My Transition into the World of C-Band!!! I hope.

[Rendered]

After several months of KU delight I am now about set to try out C-Band. I plan to setup a dish at my parents place (which is only two blocks away from me) so they will be able to get C and KU FTA. Dad is fairly excited, mom does not care all that much. I hope to make it motorized, but if that don’t work I’ll set it up as a stationary for the time being.

It is not entirely a selfless act because I am over there practically everyday. Ah yes, great food and FTA TV at the same time. :


Ok here is what I got so far on a next to nothing budget:

1: (A BUD) I helped some folks out with a computer tek problem and they had the BUD out in the back which they let me have for free.

2: (Cable) I found what looks like 100ft of new CATV 18 cable in a thrift store. That should work right? How does that compare to RG6 cable?

3: (Receiver Box) I got a Coolsat 6000 Premium on Ebay. It works perfectly.

4: (Motor Control) Hopefully it still works?

5: (Actuator Controller Box) It was in the garage and went with the dish. It is a TRACKER-IR Antenna Positioner - Satellite Locater by Houston Tracker Systems. It was made when I was in dippers, but it turns on and appears to work. So if the motor works, will I be able to just hook up the motor to it and rotate the dish by manually entering degrees?


The only thing I can think of that’s left to get is the C/KU LNBF and an in-line amplifier.

I was planning to get a BSC-621 LNBF but I have read that the KU reception is not good.

So instead I am thinking about getting a CK-1 LNBF. Can anyone verify that the KU is better with this LNB? The BSC-621 appears to have the switch built into it so if I got a CK-1 instead would I also have to buy a separate DiSEqC Switch with it?

Here is the in-line amplifier I plan to get: ( signal booster )

Well what do you guys think? Will that do the trick?

And should I be able to have the dish rotate by using the old Controller Box or is there something I am missing?

I know in the long run I should get a GBOX but I just don’t have the cash at the moment.


Thank for any help you guys can provide :up

 

[Lone Cloud]

Fiberglass dish. Reported as heavy. Get help mounting. SD receivers. Go with HD later when you can.

wire brush and oil up all adjusting rods and threads

Set your mast in a couple feet of concrete and make it plumb. fill mast with concrete.

Look online for manuals for your components.

I actually use a four wire outdoor sprinkler wire for motor control. Home Depot. 70 foot run ( a lot cheaper than dedicated wire. I end that wire at a junction box and then go to the dish with stranded lamp wire, through conduits.

If you are running any wire or cable through the dirt, invest in plastic conduit. The guy i got my Birdview dish from would have kept it had he not had to keep replacing gopher-eaten cables.

Good luck. Good timing

 

[Anole]

Coolsat 6000 - good choice

SatAV CK-1 a good choice (see below)

Dish looks nice, but don't know if it's Ku-capable

Signal amp - why? But hey, for $5, go ahead and get it. -
- I spent $11 on one, and it didn't do squat.

Cable - don't know the specs, but 100 feet is a modest run if it's rated to 2ghz.

Diseqc switches are often free with new receivers
- only a few bucks wherever you are getting your other things.

If worse comes to worse and the dish isn't good for Ku, put in a little Primestar or other 90cm (36") dish later on. - :up

 

[ACRadio]

The dish is a Prodelin 3 meter commercial dish. I'm sure it's KU compatible, but since it's a deep dish and tends to not have the best surface accuracy in the world at the dish edges make sure you give it TLC when aligning it...it needs to be spot-on.

And since the actuator motor is mounted down it could possibly be a Saginaw, which was originally sold with the stand alone Houston Trackers. Later actuators were designed for the motor to be up top to stop water ingress.

 

[Rendered]

Fiberglass dish. Reported as heavy. Get help mounting.

It will be a three man Job, My brother, dad and I. This is the second dish that we will move. The first one is a sad story.

Go with HD later when you can.

I would like an HD receiver, but then again I would like an HD TV. But if wishes was horses then… well I guess I would sell them and get and HD TV!!!:

So if you have a HD receiver can it down convert the signals down for a regular TV or do you need a HD TV??

