DirectTV Ka LNBF specs?

[orthoclipse]

Can someone tell me what the frequency range of a DirectTV Ka band LNBF is and what the Local Oscillator frequency is?

I was considering importing a DirectTV LNBF from the US to Europe, just to see if there are any signals being broadcast here in the Ka band.

 

[mastermesh]

My guess is Directv uses circular ku, just like Dish Network and Bell Express Vu. If you have an invacom quad, that does both linear and circular KU, you should be able to get the KA.... assuming your equipment can handle the way different type of stream that's coming in.

We moved in to our house in December. Previous owners had an ancient Directtv RCA receiver in the basement... exploring with that got me in to fta, and got me to buy my current setup. It could tune in the free fta from the echostars fine. Being as ancient as it was, the receiver that came with it was only set for 101w... no other satellites. It found the satellite, but since cam card was old, it gave me a big ol this card is out of date message, so I couldn't see anything on there other than the fta dishnetwork stuff from nearby satellites and stuff when I reaimed the dish. Around that time was when I upgraded to the winegard and invacom. As far as I know, Directv and Dishnetwork both use the same lnb type... BUT Directv uses a different sort of signal encryption that's not true mpg/dvb compatible so the signal won't show up in a normal fta receiver, but the lnb is the same as a circular ku band lnb I think.

The invacom quad can handle both linear and circular ku signals, so that may be what you are looking for?

 

[Mr Tony]

My guess is Directv uses circular ku, just like Dish Network and Bell Express Vu. If you have an invacom quad, that does both linear and circular KU, you should be able to get the KA.... assuming your equipment can handle the way different type of stream that's coming in.

no it won't.....KA band is up in the 19700 MHZ range...KU stops at 12275
A quick check on Lyngsat would have answered that question

other than the DirecTV stuff, there isnt anything out there on KA

 

[mastermesh]

hmm... interesting... so would putting the directv lnb on my setup actually pull more tps in, even if they were just the encrypted directv ones? And/OR would connecting the directv receiver to the IF out on the Pansat do anything in the Directv Receiver if it was aimed at 101w with the current setup.

I do remember, when I first started all of this stuff, I was able, with the directv 18"pizza pan to get Angel, the 6in1 and the other echostar freebies when I reaimed the dish and hit scan.

I'm assuming Directv doesn't keep anything in the clear like the echostars do, but am curious, if maybe, it'd be possible to try adding the directv lnb just to see if that's really the case or not? I do remember when I tried the directv dish with the directv receiver, it was getting at least some preview channels, but I can't remember if any of those were directv previews or just the dish network preview stuff like "you are on 119" yadda yadda yadda.

The old receiver is a RCA DRD420RE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka_band says KA is 18 to 40 GHz.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_band says KU is 12 to 18 GHz

I know that universals can pull in some lower frequencies than standard ku lnbs... so to get it "all" (except cband) would you need a universal, plus a Ku standard that can do circular (invacom), plus a Directv KA lnb?

Just when I think I've got all this stuff figured out, I'm always thrown a new curve ball.

I may have some investigatin to do this weekend... and hook up the directv receiver...

 

[Mr Tony]

DirecTV uses their own type of encryption (DSS) so the frequencies cannot be picked up on a FTA box

 

[Mr Tony]

I know that universals can pull in some lower frequencies than standard ku lnbs... so to get it "all" (except cband) would you need a universal, plus a Ku standard that can do circular (invacom), plus a Directv KA lnb?

The INvacom quad cannot do KU circular. The Invcaom is set for
11.7-12.2 linear
12.2-12.75 circular

yes you may be able to get KU circular (Dish 118.7) but the signal is almost nothing (shows as 60 on the Coolsat...barely enough to have a signal)

 

[Eastcoast]

Is an old RCA Direct Tv receiver any good to receive anything FTA as I have seen a couple at a local used "junk" store?

 

[Pepper]

without a subscription it is just about as useful as a Primestar receiver.

 

[mastermesh]

It's lnb can pick up the stuff listed in the faq about what you can pick up with an 18"... which ain't much, but there are a couple of channels. You need to use an fta box to do that though.

The rca receiver itself can only pick up 101 which is all scrambled for the most part. I think once I got it to see some stuff for all of 1 minute or less before it realized that the stuff was scrambled and the big ol this card is used up message came in.

 

[mark_calgary]

I have also wondered what was up there in the Ka band and whether one of those Ka band lnbf's would be compatible with a DVB receiver.

I know Anik F2 has Ka capabilities which are used by an internet provider - we use them where I work for remote networking - but I wonder if the Ka side is also used by anyone else for DVB......

Other sats seem to have spot beams on the Ka which limits who can see the signal.

Maybe in the future when I have tons of time (not in the forseeable future) I may try some Ka experiments.

 

[SatelliteAV]

The DirecTV AT9 LNBF Ka high band output would be compatible with the MPEG2 receiver, but the Ka low band is below the tuner range.

The Ka High Band LO freq is 18700 / 22KHz - OFF

 

[Mr Tony]

Is an old RCA Direct Tv receiver any good to receive anything FTA as I have seen a couple at a local used "junk" store?

pretty much it can be used to aim a dish at 101 for DirecTV
can't get anything on it

 

[Tron]

hmm... interesting... so would putting the directv lnb on my setup actually pull more tps in, even if they were just the encrypted directv ones? And/OR would connecting the directv receiver to the IF out on the Pansat do anything in the Directv Receiver if it was aimed at 101w with the current setup.

The older DirecTV LNBFs are DBS just like Echostars or the circular side of the Invacom Quad. Their newest antenna, the AT-9, adds a Ka band LNBF for the MPEG-4 stuff. Only the AT-9 has Ka LNBFs on it, not the old single DirecTV or Phase II/III dishes.

 

[digiblur]

DirecTV uses their own type of encryption (DSS) so the frequencies cannot be picked up on a FTA box

Actually DSS isn't an encryption. It's a modulation scheme like QPSK, 8PSK, etc.

D* runs a few things in the clear on 101, nothing really interesting though.

 

[mastermesh]

The older DirecTV LNBFs are DBS just like Echostars or the circular side of the Invacom Quad. Their newest antenna, the AT-9, adds a Ka band LNBF for the MPEG-4 stuff. Only the AT-9 has Ka LNBFs on it, not the old single DirecTV or Phase II/III dishes.

Ah, that explains it... the old dtv lnb that I have says
12.2-12.7 Ghz
950-1450 Mhz

 

[orthoclipse]

Thanks to all above for replies!

I have been able to get some more info.

LNB input ranges are 18.3 - 18.8 GHz & 19.7 - 20.2 GHz.
LNB output ranges are 250 - 750 MHz & 1650 - 2050 MHz
Circular polarisation.

The lower band requires a B-band to L-band upconverter to work with a standard receiver.

Spaceway 1 transmits 19.741 to 19.866GHz.

Does any satellite currently use the lower band? And why the gap between 18.8 & 19.7GHz in the frequency range.

The upconverter is also unusual. An LNB with 2 LOs (like a universal) would make more sense.

 

[mastermesh]

intersting stuff...

doesn't exactly answer your question, but is interesting...

I guess there's even something higher that'll go in to effect in 07 at 21-22ghz.

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/openness/sp_rqmnts/broadca3.html

The U.S. proposal for a single worldwide BSS-HDTV allocation at the WARC-92 was not supported; however, the conference adopted two BSS-HDTV allocations: Region 2 at 17.3-17.8 GHz; and Regions 1 and 3 at 21.4-22.0 GHz. These new allocations will become effective April 1, 2007.