After reading many of the threads on large and small Buds’ I was interested. Everyone made the C-band sound so intriguing. Well I have a Fortec Star Dynamic receiver it can receive C-band. I have a motorized 90cm dish that I use for the Ku band, I get an arc from 15W to 125W, all I would have to do is get one of those C/KU-band LNBs and be on both bands in no time.
Man, how hard could it be?
Before I answer that question let me outline my goals. I would be happy getting the two transponders and their TV channels from AMC 6 at 72º W it is only two degrees east of my most south satellite. Any other C-band satellite that I could pull a signal off of would be a plus. So I ordered a DMX741U C/KU LNB and WS-KU2C Kit - Conical Scalar Ring & 65mm C Band LNBF Holder from WSI International.
Of course! It came with no instructions, but, hey I’m an FTA guy, (well only for the last two months), I subscribe to Satelliteguys.US I am no longer a newbie. I moved the tripod dish from the garage and locked in a religious station that was banging in with a 65 to 70 SQ, on AMC 6 KU band with my old Chaparral KU LNB. I took off the Chaparral and had no trouble mounting the new holder and LNB. Who needs instructions?
I spent the next four hours adjusting the DMX741U trying to get the religious station with the new LNB, no luck. Shut everything down and went to WSI’s website, to download the instruction. Next day moved the dish out of the garage, put the old LNB back on got the religious station locked in again, off with old on with the new. After reading the instructions I realized I needed to make some receiver adjustment. After a couple of hours I finally had the new LNB locked on the religious station with a SQ of 50 to 55. Not good, not bad got all of the KU stations on AMC 6 OK with the new LNB. Built a new AMC 6 C-band profile in the receiver and spent the next 4 hours trying to get a signal from 4040 transponder.
I finally managed to knock out the KU adjustments and get a very weak C-band signal (26 to 29 SQ) from the 4040 transponder. A blind scan turned up another transponder with a weak signal. I had signal but no stations, I managed to do a TP scan that locked in the channels but the SQ was so weak I could not get a picture. It looked like I squeezed the most signal I could out of the 90cm dish and I could not get a picture. Since the sun was still out I decided to put the dish back into garage and try it when the sun went down.
Later, in the cool of the evening, I took the dish out and checked the 4040 transponder the signal was the same but now I was able to view the stations. I figured that the earlier sun noise was just enough to hold back the picture from being viewed. (Or the C-band Gods did not want to make it easy for me)
I built a C-band profile in the receiver for Galaxy 16, at 99º W, motored over there and did a blind scan. Lo and behold I managed to received 6 C-band transponders signals, one at a fairly high SQ (50), this locked in three TV stations. When I went to see what was on the TV station I lost all C-band signals, even the ones on AMC 6. I kicked the tripod in the leg, and put it back in the garage. Man, how hard could it be?
I will start all over again tomorrow and see if I can get back the C-band signals and get the LNB adjusted to receive C and KU signals at the same setting. Any suggestions or hints will be greatly appreciated. I still don’t have an answer for: C-band on 90cm dish is it worth it?
Man, how hard could it be?
Before I answer that question let me outline my goals. I would be happy getting the two transponders and their TV channels from AMC 6 at 72º W it is only two degrees east of my most south satellite. Any other C-band satellite that I could pull a signal off of would be a plus. So I ordered a DMX741U C/KU LNB and WS-KU2C Kit - Conical Scalar Ring & 65mm C Band LNBF Holder from WSI International.
Of course! It came with no instructions, but, hey I’m an FTA guy, (well only for the last two months), I subscribe to Satelliteguys.US I am no longer a newbie. I moved the tripod dish from the garage and locked in a religious station that was banging in with a 65 to 70 SQ, on AMC 6 KU band with my old Chaparral KU LNB. I took off the Chaparral and had no trouble mounting the new holder and LNB. Who needs instructions?
I spent the next four hours adjusting the DMX741U trying to get the religious station with the new LNB, no luck. Shut everything down and went to WSI’s website, to download the instruction. Next day moved the dish out of the garage, put the old LNB back on got the religious station locked in again, off with old on with the new. After reading the instructions I realized I needed to make some receiver adjustment. After a couple of hours I finally had the new LNB locked on the religious station with a SQ of 50 to 55. Not good, not bad got all of the KU stations on AMC 6 OK with the new LNB. Built a new AMC 6 C-band profile in the receiver and spent the next 4 hours trying to get a signal from 4040 transponder.
I finally managed to knock out the KU adjustments and get a very weak C-band signal (26 to 29 SQ) from the 4040 transponder. A blind scan turned up another transponder with a weak signal. I had signal but no stations, I managed to do a TP scan that locked in the channels but the SQ was so weak I could not get a picture. It looked like I squeezed the most signal I could out of the 90cm dish and I could not get a picture. Since the sun was still out I decided to put the dish back into garage and try it when the sun went down.
Later, in the cool of the evening, I took the dish out and checked the 4040 transponder the signal was the same but now I was able to view the stations. I figured that the earlier sun noise was just enough to hold back the picture from being viewed. (Or the C-band Gods did not want to make it easy for me)
I built a C-band profile in the receiver for Galaxy 16, at 99º W, motored over there and did a blind scan. Lo and behold I managed to received 6 C-band transponders signals, one at a fairly high SQ (50), this locked in three TV stations. When I went to see what was on the TV station I lost all C-band signals, even the ones on AMC 6. I kicked the tripod in the leg, and put it back in the garage. Man, how hard could it be?
I will start all over again tomorrow and see if I can get back the C-band signals and get the LNB adjusted to receive C and KU signals at the same setting. Any suggestions or hints will be greatly appreciated. I still don’t have an answer for: C-band on 90cm dish is it worth it?
