1.8 true focus dish setup

[cruzin]

Hi, few questions on a old true focus 6 ft stationary dish. It is the kind with the large ring around the bottom and a adjustable arm on the back for elevation adjustment. Then you put blocks around the ring to hold it in place.
I am thinking about setting it up on 99*sat for the network feeds. I used the dish a few years back for radio listening at another location. I would want to use this with my cs5000. The only place I have to set it up is behind the pole barn so I would have to bury a coax from my zinwell to the dish another 70ft from the zinwell.
Question is there a program or link to where I can find the declination angle to set the dish up on? I am not sure if declination is the term I want so I will describe it.
I will put a 6 ft straight edge from top to bottom of dish and set my electronic level on it to find its look angle. My problem is I do not know what the look angle should be here at lat. 43.436 and lon -85.287. Can someone direct me to a program that would give me that data. thanks.

 

[phlatwound]

You can enter your address or lat/long in this one, works great.

Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com

 

[cruzin]

I tried it out. Works good. Now for c band the 38* elevation is what I need to figure out! thanks for the link.

You can enter your address or lat/long in this one, works great.

Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com

 

[Mr Tony]

sounds about right for Michigan and 99W...its around 38 here in MInnesota too

 

[cruzin]

B1SAT vs Panorama

I need to add a 3rd lnbf to the list. BSC421 vs B1SAT vs Panorama.
Tonight I drug out my old True Focus stationary 6' c-band dish. I has Calamp 17* lnb on it. It took me about 1/2 hr to find 99* G16. I was only getting half the channels available because I do not have a working servo motor and do not want to go back to using my Uniden analog cband just to buy a new servo motor to make this lnb work. I want to use a single cable with my cs5000.
I looked at both the B1SAT and the Panorama lnbf. I believe they are the same type (please correct me if I am wrong) I want to be able to get both H and V signals on one cable. And I would like to be able to run these into my zinwell to share with my other cs5000s in the house. My cs5000 using lnb type OCS have the 5150/5750 settings.
Are these 3 lnbf usable for me? If so which one is the best for the money? thanks for any usable information.

 

[cruzin]

I put my 6 ft straight edge on the face of the dish and the digital level got the compass out set it at 205 and within a 1/2hr I found 99. I only got half the channels due to the lnb I'm using I have addressed that question in another thread. I want to get either a B1sat or Panorama which ever will work the best for coolsat cs5000 with only one coax.
But I do have it working. have over 90q on what I found.

 

[Anole]

You didn't give a model number nor a link for the Panorama, but the one I've seen has a single connector, and selects Vertical/Horizontal based on being fed 13 or 18 volts.
SO, it's good for running only one receiver at a time.

The B1 stacked Eagle Aspen LNBF is the only such C-band LNBF available in North America, that I've seen.
I'm not a big proponent of this, but you could use high frequency satellite-grade splitters to run multiple receivers.
A proper powered switch would be preferable, but the availability of such a switch is pretty slim.
To mention the only one I know of, would be to generate more confusion than solution.

A better and more traditional way, would be to use an LNBF with two outputs.
Those are fed to the two inputs of a 2x4 or 2x8 multiswitch.
OR, to two of the four inputs of a 4x4 or 4x8 multiswitch.
Then, each multiswitch output could be fed to a different receiver, which would be free to select Vertical or Horizontal.

If you chose a 4x4 or 4x8 switch, the two unused inputs could go to two outputs of a Ku band LNBF, such as this one.
Then, by simply selecting between 22khz off (for C-band) or 22khz on (for Ku), you could select different dishes and bands.

edit: I believe the 421 is just like the Panorama - it has a single output, so won't work here.

ALSO: you've got comments in multiple threads throughout the FTA Department, and I don't know exactly how you are wiring up your Zinwell.
I assume it's a 6x8, but for this application, it is only effective as a 4x8 multiswitch - the other two inputs are of NO USE.
What other LNBs are you trying to use with it?

 

[cruzin]

Right the zinwell is a 6x8.
I have 2 different 1.2 muzak dishes one pointing at 83* the other is at 97 and a second lnbf on it gets 101*. So I have 3 lnbs using the zinwell so far with 1 open spot. And I guess using that zinwell may not help because I have to select 13 or 18 v in order to get the correct dish I want. All of my lnbfs are single output no duals. I dont think running through a zinwell will work. On the panorama I do not see any model number just the name. Another option I have is a dual lnb feed horn which I have one of that I came by years ago and never used. I guess I could just buy another calamp. Still have to figure out the switches. Thanks for your information on only running one receiver with this setup.

