What can I do to adapt this LNB?

[Dee_Ann]

Hi guys!

Well, I have a bit of a problem.

I bought a pair of Geosat Pro SL1PLL LNBF’s..

One for me and one for my dad.

So I was over at my dad’s house today and he was having trouble with his dish.

I messed with it inside, trying to rescan but it was not playing nice.

So I told my dad that I have this new high performance LNB that I want to change out to make his dish work better.

I go outside and pull the cover off and I see that it’s not looking good.

He has an old Primestar 1m dish but the LNB is that odd, proprietary type.

I went home and found another LNB arm I have that’s identical to his and I put the new LNBF up to it and OOOOOOPS!!!!! Totally the wrong thing…

Is there anything I can do? It’s like it needs a 10mm (wild guess) neck but the new LNBF is 40mm.

My dad is quite annoyed with his satellite system, I’ve never really been able to tweak it properly to get everything. These motorized ku dishes really give me a hard time.
I want to put the PLL type on his dish to compensate for my lack of skill in aligning the stupid thing.

I think part of the problem is that the dish is “rigged up” to work on the motor. It was meant to be a fixed dish and we flipped the mount upside down so it doesn’t clamp onto the motor tube in the proper place.
It mostly works but it could be much better. I just don’t have the skills and or patience to align the dish properly.

 

[jorgek]

Skill is what you develop in this hobby. What you really need is a lot of patience and to tweak in very small increments like 1mm at a time!
The new PLL LNB will not compensate for lack of skill or patience.

 

[osu1991]

I'm sure someone has done it and will answer as I don't know, but can the plastic case be cracked and taken off the GeoSat lnb, like with the old Dish lnbs???

 

[KE4EST]

See if you can find a u-bolt that will match up to the holes in that bottom piece of the original holder. If not do what I did. Take a piece of 1/4-20 thread rod and bend it around something hard that is about the same size to make it look good, and there you have it. If the original threads get in the way drill them out and then just bolt it from the back with 1/4-20 nuts. Just be careful tightening it up so that you don't crack your housing.

 

[Dee_Ann]

See if you can find a u-bolt that will match up to the holes in that bottom piece of the original holder. If not do what I did. Take a piece of 1/4-20 thread rod and bend it around something hard that is about the same size to make it look good, and there you have it. If the original threads get in the way drill them out and then just bolt it from the back with 1/4-20 nuts. Just be careful tightening it up so that you don't crack your housing.

But, then doesn’t the actual antenna inside the LNBF then reside several millimeters higher than the intended focal point?

And then I read what OSU1991 suggested.. So I very carefully (well mostly carefully) pried open the plastic cover and discovered that inside the cover it’s actually much smaller.

The problem though is that it wouldn’t sit square in the grove on the arm.

I saw there was a tiny little bump on the side of the LNBF that protrudes and kept it from sitting right.

I took a little file and very gentle smoothed it down enough where it will now sit square in the groove and allow me to rotate it to zero skew.

I’m pretty sure I just voided the warranty !

?
There’s a rectangular thing inside that I assume is the electronic parts, it’s on a 45 degree (I assume 45 degrees) angle in comparison to the zero position.

I assumed the F connector sticking out the bottom has to be perfectly vertical for the skew to be at absolute zero. Yes?

That bump on the side of the LNBF tube wouldn’t allow that so that’s why I filed it down.

I took some trash bag twist ties to hold it in place just so I could photograph it. IF you guys think this will work ok then I’ll take it over and my dad can make some sort of metal strap to actually bolt/lock the LNBF down onto the arm.
The thing then is to be able to put the shell back on it to keep the weather and heat of the sun off of it.


?Is this a good or bad idea?

 

[primestar31]

That will work. Even if it sits a bit higher on the arm, you can compensate with the elevation setting on the dish. It'll be off the actual marking by a tad due to the change in lnb.

 

[polgyver]

Probably attaching the LNBF with its original shell, sitting on the small dia groove, several millimetres higher, would not hurt the reception. I tried to add an LNBF much higher, and it worked fine (described on this site). I tried to add a link, but it did not work. You can google these words: LNBF above cluster.
Bending threaded rod is good idea. 3/16 rod, even 1/8 threaded rod would be enough to hold this LNBF. Cheers, polgyver

 

[Dee_Ann]

That will work. Even if it sits a bit higher on the arm, you can compensate with the elevation setting on the dish. It'll be off the actual marking by a tad due to the change in lnb.

Cool.. I’ll try this then.

Probably attaching the LNBF with its original shell, sitting on the small dia groove, several millimetres higher, would not hurt the reception. I tried to add an LNBF much higher, and it worked fine (described on this site). I tried to add a link, but it did not work. You can google these words: LNBF above cluster.
Bending threaded rod is good idea. 3/16 rod, even 1/8 threaded rod would be enough to hold this LNBF. Cheers, polgyver

My dad is crazy handy with tools and stuff and this is at his house so I’m sure he can make up something like that PDQ.. I’ll print this out for him.