I actually use a four wire outdoor sprinkler wire for motor control. Home Depot. 70 foot run ( a lot cheaper than dedicated wire. I end that wire at a junction box and then go to the dish with stranded lamp wire, through conduits.

I forgot to mention item six which is the controller wire. I think we have enough wire laying around to do the job, but if we don’t then to Home depot we go.

Dish looks nice, but don't know if it's Ku-capable

I also forgot to mention that when I first saw it I figured that the wire mesh in the fiberglass would not be dense enough for KU, but when I got a good look at it I saw on one edge where the fiberglass was worn off enough to where I could see the wire and it was so dense I don’t think you could poke a toothpick through it.:up So as far as I know it should work fine with KU.

Signal amp - why? But hey, for $5, go ahead and get it. -
- I spent $11 on one, and it didn't do squat.

Cable - don't know the specs, but 100 feet is a modest run if it's rated to 2ghz.

Diseqc switches are often free with new receivers
- only a few bucks wherever you are getting your other things.

Okay, then I think I’ll wait on the amplifier and get the Diseqc switch instead. I found one for 5.99. If anybody finds a better price please tell me.

The dish is a Prodelin 3 meter commercial dish. I'm sure it's KU compatible, but since it's a deep dish and tends to not have the best surface accuracy in the world at the dish edges make sure you give it TLC when aligning it...it needs to be spot-on.

And since the actuator motor is mounted down it could possibly be a Saginaw, which was originally sold with the stand alone Houston Trackers. Later actuators were designed for the motor to be up top to stop water ingress.

A Prodelin ah, that’s cool. All I know is that it reminds me of something out of starwars and I like it!


Alright thanks for all the advice everybody.:up I’ll post more info after we go to get her.

 

[Anole]

So if you have a HD receiver can it down convert the signals down for a regular TV or do you need a HD TV??


I also forgot to mention that when I first saw it I figured that the wire mesh in the fiberglass would not be dense enough for KU, but when I got a good look at it I saw on one edge where the fiberglass was worn off enough to where I could see the wire and it was so dense I don’t think you could poke a toothpick through it.:up So as far as I know it should work fine with KU.


Okay, then I think I’ll wait on the amplifier and get the Diseqc switch instead. I found one for 5.99. If anybody finds a better price please tell me.

- most HD receivers can be set to put out Svideo, 480, 720, or 1080; so I doubt it'll be a problem...
however, GET an HD TV ! -

- get some professional advice about patching the dish to prevent water ingress.
maybe it's easy; maybe on that dish it won't matter; we have experts with answers (or call the company)

- if ya lived close, I'd give ya one.
diseqc switches are dime a dozen... unless you don't have one...

 

[Rendered]

- most HD receivers can be set to put out Svideo, 480, 720, or 1080; so I doubt it'll be a problem...
however, GET an HD TV ! -

alright, thats good to know:up

- get some professional advice about patching the dish to prevent water ingress.
maybe it's easy; maybe on that dish it won't matter; we have experts with answers (or call the company)

water ingress!? crap, I'll have to look into that. calling the company up could be fun though. "Hello, there is this dish setup you sold about 20 years ago and..."

- if ya lived close, I'd give ya one.
diseqc switches are dime a dozen... unless you don't have one...

Now I feel like Captain Malcolm Reynolds needing a catalyzer!

 

[Rendered]

Ready to go!!

Today is an exciting day! That is because I have just got my LNB delivered! :clap

Now since I have been keeping busy I need to give you guys a quick update as to what I have done on the project since I have been away from the forum.

With the great assistance of my brother and with dear old dad pitching in we have managed to take down the dish, dig up the pole, bust up the concrete, dig a new hole, level up the pole in the hole, mix and pour in about four 80 pound bags of concrete, clean up the dish panels, reassemble the dish back onto the pole and test the motor control which appears to work great.:up

Some stages presented challenges, but so far no real dilemmas.

So with the help of the LNB tomorrow we hope to align the dish and pick up AMC4 which is our most south Sat here.

If all goes well I’ll take some pictures of my dish in its new home. :


If I run into any problems I’ll be sure to turn here to you guys first. :up

 

[gabshere]

thats great i wish i could find the time to work on my dish

keep us posted