it really needs a scalar ring o my 4 foot dish

[manuelpaz]

is it really needs a scalar ring o my 4 foot dish?

Hi guys

just a ? i saw some fotos about the c band lnbs always goes with this scalar ring or just a optional part, because i didn't put in my 39 inches or 4 footer (no scalar ring) but i get some high transponders but is really need one to work better or not.

any answer will be appreciated, thank u guys, u r the best.

Manny Paz

 

[Sadoun]

Manny, ideally it is better to have a scalar ring. But, I have read on a European forum a guy experimented with a mini BUD with a C/KU on a 120cm dish without the scalar ring. He got better signal that way than using the scalar ring.

So, it is worth it to try both ways and see which way gives you the best results over-all. A few people may have ordered the new conical scalar ring lately and I am looking forward to hearing some of their results.

 

[Anole]

conical scalars for offset dishes:

It wasn't clear which LNBF you were using, but the scalar may not affect Ku performance.
However, on C-band, I expect a flat scalar to do better than nothing, even though a flat one does not match the offset dish at all.
The conical scalar, even if not perfectly matched to the dish, should outperform the flat scalar in this application.

- possible conical scalar
- report of performance over flat scalar

Also, if you read some of the threads on this forum, where members experimented with 1m BUDs, the scalar helped, and the conical seemed to help a little more.

So, would I put one on a 4-foot dish? YES, if I was serious!

 

[brentb636]

I just got my Ck-1 lnb from Sadoun today, and I've stuck it on my 1.2m dish with positive results. Turns out I get about +8Q additional signal without the flat scalar ring, and I'm currently watching the prep for a baseball game on AMC 11. This channel is why I wanted C-band, so I'm pretty happy. Tomorrow, my conical scalar ring should arrive, and then I'll start tuning this dish system all over again.

 

[Sadoun]

Tomorrow, my conical scalar ring should arrive, and then I'll start tuning this dish system all over again.

Cool. Let's know how it pans out with the conical scalar ring.

 

[madd]

I have a 4 footer with a bcs-621-2. I have tried it with scalar and without. I get better signal quality on C band with scalar, but the KU is the same with or without the scalar.

 

[Anole]

tuning is the trick:

I just got my Ck-1 lnb ....
... and I've stuck it on my 1.2m dish with positive results.
Turns out I get about +8Q additional signal without the flat scalar ring, ...

Please read this post by ACradio, on the subject.
Note, that when his signal peaks, the flat scalar is working somewhat like a conical.
Give his technique a try, and see if it helps... oh, ...
...and we'll look forward to your conical scalar numbers, too! - :up

edit: I suspect the conical scalar will not have such a sharp tuning peak

 

[ACRadio]

Please read this post by ACradio, on the subject.
Note, that when his signal peaks, the flat scalar is working somewhat like a conical.
Give his technique a try, and see if it helps... oh, ...
...and we'll look forward to your conical scalar numbers, too! - :up

edit: I suspect the conical scalar will not have such a sharp tuning peak

Just a little update to that post. Over the past month I have used that dish nearly every day. Night or day, rain snow or shine, I have yet to lose the signal on that dish. The only time I lost signal was during solar outage. One thing I learned is that due to the wide area of the sky the dish sees because of it's small size, the solar outage duration is somewhat longer than it is with a larger prime focus dish.

 

[brentb636]

I had read ACRadio's post weeks ago, on Rick's forum, and that convinced me that useable results would be possible. Before I read that, I couldn't pull the trigger to buy the Ck-1 lnbf.
I just touched up my setup with the conical scalar, and added about 16Q points on a Merc II) to my previous numbers.
I started out watching Sportstime Ohio with a Q of 27-32 . Adding the conical scalar, and adjusting the lnbf position more forward ( to give a lot of scalar adjustment room), then adding the conical scalar ring brought my top Q range up to 43-48 ( fluctuating, of course) . My pic was solid even at the lower range.

Attached pic show the distance from the end of the lnbf that seems optimum right now for the scalar, and also shows some electrical tape and a pocket protector to shim the tapered feedhorn so I could clamp it.

 

[Anole]

to lie with numbers:

Well, depending on how you spin those numbers, one could say you found a 50% boost by going conical. -
In fairness, I think running barefoot was the worst case to compare against, but that's just my opinion.
This other test suggests around 25% boost, which is still a serious improvement! - :up

 

[brentb636]

Without question the circular scalar ring improves the signal quality substantially. Since I'm dealing with a 1.2m dish, it gives me quite a few channels I wouldn't have otherwise. I'm slowly scanning everything across the arc , to see what I can get adequately, and, of course, I still have work to do out at the dish. Adjusting the C-band side, though, DID degrade my Ku quality measurably. I can get pretty anything I want on Ku, though, with my 90cm dish, so that's the plan.

 

[Anole]

based on observations:

Adjusting the C-band side, though, DID degrade my Ku quality measurably.
I can get pretty anything I want on Ku, though, with my 90cm dish, so that's the plan.

Ku on this LNBF isn't as good as some previous Ku-only LNB?
Or, you tuned the C at the expense of Ku?
I'll assume the latter.

Based on lots of reading here, I'd suggest you consider that the LNBF is not located at the exact focal point of the dish, aimed perpendicular to the dish, or not aimed at the proper place on the dish.
That's a theory, but it does agree with some published and unpublished findings.

 

[brentb636]

"Based on lots of reading here, I'd suggest you consider that the LNBF is not located at the exact focal point of the dish, aimed perpendicular to the dish, or not aimed at the proper place on the dish.
That's a theory, but it does agree with some published and unpublished findings."

At this point in the project, it's likely that ALL of the above are true. It's been solid rain for two days now, but clearing tomorrow. Back to playing with it , then.