BUD Find and Questions...

[Prod143]

Getting back into the Satellite thing was wondering if I could get some recommendations.


Background: A few years ago I moved into my grandpa's house and found 2 BUDs. One was disassembled and missing parts on the ground, and one was in place with an 80s C-band LNB. Picked a General Instruments 2400r on E bay. It worked great, I used it tell DCII was phased out...

Just installed a 30" FTA set up at a friend of the family's house (AMC-4 @ 101w) for religious broadcast. I received their old Dish 300, a universal KU LNB and broken receiver.

I picked up a SonicView-360 locally. Then I literally used a 2x4 and a ball peen hammer, to attach the universal LNB on the Dish 300 (pics)... Yes it works have over 80+ channels on Galaxy 19 (S:99 Q:20-40).

As I expected the FTA receiver doesn't like my BUD. It will turn on the LNB, but doesn't let me control the skew/H/V and I can't pick up anything on C-band with the FTA receiver...


This is my dilemma. I would like to use the BUD for both C and KU; however, I have read on many of these forums the size of the mesh will affect the Ku response.

How small must the mesh be to ignore the loss on the Ku band?

If I were to buy a new LNB for the BUD what should I look for and what should I stay away from?

Are there any Motor controllers that will allow me to utilize the FTA box (SV-360) to control the BUD's motor?

 

[Anole]

the short version:

Well, your General Instruments 2400 could be used to run the motor and skew the servo on your existing feedhorn, or . . .

Motor controller: Sadoun Gbox v3000, link in my signature, review in our Hardware Review department.
Controlled by a modern DVB FTA receiver.

Modern voltage controlled LNBF: CK-1 available at Sadoun or SatelliteAV, or DMX741 from WSI.
(see gold sponsor links at the top of any page, here)
These LNBFs are a little touchy to adjust for Ku reception, but many have mastered them.

Hole size on the BUD is generally recommended as being small enough to not pass a #2 pencil.
If you have a "perforated" dish (round holes punched in a sheet), then that test may be appropriate.
However, "expanded mesh" dishes may have diamond-shaped holes, and if the long direction is larger than the pencil, they might have reduced Ku reflectivity.
Give it a test and see.

There's a better feedhorn solution for a lot more money.
It's called an orthomode feed. eg: ADL or Bullseye II.
It takes two original style C-band LNBs, and two Ku-LNBs.
They are generally easier to fine tune, and will perform a little bit better.
Cost for feed, lnbs (from cheap to exotic), and a multiswitch to hook them all together could range up to $500 or $700 or more for new.
Lots less for used, but still a couple hundred dollars.
I'm not recommending, just trying to paint you the whole landscape.

Hopefully, others will add their suggestions and opposing views.

 

[Prod143]

re: the short version:

Thanks!

Well, your General Instruments 2400 could be used to run the motor and skew the servo on your existing feed horn, or . . .

Tried it last night, was able to receive C-Band signals! Seams there is plenty of signal on both the analog and the FTA receivers S was full scale, but the Q was wildly erratic 1 to 99 and back to 1; however, I was still able to receive a couple of FTA C-band signals.

Motor controller: Sadoun Gbox v3000, link in my signature, review in our Hardware Review department. Controlled by a modern DVB FTA receiver.

I like the idea of the controller being able to interface with my new box. Will have to give it a try

The BUD is mesh and I can't stick anything but the lead of a #2 pencil, so I think I'll be acceptable

Might need a new LNB. C-span, Cspan 2, HSN and JVC have static that tuning and skew will not eliminate, not the case 4 years ago... then again the coax is probably 20 years old....

Again thanks given me some good ideas 2 ponder.