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melgarga
Last reply · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion

Dish mods from the "Dark Side"

Being bored, I decided to travel a few villages of the "Dark Side" and came across something that caught my attention. It seems that if this could work, something would have shown up here courtesy of our resident Mad Scientist ( ya'll know who you are!) The guy claims 123, 125, and 129 on a 30" dish w/ this setup. Using 3/4" copper pipe for a waveguide is one thing I guess, but what about a scaler assy?
Wierd.
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Ku.jpg
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melgarga
I dunno, I was so distracted by the "plumbing" I didnt really think about it.......lol
I'm curious about the connection point between the lnb input and the copper pipe.
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pendragon
melgarga said:
I'm curious about the connection point between the lnb input and the copper pipe.
Click to expand...

Looks like the copper pipe goes into a C120 flange on the left LNB. It would be around the correct diameter. Actually this might work; if you look at the feeds DN put on the Superdish, these pipes are only a little cruder.
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melgarga
pendragon said:
Looks like the copper pipe goes into a C120 flange on the left LNB. It would be around the correct diameter. Actually this might work; if you look at the feeds DN put on the Superdish, these pipes are only a little cruder.
Click to expand...
I defer to your knowledge of these things, and after researching the OP's other posts, I see no reason to question his qualifications or claims, but the damn thing just looks really weird. I'm all for thinking 'outside the box' and this demonstration gets moved to the top of my list in that respect.
.........so if the focal point is at the end (or beginning?) of the "waveguide", the distance to the actual lnb input element is irrelevant?
Makes me start invisioning a homebrew multi port eliptical (or conical?) scaler assy..........

Merging ideas from two different Mad Scientist's research projects, if one used the same diameter copper pipe as the throat of a C band LNB(F) theoreticly could one yield the same result in moving the C band assy to a position that is more "adjacent LNB" mount friendly?
or
optimizing the mini bud C band feed assy and boring holes in the scaler for the adjacent Ku LNB(s) to be mounted in a more position adjistable mount.

Could this be a solution for adding one or more Ku LNBs to a prime focus dish to 'pick off' the correct focal point for Ku without compromising the C band portion?
Microwaves....gotta love 'em.....lol
Damn, I'm starting to sound like my grandkids. "What's this for?, How does this work?, What does that do?......"lol
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Smith P.
From law of physics traveling distance is affect signal level and adding noise; as I questioning before, missing provision of entrance's conus and scalar ring will induce drop the signal, we should remember for the type of normal parabolic [offset] reflector exist only one optimal focal point; when you get adjusted sats you'll get less energy in second/third pseudo-focal points. Therefor you'll need to make bigger entry throat and avoid adding signal traveling distance to the probes inside of LNBF.
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pendragon
I'm a little rusty on waveguide theory, but it is important to note that in a circular waveguide the diameter is critical to the range of frequencies that can be successfully transferred. One would need to calculate the modes to see whether standard pipe diameters would be practical for FTA applications. Eyeballing one of my C120 LNBs puts 3/4" copper in the ballpark, although it might be a little large. One does need to carefully manage transitions in dimensions and the primary/secondary probes cannot be arbitrarily placed. There are rough rules-of-thumb available in design, but one is pretty much stuck with either heavy computational modeling or cut-and-try methodologies.

Good waveguides can move signals at least a short distance. Minimizing surface imperfections/irregularities is important. I recall losses such as 0.2-0.5 dB/ft at Ku frequencies but that's just memory. This doesn't necessarily mean the CNR will be reduced by this attenuation, because the dish will 'amplify' a variety of noise sources, including terrestrial, solar and galactic. That may still put the noise floor at the LNB probe higher than the LNB's equivalent noise.

There's no need to be bashful about using waveguides in FTA. DN used about 6" to split 119 and 121 on the Superdish. My circular ortho C-band feed is about a foot long to accommodate its 1/4 wave plate. There is no scalar on the Superdish 119 feed and the 121 has only a slight flare. The use of scalars is often beneficial, but may be obviated by other aspects of feed design. My gut feeling is a longer feed will be more directional and thus reduce the benefit of a traditional scalar.

