TESTED: Universal LNB Bracket & DP500+

[AmericanZ28]

So I had an old DP500+ laying around and I had run across this "Universal LNB Bracket" supposedly intended for use on the DP500 or other 18" dishes. I bought it from HyperMegaSat.com for $5 shipped. These are my results using Galaxy 19 @97....

Test Equipment:

-Coolsat 7000 Firm. V1.12
-DishPro 500+ Dish
-New WSI .2 KU LNB
-Universal LNB Bracket

The Test:

Using this picture as a comparison, you can tell that the bracket places the LNB much lower and closer to the reflector compared the original LNB placement. Using the Instructions I found on a seperate website, this is how the LNB should be mounted *included mounting screw is too large and had to use original DP hardware to mount bracket.

This is what it looked like, mounted. Needless to say, I could not find even the tiniest ammount of signal with this configuration. No matter how I tried adjusting the bracket, I was getting absolutely nothing. This was last weekends attempt.

This weekend, I traced out the original LNB onto cardboard to use as a template to try a place the LNB in the exact same position. It took a left over TV Wall Mount Bracket, and a few spacers/washers to position it in the same spot, but IT WORKED! Right off the bat I got 15% Q, and after some fine tuning, I peaked it 74% Q using the strongest TP.

I picked up a total of 85 FTA Channels, all viewable without any pixelation. The bracket fits loose inside the DP Arm, so after some more modding, I should have this thing rock solid.

And so goes the addition of the latest member of my Sat Farm Family!

*NOTE: DP500+ LNB arm has a 16 degree offset. Using the results from an angle finder, then adding the 16 degrees made it incredibly easy and accurate to set the elevation.

 

[Wescopc]

Great test and love the results.
Bob

 

[Jim S.]

Before I got my motor, I ran a 36" dish with 3 LNBs pointed at 91/97/101 and a Dish 300 with one of those brackets strapped on with a pipe strap and the azimuth clamp left loose to swivel between 72 and 74.

 

[AmericanZ28]

Thanks Bob!

Before I got my motor, I ran a 36" dish with 3 LNBs pointed at 91/97/101 and a Dish 300 with one of those brackets strapped on with a pipe strap and the azimuth clamp left loose to swivel between 72 and 74.

Are 72/74 Circular signals?

 

[Anole]

nice work

The Dish 500 does have a short LNB arm, and that was the major problem.

Another choice is the DirecTV Phase III dish. It's quite plentiful, too. - :up
Once you remove the LNB assembly, it's easy to mount your own, and I'll bet that bracket works fine!

Of course, you use what you've got. - :up

 

[Jim S.]

Are 72/74 Circular signals?

74 is linear. No permanent channels there now though, so you have to use one of the data transponders to find it, but there are some high-powered feeds there sometimes. (At least in the northeast -- I saw a beam map a long time ago that indicated that some of the transponders could be configured to deliver a huge signal to the east coast and some of the Caribbean islands, but the CONUS beam was weaker.)

There are multiple satellites at 72, but AMC-6 is linear. There are some more-or-less full time feeds there moderately strong, lots of temporary feeds usually at a decent level, one moderately-strong religious channel, and one really weak religious channel. Again, I don't know if the signal strength I have here holds up in California.

 

[AmericanZ28]

The Dish 500 does have a short LNB arm, and that was the major problem.

Another choice is the DirecTV Phase III dish.

Are you using a Phase III at the moment? If so, what bird are you pointing it @? I just picked up a used Slimline dish, and was thinking about swaping that one in for the one that i currently have.

What kind of feeds, Jim? Any sport in particular? I want to start venturing into that whole Feed hunting thing, but are not sure what sat and on what day/time..... Oh the JOYS of being a newbie.

 

[turbosat]

Nice work, but where did you get the dish? Or did you do the paint job--looks nice!

 

[Jim S.]

What kind of feeds, Jim? Any sport in particular? I want to start venturing into that whole Feed hunting thing, but are not sure what sat and on what day/time..... Oh the JOYS of being a newbie.

72 seems to be mostly news feeds and once in a while pro baseball or football. 74 I think has some college football games these days. The biggest Ku satellite for college sports seems to me to be 91, but I'm not sure whether you can pick that up with a small dish, I never tried since I always had a big dish pointed at it.

 

[Anole]

I just picked up a used Slimline dish, and was thinking about swaping that one in for the one that i currently have.

I won't encourage newbies with recycled too-small dishes, but for anyone that has a clue and some experience, they can be a lot of fun.
The DirecTV Slimlines are a little bit bigger than the D500 and Phase III's. That's always a good thing.
Since they're for Ku and Ka band, their mounting post is a little larger (as I recall) and adjuster a bit more sophisticated.
Be sure to use their extra pole support struts for best results.
You'll need to carefully mount your own LNB at the focal point, just as discussed above.

Another useful dish, if you have any in your area, is any of the Dish Network SuperDishes.
They have an FSS LNB (10750 LO) and feedhorn, which can work as-is (it's bandstacked).

If you can get the new forum's search engine to work, finding the several threads on both subjects should be easy.
If not, just ask. I think I have some of 'em bookmarked. -

 

[Babadem]

Nice setup with the DP500.
Did you have to increase the height of the pole on 6' dish Non penetrating roof dish mount or did it come that way?

