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dobiegillis

Last reply Nov 14, 2008 · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion

KU/C BAND CABLE RUN

I need some advice on a fairly long run to a BUD i just picked up. I want to lay a ribbon cable suitable for 4dtv just in case i go to it later on. Currently i am using a Coolsat 6000 receiver on ku band. The BUD to be used is a 10 footer Channel Master with mesh screen, small holes, much smaller than a pencil. I will have to place this dish at 200ft in order to clear trees. For now, i plan on a motor positioner to power the actuator for my Coolsat 6000. It is my understanding that the twin coaxial cables in the ribbon are rg6. My question is will i have a problem with ku band with this long of a run. I guess my other option would be rg11, but would have to run additional wires for actuator. I am new to c band and need some help!

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dobiegillis

Nov 13, 2008

On your 250ft run, did your ribbon cable have 16 or 14 guage wire for the actuator? I have read that using 16 guage on long runs slows down the motor speed. Did you have any problem with that?

zaxxon

Nov 13, 2008

Buy your RG6 from ebay. Look for direct bury RG6 "QUAD". Quad is much better and thicker than normal RG6 but it will cost you about twenty bucks more for a thousand feet coil, but worth every penny. Be sure to buy some quad connections when you buy the wire.

I always direct bury, but when I do I bury two lines for every one connection, that way if you ever have a problem you have an extra wire. Water can get inside your conduit, the you really have a problem.

I use direct bury sprinkler 18 gage wire for every thing else. You get five or six wires in the cable and it is cheap.

I live in the country and have a '53 Ford tractor. I just hook the plow up and turn over about six to eight inches of soil drop my wires and push the soil back over the wire, only real digging I have to do is near the house and the pole. Lazy mans way of doing it but I hate work.

B.J.

Nov 13, 2008

dobiegillis said:
On your 250ft run, did your ribbon cable have 16 or 14 guage wire for the actuator? I have read that using 16 guage on long runs slows down the motor speed. Did you have any problem with that?

I do have problems with the motor when it gets below zero in the winter, but I'm not using an actuator, I'm using an old Ajax H-H. When I first installed the dish, I didn't have a problem, but it slowly got worse. The H-H gets mouse nest stuff mixed in with the grease, and it was a mess, difficult to clean and grease. Originally I only had about 175' run, because I had my receiver 1/3 of the way to the dish, but I moved my receiver, which meant I needed another 75' of coax. Anyway, I didn't notice any big difference when I added the extra 75', but I'm not sure if my motor problems are due to the extra 75' or that the gears are just getting rougher. I don't think I would have these problems with an actuator, because my main problem is when I move the dish down to the horizon, it's hard to get it back. But an actuator has it's best mechanical advantage when low to the horizon. I may just switch back to an actuator, because trees are blocking my view over the atlantic anyway. I have an old actuator laying around somewhere. One year, I tried to install a counter-weight, but couldn't get the weight pulling the right way, so I connected a chain to a small nearby tree, and hung a weight to that chain, so that when the dish was at the horizon, the weight was lifted off the ground, and it actually bent the tree over like a spring. That actually worked, but looked pretty weird, so I took it down.

Dishman Dan

Nov 13, 2008

B.J.

You mention of the possibility of the conduit getting water in it. The soil where I am is very well drained and I did not consider water getting in the conduit. If the conduit is in a wet location, would gluing the joints help to prevent a water problem??? We have some conduit runs between some grain bins and the water runoff from the structures pours over the conduit in the ground. The joints are glued and last year I added something in one conduit and it sure looked dry inside. I did not glue the conduit runs to my BUD(s) because like I said it is very well drained at my home. I have a weatherhead up next to the BUD for the wires to come out. Do you think that condensation can form in the run or that there is enough air sneeking in through the weatherhead to keep things fairly dry???

B.J.

Nov 14, 2008

I'm not sure whether it would be better to be sealed to keep humid air out (that might condense in the pipe), or to have it open to allow airflow to allow moisture to evaporate.
My opinion though is to make sure the conduit can drain at it's low point. The pipe I had trouble with was pretty straight and level under-ground, but at the dish, and where it entered the house, I had elbows that brought it up to ground level. The soil there was fairly dry most of the time, but I think water followed the wires down into the pipe at the dish, and possibly also at the house, even though I think I had a rock covering the pipe at the house. But when I upgraded my dish, I went to replace the coax, and the whole pipe was pretty much full of water, and the ribbon cable was all slimy. The cable was supposed to be direct burial stuff, and normally you wouldn't worry about water getting through the waterproof insulation, but I don't think that necessarily applies to being under water 100% of the time, never getting a chance to dry out. That cable I pulled out felt slimy and looked degraded even after it was dried out.
My current conduit, at a different house, has a significant slope, and ends in a hole by my garage, that drains pretty well, except in winter, so it stays pretty dry. If it were level, I think I would have put in that pipe with holes in it, so that the water could drain out. But basically, if you can remove sharp rocks, I think the only reason for conduit is to make it easier to add new wires without digging again. But if you did what the other poster did, and put in additional wires for future use, that maybe it might be better to just bury the cable without conduit. I'm glad I put conduit in though, because I've added wires on about 3 occasions, plus I didn't remove all the sharp rocks, and I drive tractors and other vehicles over the wires all the time, and the conduit protects them from physical damage.

