Retrofitting a Phase III for Ku (maybe)

[stogie5150]

I'm working on this very same thing right now...I found some info on a hacking site that the only LNB on the Phase three dish that is crippled is the MIDDLE one. I have the thread printed for the hacking site...once I read it and digest it I'll pass the info along....looks like you can only use one of the lnb's because of the spacing issue...there's actually two there, bur if you aim one of them at the satellite we want for NASA/music the other one will have no circular satellite to aim at.You use a 22khz switch to switch between them. I'm thinking very seriously of breaking out the saws and hacking up that lnb assembly so I can put a regular LNB or 2 in place. I have a PILE of these dishes, I have to do something with them....

 

[Anole]

additional Phase III info

I read one of those posts some time back.
I forget exactly what it was claiming.
Maybe BEV + Dish, with bolt-on wing LNBs or something.

It is not true that you have two good LNBs... the 119 position is compromised.
Anyway, the argument the author made, was that even though some of the transponders were excluded from reception by the DirecTV hardware, that wouldn't really affect Dish channels.
(Because Dish didn't have anything on them or didn't have anything interesting on them)
Again, it was probably true in its day.

But, when I went through the transponder exclusion list, transponder by transponder, and compared to what's currently in use, way too many active transponders were no longer received.

Mind you, this was for getting two of the three Phase III LNBs to work.
If you follow Icebergs suggestion of just using the one unmolested LNB, you'd be okay.

Anyway, I just want to suggest that whatever info you find, please verify that it's current.
Things have changed over the years, and those hackers are notorious for not dating their documents!


As for using a hacksaw in the Phase III LNB assembly, see my picture.
It's not gonna happen.
I've been there, done that, and have the T-shirt!

However, the 2nd picture does make some sense.
Just put a single DirecTV LNB in the middle of the P3 mounting arm, drill a new hole, and call it quits.

edit: okay, here's my final suggestion...
If you rip out the metal on the LNB mounting arm to the left and right side where the LNB mounts, you could shove two stock DirecTV LNBs in there.
You might want to unfold the metal instead of cutting if off, since the LNB mounting screws would be pretty far to the outside.
Frankly, I don't favor this idea, but it maybe you could build on it...

 

[stogie5150]

Alright, lemme ask you this. The second picture...is the focal length correct? The idea I had was to cut up the stock housing somehow to maintain the focal length after I insert the regular LNB.

Seems like it would be easier to just bend some conduit and bolt it to an extra P* dish that I have and adjust the lnb's any danged way I want...only problem with that is I would have to sink another pole...

I am not done with this by a long shot. I have about five of these setups right now from folks...I ask them to keep a lookout for me for dishes and I invariably get the D* Phase 3 dishes... I will figure out something...or not...

 

[Anole]

The second picture...is the focal length correct?
The idea I had was to cut up the stock housing somehow to maintain the focal length after I insert the regular LNB.

You got the P3 with the stock 3-LNB assembly.
Hold a single DirecTV LNB beside it.
I think from inspection, you'll see the spacing is right on.
I haven't actually done the deed, but I'm 99% sure it's a no-brainer.
And no cutting required, for one LNB.
Just drill a hole to screw it down (or not).
Friction, like gravity, is a powerful force in the universe.

But, as I said above, some tin snips to the sides of the LNB arm for about 3/4" from the open end, might let you then fan open the metal to get two stock LNBs in there side by side.
You'll also notice that the LNB spacing of the 3-horn unit is easy to duplicate with single LNBs.

 

[stogie5150]

I'm on it.....I'll let ya know the results...

All I really need is one LNB...all I need to hit is one satellite....and then I'll have commercial free music in the shed! :up

Thanks!

 

[Anole]

...all I need to hit is one satellite....

Then ignore my blathering, and do what Iceberg said.
Dial out the skew, and rotate the thing to bring the one good LNB to bear on the satellite of choice.
You should be up by the time you finish reading this! :up

so 101 is the only one that works. LNB LO 11250 22k off

 

[stogie5150]

Then ignore my blathering, and do what Iceberg said.
Dial out the skew, and rotate the thing to bring the one good LNB to bear on the satellite of choice.
You should be up by the time you finish reading this! :up

NO NO NO!

I want to know if the other way works too!

