Advice on multi-sat setup

[JamesA]

Hi All, just after a little advice before i buy anything else.
At the moment i have an ***** 65cm round steel dish. What id like to do is at a quad LNB pointed at 28E and use 2 feeds to run my Sky HD box. Then add an offset bracket to get 19.2E and 13E. Is it better to use a monoblock or 2 LNB's?

I would then like to use a Diseqc switch to take a 3rd feed from the 28E quad and the feeds from 19.2 and 13 down one cable to my Sky Star 2 PCI TV card. I presume monoblocks have a 2 way diseqc switch built in, so if i use one of these, does it daisy chain into a 2nd switch with 28E ok?

I know the dish size isnt ideal, but its what i have so i'll give it a go, can always get an 80cm is it doesn't work out.

Any recommendations on LNB's, brackets and switches?

Thanks!

[Tivù]

Monoblocks do not work in Cascade with other DiSEqC switches.

You'd be better using single LNBs for 13E and 19E for the arrangement you require.

80cm Dish probably the best idea.

[satelliteman]

Hi James,

For those three satellites, an ideal setup could consist of a 90cm, offset bracket and 3 x LNb's.

This might be of some interest http://www.satellites.co.uk/satellit...guide-pdf.html

[davemurgtroyd]

A monobloc can be used with a DiSEqC switch - BUT the switch needs to be of the rare (and expensive -around 60 Euro) "option" type (such as the Spaun SUR211) rather than the common "position" type. See here
_http://www.spaun.de/?lang=en&modul=products&product=871437

If you have not already got the monobloc then 3 lnbs and standard DiSEqC switchyh is probably the cheaper and easier way to go.

[JamesA]

Thanks guys, very useful. So looks like i'll get a quad LNB to point at 28E and then 2 single ones for the other two sats along with a 4 way switch to feed 3 of them down to the PC. Glad i waited for replys now

Just need to decide if i try it with the 65cm dish, or just bite the bullet and get an 80cm and do a proper job first time

Have to say its great having just the Sky feed into the PC, very handy when my daughter only wants to watch Cbeebies

[satelliteman]

A 65cm is a little too small for those three satellites with an offset arrangement. Recommend an 80cm minimum

[rolfw]

Although a 70cm Raven Gemini will do it, or the Visiosat Bisat 75cm, but then again they are optimised for offset reception.

[satelliteman]

Oh yes thanks, forgot about those two dish types Rolf. Rounding up to the nearest, lol

[JamesA]

Decided to do it proper
Ordered an 80cm triax dish, off set bracket, switch, 1 quad and 2 single lnb's. Cable, connectors and meter are in the shed ready. Judging from the text i just got from the wife its all arrived


Any tips? I was thinking it would be best to get the quad set on 28E first, then add the other 2 on the off set one at a time, directly connected to start with. Then once it all looks ok, put the switch in place and set it all up on the pc.

Fingers crossed for a dry weekend so i can set it all up!

Cheers,
James

[rolfw]

I would centre on 19E, then do the flank LNBs after.

[Tivù]

So would I .............

(You did say you were "going to do it proper"!)

[Robbo]

You have no real choice but to do the central one first anyway, as you dont know how far along the offset LNBs need to go.

Is it a TD78 or TD88? or neither?

( the TD78 is only about 70cm, the TD88 is about 90cm)

With the TD88 you can focus the dish between 23.5E and 19E and if you wanted, and still get a good 13E, and the additional 23.5E.

[JamesA]

That does make sense really doesn't it, thanks for pointing it out!

Robbo, its a TD 78 now i check the box.

[Robbo]

Robbo, its a TD 78 now i check the box.

Should work acceptably well, not as well as the TD88 though.

[Rick]

I have done 13e, 19e and 28e on a TD78. Got deacent signal levels. Checked back with the customer a couple of weeks later and they had had no viewing problems.

As suggested best to setup on 19e in the centre, then do the offsets. Or as Robbo suggests line up between 19e and 23.5e.

[satelliteman]

Also take a browse at this LNB offset guide: http://www.satellites.co.uk/satellit...bracket-sm-pdf

[JamesA]

Thanks again folks, most useful.

Will make up some patch leads tonight and then i'll be up the ladder first thing tomorrow. Will report back and post a few pics when its done.

[Tivù]

Thanks again folks, most useful.

Will make up some patch leads tonight and then i'll be up the ladder first thing tomorrow. Will report back and post a few pics when its done.

Look forward to it.

"I love piccies, me" (Or is it "carpets"?)

[Robbo]

Thanks again folks, most useful.

Will make up some patch leads tonight and then i'll be up the ladder first thing tomorrow. Will report back and post a few pics when its done.

To make your life a lot easier, you can set all the lnbs up on the ground if you want, then take it up the ladder. Works best if the wall mount and what you put on the ground are both vertical.

[JamesA]

Thanks again everyone, spent a fun couple of hours putting my dish in the air. Went pretty well and got a reasonable signal on all the sats at the moment. Will see how it stands up over the next week and do some tweaking if needs be.

Pics posted in the members setups forum for your viewing pleasure.

Busy playing with ProgDVB now