Help Required Hotbird + Astra 28.2E in one dish

[djdafy]

)You don't plug the holder into the dish LNB arm - you leave the existing LNB in place and fit the clamp for your central LNB around its body (which means that you need a central LNB with a fairly long 40mm diameter section on the body, and not all LNBs have that - Technomate ones are good in that respect).

That leaves you two spare LNB clamps: one should be on each side of the central LNB already on the dish. The central LNB should be aimed at 19E and you need to adjust that for best reception before you do anything else; and then the one on the left (viewed when standing behind the central LNB ) will be for 28E, and the one on the right will be for 13E - and then you adjust those separately for best reception.

PS: be careful when opening those LNB clamps to fit the LNBs because they can break at the base (I've had 2 do that) - so do it gently!

PPS: in some cases you can add a 4th LNB to the support bar, but it's difficult and you need very narrow-bodied LNBs or else they physically interfere with each other. OTOH, you could bolt a metal strip on one end of the existing support bar, but it will need bracing back to the dish or it will "wave all over the place" if touched or if there is any wind (been there, done that!)

PPPS: Your grasp of the English language is actually very good!

Okay guys, I think I got it actually.

So basically I need to put one of that clamp on my 13E LNB back and leave my dish like it is now and then put another LNB to the second clamp and adjust it to get signal from 28.2? Am I right? Because I don't want to touch my current LNB as I have about 80% of signal on this configuration from HotBird 13E.

Thank you very much guys! I love you!

 

[jeallen01]

Unfortunately not - the central LNB, and thus the dish, needs to be aimed at 19E, not 13E, and so you put the clamp on that central, 19E, LNB! Sorry!

 

[mariust5]

I got a different suggestion for your setup .

Leave the Hotbird dish alone and install a minidish for 28E .

You are going to get reception problems with 2 satellites on a minidish .

 

[jeallen01]

Zone TBH, I have to agree with that using a Zone 1 (the smaller one) dish for this task is not the best approach - the larger Zone 2 version would probably be better (not tried), but a normal 80cm (possibly a 60cm?) elliptical dish is a much better bet as it will gather more signal.

Edited: OTOH, if you don't want 19E (possibly that was a mistake on my part to assume that you might) then a Zone 2/60cm/80cm dish with one LNB on the left side for 28E and one to the right for 13E might be a good bet - but you might well still need another LNB on the dish arm onto which to fix the new support arm, and that might as well be for 19E and then get the "optional bonus" of the channels from there! However, you might still get away with a minidish if you can mount the support arm on the main LNB, but that will be difficult because the minidish arm is specifically designed to take a dedicated 28E (Sky/Freesat)-fitting LNB and, AFAIK, it could be difficult to fit the support arm to one of those because of the body design.

 

[jeallen01]

I think I'll now drop out of this thread as I don't think I can add much more.

 

[Ghostleader]

I think I'll now drop out of this thread as I don't think I can add much more.

Some very good points made too.

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[Ghostleader]

Its a pity its not a Zone 2 (60cm) dish would definitely work then with not too much hassle.

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[Ghostleader]

I've got the three running on my ex $ly Zone 2 dish with the Triax bracket being used unorthodoxly:

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[Lazarus]

Yes, but what's all that tubing in the ground racks for?

Staff Note

Subsequent debate moved to Off Topic Chatter

 

[Ghostleader]

Just to add to this thread, $ky qauds have non standard dimensions around the neck, where the proprietary LNB clamp latch's on the thing measures something daft like 34mm and is oval like in shape, the rest of the LNB body that carries on to the rear module is fat at like 45,50mm so its not going to be straight forward to clamp one of those multi brackets on it without the possibility of breaking the bracket clamp or such thing. I don't want the OP wasting any cash, have any of you guys tried the linked to bracket on the $ky quad? Does it fit?