You didn't give a model number nor a link for the Panorama, but the one I've seen has a single connector, and selects Vertical/Horizontal based on being fed 13 or 18 volts.
SO, it's good for running only one receiver at a time.

The B1 stacked Eagle Aspen LNBF is the only such C-band LNBF available in North America, that I've seen.
I'm not a big proponent of this, but you could use high frequency satellite-grade splitters to run multiple receivers.
A proper powered switch would be preferable, but the availability of such a switch is pretty slim.
To mention the only one I know of, would be to generate more confusion than solution.

A better and more traditional way, would be to use an LNBF with two outputs.
Those are fed to the two inputs of a 2x4 or 2x8 multiswitch.
OR, to two of the four inputs of a 4x4 or 4x8 multiswitch.
Then, each multiswitch output could be fed to a different receiver, which would be free to select Vertical or Horizontal.

If you chose a 4x4 or 4x8 switch, the two unused inputs could go to two outputs of a Ku band LNBF, such as this one.
Then, by simply selecting between 22khz off (for C-band) or 22khz on (for Ku), you could select different dishes and bands.

edit: I believe the 421 is just like the Panorama - it has a single output, so won't work here.

ALSO: you've got comments in multiple threads throughout the FTA Department, and I don't know exactly how you are wiring up your Zinwell.
I assume it's a 6x8, but for this application, it is only effective as a 4x8 multiswitch - the other two inputs are of NO USE.
What other LNBs are you trying to use with it?

 

[Anole]

Right the zinwell is a 6x8.
I have 3 lnbs using the zinwell so far with 1 open spot.
All of my lnbfs are single output no duals.
I dont think running through a zinwell will work.

The above is the crux of the problem.
The four inputs of the Zinwell are for TWO LNBs, not four.
And it cannot be used with single output LNBFs.

See the Switches Simplified FAQ, post #9, for a multi-LNB & multi-receiver example.
It might look like a little more than what you need now, but it the simple way to get what you want.

 

[Mr Tony]

cruzin

Here is a thought...you mentioned that you have a Coolsat 5000. Are there any HD recievers in the bunch?

Reason I ask is on 99W almost everything is on Horizontal polarity. On the vertical side is ABC HD and the syndicated feeds which are 4:2:2

So unless you need or have the ability to view HD or 4:2:2 info, just use the existing LNB which is set to H only. I did that a long time ago by mixing G10 (now G18) vertical and G4 (now G16) H C-Band together to run 4 receivers...old thread but here it is
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/63099-do-you-think-possible.html

 

[cruzin]

Thanks for the link, no HD receivers. looks like I should have been buying dual lnbs and also have alot of reading and understanding to do. I would like to try that. Question is and I think I know the answer can I run that one line into my zinwell on my one remaining 22hz off 18v spot? It would probably only scan one of the sats. And Im wondering if the 6' dish set at 99 could I put a ku lnb off to the right and find g18 way over at 123*. I do have a smaller dish out there also behind the pole barn aimed at 97. I think its a 1m dish for radio listening while in barn that I could move to 123 but not really wanting to loose radio in the barn.

cruzin

Here is a thought...you mentioned that you have a Coolsat 5000. Are there any HD recievers in the bunch?

Reason I ask is on 99W almost everything is on Horizontal polarity. On the vertical side is ABC HD and the syndicated feeds which are 4:2:2

So unless you need or have the ability to view HD or 4:2:2 info, just use the existing LNB which is set to H only. I did that a long time ago by mixing G10 (now G18) vertical and G4 (now G16) H C-Band together to run 4 receivers...old thread but here it is
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/63099-do-you-think-possible.html

 

[turbosat]

cruzin be sure you got that thing tied down good. AFter having my little dish like that (sounds just like yours) over 20yrs, I had put it in the back yard not long ago to test on the eastern sats like 58, but never put anything on the ring to weight it down. Storm came up quickly while I was gone to the grocery store and flipped that thing upside down, bending the bottom lip of the dish right where the lnb-support is fastened on. It'll prob still work for c-band, haven't tried it since then to see how it does..

 

[cruzin]

I got a couple tires and wheels on it for the moment!

cruzin be sure you got that thing tied down good. AFter having my little dish like that (sounds just like yours) over 20yrs, I had put it in the back yard not long ago to test on the eastern sats like 58, but never put anything on the ring to weight it down. Storm came up quickly while I was gone to the grocery store and flipped that thing upside down, bending the bottom lip of the dish right where the lnb-support is fastened on. It'll prob still work for c-band, haven't tried it since then to see how it does..