Sitting here with all this new FTA equipment...

[Cosmo Blatz]

and my C-band dish is 1800 miles away. I'd love to test the Mini HD SE NOW! I have a 15" plastic parabolic bowl (well it looks 'sort of' parabolic if I squint just right) . Any chance I could pick up SOMETHING if I put the bowl on a camera tripod and went out in the backyard? Pretty sure I can figure a way to mount a Ku LNBF on this monster dish. Calculated: F/D =.23 FO=4.16"

Really. I want to try this! What would be my best target for getting a picture????
I can handle smartazz replies.

One more dumb question. I know how to set skew for C-band. How do you set skew on Ku? No markings on the LNBF's and you can't see the probe.
Again, I can handle smartazz replies. LoL!

 

[KE4EST]

Well if your going to try this I would start by lining the plastic bowl with tin foil...er I guess it is all aluminum now.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

Well if your going to try this I would start by lining the plastic bowl with tin foil...er I guess it is all aluminum now.

I used all the tin foil to line my Cubs baseball cap!

Actually, the bowl is clear plastic and is about 20" in diameter. I calculated the F/D and focal length at 20" dia and the numbers were crazy. At 15" dia it might work. I'd line the bowl with 'real' aluminum duct tape to the 15" line to make it metallic. Great plan huh?

I originally bought the bowl to use as a long range microphone setup.

 

[KE4EST]

I just realized what your avatar was. For the longest time I thought it was the end of an in-line fuel filter.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

I just realized what your avatar was. For the longest time I thought it was the end of an in-line fuel filter.

Yeah, I need to shoot it at a different angle.

 

[FaT Air]

Ku LNBF should have a 'tick' mark on the throat or scalar 'flange' for '0' (zero - vertical) If not, could use the output F connector I would think, as most point straight down for '0'.
Don't think the bowl will help much, but maybe put the conical scalar as for out the front and just aim it at 99W, might get somethin'. No guarantees tho-.
Ahh, it's a wobble water container fixture.

 

[gardo403]

me, i,d try a old car hood. something with bit of a sloped angle to it

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

me, i,d try a old car hood. something with bit of a sloped angle to it

If only I still had the '71 VW Super Beetle. There's at least 30dB of gain in THAT hood!

 

[. Raine]

I just realized what your avatar was. For the longest time I thought it was the end of an in-line fuel filter.

It does look like a fuel filter!

If you try the bowl, line the inside or backside smoothly with foil like Ke4est suggested or you'll get nothing. For me here, 95W has the strongest and easiest transponders to receive on a small 18" dish. 15" is awful small, it will have to be setup damn near perfect to receive anything, good luck!

If you post the model # of your LNB someone could probably tell you the correct orientation of it. Like Fat Air said, most of them the F connector will point down at zero skew but not all, I have one here that points out to the side at zero skew.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

...line the inside or backside smoothly with foil like Ke4est suggested or you'll get nothing.

LOL! Really, I do realize that.

As for LNBF's I've got 2 Geosat's SL1PLL and SL1p.
Thanks for the tip on 95W. It would be 40 degrees EL and 194.3 degrees AZ mag at my location.

I'm going over top the Salvation Army store to see if I can find a more suitable reflector. Never know what will turn up there! Also, I can sell some blood and get a payday loan all on the same block.

OOPS! Just noticed the skew scale on the SL1PLL. Didn't find anything at the store. So, going ahead with the original plan.

 

[FaT Air]

Hey, I used to drive a 70 Beetle. But not a 'Super". Actually wish I still had it. Although only had 2w@60 A/C and very little heat.
Couldn't find a snow saucer??? (snosaucer ??) WAY back when, they used to be metal, lately just plastic.
Maybe hydroform your own?? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/mythbusters-hydroforming.586952/

 

[gpflepsen]

Is that a real Blatz bottle? :smooth:

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

Is that a real Blatz bottle? :smooth:

Nah! It's actually a Spotted Cow turned backwards to simulate a Blatz bottle.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

Well, I tried! No signals found. I did find the Clarke Belt and was able to peak on 97W with a cheap meter. I guess the signal was below the threshold of the Amiko.
Here's my hot-glued-duct-taped dish.
Notice the Cosmo Blatz patented 'chopstick'®™ LNBF mount.

 

[primestar31]

That lnb seems too close to the "dish". Why not try pulling it back some, and putting the aluminum foil all the way out to the edge of the dish.


http://www.satsig.net/focal-length-parabolic-dish.htm



.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

That lnb seems too close to the "dish". Why not try pulling it back some, and putting the aluminum foil all the way out to the edge of the dish.


http://www.satsig.net/focal-length-parabolic-dish.htm
.

It's a very deep dish er... bowl. I did use that formula to calculate the F/D and focal length (Calculated: F/D =.23 FO=4.16"). The signal actually peaked at an FO of about 4.375"

I got really crazy numbers when trying to use the whole dish. Using the whole thing, the focal length still would have been deep inside the dish. It's just not the right shape for a Ku feed. I have a garbage can lid that would probably work better. If I put an LNBF on a galvanized garbage can lid ...hmmm. Might be worth trying? The neighbors already think I'm nuts!

 

[polgyver]

Does the alum foil reflect visible light well? If yes, perhaps the focal spot could be made visible when this bowl is directed to the Sun or a distant reflector.
If the foil is "matte" and the reflection "hazy", why not to try a few small mirrors from Dollar Store Disco Ball? Sort of random sampling.
Another thing, your LNBF has certain Field Of View, similarly to photo camera, roughly 60 degree. For this bowl, the LNBF should be similar to "fish eye" lens, and for this to achieve, tinkering with its scalar is needed.

 

[. Raine]

It looks good! I agree with Primestar31, the LNB does look close and I would try lining the whole dish too. Was the formula you used for a prime focus dish like it looks like you have it set up as?

 

[Titanium]

The LNBF is blocking a very high percentage of the surface. Maybe 10% or more?

You might get a signal off of a high-powered Dish Network satellite with a circular DSS/DBS LNBF, but unlikely to lock anything on a FSS satellite unless every angle and position is perfect.

On the brightside, the design and execution certainly puts you into the running for "That Crazy Neighbor" award...

 

[ynnedibanez]

by the coordinates you gave for 95w if you try to point at 97w i estimate that you need to skew the lnb 9.7 degrees
it looks straight up in your pic.
(it looks pretty cool though)