Help installing Invacom LNB

paddyharben

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I am intending to replace my existing LNB with an Invacom Quad (C120).

I had a company install my current setup for Astra 2D around 18 months ago. The LNB is a SHARP LNB BS1R6EL 100W, and the dish is a 1.8m offset (by Prodelin, I think, though there is nothing on it to identify it as such). I have included piccies of the LNB/Feedhorn as they are on my roof.

Although the Sharp is doing a good job (despite the improvised raincover!), it is a single output model. As I now want to hook up another two receivers I want to replace the Sharp with an Invacom Universal Quad LNB C120, as apart from giving me the extra outputs I need it will let me see what all the fuss is about regarding Invacom LNBs.
My intention is to change the LNB myself without calling out a technician to do it. I am based in Madrid (well outside the official Astra 2D footprint) so I will need to get the new setup right. I am a newbie to setting up LNBs, so I want to keep things as simple as possible.

My questions are:

1) What feedhorn should I use with the Invacom LNB? Can I (and should I) use the feedhorn I now have on the Sharp (see piccies), or is there another (adjustable?) one I should use? (I suspect I can't use the current one as I can't see any holes for screws on the flange.)

2) How can I keep the change-over as simple as possible so that I have the least work to do in getting optimum reception with the Invacom? (I am satisfied that the Sharp is currently set up as well as it can be).

3) Any other TIPs that might help me with this?
 

dave branson

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Take the plastic cover off your existing LNB,and see how its attached to
the feedhorn.
 

paddyharben

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dave branson said:
Take the plastic cover off your existing LNB,and see how its attached to
the feedhorn.

OK - I'll take a look when I get home tonight.
 

steffan_st

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And please tell us if you made any improvements with the Invacom compared to the Sharp.
 

paddyharben

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dave branson said:
Take the plastic cover off your existing LNB,and see how its attached to
the feedhorn.

OK - I've had a look under the cover.
With my limited knowledge, it's not clear to me how the feedhorn is attached to the LNB, but I have included piccies with the cover off for the experts to look at. These come up well-detailed if you click on the thumbnails.

Where to from here?
 

dave branson

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Looks like it has an adaptor is attached to mate up with the feedhorn.
Try removing the screws,to see the two mating surfaces.
 

paddyharben

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dave branson said:
Looks like it has an adaptor is attached to mate up with the feedhorn.
Try removing the screws,to see the two mating surfaces.

Do you mean the phillips screws we can only see with the cover off or the ones on the bracket holding the whole thing onto the dish arm?
 

paddyharben

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dave branson said:
Start with the Phillips screws.

OK, I've removed the philips screws.

The adaptor (if that's what it is) is attached by those screws to the LNB. The back of the feedhorn fits inside the adaptor, secured by an allen-screw.
I've included new pictures. You can see the allen-screw clearly on the outer ring of the adaptor in the "AdaptorOnly" picture.

Having re-assembled the whole thing, I appear to have worse reception on the horizontal 2D channels. I have pushed the feedhorn all the way in, so perhaps the original adjustment had the feedhorn further out(?).
 

dave branson

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To fit an Invacom quad you will have to remove the c120 flange,and use your
present adaptor to attach it to the feedhorn.
Otherwise you will have to use another feedhorn with a c120 flange.
Your reception has proberbly got worse due to the LNB skew being disrupted,
try turning it very slightly to the right, looking at the dish,and peak your signal quality.
 

paddyharben

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dave branson said:
To fit an Invacom quad you will have to remove the c120 flange,and use your
present adaptor to attach it to the feedhorn.
Otherwise you will have to use another feedhorn with a c120 flange.
Your reception has proberbly got worse due to the LNB skew being disrupted,
try turning it very slightly to the right, looking at the dish,and peak your signal quality.

Thanks - I'll let you know how I get on.
 

steffan_st

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paddyharben said:
Thanks - I'll let you know how I get on.

Would be interesting to hear about the result of this project!
 

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steffan_st said:
Would be interesting to hear about the result of this project!

Indeed. Square peg and round hole come to mind...

Let us know... it's an interesting thread, and we want to know how the story ends! :)
 

paddyharben

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dave branson said:
To fit an Invacom quad you will have to remove the c120 flange,and use your
present adaptor to attach it to the feedhorn.
Otherwise you will have to use another feedhorn with a c120 flange.
Your reception has proberbly got worse due to the LNB skew being disrupted,
try turning it very slightly to the right, looking at the dish,and peak your signal quality.

Having corresponded with both Invacom & Prodelin, I am now not sure which LNB to use.
According to Invacom I should use their integrated feedhorn model as (according to Prodelin) the F/D of my dish is 0.6.
I assumed I should use a LNB with separate feedhorn because that's what it was installed with. Also there has been discussion on sattelites.co.uk suggesting that the C120 Invacoms are superior to their integrated feedhorn equivalents.
I am about to place my order for the LNB so would appreciate any advice on this.
 

steffan_st

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I would suggest that you keep the CM feedhorn,BUT I wouldn't be too shure about getting a better result with an Invacom C 120 than you got with the Sharp.
 

steffan_st

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Sorry,I didn't read the thread properly,since you want more outputs I guess you don't have much of a choice.
 

dave branson

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paddyharben said:
Having corresponded with both Invacom & Prodelin, I am now not sure which LNB to use.
According to Invacom I should use their integrated feedhorn model as (according to Prodelin) the F/D of my dish is 0.6.
I assumed I should use a LNB with separate feedhorn because that's what it was installed with. Also there has been discussion on sattelites.co.uk suggesting that the C120 Invacoms are superior to their integrated feedhorn equivalents.
I am about to place my order for the LNB so would appreciate any advice on this.

If the F/D of your dish is 0.6,then its offset and proberbly not a prime focus.
In which case the Ivacom with intergrated feedhorn will be ok.
The C120 will also work if you can match it to your existing feedhorn.
 

paddyharben

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dave branson said:
If the F/D of your dish is 0.6,then its offset and proberbly not a prime focus.
In which case the Ivacom with intergrated feedhorn will be ok.
The C120 will also work if you can match it to your existing feedhorn.

Sorry to be such a pain about this, but I want to be really sure before I order the new LNB.

Yes, the dish is an offset 1.8m by Prodelin. Will I get better reception if I go down the C120 route rather than using Invacom's intergrated feed?

And what if I can't match the C120 to the (Prodelin) feedhorn that came with my dish? Will reception be just as good if I use another feedhorn (e.g. Invacom's own one)?
 

dave branson

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paddyharben said:
Sorry to be such a pain about this, but I want to be really sure before I order the new LNB.

Yes, the dish is an offset 1.8m by Prodelin. Will I get better reception if I go down the C120 route rather than using Invacom's intergrated feed?

And what if I can't match the C120 to the (Prodelin) feedhorn that came with my dish? Will reception be just as good if I use another feedhorn (e.g. Invacom's own one)?

I would go for the intrgrated feed,ther is no good technical reason why the
C120 should perform better.
 
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