Need to buy new KU Band Sat!

[ColoSat101]

I live in the Denver metro area and I am looking for a cheap ($100-$250) KU-Band Sat. Does anyone know of a physical store in the Denver area? I am new to this and really hesitant about buying something online without the knowledge that I can walk into the store and return it. Any recommendations on brands and models? Do I need to buy a Ku RX/TX, or just RX? An LNB? An Amplifier? A motor? Suggestions please!!!

Thanks a lot!

 

[AcWxRadar]

ColoSAT101,

Hi again!

Here is a good, inexpensive dish that you can trust for FTA purposes. The Winegard DS-2076. It is a little smaller than some of the others available (like a GEOSATpro 1.2 M dish), but I can guarantee that it is a very economical dish and can pull in almost all the signals that you desire from the DVB-S options. Add this dish to a DG-380 motor and the Coolsat 5000 receiver that I mentioned in your post in the AZBox area and you will have an excellent and very reasonably priced package. Now, all you need is the LNBF and the cables.

You can shop around and get an acceptable LNBF for $12-$22.

RADAR

 

[Nosbod]

When it comes to dish size especially with Ku bigger is best. I wouldn't go with anything smaller than a meter. I have a 36 inch and experience rain fade at times. Depending on the dish size make sure you check the specs on the motor to make sure it will handle the weight and size of the dish. There are a lot of receivers out there, just google fta receivers and start reading.

 

[jmc98]

I live in the Denver metro area and I am looking for a cheap ($100-$250) KU-Band Sat. Does anyone know of a physical store in the Denver area? I am new to this and really hesitant about buying something online without the knowledge that I can walk into the store and return it. Any recommendations on brands and models? Do I need to buy a Ku RX/TX, or just RX? An LNB? An Amplifier? A motor? Suggestions please!!!

Thanks a lot!

Pm me I have a 90cm that will cost you just shipping and buying a few parts to assemble it

 

[AcWxRadar]

ColoSAT101,

Many may argue the point, but a larger dish is not always better. While a larger dish has advantages simply based on size of the reflector, they also have disadvantages. Weight and wind loading and also aiming practices.

I have tested many different dish sizes from 18" to 1.2M. The Winegard DS-2076 and the GeoSatpro 1.2 M are the ones that I found to be the best, thus far and they are almost at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Winegard DS-2076 is 76 cm (I think that is the rated effective aperture) is a great dish despite its size and I can match it up with just about any other dish, even the 1.2 M that I have set up now with my motor. If the geometry of the dish is matched to the LNBF and the LNBF is positioned properly, some smaller dishes work just as well as a larger dish.

Simply stated, don't take it for granted that just because a dish like the DS-2076 is smaller that it won't perform well. I can personally attest to this fact with at least that model.

One advantage to the smaller dish in this particular case is that they are much lighter and easier to manage if you are working atop a roof or an elevated mast. The digital DVB-S2 FTA signals may require the added pep from the larger dish, however. So, you just must weigh the differences based upon what your intentions are, just don't jump on the blanket statement that bigger is always better. Larger size is correct as a general rule, but it doesn't always hold water as there are more criteria than size which must be considered.

The main recommendation is: Don't pass up a sweet deal, an inexpensive dish or something that is free! Especially when you are first starting out.

RADAR

 

[Magic Static]

The Winegard DS-2076 was my first FTA dish. Very good dish. I'm still keep it up and running.

 

[ColoSat101]

Radar,

What channels do receivers that only interpret DVB-S get vs DVB-S2? I looked at 'The list' on here and I assume that is most available channels on FTA. Is there some list of just DVB-S?

Thanks

 

[AcWxRadar]

ColoSAT101,

I can't specify too many off the top of my head nor exact numbers of each - I'd have to go looking at each channel. The HD PBS channels on AMC 14 (125W) would definitely not be detectable by a DVB-S receiver (i.e. The Coolsat 5000). But, there are still many standard DVB-S channels still available. RTV, TuffTV, PBJ, Cubavision, other PBS non HI DEF channels and on and on.