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[Adam Wisher]

Just to add to this thread, $ky qauds have non standard dimensions around the neck, where the proprietary LNB clamp latch's on the thing measures something daft like 34mm and is oval like in shape, the rest of the LNB body that carries on to the rear module is fat at like 45,50mm so its not going to be straight forward to clamp one of those multi brackets on it without the possibility of breaking the bracket clamp or such thing. I don't want the OP wasting any cash, have any of you guys tried the linked to bracket on the $ky quad? Does it fit?

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I have the bracket mentioned and a zone 2 dish. As you say, it doesn't clamp on properly due to the weird size/shape of the Sky LNB's neck.

It will fit around but the screw holes don't line up so you can't tighten it properly.

I'm thinking of getting one of the converters to allow me to put a standard LNB on the dish so I can use the multi bracket properly.


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[Ghostleader]

I have the bracket mentioned and a zone 2 dish. As you say, it doesn't clamp on properly due to the weird size/shape of the Sky LNB's neck.

It will fit around but the screw holes don't line up so you can't tighten it properly.

I'm thinking of getting one of the converters to allow me to put a standard LNB on the dish so I can use the multi bracket properly.


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So in the end up was it unusable even if "bodged" to try and make work? If it's an older MK3 Zone 2 with the full rectangular shaped tube section as opposed to the new "n" shaped arm lengths that have no bottom to the arm section so the coaxial cable runs along inside the length of it, it can be made work easier mate.

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[Adam792]

So in the end up was it unusable even if "bodged" to try and make work? If it's an older MK3 Zone 2 with the full rectangular shaped tube section as opposed to the new "n" shaped arm lengths that have no bottom to the arm section so the coaxial cable runs along inside the length of it, it can be made work easier mate.

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I tried to bodge it but it gradually slips out of alignment. I'm sure it could be fixed better if I took more time on it though.

To be honest, as my set-up is 19.2°E central with 13 and 28 offset, the 13°E LNB has to be so close anyway that I've just cable tied it on for now.

I might do the same for the 28°E one as well with a bit of wood or something to pad the extra gap.


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[jeallen01]

TBH, it would probably take less time & effort (although rather more expense) to simply replace the mini-dish with a conventional 60 or 80cm elliptical dish, and then, with the right central LNB (see above) on 19E, just use the support bar and extra LNB clamps shown in one of the earlier posts by the OP for 13E & 28E, and everything should almost "fall into place".

NB: Good idea to use narrow-bodied LNBs for at least 13E and 19E so that they can be mounted closer together without physical interference problems.

 

[Analoguesat]

OK so we have problems with the lnb. So the next best suggestion would be to beg steal borrow or even buy a zone 1 or 2 dish and just set it up for 28E.

A second cable is going to be have to be run in any case for the Sky box.

If djdafy just wants the one dish then replacing the current dish for a none sky one seems the best way to go forward - then standard lnb's can be used..

 

[djdafy]

Okay guys, thank you very much for all your help once again.

Finally I've decided to change my satellite dish. I'm looking forward to buy this setup:

- Triax TD78/88 (not sure which size yet)
- wall mount (450mm Wall Mount Bracket Galvanised Steel 45cm - is this fit for my satellite?)
- Triax multi LNB Holder

Which LNB's should I use for this holder? Can I leave my Sky Quad and just buy another one to get 28.2E? Or do I have to change both LNB's?

Also which DiSeqC can you recommend for me?

 

[jeallen01]

djdafy

Sounds like the right approach:

- The smaller TRIAX should be fine (don't go any larger than necessary because the bigger the dish, the narrower the overall beam angle it will accept!).

- The bracket may or may not be OK - it all depends on the direction in which the wall on which it is mounted is facing. If it faces approx. 19E the dish will be standing out almost at a right angle and that bracket should be just about OK for the smaller dish (although I would personally choose something rather more substantial, and with a greater standoff distance from the wall to allow better access to the azimuth/direction and elevation adjustment nuts and bolts at the rear of the dish). If however the dish axis will be an angle of less than about 70 degrees to the wall then you will need some thing standing further out from the wall or else the side edges of the dish rim could hit the wall before you can turn it enough to line up on 19E (being roughly "in the middle" between 28E and 13E).

