Fibre optic LNBs the future?

Channel Hopper

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Since many teleports use fibreoptics to convey signal across distanced from the head end to the antennas, it was only a matter of time before it was viable to be used on domestic set ups.

The price difference is going to be the main factor for a full rollout though, standard RF cable, connectors and the average universal costs are peanuts compared to the fibre alternative.
 

rolfw

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Not sure how much more expensive it will be, probably going down to Reigate on Thursday to see the finished article, plus anything else which is about.

It should certainly mean that smaller dish sizes will often be possible, even when the feed is 50m or so and 50m of WF125 5 core is not exactly cheap.
 

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A 50m run of the fibre is significantly cheaper than the equivalent multicore wf125.;)

However the LNB + quattro GTU is significantly more expensive than a standard quattro.
 

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I have several installations with cables up to 100m and a bit over. If using good quality cable, generally I face no problem.
 
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i am a installation engineer and have been invited by my supplier to go and do a setup next week .

i will post the results.
 

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BombedOne said:
I have several installations with cables up to 100m and a bit over. If using good quality cable, generally I face no problem.


Try 200m.;)
 

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dale094 said:
i am a installation engineer and have been invited by my supplier to go and do a setup next week .

i will post the results.

Thanks, will be interesting to hear from someone regarding an actual installation.:)
 

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you can find morehere
_http://www.globalinvacom.com/products/pdfs/FIBREarticleGI.pdf

richard
 

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ive seen the system work a few months ago and yes it works well.You will still have the same problems tho as it converts the feed back into coax.
The idea isnt new really been around for years.Think about it cable run a fibre back bone around the uk sending TV teleco and broadband then convert into copper.Most the faults end up from poor cooper installation tho.
Now people know why i spent time working for cable lol...wanted to see how the network worked.
If global expand on this system no reason why it cant be used to distrubite the broadband in flats etc that the goverment are so eager to give to people. Cable modems work through the coax 1st than back to the local node wud need multi switches with a return path to pass back to the headend unit.End users cud use a modem same as for cable tx at about 25 to 30 mhz for return.
 

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I think it'll def be the way forward, even more so as price should eventually drop- would be so nice to have no loss sat system at home:)

I also understand no earth bonding required in multiple output IRS systems using fibre optic.
 

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kenny1234 said:
I think it'll def be the way forward, even more so as price should eventually drop- would be so nice to have no loss sat system at home:).

There would be no need for satellite links at all if the fibre-optics are rolled out across the UK. One head-end and a system of funnelling switches at the end of the road.
 

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no earth bond of the headend is needed but yes will still be needed on the multiswitches as this is still copper property to property. Think we are still ages away on having a complete fibre system dont think sk....y will be investing in fibre stbs yet due to expense of design etc.
Cost of fibre lnbs etc will quickly drop in price once companys doing the infastructure take up the advantages of a fibre back bone system in buildings and new build estates.
Dont think sk...y will be backing this to much as it makes the system really into cable network and once the multiswitches are about for return path makes it a one fibre for tv teleco and broadband. IRS engineers will need re trainning into the system set up and workings. Ive found enuff evidence to show alot of them have enuff dealing with current IRS networks and service issues.
 

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Yes subscriber feeds still need to be earthed.
 

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mkgigs said:
Dont think sk...y will be backing this to much as it makes the system really into cable network and once the multiswitches are about for return path makes it a one fibre for tv teleco and broadband. IRS engineers will need re trainning into the system set up and workings. Ive found enuff evidence to show alot of them have enuff dealing with current IRS networks and service issues.

Don't think Sky carries any relevance on this, they certainly wouldn't use it for standard residential installations and are only interested in what is delivered to the subscriber outlet in IRS systems, most of which will be coax fed on the final leg. Obviously longer term the way to go will be for total fibre infrastructure in IRS systems, but that's another story.

For the purposes of this thread, we are interested in The quality and performance of the LNB and ancillary kit, plus the price compared to a more traditional coax fed system.

I've calculated that ignoring the need for a larger dish size on a 50m run of WF125 five core cable, the fibre option works out slightly more expensive, but raise this to above 50m and the fibre system comes out cheaper, take off the difference in price due to the ability to use a smaller dish and the fibre system wins hands down.
 

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Of course the fibre feed wins both in performance and cost.Labour will be greatly reduced as well.Real time saved will be on 9-13-17 wire systems and the poor engineer wont have to haul loads of cable drums around always a problem when the lift is broke lol
 

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hello i plan,to buy now this fibre lnb in flansch version,for my gregory dish from invacom the current price is 200 €
where i can buy around 30 meter fibre optic cable,and how much this would coasts?
how this lnb and the cables are conected?
 

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You could try one of the site sponsors, I believe southernsatellite was selling the Fibre optic gear.
 

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Hello
I don´t think people here have really thought about this new technology as it stands. I think it is deeply flawed and inefficient.

I will give you an example. Say you wish to distribute a satellite signal to a small estate. Lets use 32 houses as that is what Global/Invacom say is the maximum number of outputs possible from their LNB - so the last outputs on that system (assuming the splitters have no internal loss – impossible but we shall assume for ease) will have 3.125% of the signal coming out of the new LNB. Assume houses in a row and dish at beginning.

With say a televes modular cascading multiswitch system, you would run four cables out of quattrol lnb to first house fit a four output multiswitch, you would then run four cables from that multiswitch to the next house where there would be another multiswitch and so on and so forth to house 32. (OK so I have ingnored amps – keeping simple as I am trying to show cable usage).

On the new system, yes one feed comes out of LNB to house one. Now we need to work out the most efficient way to split the signal. If we try to minimise fibre usage by using a two way splitter feeding one output to the new fibre to coaxial converter (I will abbreviate FCC) and the other output to house two and repeat this we will reach 3.125% of original signal by house five . No good.

To get 32 outputs we have to split the feed at house one with a two way splitter, one cable continues its run, the other one is split with a four way splitter, three of these feeds continue their run, the remaining feed is split by another four way splitter. Three of these feeds (sub Sub Sub feed) continue their run and the remaining feed goes to a four way FCC. So now we have 1 + 3 + 3 i.e. seven cables continuing to house two. One of the sub sub sub feeds goes to a four way FCC, then the six remaining cables go to house three, again one sub sub sub feed goes to a four way FCC five feeds go to house four, this continues until the first set of sub sub sub feeds are used then a sub sub feed will need to be connected to a four way splitter and so on and so forth.
Now these FCC are about three times the price of a standard Televes cascading modular multiswitch, and the LNB is at least three times the price of a standard quattro LNB. Now think of the cost of these fibre optic cables (pre-terminated is expensive). Ok so there is little signal loss with fibre and you save a little on amps. I can only think this system would be cost effective if you had a circular estate with the dish in the middle and used and eight way initial splitter. A spiders web kind of design.

I think the system would have worked if they had a daisy chainable system. Had a laser amplifier in each FCC (so negligible signal loss) and just run another thin cable for low voltage power for the amp ( I take credit for this idea and am happy to accept royalty cheques!!) So only two cables power and signal.

Pity I had been looking forward to fitting a fibre optic system, but after working out the practicalities (or otherwise) of the system it is not cost effective or time effective.

Thoughts anyone?
 

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The obvious design advantage is very little attenuation over an extremely long trunk.
 

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There is no real reason why the fibre-optic system cannot have a parallel output, with all four outputs of the LNB combined at the head end and then driven simultaneously down one piece of cable.

Switching can be done at the remote end via a simple optical changer, not unlike the old downconverter/upconverter BSB systems mentioned in the Technology section.
 
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