Cadsulfide

Nov 14, 2008

I live in a pretty wet area, never had trouble with water in the pipes. Not much to keeping it out, Duct-seal, foam or a terminal box all work. Even if you do get some water, way better to handle wet cable than to dig up the whole run again.

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Scott Greczkowski

Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge

Last reply 8 minutes ago · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Song Name Game Part 3!

Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne

Get it?

An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....

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hwkn

Today at 2:50 AM

PEOPLE Are Strange-The Doors

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Bobby

Today at 11:24 AM

hwkn said:
PEOPLE Are Strange-The Doors

ClarkGable said:
You're Still A Young Man - Tower Of Power

No Match, back to:
People Are Strange - The Doors

Isn't Life Strange - The Moody Blues

FTA4PA

Today at 12:09 PM

Strange Days - Nazareth

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Today at 1:17 PM

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8 minutes ago

Dancing in the Street - Van Halen

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TWiT Tech Podcast Network

10 minutes ago · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

MacBreak Weekly 1048

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!

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TRG

Pub Member / Supporter

Last reply Today at 12:29 PM · posted in Local Radio Discussion

House Passes AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act

House Passes AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act

(Washington, DC) - The U.S. House has passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, marking a major step forward for broadcasters and listeners who have pushed to keep AM radio available in new cars and

wabcradio.com

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dishdude

Sep 18, 2026

It's probably been 2 decades since I've listened to an AM radio station. Very rarely listen to FM any more.

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Jimbo

Today at 8:35 AM

I am 1 that wants the AM to Stay ....
That said, since '08 I have had Sat radio available to me ... I think I have turned on AM 3 or 4 times, just to see if its still there.

Fwiw, if theres a Major disaster or bad weather or whatever, the chances of me finding out about it by going to the AM side of the radio is SLIM and None.
Even FM, I haven't really had on since '13ish, I may turn it on from time to time, just to see if its still there.

harshness

Today at 10:10 AM

Jimbo said:
Fwiw, if theres a Major disaster or bad weather or whatever, the chances of me finding out about it by going to the AM side of the radio is SLIM and None.

Automation has seen to that. You can't get evening drive traffic reports where I live, much less disaster reports.

dishstaller

Today at 10:41 AM

dishdude said:
Very rarely listen to FM any more

That goes for a lot of people. I've been advertising on radio for more than a decade now and am very familiar with this subject. While it is still a valuable tool, it has far less impact than it did just a few years ago. The best reaction I get is from a local Country music station....they play a mix of older and newer music and have a very big footprint.

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Jimbo

Today at 11:03 AM

dishstaller said:
That goes for a lot of people. I've been advertising on radio for more than a decade now and am very familiar with this subject. While it is still a valuable tool, it has far less impact than it did just a few years ago. The best reaction I get is from a local Country music station....they play a mix of older and newer music and have a very big footprint.

Do you do any Ad's on Satellite ?

If Not, why not, because it's not Local ?

dishstaller

Today at 12:29 PM

Jimbo said:
Do you do any Ad's on Satellite ?

If Not, why not, because it's not Local ?

No, just regular FM stations. One is the country station I mentioned and the other is a Talk Radio station which used to get fantastic results but honestly, since the death of Rush Limbaugh, talk radio just doesn't do as well. There were two guys who had an early morning show which was hugely popular here in the southeast but one of them retired a couple years ago and the show just doesn't garner the same numbers as it used to.

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TheForce

Supporting Founder Pub Member / Supporter

Last reply Today at 11:49 AM · posted in The Phone & Tablet Zone

Apple Event September 2026

Apple Fall Hardware Event takes place today, September 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET. It marks the debut of new CEO John Ternus and the expected reveal of Apple's first foldable phone.

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comfortably_numb

Oct 10, 2026

Can't remember if I've posted this yet..

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfL5seXJyWU

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Foxbat

Sunday at 7:05 PM

IFixIt has published their Teardown and they had some positive things to say about the iPhone Duo. It still showed some dust ingress into the hinge assembly but seemed otherwise well-sealed.

