Quality LNB

[smiffie]

I'm looking for a quality LNB for a 1 Metre motorised dish. I'm considering an Inverto Quad 0.2dB, I've been using an Invacom 0.3dB which seems ok but the feedhorn cover failed.

How do the two compare in terms of performance.

 

[rolfw]

Aside from the performance, which is probably fairly similar, you could look at repairing the feedhorn membrane.

 

[smiffie]

I did repair it!:-

http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/...-motorised-systems/161409-lnb-protection.html

I'm looking for a quad now and I've also read that Inverto LNBs have a higher output which is better for long cable runs.

 

[netrat]

Can you attach the picture of your Invacom?

 

[wod]

try the inverto black ultra, a few people on here have them and rate them highly for good reception especially on weak signals

 

[purplemarina]

how long is your cable run ? its reported that the invacom and inverto perform about the same up to 20m after that the inverto is better.

 

[smiffie]

Can you attach the picture of your Invacom?

Do you mean of the repaired LNB? I didn't have time as I needed to get it backup before nightfall. I'll get some pictures at the next opportunity, even if its just for posterity, the installation is into its fourteenth year so its not going to last forever.

 

[smiffie]

how long is your cable run ? its reported that the invacom and inverto perform about the same up to 20m after that the inverto is better.

The run is probably 10 metres at maximum but has a Vbox in the line.

Ideally I want to pick up Thor 6 K1 at 2.5W 53.5N on a 1 Metre dish which will be ground mounted and the run will be about 18-20 Metres. I suspect the setup maybe marginal for those transponders.

 

[Lazarus]

The run is probably 10 metres at maximum but has a Vbox in the line.

Ideally I want to pick up Thor 6 K1 at 2.5W 53.5N on a 1 Metre dish which will be ground mounted and the run will be about 18-20 Metres. I suspect the setup maybe marginal for those transponders.

>44dBw at that location, so a 1m dish should be ok ...... for Canal Digital ??

For example, 10872 (TV2 Krever Kanalsok Promo) is a massive signal on my 1.1m in N.Yorkshire.

In fact, although I can't resolve Video/Audio on any other K1 transmissions, all those TPs are booming in. Booming.

 

[smiffie]

>44dBw at that location, so a 1m dish should be ok ...... for Canal Digital ??

For example, 10872 (TV2 Krever Kanalsok Promo) is a massive signal on my 1.1m in N.Yorkshire.

In fact, although I can't resolve Video/Audio on any other K1 transmissions, all those TPs are booming in. Booming.

That's interesting as I think that TV2 Promo at 10872 is Horizontal polarisation. From K1 I am only just getting 10903V through but breaking up and nothing from 10903H or 10934H on an 85cm.

 

[Lazarus]

85cm is just too small for 44dBw ............ you'd need 90cm carefully aligned or preferably something even bigger:

But then you mention your intention to use a 1m dish, so presumably you already knew 85cm wasn't big enough?

 

[netrat]

85cm is just too small

I watch in london without any problem with 80sm

 

[Lazarus]

I watch in london without any problem with 80sm

No doubt ............ the available EIRP for the K1 beam in London is nearer 47dBW: That extra 3dB makes a significant difference

 

[smiffie]

I managed to get a quad SilverTech Inverto for £28 and a 1Metre mesh dish for £45, the cable run is about 25 metres via a Diseqc switch. I'm amazed at the performance on the Thor HD transponders. I get 100% SNR at 16.5db on Discovery HD and about 84% SNR on C+ Film HD.

I've used a reference transponder of 10872V on the K1 Nordic beam and get 58% SNR with 1-100 BER on the 85cm with the Invacom 0.3db and 84% SNR and 0 BER on the 1 Metre with the Inverto. I'm really surprised at such a significant performance increase.

 

[PaulR]

I've used a reference transponder of 10872V on the K1 Nordic beam and get 58% SNR with 1-100 BER on the 85cm with the Invacom 0.3db and 84% SNR and 0 BER on the 1 Metre with the Inverto. I'm really surprised at such a significant performance increase.

I suspect that most (if not all!) of the difference is due to the increase in dish size. The 1m dish hais about 30% more surface area than the 85cm dish.

 

[Lazarus]

Nice result, nevertheless

 

[smiffie]

I suspect that most (if not all!) of the difference is due to the increase in dish size. The 1m dish hais about 30% more surface area than the 85cm dish.

I agree, which is why I didn't go mad when it came to the price. A quad black Ultra was in the region of £50. I went for Inverto as I'd read that they were better suited for long cable runs. I'll probably swap the two LNBs over as its the 85cm that I really need for multi room, I'll be able to do a better comparison then.

Whilst I was looking for the signal meter, I found an old Cambridge Juno Gold 0.6dB, which I seem to remember used to be the "dogs" at the time, I can't believe the weight of it! I might also put that on test just to see how far the kit has improved over the years.

 

[smiffie]

Ok I now have the results and it seems that the repair to the Invacom hasn’t lasted and there seems to have been some water ingress causing condensation which has obviously degraded performance. Removing the cap improves the performance on the vertical transponders and although I can get some horizontal transponders, I get cannot receive the HD signals which really was the whole point of the exercise. (Aee attachments)

I listed the figures for my reference transponder below:-

1 Deg W / 10872V

100cm
Inverto = 80%
Invacom = 70%
Invacom without cap = 78%
Cambridge = 76%

Below are the figures for the transponder I was looking for and seem to indicate that the Invacom LNB is kaput.

1 Deg W / 10934H (HD signal)

85cm
Inverto = 76%
Invacom = No signal
Cambridge = Did not fit due to acccess

100 cm
Inverto = 83%
Invacom = No signal
Invacom without cap = No signal
Cambridge = 79%

I can now pick up 1W fine on the 85cm and have re-aligned the 100cm on 15E with the Cambridge LNB. The has now allowed me to pull in more of the marginal signals from the Balkan beams with very low or zero BER and 15% increase in SNR even with the Cambridge.