Best Way to Receive Whole Ku Arc With Fixed Dishes?

[linuxman]

I got the bright idea the other day to make an attempt at getting as much of the Ku arc viewable from North America as possible using fixed Ku dishes and multi-lnbfs.

I want to be able to receive these signals on at least 2 receivers, perhaps more in at least 2 different rooms.

I have several Primestar 84es and one 75e currently. I know where I can get a couple more real easily.

I know several members here who have accomplished this using both un-committed and committed diseqc switches, and some who have used 22Khz switches only. I am going to attempt lnbs at 4 degrees apart as shown in my layout below. If you think I can get more than 3 lnbfs on each dish and how to place them that would be great. Keep in mind, that I would like to retain good reliable signal for each satellite.

If there is a better way to lay this out, please elaborate on your setup with picuters drawings etc. That would be very helpful.

Here is my current plan:

Dish 1
74W (H2 AKA SBS6)
79W (AMC5)
83W (AMC9)
72W (AMC6)

Dish 2
85W (AMC2)
89W (G28 AKA IA8)
93W (G26 AKA IA6)

Dish 3
87W (AMC3)
91W (G17 AKA G11)
95W (G3)

Dish 4
97W (G25 AKA IA5)
101W (AMC4)
105W (AMC15)

Dish 5
99W (G16 AKA G4)
103W (AMC1)
107.3W (AnikF1)

Dish 6
121W (Dish 121)
125W (AMC21)
129W (G27 AKA IA7)
148W (Dish 148)

Dish 7
123W (G18 AKA G10)
127W (Horizon 1)

Dish 8
30W (Hispasat)
43W (IS-3R)



Dish Optional 1
107.3 (AnikF1)
110 (Dish 110)
119 (Dish 119)

Dish Optional 2
111.1 (AnikF2)
113 (Satmex6)
116.8 (Satmex5)

 

[Cadsulfide]

A worthy task, O Great One! Should be way cool!

 

[Mr Tony]

wouldnt 2 T-90's just work easier?

 

[Keith Brannen]

Looks very doable to me (except on dish1 you have listed 74, 79, 83, and also have listed 72 on it, so you may have to change the LNB set-up, or have a separate dish for 72).

As far as getting more LNBs per dish (as in four per dish), without significant signal loss, would be (if possible) to have no centre LNB, so that the two outside LNBs would be 6 degrees off centre, and the two inside LNBs would be 2 degrees off centre.

I only have my setup going to one receiver, so I have no experience with how well the EMP Centauri switch that I use would work through the necessary switches to allow multiply receivers.

Anyhow, I have 22 LNBs (looking at 23 satellites) with the following configuration:

receiver - DiSEqC 4x1 - port one - EMP Centauri (8 ports) with 8 - 22Khz tone switches and 16 LNBs

DiSEqC 4x1 - ports two to four have 2 LNBs per port

Theoretically, I could add other EMP Centauri switches to ports two to four. Practically, I can't, since I have SC dual LNBs which don't play nice with the EMP Centauri switch (power issue?) so can't be attached to a EMP Centauri port.

 

[voomvoom]

You forgot Estrela1 ku @ 63.0w. It has SCETV (South Carolina) on 10 channels, two of which always has programming.

 

[linuxman]

Looks very doable to me (except on dish1 you have listed 74, 79, 83, and also have listed 72 on it, so you may have to change the LNB set-up, or have a separate dish for 72).

As far as getting more LNBs per dish (as in four per dish), without significant signal loss, would be (if possible) to have no centre LNB, so that the two outside LNBs would be 6 degrees off centre, and the two inside LNBs would be 2 degrees off centre.

I only have my setup going to one receiver, so I have no experience with how well the EMP Centauri switch that I use would work through the necessary switches to allow multiply receivers.

Anyhow, I have 22 LNBs (looking at 23 satellites) with the following configuration:

receiver - DiSEqC 4x1 - port one - EMP Centauri (8 ports) with 8 - 22Khz tone switches and 16 LNBs

DiSEqC 4x1 - ports two to four have 2 LNBs per port

Theoretically, I could add other EMP Centauri switches to ports two to four. Practically, I can't, since I have SC dual LNBs which don't play nice with the EMP Centauri switch (power issue?) so can't be attached to a EMP Centauri port.

Thanks Keith!!

I think it will be very doable myself, just have to get it figured out in my head, make some adjustments to thinking like you suggested with no center LNB etc, and then put it on paper.

Yes Iceberg, two t-90s would work very well if I had an extra 5 or 6 hundred dollars laying around.

Two 6 foot prodelins would work well too, and I may have one of them in my hands before spring, but am working with what I have for now.

Al has a very nice setup for multiple receivers that he explained in the SA thread in the C-Band section. Thanks Al for the tip about Estrela. I hadn't heard that name in a while.

It will be a great spring project, and something to get me off my butt and on the roof again.

Cadsulfide has a nice setup too. Just have to work out the best for me. I just got the ok from my wife if it will make her viewing channels easier to access.

 

[Mr Tony]

Yes Iceberg, two t-90s would work very well if I had an extra 5 or 6 hundred dollars laying around.

I was being sarcastic

 

[linuxman]

I was being sarcastic

I know you were.

I would love to play with a T-90, but the dang things are just too expensive for me.

Especially when I have all these Primestars just sitting here looking at me.

I went out and got another 84e and a 75e today.

I know where there are another couple that I just need to go pluck them off the poles.

