Receiver of Choice for MicroBudding?

[Katrinasucks]

I'm starting to narrow things down and and figure out what my first setup is going to be...

The last choice, and obviously the biggest, is receiver.

The game plan is (subject to change) to install the 1.2 over the Christmas holiday with a C Band ASC-421 LNBF and a cheap (existing) KU LNB.

The 1.2 will probably only stay up until spring when we start using the pool again and then I'll drop down to either the 76cm I have or similar. The 1.2 may or may not come back next winter.

Considering all of the above, how does my attempting to microbud change what receivers I should be considering? (digial and analog comments also welcome)

I posted this here and not C Band because I'll do far more KU stuff than C.

Thanks as always

 

[Dishpointer]

I have been using a Coolsat and can pick up alot of C-band. The Coolsat rocks for KU because it has a very fast blind scan and is easy to opperate. For C-band, I can't get everything in the clear because you need a different box. Others will probably chime in with their reccomendations.

 

[Shawn95GT]

The Coolsat should do just fine for C-band if your dish / LNB are up to it.

I see TONS on C-band DVB on my Pansat 3500s. FWIW there seems to be more 'In English' content on C-band DVB. If I didnt' need the servor motor control (Katrinasucks doesn't) I would use a CoolSat 5000. A 4000 would be fine if you don't need or want the component video.

 

[Katrinasucks]

>If I didnt' need the servor motor control (Katrinasucks doesn't) I would use a CoolSat 5000.

Um... At the risk of sounding dumb (too late, I know) why don't I? I was planning on getting a motor. Am I missing something in the wording?

 

[Shawn95GT]

>If I didnt' need the servor motor control (Katrinasucks doesn't) I would use a CoolSat 5000.

Um... At the risk of sounding dumb (too late, I know) why don't I? I was planning on getting a motor. Am I missing something in the wording?

Bad choice of words on my part. The Pansat has spring terminals on the back that will let the receiver control a skew servo or polarotor. This is used on many BUD feedhorns (mine included). If your LNB is voltage switched (the ASC421 is) then you don't need it.

Either receiver will run a DiSEqC motor.

Shawn

 

[Katrinasucks]

OH Great Thanks!

You answered 2 more questions in one blow. I didn't yet know why the multiple voltages and I didn't know how the LNB changed polorization. Duh! I never put 2 and 2 together.

Ya gotta remember, I define newbie. ;-)

 

[Tron]

Remember, though, that the LNB on your 1.2 that you found is probably NOT a dual polarity LNB. Most of the commercial LNBs are connected to a separate feedhorn and mounted to receive only one polarity at a time (either H or V). This is the way the Norsat LNB on my 1 meter Channel Master works. The polarity on this type of LNB can only be changed by re-mounting your LNB 90 degrees on the feedhorn (or turning the feedhorn/LNB assembly 90 degrees)...

The reason these dishes often use fixed polarity LNB setups is that they are pointed at a particular satellite to pick up a single specific transponder only.

You can tell what kind of LNB setup you have (a separate feedhorn/LNB or an LNBF) by looking at the LNB. If it has a white cap and is a one piece plastic mold (like a DirecTV or Dish LNB), it is an LNBF ("LNB" with integrated "F"eedhorn), and is most likely dual polarity 13/18v controlled. If it has a flanged joint between the "eye" and the LNB body, it is a separate feedhorn with LNB, and is probably fixed on one polarity. There are LNBs made for use with a separate feedhorn that are dual-polarity voltage controlled, such as the Invacom C-120 flange series, but these seem to be rare.

 

[Katrinasucks]

eh- Now I'm the one who needs to reword something. The LNB I'm planning on using I got off the 76cm dish. I basically considered the one off the 1.2 worthless as it was not dual polarity and it is 1.2db.

But thanks for keeping me out the weeds.

 

[Tron]

1.2 dB? Yikes

Let us know how the 76cm works out. If you want to test out the large dish with a different LNB, I might be getting a spare soon...

 

[Katrinasucks]

Now I've been poaching in your hunting grounds. I was on E WM David today and snagged a dish I think is 90cm. (It measures 36" x 40" tall) It's on a T mount though... But as they say, the price was right.

I now have about 4 dishes and no way to hook them up.

I need to order a receiver SOON. ;-)

 

[Tron]

Good find Katrinasucks!

I was out there in that area last night salvaging a 40' ham tower which I'll use for OTA HDTV

OK, well, not all 40 feet of it. Its in 10' segments, so maybe 20 or 30 feet...