This is as much about tinkering as it is about just slapping it together.

I'm gonna try BOTH ways, take pics, and we'll see. its supposed to be raining tomorrow...so I can open my shed, put a CD on, and hit the southern sky from the dry of the shed...( it faces south)

Keep those Ideas comin!

 

[Anole]

hah hah hah !

We'll have to wait for some stormy days, and do some brain-stormin', Dr Frakenstein!
I'll be happy to consult.
Besides, I like that idea of the dry place with the southern view!

I'd come over and dig through your spare Primestars, but it'd be a long drive to steal one.

One good thing about the 3-horned LNB assembly now on the P3 dish, is that it's got a 4-port output built in.
So, if you wanted to run a line to multiple receivers, you'd be all set.

 

[stogie5150]

hah hah hah !

We'll have to wait for some stormy days, and do some brain-stormin', Dr Frakenstein!
I'll be happy to consult.
Besides, I like that idea of the dry place with the southern view!

I'd come over and dig through your spare Primestars, but it'd be a long drive to steal one.

One good thing about the 3-horned LNB assembly now on the P3 dish, is that it's got a 4-port output built in.
So, if you wanted to run a line to multiple receivers, you'd be all set.

I only have two P* dishes left, and one skewable mount, and no LNB arms. I fixed up FTA Brother Tron with some P* stuff a couple weekends ago......
But on the other hand I know where there are two more P*'s I could get if I need them... I just never went and asked for them...one is behind an old house that a property management company owns so I have no idea how to get it touch with someone other than a real estate agent, who probably cannot give me permission one way or the other. The other one is about a half-hour drive away...but I pass it every weekend just about..its just sitting there...

The idea was to find something a bit smaller to use...my wife is understanding about it all but I wanna keep the peace, ya know?

 

[Anole]

another use for the Phase III dishes

Say, there's something else I'd like to draw your attention to.
I started a short-lived thread last year about using the little 20" dishes for linear FTA.
Iceberg gave some great info (though another thread with even more info doesn't seem to be referenced).
The long and the short of it is, with a linear LNB that's a mechanical look-alike for a DirecTV LNB, you could outfit your Phase II or III dish and get the hot transponders on one or two birds.

Alternately, ya might come up with some sort of mechanical holder for one of the cylindrical LNBs...
See this thread for the Xtreme and other cylindrical LNBs for as little as $6.95

I know you're looking for somewhere to put all the little Phase III dishes you've got, and I thought this might be helpful.

Doesn't really matter.....I am pretty much done with it for right now...I am out in my shed right now going through a pile of coax and dishes that I been scavenging....once I get my temporary setup together I'll crank back up on it...I'll just start a new thread...If Ice wants to separate it that's fine too....that would keep continuity for other folks too...

Yeah I enjoy outhouse engineering too....I found a couple of dual LNB holders for my Primestar dishes...I think they are gonna fit right into the phase three LNB arm...something else to think about....they are 4 degree spacing though so only one of them is really gonna be of use....I'll keep ya updated on what I find out...

 

[updatelee]

I think it dpends alot where you live as well. ie my friend is using his T55 to get 97.0w, but he doesnt get all the tp's, just the strong ones. where my 1m dish gets all the tp's, but it barley gets the weak tp's on 87.0w ... a 1.2m would be better, but honestly would still have issues with rain fade I bet.

so a dtv phase III might get fta on strong tp's in some places, it wouldnt get nothing in other area;s, like mine ...

 

[Anole]

branch thread

This thread was broken off another one where stogie5150 and I had gone way off topic, talking about using a Phase III dish to get 119º circular.

I just added the linear, in case he was still lookin' for something to do with all this spare dishes.
As cited in the reference threads, use for real linear FTA service is ... modest, at best.

Who knows? Maybe something good will come of it all, once more folks think about the Phase III dish/LNB assembly.
With luck, some mad scientist will figure out how to mod the 3-horn LNB to linear (not hard), and take it down to the FTA band.

The switch in it is nice. It's 22khz.
Maybe figure out how to plug other LNBs into this switch the way Dish does with their DishProPlus Twin.

Let your imagination be your guide.
.

 

[scottc98]

ext channelmaster switch?

