Wave Frontier Toroidal T-90 Satellite Dish

[jerryt]

What's the disadvantage single LNBs on a T90? Most of the installation diagrams I've seen have 4 Diseqcs closest to the LNBs and the 4x4 22K switch closer to the IRDs. If you only have singles that would cut the number of Diseqcs and in turn you would...... have less potential for multiple receivers?

I have a small house, so I doubt I'd have more than 2 receivers connected to a T90, but I am interested in the concept of getting satellites that are 2 degrees apart without having to resort to using a belt sander.

Single LNBs are fine if you only want one receiver. Dual LNBs are required for two or more receivers.

I am currectly up to version 3 of my 2 degree T90 spacing project.

Belt sander mod works, but does not allow for skew of the LNBs and LNBs are still too wide for more than 3 satellites in line.

My current mod consists of each LNB having it's own cut down LNB holder. and the LNBs are modified by cutting the outer scaler ring off with a 1 & 7/8 inch hole saw.

This T90 project has been on the back burner because I was waiting for more Geosat LNBs and I have been working on a Multifeed bracket for a standard 1 meter dish to get 50 degrees of the arc, 50 degree multifeed bracket project should be finished soon. Then I can complete the T90 project.

 

[Labgate]

Great

Same here. I'm cutting the holders to be less than 2 inches. I'm waiting for a price on the geosat lnbs.

And I have been working on my project of a 1.1 meter dish witha motor on a 16 foot pole.

Also the rain is slowing my down. I will keep you updated. Hope you will do the same.

Labgate

Single LNBs are fine if you only want one receiver. Dual LNBs are required for two or more receivers.

I am currectly up to version 3 of my 2 degree T90 spacing project.

Belt sander mod works, but does not allow for skew of the LNBs and LNBs are still too wide for more than 3 satellites in line.

My current mod consists of each LNB having it's own cut down LNB holder. and the LNBs are modified by cutting the outer scaler ring off with a 1 & 7/8 inch hole saw.

This T90 project has been on the back burner because I was waiting for more Geosat LNBs and I have been working on a Multifeed bracket for a standard 1 meter dish to get 50 degrees of the arc, 50 degree multifeed bracket project should be finished soon. Then I can complete the T90 project.

 

[jsattv]

Wave Frontier Toroidal T-90 Satellite Dish to one Receiver?

I currently have a Bell 9200 Receiver on Subscription to Bell for Sats 91 and 82. I read Icebergs' outstanding detailed review on the T90 and am interested in satellite surfing.

My question: Is it possible to feed all 10 LNBs from the T90 Dish to one satellite receiver? If so how? That is, what type of switch or switches would you need? And how would it be wired? What receiver would you suggest?

 

[jerryt]

I currently have a Bell 9200 Receiver on Subscription to Bell for Sats 91 and 82. I read Icebergs' outstanding detailed review on the T90 and am interested in satellite surfing.

My question: Is it possible to feed all 10 LNBs from the T90 Dish to one satellite receiver? If so how? That is, what type of switch or switches would you need? And how would it be wired? What receiver would you suggest?

Eight satellites with one diseqc switch and four tone switches or one tone switch and two diseqc switches.

16 satellites with one SUR420F and four diseqc switches. or one SUR420F, two diseqc switches and eight tone switches.

Receiver(s) would need to be a mix of FTA and Subcripted boxes.

 

[jsattv]

Wave Frontier Toroidal T-90 Satellite Dish to one Receiver?

Eight satellites with one diseqc switch and four tone switches or one tone switch and two diseqc switches.

16 satellites with one SUR420F and four diseqc switches. or one SUR420F, two diseqc switches and eight tone switches.

Receiver(s) would need to be a mix of FTA and Subcripted boxes.

Thanks for your reply jerryt. Being a newbie I am completely lost with the above description, is there any info available anywhere on the above switches such as the SUR420F? What is a tone switch?

Also just one other question if this is allowed, would a 36 inch Fortec Dish on a Motor be the equivalent in reception quality to the fixed T90 dish that Iceberg described?

 

[PSB]

You would get the same or better reception with a motorized 90cm dish as the WHOLE dish is pointing at the satellite, not to mention the dish tilts as it moves setting its own skew perfectly to each satellite.

Down side is its one satellite at a time, and will take a few seconds to travel between satellites.

A tone switching switch uses a 22Khz tone generated by the receiver to toggle (Band/ Off-On)

 

[jerryt]

Thanks for your reply jerryt. Being a newbie I am completely lost with the above description, is there any info available anywhere on the above switches such as the SUR420F? What is a tone switch?

Also just one other question if this is allowed, would a 36 inch Fortec Dish on a Motor be the equivalent in reception quality to the fixed T90 dish that Iceberg described?

If you are just starting out I would go; first Fixed dish, then motorized dish, and lastly T90. The cost of all the switches and 8 LNBs for a T90 is a lot. Start out simple.

 

[jerryt]

Results of my 2 degree LNB spacing experiments on the T90;

Cut outer scaler ring off of a couple of Geosat linear LNBs and a couple of Circular LNBs, so that the LNBs would be like 46mm wide. The circulars continued to work normally, but the linears became very intermittent.

46mm linears would not stay set on a satellite and would drop to zero often. Replaced with stock linears and problem went away. It would appear that the outer scaler ring is indeed needed on the linear LNBs. (Wonder how the 40mm linears, linked in this thread do it?)

Best working set up to date was just to narrow the LNBs with a belt sander, leaving the outer scaler ring intact. This was good for 3 satellites in a row, any more than three and the spacing gets off center.

I did not note any significant advantage to skewing the individual LNBs. So tie rapping three LNBs together is still a good approach.

