DTV Slimline w/SatAv SL2 LNBF on SG-2100 motor

[phlatwound]

I have collected a few (free) DTV Slimline dishes and have been wanting to adapt a linear LNBF to one and see how it did.

Recently another member here posted pics and info on using the dual linear LNBF that SatAv was selling, on a DTV Slimline. It fit the dish with almost no modification so I contacted Brian and he made me a deal I couldn't refuse on a few of them (thanks, BG!).

My original plan was (and still is) to install this dish/LNBF combo as a fixed install for a few relatives/friends, but I have a spare old SG-2100 H-H motor laying around and just couldn't resist the challenge of sticking one on a motor.

First step is to flip the mount upside down on the dish. This will require either drilling 2 new holes between the circular slots, or you can just use a self-drilling fastener like I did. Some basic measuring/eyeballing will get things lined up at 180 degrees from factory orientation.

I then went to mount the dish on the motor. The ID of the DTV mount is 2" and my SG2100 shaft is 42mm, so I split a 4 1/4" long piece of 1 1/2" PVC lengthways and made a shim, perfect fit.

I mounted the dish/motor assembly on the pole and saw immediately that it wouldn't have enough travel to look "up" high enough to track the arc. I then removed the elevation stop bolts, and the elevation micro-adjuster, and made a couple of extension pieces to extend the range of travel.

After that it took about 2 minutes to lock my true south @ 93W, a couple of minor az/el adjustments later I was tracking from 72W-127W. Here is what I got:

Representative Transponder readings:

72W: NBC Mux 76%
74W: 12058 V 27694 73%
79W: KTEL 67%
83W: RTV 66%
85W: Nothing lit up when I scanned
87W: 11716 H 4857 76%
89W: ABC NEWS NOW 75%
91W: LETN 65%
93W: AZTECA 76%
95W: CCTV 72%
97W: Press TV 69%
99W: AAFES 65%
101W: Hotel Mux 74%
103W: Microspace1 70%
105W: MACYS 76%
107.3W: 11933 H 5859 68%
113W: HWAZAN 73%
116.7W: 11740 V 30001 67%
121W: TV9905 12104 V 20000 82%
123W: Channel 3 VBA 67%
125W: Montana PBS 79%
127W: 12140 V 70%

Receiver: Coolsat 6000 w/.04 aftermarket fw

This setup may be marginal on the weaker tps, and I'm sure rainfade could be an issue, but overall it is not all that far off of the quality I see on my 2 90 cm motorized setups.

 

[Anole]

Loved it.!. - :up
So much so, I cross-posted a link to this thread over in Dee Ann's discussion:
Inexpensive tuner for PBS & RTV?
It was the list of signal levels that I really wanted to share, so thanks for that.

That SL2 LNBf is a great fit.
The dual outputs, makes for a fine addition to a multi-dish farm.

Like where ya clamped it, too!


Always love your pictures 'n creativity! - :up
... but I didn't see the dog in this round of pix.
Is he holding out for higher pay & residuals? -
edit:
oops, missed him on my dark LCD screen!
maybe he needs a key-light, eh?

 

[phlatwound]

Thanks, Anole, this was a fun little project. Those dishes have some very well made bracketry, strong for their small size. I have actual cash of about $20 in that whole setup that is attached to the pole (and that includes the C-band dish too!)

And that hound of mine could easily have been in EVERY picture, he is never far away when the camera is out, food is present, or on days ending in the letter "y".

 

[tvropro]

Good Job, the Slimline is a quality built dish and mount. I have one here that currently is just a backup for 101 circular.

 

[Pixl]

I have collected a few (free) DTV Slimline dishes and have been wanting to adapt a linear LNBF to one and see how it did.

Recently another member here posted pics and info on using the dual linear LNBF that SatAv was selling, on a DTV Slimline. It fit the dish with almost no modification

I'm a little confused, is this lnbf you bought from SatAv the one pictured? It looks like the original circular lnbf to me and I don't see it on the SatAv site.