 

[stogie5150]

Hitting 119 was child's play with the stock phase 3 LNB. I have 97% quality on most TP's. 110 wasn't a problem either...I was getting engrossed in the soccer game before I realized that I was on 110 instead of 119...but I just lowered the elevation a bit and swung it on over to 119 and here I am.

I am gonna try the Nimiq birds next and I'll post back with my results.


EDIT: Well, I figured while I was on 119 I would try the single LNB. Something weird happened, I lost about half of my TP's. I adjusted my skew, elevation, azmiuth, and everything else i could think of to no avail. I have very good SQ on the TP's that I do get, but NASA is a no go with the single LNB.

EDIT 2 : Ok, I found out I was on 129! I did a blindscan and I got the "dish 1000" message so I am on 129! So off to aim again!

 

[Stargazer]

If you use the Phase III dish for just one orbital satellite location then can you output it to four different receivers or will it only work with one receiver?

 

[digiblur]

Hitting 119 was child's play with the stock phase 3 LNB. I have 97% quality on most TP's. 110 wasn't a problem either...I was getting engrossed in the soccer game before I realized that I was on 110 instead of 119...but I just lowered the elevation a bit and swung it on over to 119 and here I am.

I am gonna try the Nimiq birds next and I'll post back with my results.


EDIT: Well, I figured while I was on 119 I would try the single LNB. Something weird happened, I lost about half of my TP's. I adjusted my skew, elevation, azmiuth, and everything else i could think of to no avail. I have very good SQ on the TP's that I do get, but NASA is a no go with the single LNB.

EDIT 2 : Ok, I found out I was on 129! I did a blindscan and I got the "dish 1000" message so I am on 129! So off to aim again!

82W is fun to hit in our area. I doubt I could get more than a handful of TP's with an 18inch dish. The 90cm pulls them all in though.

 

[Anole]

If you use the Phase III dish for just one orbital satellite location then can you output it to four different receivers or will it only work with one receiver?

One good thing about the 3-horned LNB assembly now on the P3 dish, is that it's got a 4-port output built in.
So, if you wanted to run a line to multiple receivers, you'd be all set.

Since we're just getting one LNB of the three two work for us, then yes that LNB would be available on all four coax connectors on the bottom.
Pretty handy.

82W is fun to hit in our area.
I doubt I could get more than a handful of TP's with an 18inch dish.
The 90cm pulls them all in though.

I thought since they locked up the free music, there was pretty much nothing left on the Nimiq birds.
Either of them.
But, I haven't looked in a while.

And of course, if you are in the USA, coverage doesn't extend so well to the south east nor south west.
You get transponders of one bird at each orbital slot, but not from the other bird at that slot.

 

[Tron]

I fixed up FTA Brother Tron with some P* stuff a couple weekends ago......

Thanks again for those! CM 84E dishes that were used for HITS instead of Primestar. Four degree spacing very useful... 87/91, 89/93, 97/101...

As for the D* Phase IIIs, those are everywhere... I picked one out of the garbage last week in fact. Don't know exactly why, I guess I'm a packrat and didn't want to see it die. If you find a use for them (that doesn't involve a birdbath or sun hat), I'm anxious to hear about it

 

[stogie5150]

I had an exasperating afternoon. I got the dish taken apart and painted....ready to put on my Main dish mast....but I am getting ahead of myself.

When I last left I was searching out 119. I finally found it...either LNB worked for 119. BUT, when I moved over to 91 just for kicks....the phase 3 LNB was a no go. The best SQ I could get was 35 on my CS 5K. I hooked the single LNB up to the arm and whammo 97% on all transponders. Weird.

So I moved the whole shootin match to my main mast, got it aimed on 119.....the signal started cutting in and out..one minute great signal, next minute nothing. That was the same problem that my main dish was having with 119 so I have no choice but to conclude I have a tree problem at my main mast site. I have a tree just to the right of my mast with a couple branches sticking out a bit.....but due to the LOS from the offset dish I have no idea if they are causing the problem or not, but there's nothing else in the way so that has to be the problem.
So this morning I went to Home Depot and picked up a piece of 1 5/8 pipe...and I am off to bury that for my circular dish.

Wish me luck.

 

[Tron]

Good luck with the install, if all else fails you can always use the 1 5/8" pole to mount a smaller FTA dish, such as the distinguished Winegard DS-2076 (30")