What LNB to use on CM180 for 28.2E reception in Scandinavia?

[archive10]

The big question is: which LNB is really the best with a 1,8 m Channel master right now? Inverto Black ultra single, Black ultra quad, Opticum? What do you think?

Yes, which one?

As I had the meter and screw-driver out near the CM180 this evening, I ran through the LNB-bin to check a few options on 2E / 2G reception.
Each LNB/feedhorn was mounted, adjusted to maximum C/N on 10773H (first focal-depth, then skew).



1) Nothing surprising at the top - the Inverto Black Ultra (Quattro) does the job really well.
2) Somewhat impressing is the almost-ran contender of the Black Pro C120 + Channel master feedhorn. Virtually equivalent to the IBUQ.
3) Even more impressive is the performance of Maximum XO-11, which is about EUR 4, I think. (probably has a plastic feed-horn and cheap components. But still a very good price/performance.)
4) The Invacom can't really keep up the pace here. Not worth the premium.
5) This was most for fun - the XMW feedhorn is designed for 0.45-0.65 f/D dishes, but is probably over-illuminating the dish.

So, what are your findings?

 

[Captain Jack]

What about IBU matched to the cm feedhorn?

 

[samoloko]

or Invacom quad + dish feedhorn

 

[PaulR]

or Invacom quad + dish feedhorn

1) And for me. The quad is reputed to be better than either the single or the twin.

2) Also I'd like to see the results of all the combinations of LNB and feedhorn on the frequency (can't remember which) which has different TPs on the opposite polarities. Here the Inverto might show a lot better as, again, it's reputed to have good opposite polarity rejection.

3) Where do you find the time to do all this? Thanks for doing it BTW.

 

[mickwig]

Thanks ST1, very nice of you to publish your findings. I have ordered a Inverto Black Pro Quattro (19.90 Euro). In the moment I am using the Invacom C120 Quattro and I am having problems with the polarisation. For that price it is worth a try.

 

[archive10]

What about IBU matched to the cm feedhorn?

Don't have a modified IBU so I can't attach the feedhorn.

or Invacom quad + dish feedhorn

I will try this later tonight or tomorrow if I can find a suitable moment.

2) Also I'd like to see the results of all the combinations of LNB and feedhorn on the frequency (can't remember which) which has different TPs on the opposite polarities. Here the Inverto might show a lot better as, again, it's reputed to have good opposite polarity rejection.

What frequencies are you after? 11306H/V?

3) Where do you find the time to do all this? Thanks for doing it BTW.

Funny you should ask. I struggle myself to find time to do this properly - as I have to set-up and tear-down the gear for session.
I spent about an hour last night (long days in the summer time), after the kids were put to bed, dishes (food-) been done, wife was seated in front of telly.
We should ask CJ; or even @RimaNTSS, he is in a different league from me when it comes to spending time and effort on dishes...

 

[Captain Jack]

We should ask CJ; or even @RimaNTSS, he is in a different league from me when it comes to spending time and effort on dishes...

I don't spend much time working on my dishes - it's kind of up and running and don't touch thing. I work from home these days, so I can test things from my arm chair at any time of the day. And it gives me a nice break from work.

 

[samoloko]

st1
please add 12.422H to test

 

[Archived-1]

The Technomate single lnb performs better on the 1.8 than the BU single, 2% up on it from my testing

 

[archive10]

st1
please add 12.422H to test

Sure. But that's on 2F Europe beam. That's dead-easy here...

 

[PaulR]

What frequencies are you after? 11306H/V?

That's the one!

 

[archive10]

I'm afraid I have to postpone further testing for a couple of weeks - a holiday will be getting in the way from tomorrow.
May resume early August.

 

[Nalleman]

Well I haven´t made any adjustments at all and am keeping my BU single. Suddenly from yesterday the signals are much better on all three birds.
E.g. 11023 H on 2G up from around 8 dB to 10,3, 11344 V on 2F up to 11,1 dB (usually around 9,5 dB and on 2E all TP:s are up about 1 dB.

 

[timo_w2s]

Sure. But that's on 2F Europe beam. That's dead-easy here...

It's on 2F UK spot (BBC RB ) but may not be on for much longer.

 

[Captain Jack]

It's gone already.

 

[hexah]

2) Somewhat impressing is the almost-ran contender of the Black Pro C120 + Channel master feedhorn. Virtually equivalent to the IBUQ.

Yes that is impressive. It may have the same internal components as the Black Ultra.

The Invacom are unusually bad, they are normally better that that.

I often wonder what the CNR from my cheap 25 year old c120s is. As signal meters get cheaper I may get round to testing them one day.

 

[Captain Jack]

I don't know about larger dishes but a converted IBU definitely outperforms a Black Pro one on the Fibo 120.

 

[Nalleman]

I had a lot of problems getting 11386 H and 11097 and 11126 V at the same time. I was able to get a maximum of 8,2 dB on 11 386 H which droped to about 6,9 in the evening. When getting 11386 I couldn´t get 4 seven and ITV HD. Spent a lot of time adjusting the position and skew of the LNB. However it seemed impossible to get all channels.
Decided to try a Inverto Black Pro together with my original CM feedhorn. I ordered the LNB from Finland (at a third of the price for exactly the same LNB in Sweden).
Now I have tried the new equipment and there is a big difference. It seems the Black Ultra I used earlier can't manage the transponders using the same frequenzy with different polarisation.
Now I can get all TP:s (even 11053 H which is the weakest TP of all with 8,9 dB ) with pretty good margin. E.g. 11386 H is up from 7,7 to 9,8 dB, 11097 V is up from 6,1 to 10,1 dB and 11126 V is up from 6,9 dB to 10,1 dB. Generally all TP:s are up about 0,5-1 dB however some of them are up about 2 dB.
On the European beam there is no big difference apart from 11836 H which is up about 1,2 dB.

 

[archive10]

Interesting. I recently checked the IBU and the Black Pro with CM feedhorn, and they gave roughly the same results.
I didn't, however, compare cross-polarisation performance. But it makes a lot of sense if the CM feedhorn is better - it is after all bigger and better defined -> matched to the dish.

 

[Tronic]

Was it a Inverto Black Pro Single LNB?