Too Old ??

Lancelot

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125cm Gibbi with Channelmaster feedhorn and Inverto C120 twin.
36v H to H 62E - 61.5W
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Hi all just a quickie..
my old 0.6 has been up on the end of the arm for close to 9yrs now
although I'm getting about 80% on 30w and about the same on 42e
(1.05mtr @51.5N 1.2w) has anybody noticed measurable degredation over this sort of time or is this about par for the course for a pan of this size ?

the biggie is should I get the ladders out while we have fairly good weather!

:)
 

Llew

cerca trova...
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Triple Dragon, Dreambox 8000, Echostar AD3000ip, TBS6522,6925,6983 PCie cards.
Gibertini 1.25m motorised dish driven by the AD3000, with either Inverto BU Quad or Norsat / XMW Ka LNBs . SMW 1.05m + 3 other dishes. Speccy: Promax HD Ranger+
My Location
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Hi Lancelot

I don't know if LNB manufacturers conduct long-term tests of their products,
but I have an SMW dish of your size and had an SMW W/B LNB in use for 8 years with no discernable loss of gain (checked with a spectrum analyser).

Factors to take into account are extremes of weather, how good the initial installation was (waterproofing of F plug termination), whether the site is in an exposed position etc.

Regular inspection of LNB's for any deterioration is a good idea but spiders seem to find their way into the housing at some stage.

I suppose the usual rule applies - if it ain't broke don't fix it - but by all means have a good look at the plug connection and maybe re-tape it if necessary.

Also don't forget that signal deterioration can occur with ageing of the cable run.

Llew
 
K

kalamar

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A new run of coax and the new type connectors should be a good investment,solid state LNB should not deteriorate (in theory) but bad apples in every barrel ! the new "O"ring connectors will last a long time. enjoy the weather !
 

Lancelot

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125cm Gibbi with Channelmaster feedhorn and Inverto C120 twin.
36v H to H 62E - 61.5W
My Location
South central
Thanks for your time guys .think I will just jump up & take a look while we have
the weather.

Incidently....I can get hold of some L/loss coax DBL SCR but it is the 10mm
variety. is there a way to easily get an 'F' to fit without being too inventive.

Cheers
 

rolfw

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Berkshire
Maplin sell the proper connectors for CT125 or equivalent, don't try and make a standard "F" fit.
 

Channel Hopper

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kalamar said:
,solid state LNB should not deteriorate (in theory) but bad apples in every barrel ! the new "O"ring connectors will last a long time. enjoy the weather !

Many problems can occur after the LNB is installed

The slight amount of moisture present at the time of install (maybe it was a damp day) can play havoc further down the line.
Commercial systems are usually supplied with a dehydratir system to blow dry air into the air spaces within the feed, domestic LNBs are lucky if they contain a small amount of dessicant. Many branded ones forgot to fit the bag inside

Natural decay of the feed horn because of the sun, airborn particles, moisture in the F plug and ingress through the tape to the centre conductor. Even dielectric corrosion between two dissimilar metals in the feed start the downturn of performance

Temperaturewise the LNB over a few years is subjected to heat and cold differentials exceeding 100 degrees on an almost daily basis, causing drying of joints, poor conduction in coils/resistors and seepage of oils in the capacitors

Electrically, the power from the receiver will fluctuate, and all the components are at the mercy of the grade of regulators and smoothing circuit installed. Eventually a spike will get through to knacker the test bench results of what is effectively a disposable part of the satellite system

Replace it whenever you feel like climbing the ladder. Like an oil change for a car/motorcycle, you could do a lot worse for peace of mind under £20.
 

Lancelot

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My Location
South central
Tnx Hopper...Just needed convincing that it was a worthwhile escapade.
might try 1 of those new fangled .3 invacoms (£25 in the mags)
Seems like you've worked with this 3cms stuff before !!
how does that latin translate?
(sorry must be the N'th time.)

Thanks all for your attn on this one :)
 

Channel Hopper

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Lancelot said:
Tnx Hopper...Just needed convincing that it was a worthwhile escapade.
might try 1 of those new fangled .3 invacoms (£25 in the mags)
Seems like you've worked with this 3cms stuff before !!
how does that latin translate?


3cms ? Imperial please - microwaves at this frequency are an inch and a thumbnail thickness

Invacoms are a bit of a grey area, some rave about them, some find they make little or no difference, (best to see if you can borrow one )

As for the translation - put the first few words into a google search
 
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