Received new cband only lnbf today, BSC421. You guessed it, I have a few questions. Im assuming the numbers on the side are to adjust focal, and numbers on top are for skew? But what is the small rectangle thing in the plastice bag for? And should the focal&skew be set somewhere close to where the old one is?
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Yep #'s on the side are for the FD ratio,and the others are skew.The thing in the bag is the dielectric plate (that a guy in another thread is looking for) used for getting circular C band signals,not needed for the mainstream amurican sats.
skew should be set at zero when your dish is pointing true south. Focal length should be set for your particular dish. You can try it where the old one is set. Do you know the brand of dish you have (or have a manual for it
)? I just read in an earlier post its an echostar dish and Im sure you dont have a manual (ive been searching for one for four years).Now would be a good time to do the string test on your dish. I have a link with some excellant info. It will tell you how to calculate your focal distance and give you some insight into what you are doing here. Your best bet is to peak that dish, because it was set up for analog signals. They are much more forgiving than a digital S2 signal.
http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizepgs/tuningp4.html#anchor801578
I used this info when I set up my first dish and it helped big time. lost the link over the years and found it posted here in another thread (thanks anole). I also have a link for a satfinder program that will help you aim your dish using the sun instead of a compass. That will be very useful for you to point your dish at true south since you dont have any strong signals there.
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No problem we are here to help. Make sure you read that link though, you wil read it ten times and learn more each time. Oh by the way I experienced that polarity issue yesterday with 3 inches of wet snow on my dish (horizontal channel with vertical skew). I moved the dish 1 degree east and got a lock (of course I had to play with the skew). I think you need to re-aim that dish and start enjoying that TV. If you are interested I will send you the satfinder link.
The rectangle thing in the plastic bag is used to receive circular signals. But as far as I know there is no use for it since circular signals are encrypted.
The best way would be to move your dish to true south and set your skew to 0 degrees or the 12 o'clock position that would leave the little box where you hook up your coax at about the 4 o'clock position.
The focal setting may be different than what your old LNB has. I would set it the same as the old one was and start adjusting it in and out until you get the best signal.
The best way would be to move your dish to true south and set your skew to 0 degrees or the 12 o'clock position that would leave the little box where you hook up your coax at about the 4 o'clock position.
The focal setting may be different than what your old LNB has. I would set it the same as the old one was and start adjusting it in and out until you get the best signal.
Correction: The dielectric slab is used for receiving circular signals, but it is only used for C-band in this LNBF. C-band circular polarity satellite signals are rare in North America. Circular C-band is not used for domestic C-band satellites in North America, but you will find several C-band satellites East of 53w that transmit circular C-band transponders. It is about a 50/50 mix of encrypted and non-encrypted C-band channels.
The dielectric slab does not enable circular reception of KU band signals, only C-band. Do not leave the slab in the feedhorn when receiving linear C-band satellites. The slab will attenuate the linear satellite signals.
BAM BABY!!!!!! Gentelmen, I have OFFICIALLY joined the FTA world 
Finally got new lnb hooked up after a couple days of bad weather. First bird I tried was 91W. All channels tuned. CW had 89% Quality. Haven't tried to optimize yet. But I'm happier than a kid at christmas right now! A HUGE thanks to all who have commented and helped along the way. Would have probably lost my mind by now if it wasn't for you guys helping. And another HUGE thanks to my wife for keeping her patience
Finally got new lnb hooked up after a couple days of bad weather. First bird I tried was 91W. All channels tuned. CW had 89% Quality. Haven't tried to optimize yet. But I'm happier than a kid at christmas right now! A HUGE thanks to all who have commented and helped along the way. Would have probably lost my mind by now if it wasn't for you guys helping. And another HUGE thanks to my wife for keeping her patience 
Congratulations! Welcome to the addiction - affliction, ah, hobby.
"CW had 89% Quality" Have fun finding and getting the rest of the satellites tuned in that are available to you.
Along with the OTA, there's more than enough to watch/fill idle time/.
"CW had 89% Quality" Have fun finding and getting the rest of the satellites tuned in that are available to you.
Along with the OTA, there's more than enough to watch/fill idle time/.
89% Quality on the CW, I'm only getting 70% on my 6' solid Fortec with the MicroHD. I was recently given a 7.5' mesh dish, I guess its time to swap them out. Glad to see you got it working sathunt, maybe you can buy your wife a gbox or vbox for Valentines day, that will automate your dish mover and eliminate the analog receiver.
Update: I had originally set lnbf to what old lnb was set to. After using formula from link mmewrench posted, lnbf is dead on. I have tuned all satellites from 78w- 139w, except 83w. W/ satellites I have tuned picking up ALL FTA channels on 87w-97w listed on Lyngsat. (Haven't checked lower satellites yet) now I just need to make a list of what all the sats are according to my analog receiver/mover. The only issue I can see now is I am picking up certain TPs from neighboring sats, particularly on the lower sats, (MEtv as an example) thats why its still a little hard to tell sometimes exactly what sat I am on. But I noticed lnbf was not very stable, as it is only one screw holding it. I believe as I am moving dish, lnbf is moving slightly off center. Have an idea to fix this also 
thanks again to all that have helped along the way
thanks again to all that have helped along the wayHad thoughts of an angle attached to the scalar backside, and then a hose clamp around it and the throat. But what I did was:
I put some double sided carpet tape on the 'pads' that the throat contacts opposite the screw. I also sharpened the screw to a point so when in contact with the throat** the throat didn't wobble. **Minimal pressure and it held without distorting the throat.
Make sure the scalar is parallel to the bottom of the dish and the feed throat is aimed at the dead center bottom of the dish.
You may see improvements by adjusting the LNBF closer or further away from the dish. Watch a transponder on the satellite you're aimed at, look for maximum Q.
These 'tweaks' probably will also minimize, or eliminate, picking up adjacent satellites.
It may be a few months** before it's tuned and tweaked to perfection, that's OK as that's normal operating procedure with the initial tweaking of a BUD.
**An hour or two once or twice a week.
I put some double sided carpet tape on the 'pads' that the throat contacts opposite the screw. I also sharpened the screw to a point so when in contact with the throat** the throat didn't wobble. **Minimal pressure and it held without distorting the throat.
Make sure the scalar is parallel to the bottom of the dish and the feed throat is aimed at the dead center bottom of the dish.
You may see improvements by adjusting the LNBF closer or further away from the dish. Watch a transponder on the satellite you're aimed at, look for maximum Q.
These 'tweaks' probably will also minimize, or eliminate, picking up adjacent satellites.
It may be a few months** before it's tuned and tweaked to perfection, that's OK as that's normal operating procedure with the initial tweaking of a BUD.
**An hour or two once or twice a week.
Now that you have a taste for it, keep your eyes open for a ten foot dish. That is an easy cure for adjacent channel interference. I just brought home a 12 footer yesterday (cant wait for spring so I can plant it).
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