The optimal location in the feed for the focal 'point' pretty much needs to be determined by trial and error because the focal clouds of dishes can be quite different and complex. Enlarging the feed mouth for off-axis reception may win or lose depending on the energy density of the off-axis focus. I'm not sure I would characterize off-axis focus as 'pseudo' focal points, however. They are real, but as in any parabolic reflector, they will exhibit coma which will spread the received energy.
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Smith P.
[Just short note from math: a parabola had only one focal point. If we talking about parabola reflector. ;)]
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pendragon
We are arguing semantics. I tried to be careful to not characterize off-axis focus as a focal point(s). Calling out "second/third pseudo-focal points" has an air of specificity when in fact it is a continuum. Off-axis focus is also three-dimensional. Those were my only concerns. The scientific nomenclature is generally to refer to aberrations as the inability to bring the energy to a precise point.
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osu1991
osu1991
Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Susan Saint James, Emmy-Winning Star of 'Kate & Allie' and 'McMillan & Wife,' Dies at 80

variety.com

Susan Saint James, Emmy-Winning Star of ‘Kate & Allie’ and ‘McMillan & Wife,’ Dies at 80

Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress who starred in "Kate & Allie," died Monday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was 80.
variety.com variety.com
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sdfntx
sdfntx
Sorry to hear this. R.I.P.
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FTA4PA
FTA4PA
R.I.P.
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dishstaller
dishstaller
My Mom was a huge McMillan & Wife fan.

RIP
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dfergie
dfergie
Mcmillan and wife was where I remember her from, R.I.P. ...
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Mr Tony
R.I.P.
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Scott Greczkowski
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in SiriusXM Satellite Radio

SiriusXM announces 25 Holiday Channels for 2026

Some of the channels start next week.

investor.siriusxm.com

SiriusXM Delivers the Soundtrack to the Holidays with Its Festive Lineup of 25 Handcrafted Seasonal Music Channels

Lineup features channels produced and presented by celebrated personalities and iconic brands, including Jimmy Fallon, Hallmark,…...
investor.siriusxm.com investor.siriusxm.com
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comfortably_numb
comfortably_numb
My favorite is probably Holiday Pops.
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TRG
TRG
It's not even Halloween yet.
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Scott Greczkowski
Scott Greczkowski
I like the Jimmy Fallon channel. This will be its third year. I like that it's all fresh each year. Also fun when he pops on live from time to time.
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dishstaller
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club

At least 64 dead in Spanish passenger train collision

Terrible tragedy. You would think that they would have safe guards in place that would prevent something like this from happening. I guess if you are going to ride in a passenger train it might be best to get a car near the rear.

At Least 64 Dead After Two High-Speed Trains Collide In Spain<!-- --> | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com www.zerohedge.com
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Jimbo
Jimbo
dishstaller said:
Terrible tragedy. You would think that they would have safe guards in place that would prevent something like this from happening. I guess if you are going to ride in a passenger train it might be best to get a car near the rear.

At Least 64 Dead After Two High-Speed Trains Collide In Spain<!-- --> | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com www.zerohedge.com
Click to expand...
They will have to look at the switching sections to determine WHY 2 trains were on the same track ... at the same time.
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Scott Greczkowski
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · 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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gms49ers
gms49ers
Show Don't Tell - Rush
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harshness
harshness
Show and Tell - Al Wilson
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sdfntx
sdfntx
On with the Show - The Rolling Stones
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gms49ers
gms49ers
The Show Must Go On - Pink Floyd
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Bobby
Bobby
If Love Must Go - Dobie Gray
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TRG
TRG
Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in Local Radio Discussion

House Passes AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act

wabcradio.com

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 wabcradio.com
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dishdude
dishdude
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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dishstaller
dishstaller
dishdude said:
Very rarely listen to FM any more
Click to expand...
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
Jimbo
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.
Click to expand...
Do you do any Ad's on Satellite ?