But with a considerable number of reports of the main screen dying with similar failures, AppleCare+ should be a no-brainer for this phone.

slow_poke_pete

Sunday at 8:31 PM

comfortably_numb said:
Can't remember if I've posted this yet..

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfL5seXJyWU

most carriers do. that's why they send updates that slow phones down!! i buy unlocked phones no effect to me

slow_poke_pete

Sunday at 8:32 PM

Foxbat said:
IFixIt has published their Teardown and they had some positive things to say about the iPhone Duo. It still showed some dust ingress into the hinge assembly but seemed otherwise well-sealed.

But with a considerable number of reports of the main screen dying with similar failures, AppleCare+ should be a no-brainer for this phone.

hope you have apple care a screen job is 1000.00

. can we say over priced garbage!!!

slow_poke_pete

Yesterday at 4:36 PM

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0BssMerjA

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harshness

Today at 10:17 AM

Gone are the days when Apple "perfects" what debuted years earlier on an Android phone.

comfortably_numb

Today at 11:49 AM

harshness said:
Gone are the days when Apple "perfects" what debuted years earlier on an Android phone.

Or better yet, innovate something "completely revolutionary!"

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SkyWatcher57

Pub Member / Supporter

Last reply Today at 11:17 AM · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion

KOQIT receivers

Hello folks, well my luck ran out last week with a nasty thunderstorm and after 39 years here, finally took a hit. Now, the FTA receivers I had for some years worked great until now. Recently picked up a fairly cheap receiver, online, KOQIT and seems to be good, but for the life of me, I cannot get the HDMI output to work with 3 of my Samsung monitors. I can hook it up to my Samsung TV and its HDMI input and it works fine. The 2 receivers I lost also worked fine with them, so am I going crazy? anyone have come across this or have any suggestions? And, since this is a somewhat cheap unit but works, what is everyone out there using for receivers these days? without breaking the bank? I enjoy watching FTA TV, so I will invest more if needed, what is a really good, detailed unit these days. I'm so use to watching a few of them HD channels. Right now I'm down to composite hookups, yuck! Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank

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(((Garyd)))

Sep 7, 2026

SkyWatcher57 said:
Hello folks, well my luck ran out last week with a nasty thunderstorm and after 39 years here, finally took a hit. Now, the FTA receivers I had for some years worked great until now. Recently picked up a fairly cheap receiver, online, KOQIT and seems to be good, but for the life of me, I cannot get the HDMI output to work with 3 of my Samsung monitors. I can hook it up to my Samsung TV and its HDMI input and it works fine. The 2 receivers I lost also worked fine with them, so am I going crazy? anyone have come across this or have any suggestions? And, since this is a somewhat cheap unit but works, what is everyone out there using for receivers these days? without breaking the bank? I enjoy watching FTA TV, so I will invest more if needed, what is a really good, detailed unit these days. I'm so use to watching a few of them HD channels. Right now I'm down to composite hookups, yuck! Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank

Take the cover off, show me pics of the board of the bad one and also the bottom of the board. I'm an old hardware electronics tech plus a satellite dealer; I fixed a lot of FTA and regular receivers. I may be able to fix it for you. And yes, they got hit by lightning; it's best to email me the pics at diamondsatellite@snet.net or call me at 203-232-8888. I give you a 50-50 chance of fixing it; I do have spare parts. my phone is a fliptop phone
Gary

Reactions: navychop

slow_poke_pete

Sep 10, 2026

SkyWatcher57 said:
Hello folks, well my luck ran out last week with a nasty thunderstorm and after 39 years here, finally took a hit. Now, the FTA receivers I had for some years worked great until now. Recently picked up a fairly cheap receiver, online, KOQIT and seems to be good, but for the life of me, I cannot get the HDMI output to work with 3 of my Samsung monitors. I can hook it up to my Samsung TV and its HDMI input and it works fine. The 2 receivers I lost also worked fine with them, so am I going crazy? anyone have come across this or have any suggestions? And, since this is a somewhat cheap unit but works, what is everyone out there using for receivers these days? without breaking the bank? I enjoy watching FTA TV, so I will invest more if needed, what is a really good, detailed unit these days. I'm so use to watching a few of them HD channels. Right now I'm down to composite hookups, yuck! Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank

a good surge protector will help to.

