Smallest dish for RTV???

[LoTech]

I know that some of you guys take it as a challenge to see what you can pick up with small dishes (smaller than 30") I've heard that a Dish 500 with a linear LNB can pick up some FTA channels such as the Pentagon Channel, etc.. reliably.

Has anyone ever tried Retro TV with one of these smaller dishes, and if so, what is the smallest to ever get a lock?

-LoTech

 

[jcourt]

I get it on a 30" Fortech Star Dish. I am currently getting Q of 40%, and before leaves started dropping Q was 30%. It scans into my receiver, a Fortech Star Dynamic, and locks in with no problem.

 

[Mr Tony]

honestly with RTV I wouldnt go anything smaller than a 30"

People pull their hair out trying to get RTV on a 30" so a smaller dish probably wouldnt lock anything

 

[BurlesonBlue]

Wait, you can pick up the Pentagon Channel with a dish under 30"?

 

[Apprentice]

Yeah I had not seen that on here before either Blue. Would wonder how small I could use to get Pentagon. I hate having to use the Channel Master on the Pentagon Channel. But would like to keep the channel on a fixed Dish. I may have to try one of the smaller dishes maybe a Dish 1000 or something like that?

 

[Bill_KY]

As a experiment I tried getting 97 West on a old 18" Dish. It worked....somewhat...I had a 25% quality on it and it was very difficult to keep it a usable level. And even then that was the audio side...the TV side was pretty unusable.

Maybe a 24" dish might have worked better.

Is the Pentagon channel very strong? Strong enough for a 18" dish? Maybe someone should start a separate thread on what is the strongest FTA Ku Band signal with a Linear LNB 18" dish.

 

[Apprentice]

I have a super dish coming tomorrow from a installer that has no use for it. I will try it and see how it works. I have a few LNB's that I can try so should be interesting to see what happens. If it works ok I can move the Channel Master to something else. I will post the results as soon as I can get it done. Probably be next weekend as it gets dark before I get home from work.

 

[Look Up]

I get Retro TV on 83 with a DTV AT-9 dish (24x29 inches) but reception is not reliable. I use a 0.2 dB lnb and have peaked the signal as best as I can. In clear weather (both here in Colorado and at the uplink site) it will lock with no break up, but there is no margin to spare (i.e. ~66 quality on a Coolsat 6000). For some reason, I usually get best reception in the evenings - the signal gets worse and often breaks up late at night until about midday. This is the most difficult of any Ku signal I have tried with my small dishes, and I would reiterate the advice above to use a bigger dish if you want more reliable reception.

I use a separate AT-9 aimed at 97 with very good results except in the very worst weather. Even then, only the two or three weakest transponders show any drop out. I use a second lnb on the same dish to get Pentagon at 103 with good results (after adjusting for the weird skew).

 

[madmadworld]

As a experiment I tried getting 97 West on a old 18" Dish. It worked....somewhat...I had a 25% quality on it and it was very difficult to keep it a usable level. And even then that was the audio side...the TV side was pretty unusable.
.

did that test too about 2 months back now. all i could get that was useable the azteca mux on 93. was so disappointed i forgot about it.
That has to be the strongest tp on Ku Linear out there with a picture.
so ice add that to what can be had with a 18'' if needed.
it was a dual Cir/ Lin lnbf
was really going for ONN but they lost signal since that outage.

 

[knowmiddlename]

A one meter dish is good for fair weather, however I recommend using a 1.2 meter dish if you want some rain/snow fade margin. RTN does not have a very powerful uplink. AMC 9 at 83W has a pretty consistent footprint for the lower 48. Most importantly, I hope RTN realizes they are reaching thousands of viewers who do not have RTV affiliates in their local viewing areas and will continue to keep the Ku feeds in the clear. I'm sure their advertisers would appreciate it too.

 

[bassist]

I am currently getting RTV very solidly (low 70's Q) with a 30" Fortec & a Sat tracker II .02dB lnb. I do have an advantage in that 83W is pretty close to being "true" south at my location so it's high up in the sky for me.

 

[TimLones111]

I first got into FTA in February 2009. After several false starts, I get RTV pretty good now on a Fortec 36" dish and my Fortec Dynamic Receiver-Quality is pretty much into the 40's, which I can live with..I got a 36" dish because of people's suggestions that "bigger is usually better"..I certainly am not going to try a smaller dish..

 

[LoTech]

Thanks, guys.

I've been getting RTV since not long after they switched to 83W on a 31" dish with decent quality. I was just curious as to whether anyone had tried it on smaller dishes, and what their results were.


-LoTech

 

[Mr Tony]

Pentagon channel is very strong and probably could be picked up with a smaller dish....just remember AMC1 has the oddball skew. check thelist and enter you zip there. It will tell you what the skew is

 

[Bill_KY]

Pentagon channel is very strong and probably could be picked up with a smaller dish....just remember AMC1 has the oddball skew. check thelist and enter you zip there. It will tell you what the skew is

Thanks for the info ...this would be a great experiment with my old 18" dish with a linear LNB and adapter.

 

[Mr Tony]

I've been able to lock with the same setup
95W (CCTV)
72W (NBC feeds)
101W (3ABN and formerly KUIL)
123W (for stations that dont exist anymore on there)

so it is possible....but havent tried 103W yet

 

[Bill_KY]

I've been able to lock with the same setup
95W (CCTV)
72W (NBC feeds)
101W (3ABN and formerly KUIL)
123W (for stations that dont exist anymore on there)

so it is possible....but havent tried 103W yet

Doing some experiments with that old 18" dish with a Linear LNB, I did get 3ABN. The English Channel and The Latino Channel are like 68% Quality... The others were not so good...but the Hope channel was about 35% Quality ....I am impressed

I tried for Pentagon on 103.. No go.. so far

And..is KTWO still around yet on 123W? I tried for them ..no go...so far

I'll try the other ones later or tomorrow...

 

[Mr Tony]

no KTWO is gone from 123W

Maybe Research would work (11805 H 4580) on 123W

 

[Electro960]

I've got a 6ft Fortec Star dish and I'm unable to pick up RTV for the life of me. I'm getting the NBC News Channel at 60% but still no RTV, what could possibly be wrong?

 

[bigfoot55]

RTN was deleted off AMC 9 in Lyngsat. I'm using a 7' BUD and I'm getting nothing on 11736.

Is RTN moved or still in place and freq or SR changed? What's the deal?