Will .98 m dish work for HOME account?

[windchimes]

I currently have a DW6000 modem and a .74 m Direcway dish. My signal becomes marginal when the rain comes. - I have a friend who willing to sell me a commercial .98 m Direcway dish cheap. My question is; can the .98 m dish be swapped for the .74 m dish? I realize that I will need a certified installer install the dish, but aside from that, can the .98 meter dish replace the .74 m dish without changing anything in the DW6000 modem?

Thanks!

[grohgreg]

The modem doesn't care what size dish is outside. But the modem power adapter may not be able to handle the demands of the transmitter. Most DW6000s came with a 46 watt power adapter, whereas the commercial transmitter requires 64 watts or greater.

//greg//

[bradleys]

When my HugesNet was installed, I asked the tech about the larger antenna. He said that the larger antenna points to a different satellite than the one I was using, and the other satellite wasn't as good.

I didn't ask more questions, but his answer seemed odd. Thinking back, I suspect that maybe there is a different frequency or polarization used by the transmitter? Or, maybe it's just a policy thing? Who knows, but it was an odd comment.

If you're just going to use the new dish with your old transmitter, you'll probably be fine (assuming the focus is OK). If you are going to switch transmitters as well, you may have a problem.

But, on the other hand, if the fellow who is selling you the 0.98m dish has done this before, and it works, I'd say you're good to go.

Please post your results in any case. I'm as far northwest as you can get (Blaine WA), and I also get rain fade. (Not that we get much rain in Blaine - prediction is for two inches in the next 24 hours.)

[HCI]

When my HugesNet was installed, I asked the tech about the larger antenna. He said that the larger antenna points to a different satellite than the one I was using, and the other satellite wasn't as good.
)

You can point a .98 at any satellite as you can a .74. What he was probably referring to is at the time the plans for the .98 and the .74 were on different satellites.

[wad]

i havent messed with a 6000 in a while, HOWEVER, just using the larger 98 antenna for rain fade and signal quality issues is absolutely fine. you should be able to use the 1watt transmitter from your 74m dish on the 98 without any issue. however, i cant remember, and im too lazy to go get one out and look, if the 6000 allows you the option of selecting transmit power during registration (with latest software of course). if it allows you to select 1 or 2 watt, you CAN use the 2watt transmitter, selecting 1watt power. adversly, the modem already registered as a 1watt system, should be fine without having to reregister (i just wanted to make note of where the info is coming from for those reading this) the 2watt transmitter will in effect, be used as a 1watt transmitter.

tech support would agree, ive run into similar issues and spoke with them regarding this. as long as the MODEM has the correct power selected based on modem and power supply, you can use a 1 or 2 watt transmitter without an issue. however, you obviously cant use a 1watt transmitter selecting 2watt during registration.

also, if you could get your hands on a 64watt power supply (if not already) then you could reregister under 2watt (again if the 6000 allows, i dont recall). then not only would your receive hang in there longer, but fewer failed transmissions during inclimate weather as well.

[grohgreg]

I don't know either - whether the DW6000 setup has the 1w/2w option. But it really doesn't make a lick of difference. Identifying which transmitter is in use during Setup is strictly informational, and has no relationship whatsoever to the power adapter. If/when a transmitter is specified, it's merely listed on the Summary page - and recorded in the registration server. Most installers I know skip right over that part of Setup, which leaves the Summary showing the default 1w. I'm not sure Hughes actually even uses the info at all. I just know that identifying the transmitter power/type was originally intended to help avoid transponder assignment mistakes during subsequent load balancing.

Which power adapter to use is a simple application of Ohms Law. The 2 watt transmitters pull more DC current than the 46w power adapter can provide. If the 98cm dish comes with a 2 watt transmitter, the 46w power adapter than came with the DW6000 will overheat and the transmitter will be underpowered. The 46w must be replaced with a 64w version. If you can't find the transmitter part number, 2 watt TRIAs are otherwise identified by the green sticker. If the 98cm dish comes with a 1 watt TRIA (no green sticker), the 46w power adapter will work just fine.

//greg//

[wad]

I don't know either - whether the DW6000 setup has the 1w/2w option. But it really doesn't make a lick of difference. Identifying which transmitter is in use during Setup is strictly informational, and has no relationship whatsoever to the power adapter. If/when a transmitter is specified, it's merely listed on the Summary page - and recorded in the registration server. Most installers I know skip right over that part of Setup, which leaves the Summary showing the default 1w. I'm not sure Hughes actually even uses the info at all. I just know that identifying the transmitter power/type was originally intended to help avoid transponder assignment mistakes during subsequent load balancing.
//greg//

why then does hns complain when a site is registered improperly as 1w vs. 2w for enterprise? ive never looked when i accidentally overlooked the 2w option, but ranging perhaps?

[grohgreg]

There you go. That would suggest that they're using it as intended for enterprise accounts - but ignoring it for consumer accounts. But no, not ranging. I think for enterprise it probably has to do with managing the various corporate network topologies (star, ring, multi-point, etc).

//greg//

[bradleys]

Here's some potential good news about power supplies.

The power supply on my two month old home installation is 73 watts. It's light grey, Hughes brand, model YM-2071A, option AR. The sticker says "max output power 73w".

The pin assignments are listed below

1,2,6,7 return
3,5 +13.5V 2.2A
4,8 +48V 0.9A

HTH

[grohgreg]

The power supply on my two month old home installation is 73 watts.

I'm guessing your new system is a Ka-band HN9000. His DW6000 is three generations older than yours. 73w is fine, but your pin configuration and pin voltages are not DW6000-compatible. Matter of fact, your power adapter output cord may not even fit the DW6000 receptacle.

//greg//