recommendations on good LNBFs

[jgabriels]

Any recommendations for/against any particular LNBFs?

The "redheads" seem to be popular on this forum. I finally figured
out that this was referring to the techsat tracker II which I found
on ebay for about $20 each. Any reason that these are popular?

Ebay has alot of $10+freeship LNBFs that are probably offbrand
something or other. The picture on one of the listings shows the
brand as ROC. Are any of these ultra cheap LNBFs any good?

I also noticed that there is a group buy for the GEOSATpro C2
which I believe is for C-band. As over 50 of them have already
been vouched for, I'm assuming they would be recommended as
well. Any reason that these are popular?

Any other recommendations for/against any particular LNBFs?

 

[turbosat]

I bought one of the red ones just to try on my 1m primestar, the stock old lnbf was doing a fine job but I was curious. On many of the satellite channels I got some quality improvement, some went up by about 10%, a few, a little more. Might not be justification to buy 10 of them, if I had that many to replace, but I think it was worth the money for an experiment. The others, I can't comment on from experience.

 

[Anole]

Couple of years ago, I bought a 6-pack of $6.95 LNBs.
They worked pretty well.
So, I sent one to another member who was making some experiments.
He thought they were fine, and got his own 6-pack.
They're in service on his roof, now.

The people who've bought the red LNBs seem to report they work well.
I find 'em ugly, but if they were green I might not complain (little lizard joke, there).

If you look in our Hardware Review section, there is a review of an Invacom LNB.
Based on that, I bought one several years ago.
They seem to have a strong reputation, and I've not seen that tarnished.
I got the SNH-031 single output unit, but there is a very popular QPH-031 with multiple outputs (see specs for more info).

For some applications you'll need a Universal or Standard.
For other uses, you might need a dual-output or bandstacked LNB.
In those instances, other products come to light.
Sadoun has a popular dual output model, and SatelliteAV just introduced their very small SL-2.
Both are favorably commented on by users.

In the C-band arena, you might get into a fight over the best way to go.
For those of us with limited budgets, who lack the drive to have bragging rights for the best signal, here are some currently popular units:
- BSC-421 single output LNBF
- CK-1 dual-band C & Ku, single output LNBF (at two suppliers)
- B1-stack, C-band only, Eagle Aspen bandstacked
- C2 dual output, C-band only

There may be applications which dictate for or against any of the above, and those conditions make take priority over cost.
(though, all the above are modestly priced)

And the reason for the C2 being so attractive right now is a short story.
It seemed to work well, but didn't sell all that well.
So, the supplier removed it from his product list.
Well, with no other source for a dual-output C-band unit, members here went on a hunt to find one.
We didn't so well, and I guess it came to the attention of the previous importer.
He's now made a special buy to fill the demand.
We have the -best- gold sponsors at this forum! -

 

[DiscoLoveGrapes]

I like my Red Turbosat LNB It's a lifesaver for picking up the PBS muxes on AMC 21 on a 31" dish as well as the various NBC stuff without having to go outside to tilt the LNB to account for the weird skew. It took the PBSes from a chirpy 45% to solid 60% on my Fortec.

The one major caveat is that it's standard only, so if you want to try and get Cubasat or a cool feed shows up on PAS 9, you won't be able to get it. If you can find a cheap/used/free Universal .4 LNB, you can use that as a backup.

 

[jgabriels]

A quick search on google, showed an answer to my first question:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/30890-universal-vs-standard-lnbf.html
http://www.satelliteguys.us/c-band-...ween-universal-lnbf-standard-linear-lnbf.html

and if I read those correctly, It looks like the universal is only useful for the
PAS 9 in north america and has three major drawbacks of
"won't work with analog receiver", "won't work with satellite meter" and
"won't work with a 22k switch" Is a 22k switch the same as a diseqc switch?
From reading above it seems like the standard is the way to go.

Is there any purpose for a dual output other than for multiple receivers?

What about bandstacked? Is it's only purpose to combine H/V?
Is that the same purpose for the Cband bandstacked? If so, again, is
there only an advantage if you have more than one receiver?

 

[Anole]

It looks like the universal is only useful for the
PAS 9 in north america and has three major drawbacks of
"won't work with analog receiver", "won't work with satellite meter" and
"won't work with a 22k switch"
From reading above it seems like the standard is the way to go.

Universals are manufactured in large quantity for use in Europe, so importing them is a no-brainer... and they're often cheaper.
Standards, are not a world-wide standard, so they may cost more.
A lot of people who don't know the difference, buy what's available.
Standard LNBs are favored by many advanced users (for other technical reasons).

Is a 22k switch the same as a diseqc switch?

No, see the Switches Simplified FAQ for more info.

Is there any purpose for a dual output other than for multiple receivers?

Often we start out with a single receiver and maybe a few dishes.
As our systems grow, we often want more receivers.
It's an addictive hobby. -
At that point, many users do a wholesale change-out of their siingle-output LNBs for dual output LNBs.
Is that a reason to plan for the future?
No, not really.

What about bandstacked? Is it's only purpose to combine H/V?
Is that the same purpose for the Cband bandstacked? If so, again, is
there only an advantage if you have more than one receiver?

I think one reason was to simplify switching.
Both of multiple LNBs and to multiple receivers.
It also lets you run a higher voltage over longer distance to increase the total cable length.
Dish Network uses bandstacked LNBs for all of these reasons.
Bandstacked is not too common in FTA setups, mostly because users are not familiar with the equipment.
The forum has done a fair job of discussing the technology and popularizing it over the last several years.

It's perfectly okay to ignore the entire bandstacked concept.
In fact, the Switches Simplified FAQ did not deal with it.
A parallel would be: "I want to paint landscapes. Should I use watercolor, acrylic, or oil-based?"
Answer? "Any will get the job done if all you want to do is paint. Watercolor is good to start out with, and may be all you'll ever use."