 

[AmericanZ28]

Nice work, but where did you get the dish? Or did you do the paint job--looks nice!

Its a Dish Pro 500+ dish with my own personal paint job Not bad, right? Thanks for your comment.

72 seems to be mostly news feeds and once in a while pro baseball or football. 74 I think has some college football games these days. The biggest Ku satellite for college sports seems to me to be 91, but I'm not sure whether you can pick that up with a small dish, I never tried since I always had a big dish pointed at it.

Thanks for the tip, Jim! I know what I will be doing this weekend.....

Another useful dish, if you have any in your area, is any of the Dish Network SuperDishes.
They have an FSS LNB (10750 LO) and feedhorn, which can work as-is (it's bandstacked).

Thanks Anole, I think I found the right thread, and I also have the one for the Slimline bookmarked. Doesn't the "SUPERDISH (turbo HD)" take in more than one bird?

Nice setup with the DP500.
Did you have to increase the height of the pole on 6' dish Non penetrating roof dish mount or did it come that way?

Thanks! No, thats the orginal height of the pole. It is originally from a 5' Echostar Mesh dish that I had before the 6 footer. I will be doing a ground mount soon, and from the looks of it, I think I can get away with a 3.5' pole.

 

[Babadem]

Thanks! No, thats the orginal height of the pole. It is originally from a 5' Echostar Mesh dish that I had before the 6 footer. I will be doing a ground mount soon, and from the looks of it, I think I can get away with a 3.5' pole.

You remember where you purchased the mount from? I like how high the Dish sits on the mounting pole.

 

[turbosat]

Its a Dish Pro 500+ dish with my own personal paint job Not bad, right? Thanks for your comment.

Z28, I was going to order one of those just for the cool looks, lol!
Can I fedex my S10 to you for a make-over, haha.
Seriously good job on it, makes it look bigger in the photo. And FYI-somebody else was asking about 91 on a dish that size, I have the exact same dish, minus the nice color, pointed at 91 now and got lots of fta on it. Not connected right now but I think I will hook it back up for this Saturday, and compare what it gets with my 1m dish.

 

[Anole]

Its a Dish Pro 500+ dish with my own personal paint job

Had me fooled! - :up
Normally I don't care what a dish looks like, as long as it's moderately clean, and does the job.
However, nice work!

Thanks Anole, I think I found the right thread, and I also have the one for the Slimline bookmarked.
Doesn't the "SUPERDISH (turbo HD)" take in more than one bird?

There were two models for the 105° service and two models for the 121° service (now obsolete).
As I recall, of the two, one was stamped metal, and the other was molded plastic (ribs showing on the back side).
Each of the four was configured with some combination of LNBs and feeds to get 110° & 119° circular, and the odd FSS signal.
The non-circular LNB was always in the middle.
And the tall oval feedhorn sees the entire surface of the wide dish.

I am not sure of the Turbo HD moniker. It may be this dish with 110°/119°/129°.
However, all three LNBs are circular, so you'd need to add an LNB of your choice to make it work.

 

[AmericanZ28]

Z28, I was going to order one of those just for the cool looks, lol!
Can I fedex my S10 to you for a make-over, haha.

Hehehe! Send'er over. I too care a big deal what the dish looks like, and is almost more important to me then how it performs. Thats why I painted it (Rust-O-Leom *Anodized Bronze [semi-gloss]) and put my Gaming nickname and the 2advanced.com logo. I put the same logo on the SAT-AV 90cm dish as well (Nicest Color Dish Out IMO).
I also painted my Bargain 6 Footer and will also be applying the same vinyl decal but in black... Talk about a matching set.... Next is that baby blue lnb cover.

You remember where you purchased the mount from? I like how high the Dish sits on the mounting pole.

I bought it used from my uncle, and he bought it from a company that is no longer in business. So unfortunately, no. All I really know about it is that it came with the Echostar 5' prime focus dish... This one looks almost identical to the one I have: Satellite AV - Free to Air Satellite Equipment Distributors - GEOSATpro, Glorystar 888-483-4673 What do you have now?

Had me fooled! - :up
Normally I don't care what a dish looks like, as long as it's moderately clean, and does the job.
However, nice work!

I guess I like my dishes like I like my cars; Clean, Simple, Dark and Uniform. This is just as important to me as the performance, which is unfortunate because most manufacturers now are using that plain-jane beige . Im sure Im a very small minority in that department though.... Thanks for the compliment! The Turbo HD dish looks like the first one on that link you put up. Im sure its the same one. Im gonna see if I can talk my neighbors into letting me have theirs for $5. Its just there (no lnb) and theyre not using it, and I'd hate to see such a nice dish go to waste.

 

[Babadem]

I bought it used from my uncle, and he bought it from a company that is no longer in business. So unfortunately, no. All I really know about it is that it came with the Echostar 5' prime focus dish... This one looks almost identical to the one I have: Satellite AV - Free to Air Satellite Equipment Distributors - GEOSATpro, Glorystar 888-483-4673 What do you have now?

Thanks for the info. I don't have any yet. I'm trying to buy one that has a mounting pole from 3.5' to 4' high. I just want to put the self modification to a minimum if I can help it.

 

[AmericanZ28]