Confused what receiver can be used for todays C- Band use.

[johann12]

I would be able to get a 8 or 10 foot Dish from my in-law.
Is there a way to know if I look at the specification of a receiver, if a receiver could be used for C-band ?
A friend of mine has a coolsat 6100 and a viewsat ultra he would let me have and I was wondering if any of those receivers would work with C-band.
Would a receiver be able to drive the big dish to a different satellite or would I need something else to do it.

 

[chapelrun]

First off - - - Welcome to SatelliteGuys!

It all depends on what you want to do. The Coolsat and ViewSat will work for C-band but will not move the dish. Many folks now use a G-box or V-box to position the dish.

If you want to start to work with C-band get either the Coolsat or ViewSat and setup the dish and pointed. Might want to initially point to one satellite so you can learn about your receiver.

SatelliteGuys.US_TheList - TheList is a good place to look to see what is on different satellites both KU and C-Band.

Lots of true C-Band experts here and I you have to do is ask.

If you have access to a free dish and receiver - I would go for it and set it up - - - this is a very fun hobby!

 

[sergei]

If your in-law still has a working C-band receiver then you could use it also as a dish mover and save yourself some money until you decide how deep into this you want to go. I'm into it fairly deep and I still use old receivers as my dish movers.
BUT BE WARNED...one dish just always seems to bring in mores of them.

 

[Nosbod]

I know the Ultra will run C Band but you will need a G Box or V box to drive the dish, the coolsat probably will too but I have had no experience with it . Having access to a big dish is excellent but check with your local by-law people to make sure you can put a dish that size up. If you can you can receive the best of both worlds by going with a combination C/Ku band lnb. The two teceivers in question will get you some channels but there is a lot you won,t receive.
global-cm.net/MPEGlistCBandUS.html
This address will also give you some insite into what is available and what you will need in a receiver to receive these channels. Channel lists are here for both C and KU band.

 

[johann12]

Thank you all for the welcome, info and support.
My in-law does not have the C-band receiver, only dish and horn.
I would/could manage and know some, how to set up KU, but I do not know anything about C-band. I have done a lot of reading how to set up a KU, but I am lost with C.
I used to have charter cable and cut it. Then I went to dish net and I cut it also.
Currently I have OTA and what I receive is limited since my house is sitting 50 feet below surrounded areas even though I paralleled 2 OTA antennas for better reception ( but doing though, it dramatically increased signal strength and channels) .
So you may say that I will get into this deeper as money and time will allow.
As far as I know there is no city code for having a big dish. There are still old big dishes here and many businesses installing new bigger dishes.
What is the difference between the G and V box and is one better than the other.
I was thinking to get a 90 cm KU dish, but when I went to lyngsat it looks like C-band will offer more.
Does the mheg 2/4 and dvs on the receiver indicate what channels/frequencies you may get from a satellite.
What lnb would you recommend?
What receiver would you recommend to get more channels on c and ku band ?

 

[johann12]

Thank you for the info and the link.
Looks like, I would get most satellites on the list for c-band. 72W- 123W. At least what I scoped out. I used a tasco telescope and set a angle finder on top of it and a compass to check out to see if I could aim at it since I got a lot of trees around here. I got the info from dishpointer for my location.

 

[sergei]

What receiver would you recommend to get more channels on c and ku band

It all depends on how much money you want to spend, myself I'm using the S10's because I can get more of them for the price that I would pay for others and they work best in my setup. If I was only using one dish then I'd look at getting the Manhattan receiver that other have on this forum. To me the Azbox is just priced to high for general FTA viewing, it's a good unit and if your after sports feeds then that could be the one to get.

If all your after will be C band stuff then I'd look at the DMS BSC422 which has Dual output.

 

[johann12]

I heard of the S 10, but I was not sure about the quality of it and the S 10 is not priced to high.
Thank you.

 

[KE4EST]

Welcome to SatelliteGuys!!!

I would wait on buying a new receiver until you got your dish set-up and got familiar more with FTA using the receivers that are given to you. Also there is a new receiver coming out next month that won't be buggy like the S10. I am using a S10 and works for most stuff no problems. No since though in spending a bunch of money till you see what you think about it, but if your like 99% of us once the FTA bug bites you will start dumping money into it.

 

[FaT Air]

My G-Box has been trouble free. But just to "get your feet wet" a battery (anything from 12 to 36 volts capable of a couple of amps) can be used to move the dish. Replacing the feed with an LNBF is not expensive. Makes the FTA receiver capable of selecting the polarity. A C1 or C2 ?
Go with what receiver you have first, spend money later. MicroHD, I think, will be highly recommended when it hits the shelves.
I've had an S9 for almost a year and a half, and just recently, FINALLY, have a firmware version that I can "live with". And I don't think it came from the factory. Believe it's been modded by a third party to fi?) it/ make it work as advertised. Still far from what it should be, but much better than it's been. I don't think that going to be the case with the MicroHD.

 

[sergei]

I heard of the S 10, but I was not sure about the quality of it and the S 10 is not priced to high.

I use the S10's and the only issue that has happen is the audio and picture getting out of sync on the Reelz channel which is corrected by resetting the power to it. I plan on ordering another one next week for the new dish that I just setup. I think the big issue with the S10 is how people are updating it's files. I use a data transfer switch box so I can connect to four units and the RS232 connector on the receiver and I don't update versions every time a new version has come out. And the last thing my units stay on 24/7 and are connected to a Back-UPS system.

 

[johann12]

So, here are the options I have right now as far I under stood it.

