My C-band Small Dish Project

[dsmith0429]

After several attempts, I finally figured out how to get my C-band small dish project working great at 99W, now considering adding additional C-band LNBFs to this same dish to try and pick up 95W & 97W as well, since I was able to also get channels from 95W & 97W while trying to get this working. Actually I'm getting 3 channels bleeding over from 97W, but they are weak. I'm thinking of modifying a couple of Conical Scalar Rings to make a triple LNBF setup with a custom bracket as well. Has anyone tried something similar to this? Should this work?

 

[danristheman]

You should move the dish slightly to the west it should help with most of 99w.

 

[Christopher Cromwell]

@dsmith0429, I spent the last part of the summer working on the exact same thing your trying to accomplish. The end result after many weeks of trying, it's not going to work. I tried a multi LNB setup with 2 Titanium C-Band LNB'S and Conical scalars with a 1.2M dish pointed at 99W. The conical scalars being so big around, there is no way your going to get 95W and/or 97W C-Band without the LNB'S seriously getting in the way of the other. The last experiment that held some promise was to keep the one LNB on 99W C-Band, and the other LNB on 87W C-Band using the multi LNB setup. The best I could get was 10% Signal Quality, I knew I was on the verge of making that setup work, but I needed a little more dish. In the end it's not going to work out, other than to put extra Ku LNB'S on a multi LNB setup on that 1.2M dish pointed at any of the 3 or 4 satellites you are in the vicinity of. That did work for me, and I use those for backup. Anyway, I had the exact ideas and plans that you did, but it doesn't work. The only best way is to get a second or third 1.2M dish(s) pointed at the other C-Band satellites you want to get which is what I intend to do next summer hopefully. Of course the real correct way to do C-Band is with a 6-8+ foot motorized C-Band dish for true C-Band viewing; which is not in the cards for me. Don't bother tweaking your dish around like danristheman suggested, you will only have heartache trying to watch anything that way. Just keep it locked on to 99W C-Band like me and enjoy! :-D

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[. Raine]

Dsmith0429, what's the size of that dish that you're using?

 

[Christopher Cromwell]

I did daydream about combining the scalar rings together with a custom made bracket, but I never went through with that attempt. The scalar rings being so expensive, and not the easiest to saw through without bending them out of shape; I figured it wouldn't work anyway. That's pretty good your getting some weak bleed through, I don't have that. Right now, my dish is locked in on the 99W C-Band, I will probably leave it parked there, but I could always turn it to the 87W C-Band; which is the only other one I can get with my size of dish.

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[Christopher Cromwell]

@A Raine, good point! I forgot to ask. It looks like maybe a 1.2M or 1.4M elliptical? I don't know anything about the PrimeStar equipment. Pretty good if he can get 99W C-Band and a few other extra channels on it. :-D

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[Mr Tony]

It looks like maybe a 1.2M or 1.4M elliptical?

its a 84e which is 40x30 inches. I had a few of those when I had my FTA setup
Biggest Primestar dish was a 1.2 round dish (not elliptical)

 

[Christopher Cromwell]

@iceburg, oh, ok. I thought it was pretty large enough to get C-Band.

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[Mr Tony]

you do realize that if you hit the "reply" button in a particular post that quotes it and allows you to respond easier?

 

[Christopher Cromwell]

You mean like this?

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[Christopher Cromwell]

I'm doing everything on my phone out over the road in my semi-truck. I don't always have the extra time to do things correctly for everyone. I'm sure there are much worse offenders than me out there. lol.

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[dsmith0429]

its a 84e which is 40x30 inches. I had a few of those when I had my FTA setup
Biggest Primestar dish was a 1.2 round dish (not elliptical)

You hit it on the nose, that is the dish I have. I actually found it in a junk pile on my Uncle's property, cleaned it up, and now it has life again. I also have a Starband and DirectPC dish that is slightly smaller I'm going to experiment with. Theses are all made by Channel Master, they actually have their logo and part number(s) on the back of them. The Starband & DirectPC can be rotated for the skew, but the Primestar can not, so I have to skew the LNB itself. BTW, I get all the LeSea (fetv, Cozi, etc,), Caribbean (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands), KCWY-NBC (Casper, Wyoming), and GDMX channels, 19 total. Also several radio channels. The bleed over channels from 97W are AMG, Walk TV, & Dr TV.

 

[dsmith0429]

Dsmith0429, what's the size of that dish that you're using?

40x30

 

[dsmith0429]

I'm waiting on the arrival of another C-band LNB & Conical Scalar Ring. Going to attempt having 2 C-band LNBs on the same dish, and making a custom bracket holder... will post my results when complete...

 

[dsmith0429]

For reference, this is the lnb & conical ring I'm using

 

[dsmith0429]

I found a site that showed this same dish with a custom made feeder arm for 2 Ku-band lnbs. Maybe I can make my own custom arm to hold 2 c-band lnbs. Will need to do some more research and see if I can find the tubular material at one of my local hardware stores. Will also have to figure out the spacing so that I can initially receive 2 satellites, then possibly add another lnb later.

 

[. Raine]

40x30

Thanks, been tossing around the idea of making a mini-bud for 99w and have been trying to figure a good size for it. From looking at the channels that you're getting, I'd say that size works pretty well!