 

[phlatwound]

Yes, that is the LNBF I got from SatAv. Brian had about 10 left and I got 5 of them, I think he has since closed them out and removed them from his site.

It is a dual output linear standard, and it's made by Digiwave.

 

[squid385]

Hey Phlatwound,
That's a neat setup you got there. Did you ever get 30w with a fixed slimline? By-the-way, Brian still had four of the lnb's a few days ago for anyone who is wanting one.

Larry

 

[turbosat]

Nice work! That mount looks a little heavy, maybe it just looks that way. Excellent project, and a great find on the lnbf to fit it. Should be able to haul in some football games with that setup.

 

[phlatwound]

Good Job, the Slimline is a quality built dish and mount. I have one here that currently is just a backup for 101 circular.

Thanks tvropro, yes that dish is a jewel, and free is always the right price!

Hey Phlatwound,
That's a neat setup you got there. Did you ever get 30w with a fixed slimline? By-the-way, Brian still had four of the lnb's a few days ago for anyone who is wanting one.

Larry

Larry, thanks to you for the idea, I got it from your setup. No, I haven't tried for 30W with a fixed Slimline yet, but I will.

I have to set it up on a bucket quite a ways from my dish farm to clear trees, due to the 12 degree elevation, here's where I did it with a BJU 90 cm:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/213794-phlat-hits-hispasat-hillbillistan.html

I was getting quality just above marginal so I am wondering if the Slimline will cut it from here. If it does I will fix one on 30W about 15' up on my tower, from there I can get LOS and have a short cable run into the house.

Nice work! That mount looks a little heavy, maybe it just looks that way. Excellent project, and a great find on the lnbf to fit it. Should be able to haul in some football games with that setup.

Thanks turbo, yes that mount looks heavy but it's not an ounce heavier than it needs to be, amazingly light and stout for what it is. I'd say Dtv spent a rumpload of loot on engineering for that setup, I wonder where they get the $$$ to do that?

 

[Tron]

I was going to use my spare Prodelin 1.2 meter on 30W, but that might be a waste of that dish if I can use a Slimline and get good results. Might be that the Prodelin would be best used on a bird with lots of hard to tune DVB-S2 transponders and a deranged skew (here's looking at you, 103W!) ...

 

[phlatwound]

I was going to use my spare Prodelin 1.2 meter on 30W, but that might be a waste of that dish if I can use a Slimline and get good results....

That is exactly what I am thinking about, Tron. I am going to have to put it up on my tower to get LOS, and a Slimline would be a lot easier project than my 1.2m.

 

[orac]

phlatwound and tvropro,

Where is the centerline of your LNB pointing on the face of your dish? Is it at the measured center or above that as it was on mine? I ended up preloading mine downward to get it to point to the measured center, but I haven't been able to find RTV with mine, so I wonder if the measured center of the dish is really where the LNB should be pointing? Was your dish the type that came with the big giant DirecTV integrated LNB or the smaller 3-headed one? (Mine came with the big one.)

__
Neil

 

[phlatwound]

I will try to remember to stick a little laser on that rig tonight and see if I can get you an idea where it is pointed.

I haven't even bolted it onto the arm yet, it is just stuck in there now, so it may be a little off, seems to work good though.

Here is a pic of the stock LNBF:

 

[Anole]

check alignment of new LNBF

When I put a new LNBF on a little dish like that, I made my own bracket.
Alignment was pretty easy to eyeball both for height and angle, by comparing it to the original LNBF.
Here's a little better way:

Template trick to locate new LNB at the proper focus, when replacing it:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...ert-superdish-true-fta-use-2.html#post1540313

 

[phlatwound]

I put my little dime store laser on the Digiwave LNBF and it appears the LNBF is looking at about the vertical center of the "E" in DIRECTV, or approximately 8-5/8" down from the top rim. Definitely quite a bit above the measured vertical center of the dish.

I'll try to check it on a Slimline with a stock LNBF sometime, would be interesting to see how it compared to Anole's template method.

I have always just used the eyeball/tape measure method before, when I had the original LNBF, and had to adapt a different style mount on an arm to get one to work.