Help me start my satellite farm

[O'Doyle]

Welcome to the site Hank! Looks like 2 really good dishes to get started with!

 

[hank123]

Word up! Thanks everyone!
Super welcoming.

welcome hank123 C-band rules! Why do you think its a fixed mount. Judging by your pic it looks like the dish pivots which would make it a polar mount. View attachment 116547
I agree with FatAir. set up the 10 foot for the American sats and the 8 foot for the atlantic sats. (upgrade the 8 foot to a 10 later).

Word up! Thanks everyone!
Super welcoming.

Because I will be running 2 large dishes and a 36" I may set the fiberglass 8" at Galaxy 19.
I will take the 10 foot mesh and run a motor on it to hunt. Not sure if motor cost will be a problem.
The 36 inch will be KU and have a motor too.


Anyone abject?

Few questions with the things I will order this week,

Titanium Satellite ASC1 Will this only run one dish? If not this controller then what else to run 2 dishes?
C2W-PLL on both the fiberglass 8' and 10' mesh? If the 10' is hunting then a better LNB?
What motor for the 10'?
1/4 inch wall for pipe mount?

 

[danristheman]

Brain titanium satellite he can help with your questions he is very helpful and has giving me great tech support about satellite dishes.

 

[Titanium]

A controller usually is used on a single motorized dish as it is synchronized to the actuators counter. A single controller could be swapped between dishes and resynchronized, but it would be a PITA!

The 36" dish motor is powered and controlled directly by the receiver. The larger C-band dish motors require 24-36Vdc and use a positioning protocol not supported by DVB S2 receivers. Controllers are used to interpret the receiver commands and interface with the actuator.

Motorized dishes are usually used with a single dedicated receiver. Sharing a motorized dish between multiple receivers is often frustrating as each receiver can only tune the channels from the one satellite. Typically, one receiver controls the satellite positioning and the other receivers are slaved to watch either polarity from that satellite. You will likely discover that one or more fixed dishes with multiple LNBFs (via multi switches) for several satellites will better serve multiple receivers. This way each receiver can independently select any channel from any available satellite.

The dual output LNBF or an orthomode feedhorn is best for multiple receiver systems. These type of feedhorns provide both polarities at all times for selection by any receiver. For best performance, use a feedhorn with servo polarity and skew servo teamed up with the best quality LNVs that your budget will allow. A quality servo feedhorn with highly stable PLL LNB will start at a few hundred dollars. I would start with a less expensive PLL LNBF and decide later if you want or need the extra performance.

Venture and Von Wiess both manufacture quality actuators. The Venture ball screw is my preferred model. If properly maintained, it will outlast all of us!

Good luck! We are here to help!

 

[hank123]

Thanks guys!

I was able to take apart (and it was easy) and get down the mountain the mesh dish today.
Have it almost all back together. Best part was I was able to get the old poll mount out of the ground by hand!
we have had a lot of rain and the soil was soft.

Should have a receiver this week and a few parts coming in the next few weeks.

@danristheman I will call them.

@ Titanium if a servo feedhorn is going to that much better over a 50 dollar LNB then please post a link.

Thank you all!

 

[Titanium]

Servo feddhorn performance will be better than an LNBF as the skew can be optimized for each satellite and each polarity to maximize target satellite signal quality and/or attenuate unwanted interference (adjacent satellite signals, etc.).

What feedhorn is currently installed on these dishes? Most likely they are a servo feedhorn type and you might only need to clean them up. In a worst scenario, replace a servo and/or the LNB(s). Photos of the feed assembly and LNB(s)?

Here is a typical c-band servo feedhorn. http://www.chaparral.net/feed-horns/polarotor/

 

[hank123]

On both dishes it is a single feed. I will get a dual port LNB and tie them into a Zinwell 4x8. If the mesh runs well she will be the eye in the sky always looking around.
I will fix the 8' fiber on galaxy 19 and as for the KU will be looking too.
I have a lot of stuff going on the next few days but I do want to clean stuff up and throw the birdog on to see what I can hit.