I think that currently on Ku band, there are probably more DVB-S channels than DVB-S2, but they are trending towards DBV-S2 and various formats and compression modes for Hi-Def that may eventually make DVB-S a thing of the past. I don't think that will happen any time real soon, though. Probably years away yet. Just a hunch.

RADAR

 

[ColoSat101]

Any info on wiring? I know I need RG-6 coax < 100 ft or RG-6 Quad Shield > 100ft. I assume I need a power cord for the motor. Can I also splice into my cable box to feed the signal? Or do I need to open a new hole in the wall with a new box?

 

[AcWxRadar]

Any info on wiring? I know I need RG-6 coax < 100 ft or RG-6 Quad Shield > 100ft. I assume I need a power cord for the motor. Can I also splice into my cable box to feed the signal? Or do I need to open a new hole in the wall with a new box?

ColoSAT101,

Unless you are setting up a C-Band BUD, you do not need any additional cables or wires beyond the RG-6 cable. Ku band H-H motors don't require any additional cabling. The FTA receiver will supply the necessary voltage and current levels and the RG-6 RF cable will carry these motor and switch power signals on the same RG-6 cable that your IF signal is coming in from the LNBF on.

The only additional cables you might want would be used for feeding additional receivers direct from the LNBF or an external switch. You would have one master receiver controlling the motor, the other receivers could connect to a switch or to an alternate output from the LNBF if you get an LNBF model that sports multiple feed outlet ports.

Get high quality RG-6 cable. Don't skimp. If you can get solid copper center conductor, that's better. Don't worry about quad shield RG-6 unless you are routing the cable near a lot of AC power conductors (or if you happen to get a really sweet deal on a bulk roll of it). If you are going for long runs, the quad shield cable isn't going to make much difference here. It is more to suppress or cancel noise from other RF and electrical sources and prevent that from bleeding into the cable and the IF satellite signal. For long runs, accelerate to RG-11 cable.

In either case, always use compression connectors as opposed to the crimp on style. Purchase a crimper and cable stripping tool and make sure that they are the high quality tools. Don't get a cheap $3.95 or even a $7.98 tool. They'll break, dull or won't get a proper job done right from the start.

You cannot tap into the cable box in any way (if by that you meant the cable controller box) however, you may be able to utilize the wiring if it is no longer being used to carry the cable signals. If that wiring is good quality RG-6, it would be fine to reuse it and that will save some internal installation time and hassle. Make sure you check the cable type before using it. RG-59 is not acceptable, even for a short distance. Although it might be acceptable for a very short and temporary jumper (a couple feet long), I personally wouldn't use it for any purpose at all. The type should be printed on the insulating jacket along the length of the cable.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

ColoSAT101,

I eluded to a MOTOR in my previous post. I was kinda jumping ahead a bit.

My honest recommendation to you for your first setup and installation is to NOT install the motor. You will desire to later, but since you are brand new to this hobby, you truly need to dabble with aligning the dish as a single "fixed point" setup first - i.e. one dish lined up with one satellite - and then get really good at aligning that one dish to all the satellites available to you from your location.

It may sound a bit backwards, but there is a great deal of prerequisite skills that are developed in this stage. Those skills come in extremely handy when you get to the point of installing the motor. They will be second nature to you by the time you are ready to install a motor and you will understand the alignment and the Clarke Belt and the geometry of things much better.

Try to think of it as a kid (or a very young child). You learned how to hold a crayon, then how to color on paper. Then how to control the crayon to stay within lines on a piece of paper to make a picture. Then they gave you a pencil. Then they taught you how to print letters and learn the alphabet. Then you learned how to print those letters within lines on a piece of paper. Then you were taught penmanship, to make those printed letters look more neat and straight. AND then, they introduced you to writing in cursive!

It is a step-by-step process and you master one thing at a time. But, don't worry, it comes fast. You're not going to be sitting around waiting for the moment very long. As long as the weather and your work schedule and family life cooperates with you and allows you to play with your new-found hobby, you'll develop an understanding of this quickly an move on and up to the next stage.

RADAR