Old Cambridge LNB Data

cj&m

Does anyone have any data on my old Cambridge LNBs?

I have scoured the internet for details with no success. I can't even raise anything on Cambridge Industries who I believe made the LNBs!

I currently have a 80 cm Lenson Heath Offset dish with two LNBs for Astra 1 (19 deg) and Hotbird (13 deg), and I intend to go digital on Astra 2 (28 deg) and Astra 1 (19 deg), (plus retaining analogue on Astra 1), hopefully by just swinging the dish. I would like to find out whether these two old LNBs are ok for the job - do they have dual band, if so how are they switched, what are the operating frequencies etc. The markings on the LNBs are:

LNB1 (for Hotbird?)- Type No UNO11 E12 (+/- 30 deg) KU12 283 8ZT

LNB 2 (for Astra 1?) - Type No AE23 (or AE28) (+/- 15 deg) KU12 283 8ZT

Any info would be very gratefully received.

2cvbloke

If the LNBs say "Universal", they should be ok, but they probably have a high noise figure, so new LNBs would be better for you. As for changing to Astra 1 and 2, it's not that easy as swinging your dish over as the LNB clamps are not spaced correctly, they need to be 9 degrees apart, and as one is on hotbird it is only 6 degrees apart. An option is that you keep the current config and get an extra LNB & a 9 degree bracket and add that to the setup so you can get all three satellites...

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cj&m

Thanks, 2cvbloke.
Unfortunately, these are the only markings on the LNBs.

In Part 2 of 'LNBs explained' (www.satcure.co.uk), section 2 shows a photo of an Enhanced LNB - both mine look exactly the same, and primitive tuning experiments to date seem to indicate that the Cambridge AE 23/28 has only one band, as does the AE6 shown. I am not sure what channels were around when I first had this system installed (can't remember how long ago that was!), but this configuration would appear to be consistent with detecting German analogue channels on Astra 1 (low band only?).

The other Cambridge LNB has UN in the model number which could indicate a 'Universal' (dual band) type (it is also physically bigger). I am not sure whether there were useful analogue channels in the High Band then but, if there were, this could explain why a dual band was fitted. Today, as far as I can see, all LNBs are dual band and relatively cheap but, in those days, dual band LNBs might have been considerably more expensive - possibly indicating why different LNBs were used?

If anyone has any 'historical' data on these LNBs to confirm these speculations, I would still be grateful to hear.

Concerning, the re-alignment, I did realise that I would have to increase the separation, but the current bracket has plenty of room to accomodate this (if it doesn't deteriorate any further!). I am not sure that 13 degrees has much to interest us, so will probably stick to 2 LNBs at this time.

I will probably upgrade to modern LNBs at some stage, but the current step-by-step, easily recoverable, approach was to swing the dish 6 degrees eastwards so that the supposedly dual band centrally-mounted UN011 was now pointing at Astra 1 (at 19 degrees) (from 13 deg), and then move the supposedly single band AE 'offset' LNB by 3 degrees or so relative to point at Astra 2 (at 28 degrees).

My proposed configuration would then be
Digital:
Astra 2 (28 deg) and Astra 1 (19 deg) fed to my Phoenix Apollo via a Diseqc switch (any recommendations?).
Analogue (for the time being):
Astra 1 and 2 fed to my old Pace MSS 301 via the Apollo I/F loop-through output connector.

This would be to provide:
a) Digital BBC TV etc, as we cannot get terrestial digital TV in our little hollow, and
b) Mainstream German and Spanish channels.

Any comments gratefully received.

2cvbloke

I have a Cambridge LNB at home, not 100% sure but I believe it is an AE23, or "Universal III" , this has a yellow cap over the feedhorn, and as the name states, it's a universal LNB, and looks like that Enhanced LNB on satcure. There are some LNBs that look like each other but their insides are usually different, a bit like engines in different models of cars, so they can't always be identified by the casing their in. This would be OK for use on Astra 2, but the noise figure on these is 0.7dB, a bit high in this day and age.