If Not, why not, because it's not Local ?
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dishstaller
dishstaller
Jimbo said:
Do you do any Ad's on Satellite ?

If Not, why not, because it's not Local ?
Click to expand...
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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slow_poke_pete
Haven't listened AM or FM in years
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harshness
harshness
Jimbo said:
If Not, why not, because it's not Local ?
Click to expand...
You knew the answer before you asked it.

I can't recall having encountered a local ad on Sirius, and I don't imagine it is any different on XM.
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Gary Toma
Gary Toma
Staff member Pub Member / Supporter Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in DIRECTV Technical Resources Forum

DIRECTV Transponder Map ~ Data 10/21/2026

The TPN Map Excel Presents all DIRECTV Channels:
​
National (50-States or wide/NAT+PR beams)
Local (Local-Into-Local or narrow/Spot beams)
​
Additional tabs provide:​
OTA the (Over-The-Air) Database
VOD (Video On_Demand) Records
Offline Records
Engr Records
Net Decoder a graphic presentation of all satellites and transponders
​
Domestic Satellites
@99W...... D11, D14
@101W.... D16
@103W.... D12, D15
@110W.... D5
@119W.... D8​

Understanding the TPN Map

Making Sense of the TPN Map Display Conventions
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DIRECTV_TPN_Map_261021.xlsx 1,876 KB
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dtv757
dtv757
For those dazn nba channels are they sat only or sat & streaming
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K
KyL416
Both, and they just made it official with a multiyear deal that also includes TV Everywhere authentication for the DAZN app, and commercial distribution.

DIRECTV, the premier provider of digital television entertainment in the United States, and DAZN, the world's leading sports entertainment platform, today announced a new multi-year distribution agreement for local telecasts of Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, and San Antonio Spurs games for DIRECTV streaming, satellite, and U-verse customers in each team's respective NBA-designated home territories.

These DAZN telecasts will be available to DIRECTV customers who subscribe to the Choice or higher packages and to U-verse TV customers who subscribe to the U200 or higher package. Each of DAZN's team services provides live pregame, postgame, and in-game coverage for the respective team.

In the coming weeks, customers who receive access to these teams via DIRECTV will also be able to login to the DAZN platform at no additional cost using their DIRECTV login credentials.

This agreement also provides distribution rights to each of the five NBA teams to all of DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS' thousands of sports bars, restaurants, fitness clubs, and other commercial venues located within each team's respective region.
Click to expand...
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doctor J
DirecTV Satellite Transponder Updates for Oct 28 2026

Comparison of Transponder Data for Oct 28 2026 vs Oct 21 2026:


No changes in system tables for any transponder tuning parameters.

Changes to the use of defined transponders:

1 Transponder cleared of all Streams::
Net 15 TID 12 Beam NAT is a National Transponder on D12@103ca, TPN 13

2 Previously unused Transponders with current APG records::
Net 0 TID 28 Beam NAT + PR is a National Transponder on D16@101, TPN 29
Net 10 TID 126 Beam NAT is a National Transponder on D11@99cb, TPN 3

Stream (PID) counts:

LIVE Streams​
National​
Spot Beams​
Count​
Change​
Count​
Change​
4K​
4​
​
​
​
HD​
264​
​
1449​
​
SD mpeg4​
144​
-1​
194​
​
SD mpeg2​
434​
1​
​
​
RB​
​
​
​
​
Audio​
89​
​
​
​
Push​
26​
​
​
​
Slate​
19​
​
1​
​
​
TEST Streams​
National​
Spot Beams​
Count​
Change​
Count​
Change​
4K​
​
​
​
​
HD​
​
​
1​
​
SD mpeg4​
​
​
​
​
SD mpeg2​
​
​
​
​
RB​
​
​
​
​
Engr Work​
38​
​
​
​
​


The PID count Excel workbook provides much more count detail.