 

[dem0nlord]

Interesting thread, I had always really discounted these dishes, but it appears they aren't all bad.

I've been thinking about this and I think the claim of being limited to a 40 degree orbital location difference is misleading. The max available should vary wildly depending on location and what you are actually aiming at. Should be a real difference in dealing with 2 degree spacing due to those same 2 factors also. The closer the 2 degree seperation is to your true south, and the farther south you are, those LNBs should have more spread between them, right?

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

Actually very good.

I have 2 Toroidals side by side and even other Toroidal owners are confused and do not understand how they can both be set correctly given the un-even nature of the skew.

What is very hard for most to comprehend is that there is no 1 correct setting - by adjusting the skew, elevation and azimuth, you can effectively shorten or lengthen the orbital arc.

For example, I have a 50 degree 98W -148W on 1 Toroidal and a 61W - 101W on the other. However, many would swear there is no way both could work with the different skews. However, they do.

I could post actual print outs from the company showing how adjusting the skew effects the lnb placement on the bar, but it seems I get banned for posting photos, so I won't be doing that.

However, I believe the 40 degree arc is more a factor of placing lnbs on the bar with sufficient space for them to be mounted properly. For example, if you went to a 30 degree arc, you would spread the lnbs out further on the bar and have no problem placing them all in place. If you choose to go to 50 degrees, then the lnbs will be closer together on the bar.

 

[Mr Tony]

Almost got my Christmas FTA project done

Since it has been nice here in MN (40 today which is balmy) this past weekend I decided to tweak the T90 and add a couple more LNB's. Also wanted to test the limits of some of the 2 degree issues that the T90 has. Technically they say you can't get 2 degrees due to the brackets and the LNB size. Well, I wanted to see if how well I could do 2 degrees.

At the time the dish was aimed at 89 center and LNB's on 72,74,79,85,89,93,97,103,107

But I wanted more

So I moved the dish to 93 (which is my true south) and made sure 74 looked good. Adding 72 to 74 is real easy for me. Just put the holder on and make the LNB's touch. Most of what is on 72 I get. Not as strong as the motorized, but good enough to work. Then I slid down the LNB holder for 79. Then I added a holder to see if I could get 83/85. Locked 85 down strong (thank goodness for test cards) and wedged 83 there too. That is BOOMING. I had 89 & 93 but there hasnt been much on 89 latelly and alot more on 91. So can I get 91/93? Locked 93 in and twisted the LNB holder and bam. the test card on 91 at 80 on the Pansat
Slid 97 into place and I figured "well 101 is so dang strong I can get it with a smaller dish, so I can surely get the strong stuff with it offset". So I aaimed the LNB at 103 and tuned that (including the oddball offset) and locked down. 101 I barely moved and the strogn stuff was at 99. Even RTPi, which is weaker is at 60.

Added 107.3 & 111.1 for my Starchoice sub. Then added 119 for the audio. This took some tweaking as it was off the bar. Found an old piece of trim and cut and bolted to the arm (I had drilled a hole in the slide scale) and had to rig a bracket (I just cut the bottom of the holder off). Nice 90 on all TP's

So now I have 13 LNB's
72,74,79,83,85,91,93,97,101,103,107.3,111.1,119

I have a couple LNB's mixed on the switches. I put 72 V & 119 H together (most audio on Dish is on H polarity) and mixed 101 V & 103 H together. Just have to hook up the cables from the 4x1 diseqcs into the house.

1st picture is the whole thing
2nd pic is 101/103 (I had to shave a little off the plastic cap for 101
3rd shows the "Extension" for 119
4th shows the whole thing
5th is from 72 going down the line
6th shows 91 & 93

 

[linuxman]

I thought I had read that you said you weren't much of a handyman.

Looks very nice.

Fred

 

[Mr Tony]

handyman (like hammer and nails)-no
satellite handyman-yes

 

[Sadoun]

Good job Iceman. It looks very nice.

 

[voomvoom]

Tony, that's absolutely beautiful!

Al

 

[Mr Tony]

Thanks Al
I see you are getting one too.

 

[Anole]

Delightful thread to read.

Some time ago I ran across these pictures, and archived them because they were so unusual.
Hope it'll give encouragement to the timid who are modifying their LNBs.
Half of the Starchoice LNB is used for 121, and a modified 119 is mounted beside it.
The remaining LNB is for 110.
Yes, I know... getting 119 DBS is not as hard as the linear stuff but still....

Pictures are self-explanatory.

 

[Mr Tony]

Cool

That gives me some ideas on how ot maybe put a DBS at 110 between 107.3 & 111.1 on the T90 dish

Thansk for the pictures

 

[Anole]

Well, I am not making any claims... it's just a picture I found.
Proceed at your own risk.

The other thing that comes to mind, is if you shave down the width of the horn, by either cutting, or squeezing in a vice... (anyone tried that?)...
...the LNB body may still be too wide to fit between existing LNBs.
If you can find a way to mount the skinny LNB upside down, that might help.

Alternately, can the horn be extended with some brass tubing, so the LNB body can be located -behind- the other LNBs?

Now that I think while I talk, maybe you can just sit the 110 LNB back 3/4 inch, so its horn and body are unmodified, but behind the two crowding LNBs..??

Tried to draw a picture but that didn't work out.
Here's a photo of the general idea.
Yes, I know... the LNB will be out of focus, but which is worse?
Out of focus, narrow horn, or what?

 

[Mr Tony]

On the DirecPC dishes, the 2 LNB feedhorns are really long. The DBS LNB looks like a pencil and behind the LNB was a good 6+ inches to the LNB