 

[FaT Air]

http://www.chaparral.net/feed-horns/polarotor/

IIRR, that's what is on one of the dishes hank123 has acquired.
taking a look, yup. http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/attachments/20160506_162003-jpg.116533/
#1 hank123, Saturday at 11:16 PM
IS there dual output LNB's in the market?? I don't know of any. Only dual output LNBF's.

 

[Titanium]

Sorry, overlooked the feedhorn photo on the iPhone,Clean it up, test, refurbish and replace and defective components. Best performance option for a single receiver system.

Correct, a LNB typically has a single output. I have seen both C and KU LNBs with dual outputs, but KU dual output LNBs are more common than C-band duals. Only have seen a few during service calls and never purchased or installed. Even with dual output LNBs installed, still wouldn't suggest that a servo feedhorn be used for multiple receiver distribution. A servo feedhorn is best used for a single receiver. An orthomode or LNBF with fixed polarity outputs would provide the best support for multiple receiver distribution.

 

[hank123]

Ordered a asc1 and cw2-pll today from titanium.
Thanks Brian, what an upstanding gentleman! Talk about a man who is very kind and a wealth of wisdom. Look forward to getting more gear from him.

 

[KE4EST]

what an upstanding gentleman! Talk about a man who is very kind and a wealth of wisdom.

Oh man you are gonna make his head swell!!!!

 

[Titanium]

Had a fun and interesting conversation with Hank123 today as he plans his system and orders parts. He brings a wealth of knowledge, tools and meters as a satellite installer to help build his farm.

We all should be as lucky as Hank123 to live in the Mecca of BUDs, Colorado! He drives by more abandoned and quality BUDs in a day than most of us will see in a year.

Have a gut feeling that there will soon be a fixed multi-satellite in play and got him up to speed on spotting an AJAK HH (maybe he'll score a Pinnacle).

Looking forward to updates on Hank123's progress! Good luck!

 

[kittyhas1000legs]

We all should be as lucky as Hank123 to live in the Mecca of BUDs, Colorado! He drives by more abandoned and quality BUDs in a day than most of us will see in a year.

It drives me crazy having just an apartment in CO. When the wife & I get land I'll probably have a rescue BUD up before the house. There are enough around here to build a real dish farm.

 

[hank123]

It drives me crazy having just an apartment in CO. When the wife & I get land I'll probably have a rescue BUD up before the house. There are enough around here to build a real dish farm.

Cool man! Your in Colorado too.

Next to large dishes we also have the altitude. I know the lower the altitude the bigger the atmosphere the more signal loss.


Question for you should I run solid copper over clad? Do I need to worry about voltage drop?

 

[danristheman]

It drives me crazy having just an apartment in CO. When the wife & I get land I'll probably have a rescue BUD up before the house. There are enough around here to build a real dish farm.

Don't feel bad I live in apartment to with a bunch of BUDS around me too.

 

[hank123]

LOL not sure if you all are talking about MMJ buds or big ugly dish buds.

I did get my KU dish mounted today. Not tuned yet.

I also picked up a 6x16 switch. Would this thing work or should i stay with the 4x8?

Thanks again all

 

[hank123]

And the other question solid copper or can I run copper clad?

I have both.

 

[Titanium]

Use a powered multi-switch that supports the approximate number of receivers that will be connected. No need for the additional loss or open unused ports.

I've never used a flex port switch for FTA, but the flex port inputs (250-950MHz ) are not compatible with FTA LNBs and receivers.

I always use solid copper, but copper clad steel coax is fine for short runs (>100'). Not a good choice for longer runs. Take standard precautions on the fittings to minimize chance of corrosion.

 

[hank123]

Guys I'm having a heck of a time getting this ku dish tuned at all.

This is the kit I have.

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Satellite-systems/Motorized-Systems.htm

My birdog does not see the Sat at all. Yes I did load the software and I think I have the right software loaded.

 

[KE4EST]

Go have a read here:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/posts/?post_id=3688756