I've always found this an inexact science.
I guess C-band isn't quite so critical, so people get away with a lot of slop.
This
Chaparral web page discusses focal length and F/D.
If you scroll down about half way, there's a table of how far the feed should stick out of the scalar.
Perhaps you can apply that info to your very different hardware.
Theoretically, the best dishes I've seen to allow for easy optimization, are:
- some offset dishes ...
- some button hook buds ...
...where the LNB mount holds the feedhorn directly, and the scalar is only mounted to the feed.
That way, you independently adjust the feed for peak signal withOUT the scalar....
... then install and tune the scalar for best signal quality.
Most dishes mount the scalar at a fixed location, and you move the feed in 'n out.
That's pretty stupid, because as you tune the focal distance, you're simultaneously tuning the F/D ! - :rant:
That's how I spell,
interaction.
Talk about a nightmare.
edit:
Well, come to think of it, there's a dish that is pretty reasonable.
I've looked at the lnb mount on the Paraclipse. (thanks for all the pix, Stogie)
You set the scalar and feed for proper F/D (as in the Chaparral info above), then...
The adjustment the dish gives let you move the whole assembly toward or away from the dish on long screws.
If you can trust your F/D setup, this approach gets the job done properly! - :up