Difference between C and Ku band setup

[gittist]

1. For those you you with a C-band setup, do you receive both C and Ku band channels?

2. Does a C and Ku dish point to the same place in the sky?

3. Other than a larger dish, what do I need to change from my Ku setup? Is it practical?

4. What's the trend for C-band?

Thanks

 

[FaT Air]

1- yes
2- yes, many satellites have C and Ku transponders. Some others are C or Ku onlu. Some C only share the 'box' with a Ku satellite. I.E. 125W. (G14 & amc21 co-located)
3. A C band LNBF, & ideally, a DVB-S2 receiver. Practical? yes, if you have the physical room and are not hindered by a HOA or local regulations.
4- C band ROCKS!
For #1 & #2: How I made a C only BUD work on KU
Notice the 'offset' of the Ku dish to the BUD. Both are looking at the same satellite, or co-located satellites.

 

[Jason S]

Ditto to what FaT Air said.

Having grown my dish farm since starting with FTA in 2014 - in this household if we're not on 125W-Ku, we're probably watching something on C-band...

 

[. Raine]

You would need a dish mover too, if you want the C band dish to receive more than one satellite and whatever dish you get has a motor to move it. Pretty much only two choices for that, either a V Box 7 or a Titanium ASC1. I have and use both and both work good for me, but I've read a lot lately that the quality of the V Boxes has taken a dive and aren't so good now.

So, you'd need:

A C-band dish and C band LNBF,
A DVB-S2 receiver [if you don't already have one with your Ku setup. What's your current receiver?
A dish mover, if you want the dish to receiver more than one satellite, and RG6 coax to run out to the dish. Wires for the motor, if you have a motor.
Not necessary, but a DISEqC switch would allow you to have your current Ku dish and the C band dish hooked to the same receiver so you can use both dishes from that receiver with no fuss.
You'd also have to securely mount the dish too, which is usually a pole in a cement slab, size depends on the size of the dish.

I have two C-band dishes and six Ku dishes setup right now [one Ku with multiple LNBs] and IMO, C-band is definitely worth bothering with if you can do it. If you like what you can receive on Ku now, you'll like what you can get on C-Band much more!

 

[gittist]

Thanks for info. I'm using a Manhattan RS-1933 STB. Just for giggles I blind scanned a couple satellites by selecting the C-band bird off of the menu (G19) and I actually received some channels. I went back and blind scanned the same bird using the Ku selection and there were differences between the C and Ku scans. For example I get Jasmine on the Ku but not the C. Am I actually receiving C-band ?

 

[FaT Air]

NO. unless you're connected to a C band LNBF.
The receiver is just doing some math with the numbers you input. I>E L.O.(5150) - Freq 'in the coax' (985) = the satellite TP freq(4165)
Going the other way - 985 + Ku L.O.(10750) = 11735
C and Ku LNB's and LNBF's output 950 to 1450 (The frequency in the caox.
See the sticky LNB LO Frequency - 101

 

[. Raine]

Thanks for info. I'm using a Manhattan RS-1933 STB. Just for giggles I blind scanned a couple satellites by selecting the C-band bird off of the menu (G19) and I actually received some channels. I went back and blind scanned the same bird using the Ku selection and there were differences between the C and Ku scans. For example I get Jasmine on the Ku but not the C. Am I actually receiving C-band ?

You're welcome. No, not receiving C band. It's like Fat Air explained above and I think there's some differences like channels missing when scanning like that, because with the C band Lo entered instead of the Ku Lo, the receiver does the math and some frequencies work out to be out of the range that are receivable for the band and then the receiver doesn't display them, where as if the correct Lo is entered the math works out right to be in the band of frequencies and can display them.

I don't have a Manhattan RS-1933 and looking on Mike Kohl's site and other places, I don't see where it says for sure that it can do DVB-S2. I think that it can, because the specs for it say MPEG-4, but I'm not 100% sure. maybe someone that has one will chime in and be able to say for sure.

