SuperDish Using Separate 30" Dish

[red hazard]

I recently read in a thread on this forum, which I cannot find now, that someone got tired of waiting for the SuperDish and made their own equivalent by using the DP 500 coupled with a standalone 30" FSS dish. Where can one purchase a 30" dish system that is compatible with DishPro SuperDish operation? Does it require any special fabrication or does a standard FSS Ku-band DISH with DiSEqC LNB work? I see this setup as the only way I can do a self install "SuperDish". I also recall that the person who posted that thread indicated he had a tought time convincing the E* CSR that he could receive SuperDish channels. Thanks

 

[bcshields]

talk to Iceman - he's the keeper of the "Homemade Superdish"

 

[dlsnyder]

I think Claude Greiner was the first here to build a "Poor Man's Superdish". Here are some threads where details are discussed:

http://satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=3746&highlight=superdish
http://satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=4906&highlight=superdish
http://satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=2375&highlight=superdish
http://satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=2298&highlight=superdish

and perhaps the original granddaddy Poor man's superdish thread -
http://satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=1462&highlight=superdish

 

[bcshields]

Why won't a normal LNBF work on 105/121? What's the technical end of it?

 

[dlsnyder]

A regular Dish Network or DirecTV LNBF tunes only the DBS portion of the Ku band. You need an LBNF that is designed to tune the FSS (sometimes called FTA) portion of the Ku band which is just a little lower in frequency. The output of both LNBFs are the same making it possible to use with DBS equipment. DishPro equipment is somewhat different which makes standard FSS LNBFs incompatible if you are using DishPro LNBFs and switches for your DBS channels. If you want to make a Poor Man's Superdish you will need to use all legacy equipment. Here is an EBay link to a dish that would probably do the job of pulling in the signals from 121 or 105:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3084052586&category=32848

Here is a dual LNBF that looks like it should do the job...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3084136163&category=11726

If the LNBF that you get for it has only one output then you can combine it with the output from an SW64 or SW44 into an SW21. If the FSS LNBF that you get has two outputs then you can connect it directly to an SW64. Either way apparently works fine. One of the threads I linked to in my earlier post here suggests aligning your 30" dish by first pointing it to 119 (using a standard LNBF) then moving it slightly to the right to pick up 121 (with your FSS LNBF).

 

[dlsnyder]

Now that I really look at it I think I would rather have a Dish500 and one of these than the SuperDish alone...

I already have two Dish500s on my house and they don't look too bad. This isn't a whole lot bigger than that.

 

[red hazard]

Why Legacy?

A regular Dish Network or DirecTV LNBF tunes only the DBS portion of the Ku band. You need an LBNF that is designed to tune the FSS (sometimes called FTA) portion of the Ku band which is just a little lower in frequency. The output of both LNBFs are the same making it possible to use with DBS equipment. DishPro equipment is somewhat different which makes standard FSS LNBFs incompatible if you are using DishPro LNBFs and switches for your DBS channels. If you want to make a Poor Man's Superdish you will need to use all legacy equipment. Here is an EBay link to a dish that would probably do the job of pulling in the signals from 121 or 105:

Thanks for the in-depth response. I note that FSS Ku-band receivers are usually rated DiSEqC 2.0 and presumably that is also the standard DishPro uses. It would see therefore that most FSS LNBs for sale would also use the DiSEqC 2.0 standard. Why would it work only with a legacy setup?

 

[dlsnyder]

I am certainly not an expert here but my understanding is that DishPro equipment uses a derivitave of the DiSEqC 2.0 standard as well as band stacking. That is to say that DishPro LNBFs can output both polarities on one coax at the same time rather than requiring a switch to alternate between them. I don't know the exact terminology so I can't really give a precise explaination but that's basically what it does. DishPro equipment also uses slightly different voltages IIRC.

 

[dlsnyder]

A regular Dish Network or DirecTV LNBF tunes only the DBS portion of the Ku band. You need an LBNF that is designed to tune the FSS (sometimes called FTA) portion of the Ku band which is just a little lower in frequency. The output of both LNBFs are the same making it possible to use with DBS equipment. DishPro equipment is somewhat different which makes standard FSS LNBFs incompatible if you are using DishPro LNBFs and switches for your DBS channels. If you want to make a Poor Man's Superdish you will need to use all legacy equipment. Here is an EBay link to a dish that would probably do the job of pulling in the signals from 121 or 105:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3084052586&category=32848

Here is a dual LNBF that looks like it should do the job...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3084136163&category=11726

If the LNBF that you get for it has only one output then you can combine it with the output from an SW64 or SW44 into an SW21. If the FSS LNBF that you get has two outputs then you can connect it directly to an SW64. Either way apparently works fine. One of the threads I linked to in my earlier post here suggests aligning your 30" dish by first pointing it to 119 (using a standard LNBF) then moving it slightly to the right to pick up 121 (with your FSS LNBF).

