Smallest dish for FTA satellites

[TELE Frontier]

Hi,

I would like to know what size is smallest dish to receive strongest EIRP Free To Air satellite.

Thanks in advance

 

[SatelliteAV]

Received strong FSS linear channels with a 12" dish, but no reliability. Adjacent satellite interference is a major issue with smaller dishes.

What satellite and channel are you wanting to receive? Why the need for a micro KU dish?

 

[TELE Frontier]

Good information !! thanks.

As far as I know, Globecast is the most popular FTA satellite and the strongest EIRP and it can be received with quite a good reliability at 60cm offset dish?

Anybody can make sure of the above information?

Thanks in advance,

 

[Mr Tony]

As far as I know, Globecast is the most popular FTA satellite and the strongest EIRP and it can be received with quite a good reliability at 60cm offset dish?

no. a 30" dish is required for reliabiity

 

[SatelliteAV]

While a 36" dish will work, several transponders on the Galaxy19 satellite @ 97w will have low quality due to the interference from adjacent satellites at 95w and 99w. Would suggest a 90cm / 36" dish if that is an option for your install.

 

[Jim S.]

I can get all the 97W Ku transponders with a 76cm dish if I aim very carefully. 60cm, probably not. 18", about 3 transponders reliably and another 3 intermittently.

Globecast the strongest EIRP? Absolutely NOT, unless you're in a good location for 97W and a bad location for every other bird. (Not very likely.) 72W, 74W, 101W, and 125W, will generally provide fine service to an 18" dish (at least here in the northeast U.S.A.), although adjacent-satellite interference makes aiming very annoying.

 

[hwm]

I have fooled around quite a bit trying to get free surplus 18, 22, and 24-inch dishes to work for FTA with linear LNBs installed. Based on this experience I can tell you that I cannot get reliable most-weather reception with less than a 30-inch dish on 97w, or sats of comparable EIRP at my location.

The hottest linear Ku sat for my location is 89w, which has ABC NewsNow. I am able to use a surplus 24-inch/60cm dish for reliable reception on this one only. I believe Lyngsat ranks it at 49/50 EIRP for my area.

 

[TELE Frontier]

I see from all you guys' replies that signal margin experience varies individually on the installation method or carefulness.

Anyway, it is good information for my reference.

Jim !, Do you mean that 72w 74 w 101w 125w can be received at 18 inch dish reliably? More FTA satellites at 18 inch dish than expected. great information.

 

[Jim S.]

Those satellites that I named provide a strong signal to my part of the country. It may not be as strong in other places. When I was experimenting with an 18" dish, I got many feeds on 72w and 74w, most of the international channels on 101w, and the two strongest transponders on 125w. They don't always work in bad weather however.

 

[hwm]

I see the original poster has their location listed as Korea. The sats that I gave as examples are not visible from there.

If the OP can find a sat of interest to them with a rated EIRP of 48 or above at their location, an 18 or 22 inch dish may give some usable results, but bad weather will probably cause loss of signal lock. If you have a 24 inch dish and an EIRP of 49 or above, you should do okay in most weather. This is based on my own hands-on experience and testing.

Here in North America, a 30-inch or larger dish is needed for reliable, usable reception of most Ku Linear FTA satellites. It may be different in Korea.

There have been several threads on this forum, including one started by me, concerning the use of surplus 18- 22 inch dishes for linear Ku FTA use. Try the search feature to find more detailed information in those older threads.

Here is a link to my earlier post with detailed 22" dish info: http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/209227-what-can-i-get-linear-lnb.html

Hope this helps.

 

[Semokid]

I see the original poster has their location listed as Korea. The sats that I gave as examples are not visible from there.

If the OP can find a sat of interest to them with a rated EIRP of 48 or above at their location, an 18 or 22 inch dish may give some usable results, but bad weather will probably cause loss of signal lock. If you have a 24 inch dish and an EIRP of 49 or above, you should do okay in most weather. This is based on my own hands-on experience and testing.

Here in North America, a 30-inch or larger dish is needed for reliable, usable reception of most Ku Linear FTA satellites. It may be different in Korea.

There have been several threads on this forum, including one started by me, concerning the use of surplus 18- 22 inch dishes for linear Ku FTA use. Try the search feature to find more detailed information in those older threads.

Here is a link to my earlier post with detailed 22" dish info: http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/209227-what-can-i-get-linear-lnb.html

Hope this helps.

Hwm,
I modified a Directtv phase three dish to a Dish500 and had to saw 4 inches off of the lnb arm for the yoke,so maybe this would be a better choice to mod. You don't say how many inches your arm extension is so it may just work!

 

[hwm]

Hwm,
I modified a Directtv phase three dish to a Dish500 and had to saw 4 inches off of the lnb arm for the yoke,so maybe this would be a better choice to mod. You don't say how many inches your arm extension is so it may just work!

I didn't extend the LNB arm at all, just bolted the new adjustable LNB mount to it so the business end of the LNB fit my jig in the same position as the original circular LNBs.

 

[TELE Frontier]

Thanks all guys and HWM for your information. It will be a great reference for me.