As for the shell cover, I suppose that once the LNBF is bolted down and tuned and I’m sure it’s working I can glop some silicone gunk on it then stick the shell down into the goop.
If we ever have to take it off it should be simple to peel it off.

Thank guys !

 

[dsmith0429]

I have 3 dishes (StarBand, DirecPC, & Primestar dishes) with that style mount, I used universal LNBF holders, by drilling a hole through the bottom of the arm, allowing me to mount the holder flush against the outside back of the old mount. I also had to slightly bend the metal part of the new holder to make them be flush. It allows me to easily adjust the LNBF as well as provide a strong mount. It doesn't have to fit in the groove of the old mount, being slightly above doesn't seen to affect any of my dishes, mine rests on top of them and there is a small gap under the LNBF. I was even able to replace the old LNBF cone shaped cover over the new LNBF on one of the dishes, which gave it even more stability as well as protection. I'll try and get some photos up ASAP.

 

[Dee_Ann]

I have 3 dishes (StarBand, DirecPC, & Primestar dishes) with that style mount, I used universal LNBF holders, by drilling a hole through the bottom of the arm, allowing me to mount the holder flush against the outside back of the old mount. It allows me to easily adjust the LNBF as well as provide a strong mount. It doesn't have to fit in the groove of the old mount, being slightly above doesn't seen to affect any of my dishes, mine rests on top of them and there is a small gap under the LNBF. I was even able to replace the old LNBF cone shaped cover over the new LNBF on one of the dishes, which gave it even more stability as well as protection.

Now that’s interesting! Do you have any pictures of this posted? I would be interested to see how that’s done. I have several old Primestar dishes that I would like to modify to take different LNBFs..

?Thanks!

 

[dsmith0429]

Now that’s interesting! Do you have any pictures of this posted? I would be interested to see how that’s done. I have several old Primestar dishes that I would like to modify to take different LNBFs..

?Thanks!

I'll take some pictures tomorrow, and post them here.

 

[RimaNTSS]

There is easier way how to attach LNBs and make multifeeds. Just need to go to HomeDepot -like store and buy some cheap stuff. Than, at home do some Lego construction job. Picture attached.

 

[Magic Static]

There is easier way how to attach LNBs and make multifeeds. Just need to go to HomeDepot -like store and buy some cheap stuff. Than, at home do some Lego construction job. Picture attached.

That's awesome Only problem is we don't make that kind of hardware in the US anymore. So by the time you wrap it up and ship it from China.. You got $60 in "Legos" there

 

[RimaNTSS]

we don't make that kind of hardware in the US anymore.

Are you kidding?! Threaded metal bars, metal clamps for pipes, nuts&bolts not available in the shops?!

 

[Magic Static]

Are you kidding?! Threaded metal bars, metal clamps for pipes, nuts&bolts not available in the shops?!

Oh there is lots of that available. It's just outrageously priced.

 

[RimaNTSS]

Unbelievable! That cheap galvanized stuff costs here not more than 1 bucks for one clamp and maybe 2 bucks for 2meter threaded bar, nuts&bolts coast almost nothing.
It is also possible to make all parts for multifeeds out of INOX, little bit more expensive but never rusts, lasts forever and look nice. I have some custom-made:

 

[primestar31]

USA, land of "we cheetum and howe".

I've put up a new OTA tv antenna in the last two weeks. I needed some U bolts to clamp one pole to another. 4 U-bolts, and 3- J-screws (for guy wiring), and this cost me $15.00!

Now, electronics are cheap in comparison to what you used to get for your money, but not hardware stuff.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Well I got the lnb attached with the help of my dad and some metal magic called plumbers tape(?).

I have it scanning and it's working quite well.

BUT, I can't get anything at all on 125. ?????

I did get a confirmed channel on 123. So if I hit 123 why not 125?

I dunno.

I'll post pics when I get home. I'm still working on it now.

Posted with my iPhone 5 using the SatelliteGuys app

 

[Corrado]

Here is a photo of my test Primestar dish with a conduit clamp holding the LNBF. In place of the original feed, there is a small flat piece of metal bolted in place. The clamp then attaches to the center hole of my adapter bracket. It places the LNBF slightly higher but functions just fine.

The conduit clamp is available at any hardware store or home center for about $0.79.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Here is a photo of my test Primestar dish with a conduit clamp holding the LNBF. In place of the original feed, there is a small flat piece of metal bolted in place. The clamp then attaches to the center hole of my adapter bracket. It places the LNBF slightly higher but functions just fine.

The conduit clamp is available at any hardware store or home center for about $0.79.


View attachment 91832

Very nice! I guess I need to go check out Lowe’s and see what they have.

Unbelievable! That cheap galvanized stuff costs here not more than 1 bucks for one clamp and maybe 2 bucks for 2meter threaded bar, nuts&bolts coast almost nothing.
It is also possible to make all parts for multifeeds out of INOX, little bit more expensive but never rusts, lasts forever and look nice. I have some custom-made:

What are these things? Are those things you made up of several different parts are or those some specialty gadgets for some other purpose that you use for satellite? I can see how they could be useful!