New Member! Here's my Setup - From Angola, Indiana

[KC9TIK]

I think it has been about three years since I got interested in FTA, but my hobby went completely nuts within the last two months. It first started with my purchase of a well-used SuperDISH with a Coolsat 6000 some time later. I had a problem though, I could never find a signal. So then I sort of let the hobby go away. Then, about a year ago, I asked around about people's unused C-Band. First request to buy one was a success, and they didn't want any money for it. It's a 10 foot Unimesh. (I later gave them a gift certificate to a local restaurant) It wasn't until this past spring that I removed the pole from the ground. The trick: concrete drill and Dexpan. Two days after I drilled the holes, the pole was a piece of cake to remove. Sometime during this, I got a cheapie signal meter - that reduced pointing time from hours to minutes! The SuperDISH and the Coolsat never have had a signal, until I used the meter; then a blind scan finds all of the channels. I had the SuperDISH pointed for its intended purpose, but the Dish receiver I was using said "not connected" to the switch, even though I could watch 1 or 2 channels from the sat. It wasn't until the next morning where the check switch said "feed" like it was supposed to. That taught me a lot before using it on 97°. I found it easily. My location: trees, trees, and more trees! Most taller than 100 feet, so what I do before an "official" installation, I move the dish around on a temporary base until I know I have a signal. I dug a temporary hole for the C-band - that was fun! I have a small viewing window of almost everything between 60 and 120 degrees. Right now, my C-band is permanently installed as of several weeks ago. I have 2 B1SAT LNBF's on it, one for 91 and the other for 99. It will eventually be 87 and 91 as I will put 99, 101, 103, and 105 on another dish due to the sky viewing angles. The SuperDISH is pointed to 97, but once I get a better feedhorn, I will move it up to the C-band dish. If my information is correct, it is Ku compatible. The SuperDISH lnb's are so old, I have to compensate for frequency drift when setting up for 97. The LO's are 10.743GHz and 13.838GHz. All of my FTA satellite dishes are being used with a DP34 switch so that I can watch any satellite on any tuner at anytime without interference. I also have the TBS 6981 in my computer, however, I think I blew tuner #1. I'm using DVBDream as I can't get anything else to work. (And when it comes to the codecs used, Windows 8 Pro x64 RTM is useless.) Anyway, I think I have this whole FTA thing figured out and look forward to getting C-band dish #2.

[stogie5150]

Welcome! Nice setup!

[radio]

Wow!
Welcome. Angola's a GREAT town. Nice people, nice county.

[Anole]

I like band stacked, (but I don't want to explain it to a newbie).
And I really like the indestructible DP34 switches!
Throw 'em off a 2-story building; drive over with your car - nothing gets 'em down.

Have you considered adding a second '34 for three more LNBFs?
Just select either DP34 with an ecoda 22khz switch.
(one switch per receiver, of course, up to four).


Edit: I'm reading this on my phone, so please use the default font

It took be a while to figure out what you meant by putting your SuperDish LNB on your BUD.
Look up the Invacom AF-120 feedhorn.
That'll bolt right on and have the proper F/D for your BUD.

However, I might get a real 36" dish and a Stab HH90 motor.
If interested, I'll point ya to a cheap feedhorn solution for it .

[KC9TIK]

Welcome. Angola's a GREAT town. Nice people, nice county.

Thank you! I'm actually near Jimmerson and Crooked lakes.

Have you considered adding a second '34 for three more LNBFs?
Just select either DP34 with an ecoda 22khz switch.
(one switch per receiver, of course, up to four).

I'll have to add a second or third because I don't want any rotator. A Diseqc 2.1 compatible switch would be my first choice (hard to find), but 1.1 wouldn't be too bad, so that I would have future expansion to 16 sats.

[danristheman]

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Welcome Bud to satellite guys nice to have you here if you need help just ask ok.

Dan Rose