As for your second LNB, Could be a Universal II, but without photos I couldn't be sure...

Just so you know, there are no Analogue transmissions on Astra 2...

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Channel Hopper

From the rest of your post it does look like we will need to see what receiver(s) you have, many of the potential issues you will suffer will not be down to the dish movements, or the LNBs.

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cj&m

Thanks, 2cvbloke, both LNBs have white caps.

Channel Hopper, my receivers are an analogue Pace MSS 301, and a newly aquired digital Phoenix Apollo CI.

Experimenting with my receivers, I appear to be able to get analogue channels from Astra 1 on the AE23 in both low and high bands but, so far, only low band digital channels.

From Hotbird on the UN011, I appear to be getting only low band analogue channels, but both low and high band digital signals! These results are complicated by the fact that all analogue signals from both satellites are sometimes completely missing. This would indicate at least an intermittently working analogue receiver, as it is unlikely that both LNBs would malfunction at the same time, but one or both of the LNBs could also be independently intermittent. However, would I be correct in thinking that I would NEVER get any channels, analogue or digital, if the LNBs were low band only devices?

I think my next step is to obtain two new LNBs before re-aligning their positions - would the Cambridge Platinum 0.6dB be ok for my digital setup, or would I need something higher performance - I don't want to spend too much unless it is absolutely necessary?

PS Ihave tried IFs of both 10600 and 10750 on both LNBs without any obvious differences.

rolfw

On Astra 1, the analogue channels are all on low band, so your LNB is simply seeing the same channels when you supposedly switch to high band.

With LNBs being so cheap, I would swap them both out.

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Analoguesat

The only high band analogue channels left in Europe are M2 on Hotbird and the French stuff on 5W.

Have to agree with the others - treat yourself to some new universal lnb's - they arent expensive at all nowadays. You cant go wrong with MTI BluLine's

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Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever! RIP BBC2 analogue on all Scottish Borders transmitters, switched off 0031GMT November 6th 2008 Final analogue switch off from all Scottish Borders transmitters - BBC1 ITV C4 & C5 - 0010GMT November 20th 2008.

cj&m

Thank you, Rolfw and Analoguesat. I see now that the analogue receiver would think it had switched to high band even if, as I now realise, the AE23 LNB pointing at Astra 1 is low band only.

The Digital receiver, interestingly, apparently produced a single set of channels on one transponder in the high band (12515 GHz) with an IF set to 10600, and another transponder (12663 GHz) with an IF set to 10750, both actually artifacts from low band Transponder 31 at 11671 GHz!

However, further investigation appears to confirm that the UN011 LNB pointed at Hotbird is dual band as the channels received in the high band are genuine channels and not artifacts 'reflected' out of the low band.

Having said that, I intend to replace both LNBs as I am sure that performance has moved on, and appreciate your recommendation. I am also assuming that 0.6dB noise should be adequate for the Astras with my 80 cm dish?

PS If the Cambridge Platinum G57 is still being marketed, it must still be made somewhere - does anone know where, and by whom?

PPS Has anyone a recommendation for a good and cheap DiSEqC switch for permitting my digital receiver access to one of the two LNBs - the PACE analogue receiver had two inputs and I have two cables down from the dish, but the digital receiver has only one input!

Analoguesat

Ive got 2 G57's . Perfectly servicable lnb's EXCEPT 2 of my receivers wont go hiband on those particular lnb's. (A Comag and I think the FortecStar is the other one). The Echostar works fine with them - most peculiar.

I found this out the hard way one sunny Saturday when I swapped receivers around in the morning then spent the entire afternoon stripping down the disecq switching and cable runs.......... Then spent the evening putting everything back together the way it was!

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Analoguesat's message to the world Analogue forever! RIP BBC2 analogue on all Scottish Borders transmitters, switched off 0031GMT November 6th 2008 Final analogue switch off from all Scottish Borders transmitters - BBC1 ITV C4 & C5 - 0010GMT November 20th 2008.