1.) I can get the C-band dish and the free receiver. I buy a LNb for it. Make the dish stationary for 1 sat and then scan and I am ready to watch tv.
Then later on, I could buy a actuator and a G-Box or a V- Box to scan the rest of the sky. Later on I could also upgrade the receiver.

OR:

2.) I could buy the 39'' dish I checked out and the free receiver and go KU , stationary on 1 sat then scan and I am able to watch TV.
Later on, I could buy a motor for it to scan the rest of the arc and upgrade the receiver at a later time.

Questions:

If I buy a LNB for C-band do I have to get a scalar cup / ring also. Could anyone recommend a LNB and scaler for C-band ?

It was mentioned that I would need a G-Box or V-Box if I want to move the C-band dish. Could anyone give me a link to any of the boxes.
I was trying to google for v or g box and the result was for satellite radio.
If I go KU, what motor would you recommend for a 39'' dish.

I was thinking to aim at galaxy 19/ 97w, would that be a good satellite to start with, with a stationary set up?

Thank you....

 

[johann12]

I am not sure, If the out of sync was a problem with your S 10.
About 1 week ago I had the same problem with one of my OTA channels.
Where do you go to updates the files for the S10. Is it on the manufacturer site ?

 

[FaT Air]

If I buy a LNB for C-band do I have to get a scalar cup / ring also. Could anyone recommend a LNB and scaler for C-band ?

Comes with it, C1 or C2
Mover link: Vbox-X (Site sponsors listed on the top of the pages)
About the use of a battery to move the dish, I assumed the dish already has an actuator(?)
In your above scenario, you could substitute "THEN:' for "OR:". or there's another possibility: the dish may be a good performer on Ku as well. ??? Any brand name - model?? Maybe some pictures would help in that regard. Plenty of folks here have their BUD's outfitted with a dual band LNBF. Although, it's a bit of a trade-off in performance. I use dedicated Ku dishes. One mounted to the BUD to track the arc.

 

[johann12]

Fat Air
Thank you very much for the info and the links.
I like your idea of putting the ku dish on the C-band dish. Doesn't it throw the the path of the arc up a little bit, since it is mounted of the edge of the C-Band dish ?
As for the brand and model of the C-dish, I do not not know right now. I have to visit my in-law to get the information.
I will update the info when I have it.
I am checking right now what I have to do to get it set up.

 

[FaT Air]

It's a heavy duty 10ft all steel dish so the little 30 incher didn't move anything. Think a metal 36 or 39 inch ku would work on a well constructed aluminum dish. They aren't that heavy. (i may upgrade next spring)
We'll be here to answer any Questions. Include a few pictures of the dish, it MAY be a BV. They would work well on C & Ku.

 

[Lone Cloud]

Great. New C bander! Anyway, I would take both receivers. The Viewsat has a "beep on scan" function which I don't know if the Coolsat has.

If you buy some cheap wireless headphones, after you get zenith/true south, you set your receiver on a hot transponder. Probably you want 83 west as your true south. I think that one still has Tuff and another one on Ku. There is little difference between C and Ku for aiming.


Set on "beep" and with the sending unit hooked to the Viewsat audio, you will be able to hear the beeps for aiming. The stronger the signal gets, the more high pitched and rapid are the beeps. If you get the Ku peaked, since Ku is more exacting than C, you should be well on your way to getting as much of the arc as you can.

I use the Ultra only for that purpose. I get from 55.5 to 139 west. I did get 148 west when that satellite was in use. Good luck with it.

 

[johann12]

I have a wireless headphone set. This would make it easier.
If I set it up, I think I will take the receiver and a small TV outside to make adjustments. At least that was my thought.
What I scoped out with my telescope,anglefinder and compass I should get all the sats between 72 and 123 for sure, i could go all the way to 58 but I have a tree branch in the way( not my tree and out of reach ) and at this point I do not know how much it would influence the signal.Pass 123 I got more trees which I may be able to cut this spring.
Thank you.

 

[Lone Cloud]

Well you could use the little tv thing, but you have to bring an extension cord, remote controls and your receiver out there too. Then you have to hook it all up outdoors. With radio wireless headphones, both hands are free for adjustment and you go for the highest and fastest beep on the Ultra. I have done it a number of times in the past. Believe me when I say that it is way easier to hook the receiver up where it goes indoors and then adjust based on beeps in a headphone. Way safer too if your dish is on your roof, or at some height.

Math and angles are fine, but nothing compares to adjusting based upon the actual satellite position in the sky. I am glad you did a site survey with your compass.

If the dish comes from your local area somewhere, and the last owner got the arc, then leave the declination adjustment alone. Only adjust for a position around your pole, and for elevation. Don't forget to first get your zenith position on your dish. That's where the dish is exactly straight up and not leaning even slightly either east or west. Then you can use your compass to roughly aim it. Don't forget that you aren't dealing with magnetic north, but true north. Check for magnetic deviation for your area.

Set on a hot transponder and loosen all bolts on your dish except for declination. Then basically dance with it - all around, up and down, until you get your beeps.

I guess I worry about that because when I first got a Ku setup five years ago, it took me months to get anything. Now I can aim it darn close within ten minutes using the headphone method. Good luck,stay safe, whichever way you go.

 

[johann12]

The more i think about it, the more I like your idea. The reason I thought to take the TV and receiver out there is, that you could see the signal and quality.
Between magnetic and true, there is 7.2 degrees here in NC, but thank you for mention it.
Today I went to my in-law to get more information on that dish, but it got destroyed by the last storm we had. But his brother has a dish, that he did not use for many years. Whenever I get a hold of his brother I will ask.
The location would be about 10 miles airline from where I live, so there should be no or minimum adjustments.