Does a Positioner Exist that Controls Azimuth and Skew?

[Gordon Corbett]

Dear All,

To prepare for a visit from the gentleman who occasionally lubricates and regulates our dish, I was considering the purchase of some new LNBs and of a new feedhorn to hold them.

Then, it occurred to me that when our 4DTV DSR-920's battery dies, we should have a positioner to control our dish's azimuth and skew. The seemingly best positioner for controlling azimuth turned out to be the Pansat AP-600.

I encountered a rumor that it also controls skew. I tried to confirm it by checking several web-sites. None that sells AP-600s contained any reference to their ability to control skew, including one that shows what look like four pages from the 600's manual. I ran Google checks. None turned up any reference to its ability to control skew.

Moreover, all the references I encountered to controlling skew pertained to receivers older than my Pansat 9200HD, whose manual does not even refer to skew.

I do not know why, but controlling skew seems to have gone out of fashion. Why? I doubt that LNBFs, whose performance in some ways is inferior to that of some LNBs, could so have come to dominate the market that skew control has become obsolete.

Is the disappearance of skew control a result of the hubbub over "pirates?" Or, have I simply failed to find a certain brand and model of positioner that, besides controlling azimuth very well, also controls skew? If this is the fact, please tell me which brand and model does these things, and I will very likely buy it.

I would like to buy really good LNBs, but the finest LNBs are almost worthless unless one can control their skew. At least, that is the way it seems to me.

HELP!

Sincerely,


Gordon F. Corbett

 

[Anole]

You can have your 920's battery replaced.
Members on the forum do it all the time.
And as long as it continues to run, you've got motor 'n skew control.
Or, an obsolete analog receiver will do the job.
I'm not aware of anything modern with motor and skew.

New technology has replaced old technology.
No more servos to wear out, service, or get stuck.
Until the recent emergence of DVB S2, the electrically controlled LNBF's seemed to get the job done.
For the bulk of home viewers, they work fine.

If you need a little extra , there are always orthomode feedhorns (require two LNBs for C-band)
You can mount two $15, or two $50 Norsat LNBs, as you prefer.
They also supply Vertical and Horizontal signals at the same time.
Very useful for multiple-receiver homes.
That wasn't so popular in the days of 4Dtv, because a subscription to a 2nd receiver was full price.
Couple of brands of electrically controlled LNBFs have dual outputs, too.

For motor movment, the Vbox and Gbox take commands from your modern receiver and move to position.
I prefer the Gbox; there is a link in my signature, and a review in our Hardware Review department.

 

[Gordon Corbett]

Dear Anole,

Have you heard whether the Pansat AP-600 has skew control?

Thanks.

Gordon

 

[T4Runner]

My old PANSAT 2500A has seperate motor control for C Band and includes the software adjustment of skew in the antenna settings for each satellite. It's been in it's old original box awhile now... actually, so does my Pansat 3500 I think?

 

[Gordon Corbett]

My old PANSAT 2500A has seperate motor control for C Band and includes the software adjustment of skew in the antenna settings for each satellite. It's been in it's old original box awhile now... actually, so does my Pansat 3500 I think?

Dear T4Runner,

Yes, the Pansat 3500s does have skew control. I have one. Sadly, my unit began malfunctioning; and, its memory's small capacity for channels made me buy my 9200HD. This receiver functions rather well, except for when it freezes and shows me the ROD (rug of death). Oh, well...

Gordon F. Corbett