One dish/3 lnbs contra 3 dishes/each with 1 lnb..?

skywave

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2005
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
69
My Satellite Setup
One 100cm dish with 3 Universal Quattro 0.6db LNBs at 28.2E, 19.2E, 13.0E..

One 85cm dish with 1 Universal Quattro 0.6db LNB at 0.9W..

4 - 4x1 DiSEqC switches..

DM8000HD, DM7020S, HUMAX VACI-5300, OPENTEL ODS 4000F
My Location
Luxembourg City
Have been wondering:
Right now I have a 100cm dish with 3 LNBs - 28.2E, 19.2E and 13.0E - focus is 13.0E..
Would I get a better reception from all three satellites if I scrabbed the 100cm and put up 3 smaller dishes with only one LNB on each of them..?
Or is it worth it..?

I have good reception on all now - but is just wondering if I would get a much clearer picture (with thoughts on HDTV) by using 3 seperate dishes with one LNB in prime focus..

And last: what is the smallest size dish with only one LNB in focus..?
 

wod

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
Messages
4,213
Reaction score
238
Points
63
My Satellite Setup
1m channel master, jaeger smr1224, Inverto black ultra twin, technomate tm-1500ci, broken receiver vantage x221ci, New additions Skybox F5s and technomate tm-5402 HD arriving soon.
My Location
yorkshire
or 2 dishes

1st for 28.2e in luxemborg a 60cm would do i reckon

2nd with monoblock lnb to get hotbird and astra 1, usually 80cm dish

then into a DiSEqC switch to your receiver if its only 1 being used.

or remove the 2 lnbs and motorise the 1metre dish

personally i'd motorise the current dish if there is easy access to it
 

skywave

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2005
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
69
My Satellite Setup
One 100cm dish with 3 Universal Quattro 0.6db LNBs at 28.2E, 19.2E, 13.0E..

One 85cm dish with 1 Universal Quattro 0.6db LNB at 0.9W..

4 - 4x1 DiSEqC switches..

DM8000HD, DM7020S, HUMAX VACI-5300, OPENTEL ODS 4000F
My Location
Luxembourg City
wod,

hmm - I have one more dish 80cm with only one LNB on 0.9W..
Over the summer I will be able to change my dishes - and also to either keep the 100 and the 80 cm dishes - or buy 4 smaller ones for each LNB..

I have been wondering if a motorized would be better - but have not enough knowledge yet..
Will study more - and come back here with more Qs..

BTW: what's monoblock..?

Thanks
 

wod

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
Messages
4,213
Reaction score
238
Points
63
My Satellite Setup
1m channel master, jaeger smr1224, Inverto black ultra twin, technomate tm-1500ci, broken receiver vantage x221ci, New additions Skybox F5s and technomate tm-5402 HD arriving soon.
My Location
yorkshire
a monoblock is two lnbs in one case with a diseqc switch in the lnb to switch between them on the one receiver

you can get them in a 6 degree separation for hotbird and astra 1 and for a 3 degree separation such as hotbird and 16east
 

skywave

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2005
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
69
My Satellite Setup
One 100cm dish with 3 Universal Quattro 0.6db LNBs at 28.2E, 19.2E, 13.0E..

One 85cm dish with 1 Universal Quattro 0.6db LNB at 0.9W..

4 - 4x1 DiSEqC switches..

DM8000HD, DM7020S, HUMAX VACI-5300, OPENTEL ODS 4000F
My Location
Luxembourg City
Ohh - I just realized that a motorized dish is only good if you have one receiver - isen't that correct..?

We currently have 4 receivers in the house - so I guess fixed systems with diseqcs like we have now - is the only option..?
With a motorized dish one user would interfere with another user when switching satellite..
 

wod

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
Messages
4,213
Reaction score
238
Points
63
My Satellite Setup
1m channel master, jaeger smr1224, Inverto black ultra twin, technomate tm-1500ci, broken receiver vantage x221ci, New additions Skybox F5s and technomate tm-5402 HD arriving soon.
My Location
yorkshire
i see yes you would probably be better with fixed dishes

you could add a quad monoblock lnb to an 80cm dish to get hotbird and astra 1

keep 28east on 1 dish as you must have sky or just the fta channels
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
I'm not totally convinced that you have anything to gain by changing your existing setup. If you receive all of the channels you want, with good signal strength and quality readings, then why change, as HD channels will require no more signal than SD channels.
 

skywave

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2005
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
69
My Satellite Setup
One 100cm dish with 3 Universal Quattro 0.6db LNBs at 28.2E, 19.2E, 13.0E..

One 85cm dish with 1 Universal Quattro 0.6db LNB at 0.9W..

4 - 4x1 DiSEqC switches..

DM8000HD, DM7020S, HUMAX VACI-5300, OPENTEL ODS 4000F
My Location
Luxembourg City
Yes - Rolf - I agree - I'll stick to my current setup - it works fine - I was merely curious if having seperate dishes with only one LNB on each would be much better..

So - how much is a good signal..?
Is it just a matter of being above a SNR of e.g. 70% - and then if I could get e.g. 85% on a single dish/LNB - it wouldn't be noticeable..?
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
If the signal input is over the threshold of the receiver (and the quality reading is good), then it will give a good picture. You could try the old tea towel trick and cover varying amounts of the dish surface, this will tell you how much you have in reserve for bad weather. :)
 

skywave

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2005
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
69
My Satellite Setup
One 100cm dish with 3 Universal Quattro 0.6db LNBs at 28.2E, 19.2E, 13.0E..

One 85cm dish with 1 Universal Quattro 0.6db LNB at 0.9W..

4 - 4x1 DiSEqC switches..

DM8000HD, DM7020S, HUMAX VACI-5300, OPENTEL ODS 4000F
My Location
Luxembourg City
Ha - ha - good idea - I'll try that :)
Nice to know what your system is capable of..
 

blaise10

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2004
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
53
My Satellite Setup
4 X 1.8 m dishes, C & Ku Band (5W, 64E, 68.5E, 72.5E, 78E)
My Location
Northern Tanzania (Kilimanjaro), East Africa
Thanks Rolf for the tea towel's trick; this is helpful!

Blaise.
 
Top