 

[Tron]

I went out and got another 84e and a 75e today.

I know where there are another couple that I just need to go pluck them off the poles.

Harvest time! I wish there were plenty of P* Channel Masters around here for the taking

Your multi-dish project sounds like a great idea, especially with all of that roof space!

 

[linuxman]

Thanks Tron!

I have been fortunate in finding several Primestar dishes. They seem to be very plentiful around here.

As far as roof space, there is plenty here, and with the proper plan, even more space can be made available.

 

[jayelem]

I know where there are another couple (Primestars) that I just need to go pluck them off the poles.

While visiting my Aunt within the last week I saw a nice Primestar in the front yard of a boarded up old farmhouse , place looks abandoned and as tempting as it might be for me to go pluck it and believe me I was seriously thinking about it ..... I feel a little uneasy about it , I just wish I could inquire about it with a neighbor but the closest neighbor happens to be a police station

 

[gabshere]

well fred it looks like a good project
your intensions are to get both polarities from all the satellites listed ?
is it for one receiver or multiple receivers ?

 

[linuxman]

well fred it looks like a good project
your intensions are to get both polarities from all the satellites listed ?
is it for one receiver or multiple receivers ?

Hey George.

I am still very much in the planning stage right now. Trying to think everything through before ordering a ton of LNBs.

I want both polarities from all satellites and shared for multiple receivers.

If I can squeeze 4 lnbs to a dish as Keith suggested above, I have enough dishes in possession right now to do the job.

I'm glad it is cold weather right now keeping my feet on the ground. Gives me a chance to draw up a plan for this spring.

 

[rv1pop]

When I first started out, that was also what I was looking at doing. However, there are several satellites I did not see anything I wanted!
My biggest question is what will the wind do to multiple LNBs? I also looked at the T-90 idea, but looking at the pictures, I figured I doid not really want all that sail area.

Keep it up. I am over in the the Seattle-Everett area for a while and the sound of no wind is almost frightening at night!

 

[linuxman]

When I first started out, that was also what I was looking at doing. However, there are several satellites I did not see anything I wanted!
My biggest question is what will the wind do to multiple LNBs? I also looked at the T-90 idea, but looking at the pictures, I figured I doid not really want all that sail area.

Keep it up. I am over in the the Seattle-Everett area for a while and the sound of no wind is almost frightening at night!

Hey Pop,

Wind won't really be a big factor for me on top of my flat roof.

What happens here with wind is that it hits the side of my building and has to go somewhere, so it goes straight up and creates a kind of shear that keeps the side winds down a little when only 3 or 4 feet above the roof.

Even the Big dishes aren't affected much. The only Big dish that really gets the brunt of the wind is my original dish that hangs off the side of the building.

It occasionally gets buffeted a bit, but so far I haven't had many other problems with wind.

I have 4 Primestar dishes up there right now with 2 lnbs each on them, and wind has not been a factor.

Hope I haven't set myself up for a catastrophe.

 

[rv1pop]

Well, our wind is not what most people have. Our grass, formerly know as pasture, is wind mown at 6 inches. Fairly constant (average) winds at 18 MPH with gusts to 35 common and top recorded at 111.8 MPH - the high limit of the display. I now have 9 dishes mounted on the south side of the shed, but when I expand south I am not sure how they will line out as the wall is now 16 feet high, with the expansion, will drop to 8 feet. Also the extra roof line of 24 feet will drop that much more snow on top of the dishes. Kepp us posted on how this goes and particularly how many channels you get from each (english?). If I counted right, you are listing 24 LNBs. WOW!

 

[gabshere]

i know Labgate at one time had several listings on his website about switches and # of lnb's

so you could give it a look ( he's always been a wealth of information)

 

[linuxman]

i know Labgate at one time had several listings on his website about switches and # of lnb's

so you could give it a look ( he's always been a wealth of information)

I'll keep everyone posted Pop!

I have checked out Labgate's setup before, and he does have a nice way of doing things, but I am pretty sure that his setup only feeds one receiver.

To feed multiple receivers, you need to do everything a little differently.

 

[gabshere]

well one way he list it on the last part of the switch page lets multiple receivers work

it involves multiswitch , 22k & a 8 port diesqc switch
but newer multiswitches would probably work better and remove the 22k switch ( it would be built in.)

but this would involve either dual lnbf's or lnbf's with the H & V seperate ( its why i kept all my old primestar lnbf's cause they are seperate H & V

when you goto putting the setup on paper let me know if you need anything i have some extra parts & dishes

 

[linuxman]

well one way he list it on the last part of the switch page lets multiple receivers work

it involves multiswitch , 22k & a 8 port diesqc switch
but newer multiswitches would probably work better and remove the 22k switch ( it would be built in.)

but this would involve either dual lnbf's or lnbf's with the H & V seperate ( its why i kept all my old primestar lnbf's cause they are seperate H & V

when you goto putting the setup on paper let me know if you need anything i have some extra parts & dishes

George, you may have given me a brainstorm. :

I just took a look at the page you were talking about on labgate's website.

Tell me if this might work.

What about using a single output LNBF with a diode steered Hi-Freq splitter between the multi-switch and the LNBF. One side feeds from the 13V on the multi-switch and the other side being feeds from the 18V side of the multi-switch?

The only time it might not work is if two receivers accessed the same lnbf at the same time and tried a different polarity.

I'll have to think about that a while.