Temporary BUD(with pics)

[Inno]

So after having been bitten by the bug........after it got cold and snowy, I decided that I could live no longer without at least one BUD.
The first picture is what I had (and a picture of a small part of the new back yard).
The second one is my very first C-Band dish from probably 1991 or 1992 when I was young and needed some more tv.........there you see the dish (yes the very one) that started me on a long and still fascinating hobby!

The third one is the dish with scalar ring mounted and some aligning left to do.
The fourth is the LNB I dug up........I was suprised that I had one so seemingly modern, just what I needed for connection to a FTA receiver. I guess all the hoarding of satellite dish parts is finally paying off!

The fifth and sixth are my VERY temporary mount..........unless like my sig. says, unless it works. It's just a ABS pipe with some braces..........which is, by the way working, the plywood held down by a number of concrete blocks.

I was looking for AMC1 and being as how I still don't have internet at home, I didn't have access to Lyngsat or "The List" I really had nothing to go on.
I connected an old analog receiver to it and found a couple of satellites with analog feeds. One happened to be Dr. Gene Scott.......erie.........something very erie about that.
I ended up at G-16 and scanned that in with the Pansat..........it's no AMC1 but 'till I have a bit more time it'll have to do.

Oh, the dish. It's a 6' StarTrak mesh. The last pic with the strings across the scalar ring, the strings weren't properly centered on the dish, thus it looks as though the focal point is off, it's not. The dish has a very slight twist which hopefully won't be an issue. This dish will likely only be used for a fixed setup until I can find a larger one for a motorized setup.

 

[voomvoom]

Thanks for the pictures Inno. I see the C-Band LNB is a voltage controled lnb. I've never had a voltage controled C-Band LNB before. I just got a Dual C-Band voltage controled lnbf from SatelliteAV, but haven't tried it yet. My hope is to use it with multiple DVB receivers. I recently got a Dual C-Band feedhorn from a fellow SatGuys member. It works good with the proper settings in the 920 4dtv receiver, but I haven't tried it with a DVB receiver yet. I'm worried that since the C-Band LNB's are not voltage controled, they may not work right going through a multi-switch. When the multi-switch has one in for V and one in for H, the LNB's won't know the difference and are set in how they are pointing. With every other 2 degree spacing being odd channel V with the next sat being odd channel H (reversed). Each coax will still be going to the same input. It will be interesting to see how these LNB's work with a multi-switch when I get that far along? But, I now have a Dual C-Band LNBF to use if this Dual feedhorn doesn't work?
It looks like you must be dragging it out when you use it, it appears to be in doors as is?

Al

 

[Inno]

That LNB seems to work very well for FTA, I have transponders locked in both H and V polarity. Yes, the walls and roof seem to have killed any signal I might have received from the garage! lol
I put the pieces together in the garage as it is heated in there and probably -4 F outside that day. Then I removed the dish from the temporary mast and moved it all out to "the dish farm". No pics of that yet as it was dark when I did the outside work.
I was having trouble with blind scan 'cause the satellites are so close together. Initially it picked up transponders from two different satellites. After some tweaking I was able to eliminate that.

A dual C-Band unit would be nice for some of the analog feeds. I played around a bit last night with the 2 analog feeds I found on G-16. Using the IF output of the Pansat, I connected it to the input of an old Uniden analog receiver. It worked just fine (much to my suprise) as long as the Pansat was looking at a transponder that had the same polarity as the analog transponder I was looking at with the Uniden.
Should be an interesting addition once I find a better mount, dish and get things motorised.

 

[linuxman]

Congratulations Inno!!

It looks great!

It will be a nice addition to your already blooming dish farm.

I have several Cal-Amp LNBs, but no voltage controlled LNBF. I would like to find an older voltage controlled C/Ku LNBf. I know they were made because the 4DTVs have that option. (Circa late 1990's)

I just don't know who made them and whether or not they can still be purchased.

You are well on your way and with all that space, I can fore-see 6 or 8 C-Band dishes.

Fred

 

[voomvoom]

I have several Cal-Amp LNBs, but no voltage controlled LNBF. I would like to find an older voltage controlled C/Ku LNBf. I know they were made because the 4DTVs have that option. (Circa late 1990's)

I just don't know who made them and whether or not they can still be purchased.

Hey Fred, you got me thinking (as usual) and I went to the utility room and looked in the box where a C-Band LNBF is I got from that same SatGuy member who let me have the Dual C-Band Feedhorn for shipping cost. I didn't pay it much attention when I got it with an I'll check it out later attitude. Well now I'm looking at it and it's a California Amplifier "C-Band Dual Polarity LNBF" (so I was wrong in my earlier post, because I have this one and didn't realize it) with "Pulse Controled H/V Switching". It has one coax connection and a single wire coming out of it. Obviously the wire will need to connect to something to get the thing to switch. This must be one like you are talking about, and it seems like in an earlier thread someone explained how to use/connect it. If I remember right it connects to the ku coax input somehow? But, I don't have a clue! This LNBF looks brand new!

