Life's little mysteries!

[Tony1A]

Well, here's an odd one! Last Saturday we had one hell of a downpour in our neck of the woods and it was having a strange effect on the SKY+. Input 1 was holding quite well but input 2 had bottomed out totally. I did notice that 2 was showing a bit less signal and quality than 1 when I checked today and I decided to move 2 to a different output on the GT Sat quad LNB and a gain was noticed. Is it possible that one output on the LNB was slightly weaker than the rest? Anything is possible I suppose. Also just to say that I have ordered a Smart Blue Cap quad LNB to try out of curiosity.

 

[Lazarus]

Yes. Common issue.

 

[Tony1A]

Never had that bother with my old Smart Titanium quad. All seemed to be equal....until one output went down!!!

 

[Terryl]

Rain/snow/thick heavy clouds fade, common problem with the kU and kA band stuff, only solution that worked (long term) for us broadcasters was go to a bigger dish, about every 75 to 100 mm increase in overall dish diameter gives about 2.5 to 3 dB of signal improvement.

You can try all that so call satellite dish wax, rain coatings, weather shields you want, but when there is several tones of water between you and the satellite they wont do much good.

 

[Tony1A]

I have no love at all for the Sky minidish. Much too small. Everyone should use a 60cm solid dish at the very least for signal improvement.

 

[Captain Jack]

To be honest, I haven't had any issues with the zone 1 dish for Sky. It's only 43cm across but the current satellites up there are so strong over the UK, that I am sure we'd get signal on half the size.

In Belgium, I saw some reaaaallly tiny dishes. They couldn't have been more than 30cm across... I am guessing they are pointing at 23.5E.

 

[timo_w2s]

I remember seeing some really tiny dishes in Sweden back in the analogue Tele-X days. I always wanted one of those, they where even smaller than the BSB dishes. Even in Finland I could hold an LNB into the sky towards the satellite and get a faint signal on the screen from Tele-X.

Edit: Found a pic of a similar one (28cm!).

 

[Tony1A]

This going slighty off topic. I was at Darlington this morning and where I parked I noticed two buildings with 1m Triax dishes and Technomate motors. Is someone trying to tell me something?

 

[Lazarus]

That'll be the Escape Committee HQ.

 

[sonnetpete]

In Belgium, I saw some reaaaallly tiny dishes. They couldn't have been more than 30cm across... I am guessing they are pointing at 23.5E.

These are only 33cm CJ....

http://www.twenga.fr/technisat-digidish-33-universal-v-h-lnb.html

 

[Captain Jack]

Yes, very similar to this dish, Timo/Pete, but was round. Maybe @RimaNTSS has seen them around?

 

[RimaNTSS]

Sorry folks, I am not fan of small dishes. I understand word "dish" when it is >90cm. Everything what is less I just ignore, unless it is interesting design or funny installation :mad:
I've seen one funny installation of small product inside the room, so took picture. I do not think size was > than 35-40cm.
And there is another 35cm not far form my house on somebodies balcony, I did not take any pictures cuz that is not interesting and not funny installed, it just funny-sized.
From time to time I see also Technisat square -products, they are interesting in design, but only because of that I am not so crazy (however sometimes I am crazy enough to do crazy things) to spend 100 or even more EUR to have it. I have heard those products can accommodate up to 4 LNBs inside the cover (3 Astras and Hot Bird) , but then they ask up to 250 EUR (crazy). I do not think those product performs for more than 20 EUR.
I am monitoring some 2-nd hand selling sites, and there are lots of those Technisat for sale http://www.marktplaats.nl/z.html?categoryId=0&postcode=&distance=0&query=Technisat

 

[Captain Jack]

I do like small dishes but only if they are doing what they are designed to do. I don't need a dish larger than 40cm to receive 28.2E, so no need to have one. I only lost signal once when it was hailing down so there's plenty of rain margin there (and we get a lot of rain!). So, it's nice to have a discrete small dish hidden away doing what it's designed to do.

However, I love huge dishes too... especially when I am receiving something that needs a large dish. Feels more special

 

[timo_w2s]

I'm the same, I like small dishes that work as well as large ones. I was really pleased when I managed to get an old 35cm BSB Channel Master dish working well for 5E in Finland after I'd fitted a homemade bracket to fit a modern LNB to it.

 

[RimaNTSS]

O, sorry, I did think we speak about hobby and not about just "install and watch". However, if hobby's name is "installing small dishes" than it is fine too. OK, just kidding.

 

[aceb]

Sorry folks, I am not fan of small dishes. I understand word "dish" when it is >90cm. Everything what is less I just ignore, unless it is interesting design or funny installation :mad:
I've seen one funny installation of small product inside the room, so took picture. I do not think size was > than 35-40cm. View attachment 65970

Back in the days of BSB we used to fit quite a few squarials and the small CMs inside looking through windows where various restrictions in Brighton precluded the installation of external aerials and dishes. I'd imagine with modern window coatings such as K glass this method would no longer work as I know it does a pretty good job of attenuating even UHF TV signals.