- Unfortunately the existing Sky dish LNB won't fit the Triax (or any other normal dish) LNB clamp, and so you will need a separate LNB for each satellite you want to receive - that is one for 13E, 1 for 28E, and so on

- You then need a separate cable from each LNB to each of the receivers (because, I assume you already have a non-Sky receiver for 13E, plus the new "UK Sky" Skybox for 28E) - which means at least 1 new cable.

Note: for "UK Sky" encrypted channels you will need a proper (paid for!) Sky subscription and viewing card of some sort - and you can't record on a Sky box without one, but you don't need either for the Free-to-view Freesat channels (although the Sky box will still not record unless you have a subscription!)

OTOH, depending on which existing "non-Sky" receiver you have, and if you don't want the encrypted Sky channels on 28E, then you could add a simple 4-1 (4 in, 1 out) "diseqc" switch with short cables from the LNBs connected to that (it could go right behind the dish) and then just one cable to the receiver as most recent receivers can control such a switch (discussed many times elsewhere!).

 

[djdafy]

djdafy

Sounds like the right approach:

- The smaller TRIAX should be fine (don't go any larger than necessary because the bigger the dish, the narrower the overall beam angle it will accept!).

- The bracket may or may not be OK - it all depends on the direction in which the wall on which it is mounted is facing. If it faces approx. 19E the dish will be standing out almost at a right angle and that bracket should be just about OK for the smaller dish (although I would personally choose something rather more substantial, and with a greater standoff distance from the wall to allow better access to the azimuth/direction and elevation adjustment nuts and bolts at the rear of the dish). If however the dish axis will be an angle of less than about 70 degrees to the wall then you will need some thing standing further out from the wall or else the side edges of the dish rim could hit the wall before you can turn it enough to line up on 19E (being roughly "in the middle" between 28E and 13E).

- Unfortunately the existing Sky dish LNB won't fit the Triax (or any other normal dish) LNB clamp, and so you will need a separate LNB for each satellite you want to receive - that is one for 13E, 1 for 28E, and so on

- You then need a separate cable from each LNB to each of the receivers (because, I assume you already have a non-Sky receiver for 13E, plus the new "UK Sky" Skybox for 28E) - which means at least 1 new cable.

Note: for "UK Sky" encrypted channels you will need a proper (paid for!) Sky subscription and viewing card of some sort - and you can't record on a Sky box without one, but you don't need either for the Free-to-view Freesat channels (although the Sky box will still not record unless you have a subscription!)

OTOH, depending on which existing "non-Sky" receiver you have, and if you don't want the encrypted Sky channels on 28E, then you could add a simple 4-1 (4 in, 1 out) "diseqc" switch with short cables from the LNBs connected to that (it could go right behind the dish) and then just one cable to the receiver as most recent receivers can control such a switch (discussed many times elsewhere!).

Can you recommend any wall mounts and multi LNB holder for that Triax TD78 then?
Is that Triax multi LNB holder perfect for that satellite dish?

If yes which LNB's will be fine for that holder? Inverto Black Ultras for example?

I don't want to make any mistakes this time so I'd like to order everything what I need.

 

[Ghostleader]

A 35cm elbow bracket may well be fine for a Triax TD78, its quite a narrow dish. The Triax bracket is matched for that dish range so is a ideal fit. I wouldnt go overboard with LNB cost either. A single output Black Ultra can be had at a reasonable price but the twin/quads are quite overpriced for your needs mate. As for the Diseqc switch, Technomate ones I have never had a prob with.

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[djdafy]

So which wall mount finally should I buy?

1: 350mm Wall Mount Bracket Galvanised Steel 35cm
2: 450mm Wall Mount Bracket Galvanised Steel 45cm

35 cm or 45 cm? Is it gonna work with my satellite dish as it says that wall mount must be for 50cm pole fitting but Triax TD78 got 78 cm Pole mount fitting.

So if not Twins/Quads from Inverto can you recommend any other LNBs?