Ku vs C Band Antenna (What's the difference?)

S

sanchez10ben

Member
My Satellite Setup
1.8M Dish RxTx
6 W BUC
PLL LNB
iDirect 3100
C-Band
My Location
Mexico
Hi guys,

Why do some sellers market their antennas as either for Ku or C band?

Couldn't an antenna design basically work for both types of bands?
 
I suppose they could but it probably comes down to cost.

A C band dish generally has to be larger in order to collect enough signal, which obviously increases costs. Because the wavelength is longer it doesn't have to be as accurately made as a Ku band which then decreases costs. It can also be made out of mesh (cheaper and less wind resistance), as can a Ku band, but the mesh hole size can be significantly larger.

Obviously the Ku band dish can be smaller and, if a mesh dish, the holes have to be smaller. It has to be more accurately formed.

A 1.8m Ku dish can be used for C band but it really is about the minimum size you can get away with. I haven't even gone into the different LNBs required. You cn get C/Ku band combined LNBs but they are very much a compromise.
 
I would also add that it all depends what is being transmitted from the Clarke belt that is visable from your location, here in Europe we have almost no C band receivable mainly Ku hence no marketing confusion however above Mexico there is a healthy mixture of both

-http://www.lyngsat.com/america.html
-http://www.lyngsat.com/atlantic.html
 
Hi Paul. Thanks for your reply. Why do you say that using a C/Ku band combined LNBs a compromise? Couldn't one buy a 1.8M Ku dish, a C-Band LNB, a C-Band BUC and use the C Band spectrum?
 
Hi Topper. Thanks for your reply. Yes. I would have access to both bands. However, if I can save money by buying a Ku-Band dish while paying C-Band bandwith then it would be great. Would I be giving up on anything by using such logic?

Topper said:
I would also add that it all depends what is being transmitted from the Clarke belt that is visable from your location, here in Europe we have almost no C band receivable mainly Ku hence no marketing confusion however above Mexico there is a healthy mixture of both

-http://www.lyngsat.com/america.html
-http://www.lyngsat.com/atlantic.html
Click to expand...
 
sanchez10ben said:
Hi Topper. Thanks for your reply. Yes. I would have access to both bands. However, if I can save money by buying a Ku-Band dish while paying C-Band bandwith then it would be great. Would I be giving up on anything by using such logic?
Click to expand...

Sorry no comprende signor.... you do not pay for satellite bandwidth, what is it you are inferring? A Ku band dish will be too small to receive C band signals since you need a far bigger dish for C band. By sticking with one or the other 'to save money' you will be limited as to the number of channels you can receive that is all. So the driving force behind your choice has to be what you desire to watch. In some ways we are lucky here as that is a choice which we do not really have in Europe although one or two enthusiasts do receive C band signals from satellites on either extreme of our Clarke curve
 
sanchez10ben said:
Hi Paul. Thanks for your reply. Why do you say that using a C/Ku band combined LNBs a compromise? Couldn't one buy a 1.8M Ku dish, a C-Band LNB, a C-Band BUC and use the C Band spectrum?
Click to expand...

What EXACTLY do you want to watch on which satellites?

Ku band dishes have to be made much more accurately than C-band dishes and for a given size will be far more expensive - once you get past 1.8m Ku dishes get hideously pricey, and the downlink powers of some C-band transmissions can be very poor indeed - requiring dishes 3m (10 feet) or more. A Ku band dish of this size will cost thousands of $$$
 
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