how powerful can my lnb get

[johnboyman]

I have something similar to this if not exactly Amazon product ASIN B002N4ROYGView: https://www.amazon.ca/LEGACY-LNBF-ORIGINAL-DISH-NETWORK/dp/B002N4ROYG/ref=asc_df_B002N4ROYG/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292964606872&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12877649441920192571&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001581&hvtargid=pla-312402154252&psc=1
. I was wondering how powerful can i make my lnb what could i do to make its voltage and decibles as high as possible. It seems like a strong looking magnetron. How do you test their limits? thanks.

 

[primestar31]

I have something similar to this if not exactly Amazon product ASIN B002N4ROYGView: https://www.amazon.ca/LEGACY-LNBF-ORIGINAL-DISH-NETWORK/dp/B002N4ROYG/ref=asc_df_B002N4ROYG/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292964606872&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12877649441920192571&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001581&hvtargid=pla-312402154252&psc=1
. I was wondering how powerful can i make my lnb what could i do to make its voltage and decibles as high as possible. It seems like a strong looking magnetron. How do you test their limits? thanks.

There's only ONE single thing you can do to make your lnb "more powerful". Put it on as large a dish as you can.

p.s. It's NOT a magnetron...

 

[TheKrell]

There's only ONE single thing you can do to make your lnb "more powerful". Put it on as large a dish as you can.

I was thinking he has a very long coax run. RG11 might suffice. I've heard of people putting in a sufficiently wide-bandwidth amplifier and getting that to work. I have not tried either since I have no need.

 

[arlo]

In the days before DSS sats, dishes were setup with LNA's and a downconverter.
All of the sensitivity was done in the low noise amplifier and the 3.4-4.2 GHz amplified signal was converted to the intermediate frequency of ~ 950-1750 MHz. A very short run of high quality microwave coax was run from LNA>Downconverter with N-Type connectors. The downconverted IF could be sent down cheaper coax where the LNA frequencies would have been long gone in any case.
Sensitivity measured in degrees Kelvin of the LNA told you how "hot" it was. And the tech at the time didn't play well in direct sunlight. Hence radio telescopes being cooled with refrigerant.
Anyways. The same rule goes. If it aint there, you cant amplify it. Trying to amplify a marginal signal just results in increased noise along with signal.
If you lose IF signal strength in the coax to the house, and you can come up with a DC pass line amp to power the LNBF (or insert power at it)....and assure it's capable of passing polarity voltage/DISEqC. I think I'd just hunt up some very low loss coax like Times Microwave LMR-400-75 with around 3.5-5 dB attenuation/100' at IF frequencies.
Right?
Even with my 12' dish and a "sidecar" Geosat ku lnbf....it only 'illuminates' a part of it at focus.
To do it proper I would need a proper feed like the Chaparral or scrounge up an lnb designed for a large dish.
I could be wrong.

 

[nelson61]

I have something similar to this if not exactly Amazon product ASIN B002N4ROYGView: https://www.amazon.ca/LEGACY-LNBF-ORIGINAL-DISH-NETWORK/dp/B002N4ROYG/ref=asc_df_B002N4ROYG/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292964606872&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12877649441920192571&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001581&hvtargid=pla-312402154252&psc=1
. I was wondering how powerful can i make my lnb what could i do to make its voltage and decibles as high as possible. It seems like a strong looking magnetron. How do you test their limits? thanks.

It's the signal/noise ratio that is limiting the signal strength.
If you can't increase the signal (antenna diameter) , you want to reduce noise (heat) in the system.

Back 15 years or so ago, there was a nice series of videos on a German tech magazine site where some university students demonstrated how to do it (no longer has public access)

They stripped all the plastic covers off so the metal and electronic module were exposed.

Then, they sprayed the lnb with a compressed gas to refrigerate during their measurements .

I've glued Peltier thermoelectric modules on the horn and circuit board assembly to chill the lnb for improved reception but special power supplies, etc. created continuing maintenance problems so the stuff is now laying on my gadget project shelf.


It's kind of like what they are doing with the Webb telescope. They are using expansive gas cooling to reduce the temperature of one sensor down to 6 K to get rid of "noise"