Reactions: SkyWatcher57

SkyWatcher57

Sep 11, 2026

(((Garyd))) said:
Take the cover off, show me pics of the board of the bad one and also the bottom of the board. I'm an old hardware electronics tech plus a satellite dealer; I fixed a lot of FTA and regular receivers. I may be able to fix it for you. And yes, they got hit by lightning; it's best to email me the pics at diamondsatellite@snet.net or call me at 203-232-8888. I give you a 50-50 chance of fixing it; I do have spare parts. my phone is a fliptop phone
Gary

Hi Gary, still working on getting you those

SkyWatcher57 said:
Hi Gary, just saw this, ok, I'll grab some pics tomorrow and post them. thx

Still working getting you those pictures, nice weekends means yard work and fall prep, thanks

Reactions: (((Garyd)))

k4otl

Thursday at 10:09 PM

Anybody know how to add "hidden" audio channels like for 101 W Ku or 105W C band on these recvr's? I've exported the database file but don't have anything that will read or edit it.

cyberham

Thursday at 10:25 PM

For 105W C, you scan in the Westwood tp normally. Then select the audio channel you want. Not necessary to manually enter. On 101W, you must manually enter.

k4otl

Today at 11:17 AM

cyberham said:
For 105W C, you scan in the Westwood tp normally. Then select the audio channel you want. Not necessary to manually enter. On 101W, you must manually enter.

Seems like I remember that now, with my V9 I manually entered anyway on 105, easier for me to pick the channel later

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techristian

Last reply Today at 11:07 AM · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion

NEED SUGGESTIONS FOR NEW FTA BOX

IS Amiko MIRA 3 any good ???
Can you recommend the best to cover all bases. NO BEEPS on certain channels 101w (NEWSMAX ,NEWS NATION), a clock that keeps working STEADY for timed recording ,solid unit with good lifespan. My Amiko died AND my Linkbox has NO Favorites Button and BEEPS on many channels. Picking up 105 west with a NEW SHED IN THE Way with 6 foot Cband ..95 percent quality ...unbelievable.

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techristian

Saturday at 8:49 PM

Have you tried a new power brick on your Amiko?

YOU WERE RIGHT. IT IS WORKING NOW WITH 2X AMPS !!

DAN

Reactions: FTA4PA, primestar31, cyberham and 1 other person

primestar31

Saturday at 10:47 PM

techristian said:
Have you tried a new power brick on your Amiko?

YOU WERE RIGHT. IT IS WORKING NOW WITH 2X AMPS !!

DAN

That's great!

Many people have all sorts of power bricks laying around. Provided the plug fits, and it's the right polarity and same voltage and the same OR higher amps, why not try another one IF the device you want to try it on doesn't seem to work right.

Reactions: cyberham

JFOK

Saturday at 10:54 PM

primestar31 said:
That's great!

Many people have all sorts of power bricks laying around. Provided the plug fits, and it's the right polarity and same voltage and the same OR higher amps, why not try another one IF the device you want to try it on doesn't seem to work right.

primestar31,

Could you explain to me what a power brick is ?
Thanks,

John

primestar31

Saturday at 10:59 PM

JFOK said:
primestar31,

Could you explain to me what a power brick is ?
Thanks,

John

Some people just call them power supplies (which really isn't a good fit in this case), some call them "wall adapters" but it's an external power supply or AC adapter that converts (AC) from a wall outlet into low-voltage (DC) that an electronic device needs to run.

Reactions: JFOK

techristian

Saturday at 11:17 PM

[Give us a summary of what you receive with a 6-footer. I'm very curious.]

Right now on C band getting 105w, a Mexican channel with 95% quality and I am near Detroit! I'm recording a TECHNO MUSIC FESTIVAL today from Mexico ..if you can believe it.....and yes that SHED is partly in the path so I'm puzzled. There are also christian channels on 105w.

cyberham

Sunday at 12:43 AM

techristian said:
...Right now on C band getting 105w, a Mexican channel with 95% quality...

105W has some very strong transponders. I received more than four transponders using a 41-inch dish recently. See here.

k4otl

Today at 11:07 AM

techristian said:
[Give us a summary of what you receive with a 6-footer. I'm very curious.]

Right now on C band getting 105w, a Mexican channel with 95% quality and I am near Detroit! I'm recording a TECHNO MUSIC FESTIVAL today from Mexico ..if you can believe it.....and yes that SHED is partly in the path so I'm puzzled. There are also christian channels on 105w.

The Westwood One Mux on 105W would likely be receivable, has some good music channels on there. It does scan in, but it's more convenient to manually enter the PIDs, check out Lyngsat for the channels: EchoStar 105/SES 11 at 105.0°W - LyngSat

I use a 10 footer (only C-band dish I have), but it's very strong.

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KU/C BAND CABLE RUN

Song Name Game Part 3!

MacBreak Weekly 1048

Pros Try AI-Cloned Engineering Tools

Linux 7.3 Optimizes Gaming VRAM on 8GB GPUs #shorts

New colors of the HomePod Mini 2! Blue, pink and green!

House Passes AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act

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Apple Event September 2026

Will AI Be Rejected in Game Development's Future? #shorts

KOQIT receivers

NEED SUGGESTIONS FOR NEW FTA BOX