should use the stock feedhorn for optimal performance..

 

[Pixl]

These pictures were previously posted to the forum.
I think the casual nickname we use for 'em is: dovebar
Not sure why you'd ever want to skew the LNB when you should be skewing the elliptical dish instead.
Note the V and H markings on the back side.

I've never seen one in the wild, but maybe someone who's used 'em will chime in.

I have a round 1m dish presently with a dove bar lnb (not pictured) The only way to skew on this style dish is to rotate the lnb, thus the scale on it comes into use.

 

[TMair]

Ok the LNB turns freely, way freely, I think I will take it off of the feed horn and see if I can see anything wrong with it, cuz I don't think I can break any worse then it is now, so maybe I'll get lucky, maybe not.
Thanks again for the help and the posts.
Terry

 

[TMair]

Ok after following and reading the links that have been posted in this thread I am able to get my Primestar dish working again, I had to raise up from what the guage on the side said it should be so it was an aiming problem.
Thanks for all of the help, and the replies.
Terry