Al

 

[linuxman]

Well now I'm looking at it and it's a California Amplifier "C-Band Dual Polarity LNBF" (so I was wrong in my earlier post, because I have this one and didn't realize it) with "Pulse Controled H/V Switching". It has one coax connection and a single wire coming out of it. Obviously the wire will need to connect to something to get the thing to switch. This must be one like you are talking about, and it seems like in an earlier thread someone explained how to use/connect it. If I remember right it connects to the ku coax input somehow? But, I don't have a clue! This LNBF looks brand new!

Hey Al!

That would be cool if it C and Ku!

But if it was what you described,

California Amplifier "C-Band Dual Polarity LNBF"

I think it is probably only a C-Band LNBF that switches H and V.

I am very interested in what it is. Take a good close look and let us know.

Thanks,

Fred

 

[voomvoom]

Fred it's a C-Band LNBF, the ku I was talking about was not for ku reception. I was saying that "I think" in a previous thread someone was saying you connect the wire to the Ku input and it controls (somehow) the pulse for the H/V switching? But, I have no idea how it works? Maybe the thing will work if I set the 922 for lnbf's, instead of lnb's, but I don't think so? That wire has to have some kind of purpose? Maybe the wire connects to the pulse on the polarizer connections on the receiver, or maybe the 5v connection? If it's either of these idea's, then I'll have to run a separate wire to it from the receiver in the house to the dish and lnbf? Maybe I'll send it to you and let you figure it out?

Al

 

[linuxman]

Fred it's a C-Band LNBF, the ku I was talking about was not for ku reception.

Ah!!

Ok, so it has an extra wire going to it for the pulse?

On my GI 450i, there is a place on the back for hooking up a voltage control LNBF, but would have to read in the manual just how to hook it up.

I am sure the 4DTV has a way to hook it up too. Like you say, it just needs to be figured out.

Fred

 

[voomvoom]

Fred here are some pictures:
they didn't do to well, the Flash made them extremely white and no flash was maybe too dark?

 

[linuxman]

Ok Al!

Here you go.

The picture is taken from the GI 450i owners manual and tells how to hook up your LNBf to it.



So there is a way to do it without using a polarotor. I'd have to read the manual again on the 4DTV to see how to do it with those receivers.

I am pretty sure the Toshiba TRX-1820 I have will do the same thing.

Fred

 

[Inno]

Fred here are some pictures:
they didn't do to well, the Flash made them extremely white and no flash was maybe too dark?

I had the same problem with some of my pictures, getting too close seems to cause "hot spots" in the picture. My camera doesn't have a movable flash but I'm sure that if it did it would help.
I also noticed your close up of the LNB sticker is a bit out of focus. Mine were like that until I found the macro setting on my camera. That allowed me to get very very close up and detailed pictures.

Regarding that LNB that I have, it seems to be just the ticket for FTA. I found another one very similar to it made by Star Trac, I may try that if I set up another fixed C-Band. There are probably many similar ones in my area as back before Express-Vu and Star Choice in Canada there was a service from Cancom available on one of the Anik satellites which contained the major networks, some sports and weather and a few other variety channels. The local installer set everyone up with fixed 6' mesh dishes and I think most of them had LNBs similar to the one I have. I KNOW there are literally hundereds of these dishes no longer in use in our area. I just have to go knock on some doors. I can see a sea of those in my backyard........I may have to paint them camo. to please the Mrs.
I think having 6' dishes may not provide a perfect signal for some birds, but if I can have them fixed I can "super tune" them for each satellite.

Also attached a couple more pics of the back yard..........and that's only a small portion of it........I'm expected to build a barn/horse shelter of some sort next spring and some fencing..........and I've been told I can have as many dishes as I want as long as she can bring her horse home. :0

 

[voomvoom]

And don't forget Inno, that her horse will probably use the dishes as back scrabbers.....?

Thanks Fred, reading that info makes it look like all that is needed is a wire and a connection to the pulse connector on the 922? Sounds reasonable!

Al

 

[Inno]

Well if that's the case I'm gonna want a good solid mount!!! Or keep the horse away from the dish farm. We'll have 2 farms, a dish farm and a horse farm.

 

[linuxman]

and I've been told I can have as many dishes as I want as long as she can bring her horse home.

WooHoo!!

Now you got it made.

Fred