Dielectric plate question.

[Luigi Da GR8]

I've just added a GeoSatPro GSL1C/Ku LNBF to my BUD/4DTV. It comes with a Dielectric plate but there is no instruction with the LNBF. I was having trouble tuning in any birds so I removed the plate and was able to tune them in.

My question is, if properly tune would I be able to leave the Dielectric plate in all the time?

My understanding was that with this LNBF I would be able to receive both linear and circular Cband signals as well as KuBand.

 

[qwert1515]

You only put the dielectric plate in the lnb when tuning C-Band circular signals, some Atlantic birds.

I do not think the plate works for Ku-Band circular satellites.

 

[iammike]

Luigi,

What kind of quality numbers are you getting on 4dtv channels? I've been thinking of getting a bsc621, which appears to be very similar if not identical to the GSL1.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[gabshere]

the gsl1 is a 17k & .5 NF and the bsc621 is a 13k & .3 NF
the gsl1 list its stability at 1 & 2.5 MHZ the bsc621 doesn't list its stability but i suspect its in a similar range.

 

[iammike]

the gsl1 is a 17k & .5 NF and the bsc621 is a 13k & .3 NF
the gsl1 list its stability at 1 & 2.5 MHZ the bsc621 doesn't list its stability but i suspect its in a similar range.

George,

Thanks for the info. The pictures looked extremely similar so I thought they were the same lnbf with a different label slapped on. I'd still be curious to hear what kind of quality folks are getting on 4dtv channels though.

Mike

 

[voomvoom]

Also, the GSL doesn't have the switch built into it. So, you have to get a switch or run separate cables. While the BSC has a built in switch so you can loop the ku into the switch and run one cable or you can bypass the switch and run separate cables.

Al

 

[iammike]

Thanks Al. You guys have convinced me the bsc is the way to go.

 

[gabshere]

mike there are other methods
if you have a corotor on now and its tuned so all thats going is the c band side
you could just replace the lnb with the cheap one from dsmi its like $10 + shipping..... I don't know how it does with 4dtv but we can ask fred AKA linuxman he tried it but i think he switched back to a lower stability lnb of 20 degrees.

just a thought

 

[gabshere]

i can get a 90 on g4 16 and a 88 on g4 17 with the dsr-920
and a 7 1/2 ft mesh and the bsc621
if i knew more about the 4dtv i could tune in a few channels those listed above are analog right

 

[iammike]

George,

Thanks for the info. I don't think I'd go with a cheap lnb again. The one I have now works fine in the cooler months. The stability issue is the big problem for me during the summer. If I go with lnb's I'll probably get some Norsats. I'm also thinking I might get the bsc and a vbox and do more FTA with my Coolsat and PC cards.

Incidentally, the analogs you mentioned on G4 are real boomers. They'll almost always have a good signal. I'm not too interested in analog any more except for feeds. With the exceptions of the Turners, and a couple other channels, subscription analog is pretty much dead. What I'd really be interested in would be to hear if someone is using a bsc to receive the HBO's on G1. Those are almost always the toughest channels to pick up.

Mike

 

[Luigi Da GR8]

George,

Thanks for the info. I don't think I'd go with a cheap lnb again. The one I have now works fine in the cooler months. The stability issue is the big problem for me during the summer. If I go with lnb's I'll probably get some Norsats. I'm also thinking I might get the bsc and a vbox and do more FTA with my Coolsat and PC cards.

Incidentally, the analogs you mentioned on G4 are real boomers. They'll almost always have a good signal. I'm not too interested in analog any more except for feeds. With the exceptions of the Turners, and a couple other channels, subscription analog is pretty much dead. What I'd really be interested in would be to hear if someone is using a bsc to receive the HBO's on G1. Those are almost always the toughest channels to pick up.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Right now on G1 HBO's I'm receiving a Quality of 69 on Vertical and 53 on Horizontal with a 7foot mesh dish. I still plan on tweaking some more. The reason I did not get the BSC was because it was not recommended for the 4DTV. Only time will tell if I make a good choice.

Luigi.

 

[gabshere]

what channel is hbo on g1?

do you have to sub to see it ?

 

[iammike]

what channel is hbo on g1?

do you have to sub to see it ?

The HBO channels are all on 4dtv (analog HBO ended or is about to end). NPS has a pretty good deal on the movie packages. The full info is in one of the cband sticky's. There's about 17 or so HBO channels on G1 and around 14 Cinemax channels. They start at 100 and go up to around 142 or 143. HBOHD is on G9.