If you want to get a idea of what you can get on C Band, you can look here:

http://www.sathint.com/america

Pink is C Band sats, purple is C/Ku mixed and green is Ku only. Not everything available is listed here and there is other sites, but this one is the one that I find the easiest to use. In Pennsylvania you'll probably be able to get from 55W to 127W on the arc with a motor, could be a little more or less, depending on trees in your area. I'm in CT and can receive from about 50 W to 127W, on the ends of the arc some big trees block my LOS.

This site can be helpful to figure out if you have a clear LOS to satellites and setting up the dish when you get one:

http://www.dishpointer.com/

 

[danristheman]

I am mini budder I have 1 dish with c band lnbf multiple lnbs c band on a ku dish is fun.

 

[richyrich]

Well then, no matter; if you scan with more than one satellite dish/ hookup; using a switch/splitter; diplexer; multi-antenna; the STB has to input channels for each at a 1gig width maximum loaded satellite for each. The tuner is made for a lnbf polarity (X2); and scans 18 vdc/14 vdc at bandwidth the tuner can only tune; 500 mhz ea... no matter how you select the "type of lnbf/or receiver lnbf setting; and auto when a 22 khz. sw is sensed (10600)" as c band lnbf's do not have them; but can be "shifted by direct entry" for International 3.4. Each channel carried FTA will have a required size; beamwidthed c band dish (10') for the lowest noise figures; as h.264 can require for receivers to lock. Radar from international (Some countries nearby boater's) will interfere; then; out in wide open spaces no TI exists and they all move the dish to all of them motor's...

The C Band is 3.7-4.2 Gigahertz USA/Canada/Mexico/Hawaii/ both Atlantic/Pacific and Worldwide (exceptions exist). Every Country that uses it has "Space". It is where you live that determines what you can receive; size of the dish what channels you can receive. Today, in the US; over 50 C band and 50+ ku can exist in "Clarkes Arc"; where all satellites live their lives; and the people that aim the right sized dish/lnbf combo will receive signals from that aimed satellite dish. Use of C Band has been Consumer oriented and used FTA since 1961; legally since 1979; and has so many cable company names you really do not need; the number of FTA channels are very specialized; with feeds and TV like it used to be. Ku band is also used FTA with many channels also; and only needing a 30" dish; make up the rest of the FTA channels. A big, ugly dish receives KU band also; but these channels scan their own named/pol./formatted satellites seperate of Ku. The Broadcater's do not sell their channels/syndication's any other way; for the best live on air HD TV; and even UHD or The Met live HD broacast nobody knows about; KU band has half and C Band get's the other half of the FTA channels received no other way; in the USA!

tuners today found inside the box determine if it will do a full LNB "set"; so if you have an older analog receiver; it is better at powering the LNB; using a splitter for an LNB will work best to get asome of the smaller boxes to "receive channels at al"; which depends on the ability for the tuner to have a fully stacked 500-750 shifter/redo/open and then close; as AFC is kind of slicy and dicy these day; the new lnbf works great; since 1981; KU is down to .1 db noise; what a slicer it really is!!!(I used 1.4-2.4 noise figure ku lnb and only need one channel off each satellite as it was hardly used for broadcasting (today they can fit 250 channels each)(l;NBf's were invented around the same time; they work better) in the old days)! On a bigger dish; more channels do not blip or moan at the receiver; bigger dish fixes it; as like tp's at 2 degree's are requiring this c band original size/space for ther "system" to work; as tp's all have varied "powers"; like mpeg-iv does just with software; digicipher 3 works with older tp's; on C Band mostly.

A 4 foot dish will receive C Band/Ku Band and can even be rigged with a microphone to listen to every house with in a half mile you can gett a clear line of sire tooooooo!

 

[Titanium]

HUH???

 

[Jason S]

I'm using a Manhattan RS-1933 STB.

I don't have a Manhattan RS-1933 and looking on Mike Kohl's site and other places, I don't see where it says for sure that it can do DVB-S2... maybe someone that has one will chime in and be able to say for sure.

I have a RS-1933 and it does fine with DVB-S2