Newly updated tables of Streams on each transponder are available in the DataDigesters TPN Grids

More details of changes in individual channels will follow in the Weekly Analysis
and Gary Toma's Domestic TPN Map Excel files
A few remaps
Weekly Analysis soon
Enjoy
DataDigesters
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D
doctor J
Weekly Analysis for 10/28/2026:
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Weekly_Analysis_261028.xlsx 16 KB
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K
KyL416
ElectionHQ mixes testing with BBC News, CNBC, CNN, FBN, FNC, MSNOW, NewsMax and NewsNation

Some more reshuffles

Updating the TMSIDs for KSBI and KQCW to use the cable feeds with Thunder games instead of the OTA feeds

An additional commercial PPV channel is now on 9530
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Booredatwork.com
· posted in BooredAtWork.COM

Amazon Echo Show 16: Now this is it!

Time for another AWESOME video from BoredAtWork!


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wVSqE_URJIo


Direct YouTube Link - Amazon Echo Show 16: Now this is it!
Booredatwork.com Website
Booredatwork on Facebook
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TFLEV
· posted in TFLEV

Can You ACTUALLY Use the Mazda CX-90 PHEV As an Electric Commuter? | Baseline Challenge

Time for another AWESOME video from TFL Electric Vehicles!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-HYgO5Lpa8


Direct YouTube Link - Can You ACTUALLY Use the Mazda CX-90 PHEV As an Electric Commuter? | Baseline Challenge
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Apple's All-New iPad mini

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtLJGwEtyT0


Direct YouTube Link - Apple's All-New iPad mini
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
Read more
0 Replies · 25 views
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JSheridan
JSheridan
Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum

All DMA's now Western Arc

I know HipKat said that they were working on conversions but we got the official news yesterday right from Dish that starting next month all DMA's will be on the western arc, and all customers will be assigned to that. That's gonna mean a lot of customers around here aren't gonna get Dish unless there are exceptions. Too many mountains and trees.
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S
Strega
Even if you are broadcasting old SD-only shows, I would think advertisers would still want their commercials to look good.
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Jimbo
Jimbo
Strega said:
Even if you are broadcasting old SD-only shows, I would think advertisers would still want their commercials to look good.
Click to expand...
Advertisers on SD channels are probably Far and Few, very hard to find, they have very few viewers to watch them.
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Mister B
Mister B
Jimbo said:
Advertisers on SD channels are probably Far and Few, very hard to find, they have very few viewers to watch them.
Click to expand...
I watch mostly SD channels (H&I, Start and ION, etc.). There are plenty of advertisers, this time of the year it is mostly Medicare Advantage plans, auto extended warranties and the occasional walk-in-tub. They know who is watching.
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S
slow_poke_pete
Mister B said:
I watch mostly SD channels (H&I, Start and ION, etc.). There are plenty of advertisers, this time of the year it is mostly Medicare Advantage plans, auto extended warranties and the occasional walk-in-tub. They know who is watching.
Click to expand...
can't forget the little blue m&m's
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charlesrshell
charlesrshell
slow_poke_pete said:
can't forget the little blue m&m's
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That's what my wife calls my Viagra!!
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T
telstar_1
Why didn't Charlie end up launching starlink
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slow_poke_pete
charlesrshell said:
That's what my wife calls my Viagra!!
Click to expand...
My gf is 29 years younger than me :shh
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Almighty1
Almighty1
telstar_1 said:
Why didn't Charlie end up launching starlink
Click to expand...
He does not have the resources aka $$$ compared to Elon Musk as in reality, Elon can eat Charlie for lunch or even mop the floor with Charlie if he wanted to.
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S
slow_poke_pete
ment to 20 yrs dam phone
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BradleyD
BradleyD
Dish should use both satellite and internet like they do now for all channels. Use either or or both.... like now but subscribers could choose something like internet only, or sat only, or both.
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S
slow_poke_pete
BradleyD said:
Dish should use both satellite and internet like they do now for all channels. Use either or or both.... like now but subscribers could choose something like internet only, or sat only, or both.
Click to expand...
They have sling tv wich sucks ass it needs a major upgrade
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