Question about Switches

[skynyrd]

Well, I cleared one hurdle, and now I have C-Band BUD (Servo and Act. are controlled by an analog reciever).

I also have a motorized 31" KU dish with a Invacom Quad LNB hooked to a Coolsat 5000

Currently, I have the C-band hooked up to an Fortec reciever for testing (and hooked up to a 13" tv)

I have the motor directly connected to a Coolsat reciever. That reciever is controlling the motor through USALS.

What I would like to do is to have whatever the C-band dish is looking at, and whatever the KU dish is looking at to show up on 4 recievers (I will add 2 in this case) later.

What will I need to do this? I have thought about it for a couple of hours, and based on what I'm finding, its not really making sense to me. I would still like the coolsat to control the motor. I can handle switching the polarity on the c-band now (im sure that I will get tired of that sometime down the road though... but I guess i can get a voltage controlled LNB then)

 

[Anole]

here's one suggestion

In another thread, one of the members described an unusual configuration he wanted.
I won't say it's exactly like yours, but let's take his diagram and see if we can fit it to your problem ...
We need to print out the picture and mark it up.

See if the following steps would work for you:
- your Invacom QPH-031 connects to the upper left 4x4 switch; both C to the left; both L to the right half of the switch
- get a dual output C-band LNBf * and connect its two outputs to the switch on the right (which is currently shown as a 2x4, but could be replaced with another 4x4)
- three 2x1 diseqc switches are shown at the bottom of the drawing; it's probably easier to use 4x1 switches as they are more common
- should be easy to see by inspection, where the fourth diseqc switch and receiver would be wired in
- between the left-most receiver and diseqc switch, locate your SG-2100 motor
- I would use two self-powered 4x4 switches, if I go this way.

..
[FONT=Courier New]Programming Matrix for the switch configuration shown:
=====================================================

Invacom circular = diseqc 1, 22khz off, R & L selected by 12 & 18 volts.

Invacom linear   = diseqc 1, 22khz on,  V & H selected by 12 & 18 volts.

    C band        = diseqc 2, 22khz off, [/FONT][FONT=Courier New]V & H selected by 12 & 18 volts.
[/FONT][FONT=Courier New]
 reserved future  = diseqc 2, 22khz on,  V & H selected by 12 & 18 volts.[/FONT]

Again, this is just a suggestion and a starting point for discussion.
Feel free to take it in any direction.


* at this moment, the web site link is broken, but I'm describing:
C-band Dual satellite LNBF , part way down on this page.

 

[skynyrd]

In another thread, one of the members described an unusual configuration he wanted.
I won't say it's exactly like yours, but let's take his diagram and see if we can fit it to your problem ...
We need to print out the picture and mark it up.

See if the following steps would work for you:
- your Invacom QPH-031 connects to the upper left 4x4 switch; both C to the left; both L to the right half of the switch
- get a dual output C-band LNBf * and connect its two outputs to the switch on the right (which is currently shown as a 2x4, but could be replaced with another 4x4)
- three 2x1 diseqc switches are shown at the bottom of the drawing; it's probably easier to use 4x1 switches as they are more common
- should be easy to see by inspection, where the fourth diseqc switch and receiver would be wired in
- between the left-most receiver and diseqc switch, locate your SG-2100 motor
- I would use two self-powered 4x4 switches, if I go this way.

..
[FONT=Courier New]Programming Matrix for the switch configuration shown:[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New]=====================================================[/FONT]
 
[FONT=Courier New]Invacom circular = diseqc 1, 22khz off, R & L selected by 12 & 18 volts.[/FONT]
 
[FONT=Courier New]Invacom linear   = diseqc 1, 22khz on,  V & H selected by 12 & 18 volts.[/FONT]
 
[FONT=Courier New]   C band        = diseqc 2, 22khz off, [/FONT][FONT=Courier New]V & H selected by 12 & 18 volts.[/FONT]
 
[FONT=Courier New]reserved future  = diseqc 2, 22khz on,  V & H selected by 12 & 18 volts.[/FONT]

Again, this is just a suggestion and a starting point for discussion.
Feel free to take it in any direction.


* at this moment, the web site link is broken, but I'm describing:
C-band Dual satellite LNBF , part way down on this page.

Anole,

Thanks for the information. It looks like the setup you described will work out good for me. I went ahead and bought the dual output lnb from satelliteAv and a 4x4 Zimwell and 2 diseq switches (for now) from Ebay... I already have a 3x4 swich from a old DirectTv install... Which brings up another question... I will be using my analog reciever to tune from satellite to satellite still, and I was just wondering if there would be a way that I could take the RF out from the reciever, and hook it to the 3x4 mulitswitch where the ota antenna would go? anyone ever done this? Its not a big deal, but I thought that if I was in another room and wanted to change to a diffrent sat, it would be easier if I could change to a channel to see what I was selecting.. (the analog reciever has a UHF remote).

 

[Mr Tony]

if the multiswitch is nearby yes you could. You would just need diplexers at the other receivers to split the satellite and antenna (the analog channel 3) signal

 

[skynyrd]

Dual Output C-Band LNBF's

Looks like SatelliteAv is sold out of the Dual C-Band LNBF's that Anole had suguested. Does anyone recommend a site where they sell these LNBF's? It looks like they are hard to find.

 

[Anole]

Try phoning SatelliteAV and ASKING if they still have one kicking around.
Can't hurt. They're pretty nice folks up there.

This guy may be one of SatelliteAV's dealers, so he may be out, too:
GeosatPro Cband Dual LNBF 2 Output
But, it's the first promising result I could find. . .

You could try eBay, I suppose...
And I think I've seen a similar unit sold by Canadian dealers under the Gospel name brand...
... just not sure if they had a dual output model ...

 

[Anole]

another way to skin the cat . . .

There is a C-band feed horn with takes two LNBs to get both polarities.
It's a Chaparral Bullseye (1, not 2) *

That and a 2x4 multiswitch gets the same job done as the SatAV LNBf.
You can read about it here in the BUD section from some of the members who've recently put them on line.

* [The -II has both C and Ku band and is exPENsive!]