One thing I forgot to mention here...
Another difference between DBS and FSS LNBFs is that DBS uses left- or right-handed circular polarization and FSS generally uses horizontal or vertical polarization. The polarization of the signal differs by transponder.

 

[Stargazer]

Do the StarChoice lnbf's use the DiSEqC 2.0 standard in which would make it compatible with the other DishPro lnbf's and DishPro switches that would be used in conjunction with it?

Perhaps if Dish made the FSS lnbf itself available for sale then this resolve the problem, particularly if they come out with the dish that would be concentrating only on 105/121 that they mentioned they would come out with.

 

[Mr Tony]

talk to Iceman - he's the keeper of the "Homemade Superdish"

Thanks for the kind words

 

[Mr Tony]

Do the StarChoice lnbf's use the DiSEqC 2.0 standard in which would make it compatible with the other DishPro lnbf's and DishPro switches that would be used in conjunction with it?

As of right now, there is no DishPro "Homemade" Superdish. The old StarChoice LNB's (and ExpressVu's) will work, but only on a Legacy platform.

Perhaps if Dish made the FSS lnbf itself available for sale then this resolve the problem, particularly if they come out with the dish that would be concentrating only on 105/121 that they mentioned they would come out with.

It was mentioned on the Jan Charlie Chat that Dish would have a "larger 2nd dish" option....but that probably fizzled.

 

[dlsnyder]

As long as they continue to activate subscribers who have the wherewithal to figure it out for themselves there should be no problem.

There really ought to be a FAQ on this subject given the frequent questions over the last few months. It could help alot of people to overcome their frustration at not being able to get a SuperDish when their locals are launched.

Scott - anyone?

 

[knobby6]

I have a dish 500 with 2 separate dual lnbs going thru an external sw44 feeding 3 dish receivers. I disconnected 2 lines from my dish to switch sw44 and ran them thru a disque s4 switch to a blackbird which receives 110 & 119 which works fine. Problem is I am only getting 119 on my 2 dish receivers. My question is there a switch combination which will let my get 110 & 119 on my blackbird and 2 dish receivers with my existing dish.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I have a dish 500 with 2 separate dual lnbs going thru an external sw44 feeding 3 dish receivers. I disconnected 2 lines from my dish to switch sw44 and ran them thru a disque s4 switch to a blackbird which receives 110 & 119 which works fine. Problem is I am only getting 119 on my 2 dish receivers. My question is there a switch combination which will let my get 110 & 119 on my blackbird and 2 dish receivers with my existing dish.

So far as I know, the SW44 requires all 4 outputs from the LNBFs. It forces each one to one of the 4 necessary feeds (110/odd, 110/even, 119/odd, 119/even).

I've never heard of a "disque s4" switch or a blackbird, but maybe, just maybe, you could split the 4 outputs using splitters that DC block the 2nd port, thereby creating 4 'slaved' feeds.

I've seen a Dish diagram thats says this will work with SW64's and 3 LNBFs - with the addition of something called a "feed-through load" whatever that is. Offhand, I don't see why it wouldn't work with SW44's - or maybe your switch.

http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/pdf/technology/installation/install-5.pdf

 

[knobby6]

Thanks simplesimon for the prompt answer, and the diagram with the feed-thru load diagram. That will give me a little more to chew on. Btw the 'blackbird' is a fta receiver.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Thanks simplesimon for the prompt answer, and the diagram with the feed-thru load diagram. That will give me a little more to chew on. Btw the 'blackbird' is a fta receiver.

Ah, thanks! There doesn't seem to be much FTA at 110 or 119. According to the links off of this: http://www1.lyngsat.com/packages/america.html there doesn't seem to be much FTA out there. You might check out that sight, and maybe help him update the pages with whatever you find.

 

[Mr Tony]

Simon
The Blackbird is a....um how do I say it..........yep...you guessed it......

knobby6...no hack talk

 

[SimpleSimon]

Simon
The Blackbird is a....um how do I say it..........yep...you guessed it......

knobby6...no hack talk

Gotcha Man! The dude's on his own!