Hotbird dilemma...

Adam792

Specialist Contributor
My Satellite Setup
90cm Corab dish, TM-2300 motor, TBS6903X, TBS5930 Lite, Octagon SF8008 mini
My Location
Cheltenham
Now that I have my set-up all sorted for Astra 1 reception, the inevitable (that I feared) has happened...

I'm really itching to add 13°E, the problem being that it's a rented student house and the current dish (that I'm not supposed to change) is a zone 1 minidish.

I've seen some reports after a massive trawl through google, that it's possible to use a 3° monoblock on a zone 1 dish and for it to work for as a 6° would on an 80cm. However, information is sketchy, and surely the rain fade margin would be non-existent? Having said that though, I've seen all the stuff about people getting Astra 1 for F1 on RTL next year by taping an LNB onto the side of the 28°E LNB on their zone 1 and that working; and that's 9° of separation not 6.

Option B is to replace the Zone 1 with a Zone 2 (hoping no-one really notices - in fairness there are other zone 2s, and an assortment of other dishes including a dodgily installed Cyfra+ one, along this whole street.) and put a 6° monoblock on it; I've heard conflicting reports on this though, does it actually work for Astra and Hotbird? I know on my 60cm ISS it did, it was a little out but fine enough.

I can get a dual output 3° monoblock for about £30, and probably a zone 2 and dual output 6° for similar. This might not go ahead at all if I come to my senses anyway, but in whatever case, I don't want to buy the stuff and then find it won't work. I managed to stretch out the money I earned over the summer for a VU+, now we're in student loan territory and I have important stuff like food and alcohol to buy. :D

Cheers for any input!
 
Ever think about using a motor? That way you get them all. (at least the ones you can see at your area)
 
It might work if you use a narrow Lnb like the multiconnect. I have managed to something from 28e with hotbird at focus, not tried the other way.
That was on a zone 1. Monoblocks are not the best way, as you have no scope for adjustment of the separation.

Posted with my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If it was me.... I'd probably stick a zone 2 mini-dish on a motor. It won't look much different and you can take it with you at the end of your pub crawl... er... I mean, studies :)
 
Yes the motor idea does sound tempting, I do have one - it's at home in Staffs waiting to be put up so I could postpone that and use it for the year. Round as far as 1°W might just be possible as well without hitting the wall. :D

I have a zone 2 coming this week now anyway. It was under £20 on eBay including quad LNB + delivery so I couldn't really turn my nose up at that, and besides, you can never have too many dishes I guess! :D For now it's going to go in the spare bedroom at the front where it should get 39°E and 42°E with any luck and perhaps even 28°E. From the back garden 30°W should be an easy catch as well, 13°E may even just about clear the roofs from far enough down.

Next time I'm up at home I'll bring a couple of LNBs down so I can have a mess around with it and see if it's a suitable replacement for the zone 1 currently up to get Astra and Hotbird. Maybe even Astra 2 as well.
 
Zone 2 arrived today. (Since when did Royal Mail deliver on Sundays?!)

As I thought, Turksat and Hellas Sat are possible out of the front window; Turksat is pretty much at a right angle and very strong on the European beam transponders at least. I can get 39°E to just lock on the strong OTE transponder on 11052V.
 
Just wondering - can you get 53E on Zone 2? 11044V? It's the one important satellite missing from my line up... Although, the fixed LNB skew on Sky dishes may be detrimental, so you'd need to rotate the whole dish slightly to compensate.
 
Captain Jack said:
Just wondering - can you get 53E on Zone 2? 11044V? It's the one important satellite missing from my line up... Although, the fixed LNB skew on Sky dishes may be detrimental, so you'd need to rotate the whole dish slightly to compensate.

I'll have a go and report back!
 
...I couldn't receive anything. I think the houses across the road may even be slightly too high for line of sight either way!
 
Ack, fair enough. Thanks for trying it out. I could receive it at a customer's in South Wales on an 80cm dish and that was around 8db SNR... Although on the margin, maybe with a few tweaks it would be possible on the Zone 2 dish..
 
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