My SuperDish Mod to multi-LNB FTA Dish

[Magic Static]

Dead 121 SuperDishes are everywhere in the NorthWest. So I have plenty to work with. I modded the FSS LNB by putting a feedhorn from a DTV triple on it. I made three this way. I then fashioned a bracket to hold my new LNBFs and put them back on the SuperDish. The first attempt was 87W, 97W, and 103W combination. Wow, I was suprised at the amount of signal I got with this dish. Q in the high 70's and 80's on both 97W and 87W. 103W with the oddball skew dialed right in with normal skew, Q of 55. I wanted to do a POP with the AI Turbo S2, but the LNB is too slow to tune when switching transponders and the POP was no signal. I'll see if I can get that to work right. I am also going to try various combinations of sats across the arc and see just how good an old SuperDish can work

 

[danristheman]

Have you tried your setup on a Fiberglass superdish I have one of those. Same here in indiana there is so much superdishes around taht people are not using.

Dan Rose

 

[KE4EST]

Nice mods, I have a few Super Dishes modified. The Fiberglass ones are a tab bigger but the metal ones work great, and are easier to work with.

 

[joeroscoe1957]

Like that set up , I use one for 97w with great signal strength , never thot about trying dual or triple lnb's . Think 97w , 87w & 83w might be possible ?? If you get too many super dishes laying around , u can cut two in half & make one 99cm dish out of three , works for c band 99w & 91w ( I get bored in winter lay off) .

 

[Magic Static]

I've seen two fiberglass dishes that were never used. They quit using 121W just as the fiberglass dish was made available in this area, and the dealers never used them. I don't think they would be at all easy to work with.
My original idea was for 83W, 87W, and 97W. But I can't get the LNBFs closer than 5° apart, almost but not quite.
I could add another one with 83W,89W,and 95W. The LNBF holder allows me to configure almost any 3 sat combo in 22° span
Joe that dish is extreme! You really are hooked on this hobby!

 

[kodaz]

this thread has links to other threads on lnb combos.
it is an ok read

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/261449-101-97-option-albeit-kinda-bad.html

 

[PopcornNMore]

Very nice work!

 

[superbuddy]

Magic Static,

When you tried to do the PoP Scan on the AI Turbo S2, did you have a DiSEqC switch in-line between the meter and the LNBs or did you have the AI Turbo S2 connected directly to each LNB individually while attempting the PoP Scan?

Dead 121 SuperDishes are everywhere in the NorthWest. So I have plenty to work with. I modded the FSS LNB by putting a feedhorn from a DTV triple on it. I made three this way. I then fashioned a bracket to hold my new LNBFs and put them back on the SuperDish. The first attempt was 87W, 97W, and 103W combination. Wow, I was suprised at the amount of signal I got with this dish. Q in the high 70's and 80's on both 97W and 87W. 103W with the oddball skew dialed right in with normal skew, Q of 55. I wanted to do a POP with the AI Turbo S2, but the LNB is too slow to tune when switching transponders and the POP was no signal. I'll see if I can get that to work right. I am also going to try various combinations of sats across the arc and see just how good an old SuperDish can work
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[Magic Static]

I was connected directly to the LNB. Settings NW Continental US, genericKU, KU Stacked, (switch type) DP LNB. I noticed while aiming each LNB, when I scrolled through the transponders it would take 3~4 seconds for the signal to lock. I assume the lock delay is why the PoP didn't work the way I expected. But thinking back I'm not sure I had everything like I thought. I need to try this again. It was the first time I had tried to do the PoP scan. I'm a quick study, when I get off the starting line

 

[Magic Static]

I've been thinking about trying to achieve 4° spacing. The LNBs will sit close enough but the feedhorns are too wide. So I decided to massage the 121 feedhorn off the siamese twin feedhorn. There are two sections of that feed. The feedhorn section and the wave guide section. I cut out just the feedhorn for 121 and also pulled the wave guide for the 119. That wave guide looks like it may be usefull for a couple of ideas as a feed.


@SuperBuddy. I set the dish back up and tried another PoP scan. I think I had the LNB settings wrong before. I'm now reading a signal weaker than before but it was what I expected. I didn't really think the dish would work as good as first indicated. I believe my initial readings to be incorrect. I did the PoP scan but only the strongest transponders locked fast enough.

 

[Magic Static]

Ok, I found the setting to change the PoP delay I think we're good to go now. Set my Date and Time also

 

[superbuddy]

@Magic Static,

Good to hear that you found the PoP Delay settings. That's exactly what that feature/setting was added for (in the case of switches in line that are delaying the lock). Let us know if you have other questions.

Ok, I found the setting to change the PoP delay I think we're good to go now. Set my Date and Time also

 

[danristheman]

What is the ROC on your dish what kind of a switch box is that? How is that working with the dual stacked lnb's?

Dan Rose

 

[Magic Static]

What is the ROC on your dish what kind of a switch box is that? How is that working with the dual stacked lnb's?

Dan Rose

It's a DiSEqC 1.0 1x4 switch in a plastic cover. It works fine with those LNBs

 

[danristheman]

oh ok I hadn't seen that one before also you can try with a zinwell 22khz switch. use a splitter from the 2 of them stacked lnbs in to the zinwell if you have more than one tv just an idea.

Dan Rose

 

[danristheman]

its neat what you did with that superdish there should be a part of the forum for this for DIY ideas.

Dan Rose

 

[Magic Static]

I paid a visit to my satellite junkyard and came away with some more SuperDish parts to play with. NIB 121 LNBFs I also picked up a 105 SuperDish fiberglass made by Prodelin. That dish has the heaviest pole I've ever seen on a DBS dish. This dish looks like a natural for FTA use.
Well I decide to go overboard with my SuperDish mod and loaded five LNBs into that holder. 83W, 87W, 93W, 97W, 101W Now to see if I can tune it for useable signal.

 

[Magic Static]

Well the Five LNBs wouldn't quite fit. I could not get them close enough. I had to settle for four @ 83W, 87W, 97W, 101W. However I was able to dial those in a watch TV. The only Transponder that wouldn't play was 87W, LPB channels S2. These FSS lnbs are not exactly a quality brand. I find most have a frequency error as much as 15mhz. The new ones I got were good and functioned must faster than the older ones but did not gain much in performance. I would say if you had a pile of old SuperDishes you could make up a farm that would get most everything you want. The FSS lnbs have a decent CNR for the low gain.

 

[danristheman]

what are your plans for the fiberglass superdish? your are right those fiberglass ones were VERY heavy to work with.

Dan Rose