Thread: How I Learned To Love The Bomb...Or...Paraclipse Modifications......

Over the past year and a half or so, I had been using my BUD's with SatAv's excellent C/K-1 LNB. However, being the perfectionist type that I am, it bothered me that the old big Paraclipse's mesh was just too big for really good Ku reception. And my 1m Primestar does a VERY good job with Ku. So awhile back I tinkered with the idea of converting the dish to an orthomode type feed, C-band only.

Now anybody that's ever talked to me more that five minutes knows two things about me. One, I love cigars, and TWO, I am flat-assed CHEAP. So there had to be a way to get this done on the cheap, and still get good performance, or at least better C-band than the C/K-1 could provide.

Enter Sir Bill of Impakt Products, and his Ortho feed. 50 bucks plus shipping, and some 10.00 LNB's, I was in business for under 100.00!

Here it is:

Dual*C-Band*Feed*::*C/Ku...

And here are the LNB's:


C-Band*LNB*13*Degree...





Now, as you may or may not know, our FTA boxes put out 13v on the Vertical polarity, and 18v on the Horizontal. Well, a regular C-band LNB NEEDS 18V regardless of polarity. Now, how, HOW I ask you, was I gonna get that done cheaply? Enter Brother Pendragon. He had the idea of using powered WNC 4X8 Multiswitches, modded with a resistor to put out 18v on all legs! Listen to Brother Pendragon, he knows of what he speaketh.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/fta-shac...v-outputs.html

Now I know as much about soldering as I do about sending a rocket into space or molecular biology. But off to ebay I went for some multiswitches, and off to Radio Shack for some resistors. After some very inspired conversation with Brother Anole on the phone, I managed to get some resistors globbed in there where they worked.


Now, when I got outside....man what a mess. My Paraclipse was fitted with a Ku quad leg feed kit, which adds a steel plate to mount the scalar/feed assembly to. Well thats all fine and good, but its only open on one side, in a "C" shape. and it DIDN'T match what I needed to let the Vertical LNB clearance properly. So the first thought was to do away with the stock feed plate and make up some brackets. First attempt was a disaster. oh I made the brackets alright, but the scalar was THREE INCHES away from the focal point! Thats in pic 1 below.

Second attempt....I bought a 3' length of steel bar stock to make brackets with, so I decided to make brackets from that, and with some help from Brother ACRadio, make an adjustable setup. Picture 2. (adjusters not shown, because they didn't work, so I didn't capture them on digital) While that was better, it still didn't give me what I wanted, it was just too flimsy when I adjusted the scalar where I needed it to be.

I had to figure out a way to use the stock plate. After a couple days of thinking, smoking, discussing with Anole on the phone about it and getting nowhere....I brought the plate back out and began brainstorming (a small event, but you get the idea.)

HEY, I could use the second set of brackets I made, twist the plate to make the "C" open where I needed it, match drill it to the brackets, bolt it up and VIOLA! (such as it is). So I clamped it up with some vise-grip clamps, took a pic, and pondered. I think this will work. Pic 3.

Drilled it out, bolted it up. And it worked. I had all the room I needed to tweak the skew, and plenty of room for better LNB's to stick out later.

Now, to the question I KNOW you want to ask.

IS IT BETTER? Damn straight it is. I picked up 15 quality points on some weaker feeds. With better LNB's I bet it could do EVEN better! For the money I am VERY pleased. Next up, converting the Birdview the same way. The horn is already on order.

Some of the pics are HUGE, so be aware.

Thanks to all that put their ideas into this, Anole for making me think, Lak7 for the ideas after looking at pictures I sent him..., ACRadio for the bracketry ideas, Linuxman for the inspiration, and Pendragon for the inspired multiswitch mod. A tip of the hat to ALL of you. Thank you!

I figured this might help some of you guys that are timid like me.

And these are pics of my fabbed feed cover. I am kinda weird, I don't like rain and sun beating down on my electronic equipment....

Great work.. That was a better read than the morning paper.

I agree great work , makes me want to go out and start working on my gear

right on man!!
looks great, and an additional 15 quality points!!
win win situation

i wonder how that feedhorn performs against the ortho chaparral feed. it looks alot different anyways. i bought one not long ago with some nortsats 8515's i found cheap. im a miser too. nice work. i find inspiration in the posts of all the same members. haha.

crackt out,.

Great Job! I can't wait for spring!

I noticed the nylon thumbscrews. Were they part of the original feed assembly or did you buy them from someplace? I need to replace one of the thumbscrews.

Originally Posted by johnnynobody

I noticed the nylon thumbscrews. Were they part of the original feed assembly or did you buy them from someplace? I need to replace one of the thumbscrews.

Part of the original assembly. You can do away with the thumbscrews if you just use jambnuts on the bolts.

Alternately, maybe an industrial nut/bolt outfit can find ya something. Only other thing is to take a bolt and drill a hole through it. Might take a machine shop or a danged good drill press. Maybe if you can find a solid nylon bolt, it would be a LOT easier to drill through.