 

[iammike]

Hi Mike,

Right now on G1 HBO's I'm receiving a Quality of 69 on Vertical and 53 on Horizontal with a 7foot mesh dish. I still plan on tweaking some more. The reason I did not get the BSC was because it was not recommended for the 4DTV. Only time will tell if I make a good choice.

Luigi.

Luigi,

Thanks for the info. Those are about what I was seeing with my old lnb before the weather go too hot, although you can probably do a little better on horizontal. There's actually 2 models of the bsc. I forget which is which right now, but one has a standard KU lnbf and the other has a universal. The one with the standard lnbf should work with 4dtv. You just skip the little jumper cable and run separate cables from the C and KU lnbf's to your 4dtv receiver.

 

[SatelliteAV]

Both models are definately not from the same factory. Satellite AV tested several manufacturer's designs before choosing the GEOSATpro CK1 model. Both designs are similar, but there are several significant differences.

The CK1 design has a heavier feed horn casting and the assembly does not have any issues with the KU-band probe rotation. The CK1 was the first C/KU LNBF to be designed and produced specifically for the North American market to be compatible with all analog, 4DTV and DVB receivers. The electrical components were choosen to provide high reliability and stability. Though the printed specifications suggest technical differences, independent testing shows similar performance. If properly mounted, both brands of the C/KU LNBFs will provide very acceptable reception of digital SCPC and MCPC signals.

SatelliteAV will always recommend that hobbyist who demand the best performance choose a scaler feedhorn assembly matched with high performance LNBs and motorized skew control for fine tuning adjustments. Though this option will cost many times more, the C/KU combinations cannot match the performance of a high end performance package of components. Fine tuning the skew setting for individual satellites and transponders is often very important to receive low BER or SCPC carriers.

George,

Thanks for the info. The pictures looked extremely similar so I thought they were the same lnbf with a different label slapped on. I'd still be curious to hear what kind of quality folks are getting on 4dtv channels though.

Mike

 

[iammike]

Brian,

You make a very good case for the CK1. Since my ASC is acting so flakey, I've been a little leary of the bsc. I'd want to use the CK1 with a 4dtv receiver. Can you tell me if the KU lnbf is a standard or universal lnbf? I don't think your web site specifies this information.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Anole]

double-check me

the CK-1 is standard, as is the BSC-621
It's the BSC-621-2 that's universal.
However, please verify that I got that correct, since it's so important

edit:

CK1
Specification . . . . C-Band LNBF . . . Ku-Band LNBF
Input Frequency Range 3.4 - 4.2GHz . . . 11.7 - 12.2GHz
Input Reflector Type . Prime Focus . . . Prime Focus
F/D Ratio . . . . . . 0.28~0.42 . . . . . . 0.6
Conversion Gain . . . 65dB(Typ.) . . . . . 55dB(Typ.)
Gain Flatness . . . . 1.0dB/36MHz . . . 4dB Over Band 1dB/54MHz
Noise . . . . . . . . 17°K . . . . . . . 0.5dB(Typ.)
Cross Pol. Isolation . 20dB(Typ.) . . . . 20dB(Min.)
Image Rejection . . . 50dB(Min.) . . . . 40dB(Min.)
L.O. Frequency . . . . 5150 MHz . . . . . 10750 MHz

BSC621

• Special for Digital C & Integrated STANDARD KU Band Satellite Reception ​
• Frequency ​
  • C-Band 3.4 GHz ~ 4.2 GHz​
  • STANDARD KU-Band: 11.7 GHz ~ 12.2 GHz​

BSC621-2

• Special for Digital C & Integrated UNIVERSAL KU Band Satellite Reception ​
• Extended Frequency ​
  • C-Band: 3.4 GHz ~ 4.2 GHz ​
  • Universal KU-Band: 10.7 GHz ~ 12.75 GHz (Make sure your receiver supports UNIVERSAL type LNBFs, otherwise order the BSC621)​

 

[iammike]

Thanks Anole, I knew Universals used different frequencies than standard but I didn't know what the numbers were I should be looking for.

Mike

 

[SatelliteAV]

The BSC-321 and the CK1 are both Standard LO 10750 KU LNBFs. Our testing indicated that both LNBFs perform nearly identical. I don't think that you would go wrong with either!

 

[pwrsurge]

Are there any C-Band LNBF's out there that work with both linear and circular c-band at the same time? Don't want to put a dielectric plate in and out every time!