Not all dishes can take regular LNB's for 97W and 101W

[polgyver]

For a few years I was happy with 5 (now only 4) FTA programs on 101W.A few weeks ago I started experimenting with receiving also 160 programs from 97W. For temporary support of LNB I used rectangular piece of plastic, which is very transparent for satellite waves. Luckily, this kind of plastic lowered the S (strength of signal) only by 1 or 2, despite its thickness of 3/8" (about 9 - 10 mm) ; other, thinner plastics lowered S by 8 to 10. I tried 4 dishes : SeeSat 33", Q-sat 40" and Multistar with its twin Digiwave (both are identical, 36"). Using a sharpie marker I marked positions of LNB with maximum signal strength for both satellites. Surprisingly, the biggest dish, Q-sat, could not accept 2 LNB's - its focal length is too small. But the Multistar and its twin Digiwave fit the job - the LNB's "overlap" just a bit. I did some grinding of the LNB's edges on a sandpaper and glued them together with contact cement, and now I can watch many programs from both satellites.

 

[dotbatman]

Very cool experiment.

 

[FaT Air]

Very ingenious. (adjective 1. characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction. 2. cleverly inventive or resourceful.)

 

[Keith Brannen]

Very ingenious. (adjective 1. characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction. 2. cleverly inventive or resourceful.)

I second that! Well done.

 

[xtgold]

I have seen lnbs removed from their plastic cases to make them easier to mount close.

 

[KE4EST]

I do stuff like this all the time just to see what I can make work

 

[polgyver]

I have seen lnbs removed from their plastic cases to make them easier to mount close.

This is good idea. Maybe it will be enough just to cut a quarter inch of each case of LNB with a bandsaw, just this parts where they need be closer.This way I could use them on Q-sat dishes. Their median focal length is only 22", despite rather big size (40" x 35")

 

[T4Runner]

I'm sure you are aware that one of the Sponsors (Glorystar) sells a specially made bracket and two small LNB's (SLR1) that are designed for this very purpose? But there's no experimental excitement with that choice!

 

[polgyver]

I'm sure you are aware that one of the Sponsors (Glorystar) sells a specially made bracket and two small LNB's (SLR1) that are designed for this very purpose? But there's no experimental excitement with that choice!

Well, in fact I did not know it, I just looked it up after your suggestion, and that is the proper way to do a setup, using small ones, without cutting regular LNB's. I see that you use two sets for receiving 97/101 : one on 30" dish, the other on 36 dish. Probably the spacing between LNB's is different for each dish, am I right?

 

[Conky]

a used Starchoice dish(preferably free or cheap) also works

 

[xtgold]

I have seen lnbs removed from their plastic cases to make them easier to mount close.

I used that trick in the circular lnb days with a dish lnb that is normally D mount,remove from plastic fatten up the throat and use it as 40mm throat mount.

 

[whatchel1]

I used that trick in the circular lnb days with a dish lnb that is normally D mount,remove from plastic fatten up the throat and use it as 40mm throat mount.

What did you use to fatten up the throat?

 

[xtgold]

What did you use to fatten up the throat?

electrical tape,although some magic lnb kits have plastic pieces that will wrap around the throat to make it the proper diameter.