C Band on 1m dish

[Kraven]

If this is the article I have in mind (and emailed to me by a foruym member), then the results were minimal too.
Dr Sat mentioned for a mni bud to work, the allignment needs to be dead spot on. I didnt' have a signal meter so it was up and down the ladder the whole time.

Cheers, K

[Cham]

In my playing around with smaller C-band dishes, the smallest that seems to catch most of the stronger signals is 6'. Most satellite TPs will come in with an 8 footer, but if you want the HD high bitrate stuff you will need a 10' + reflector to be stable. A really good 8 footer (Andrews, Prodelin) with a near perfect parabola and feed horn/LNB will be as good as a run of the mill 10' TVRO dish & LNBF if you can find or afford one... Bigger is always better.
-C.

[HDTV Junkee]

Just to follow up on my previous post, where I wanted to experiment a little with C-Band on a 90 cm Ku dish.

Dish 1 Ku (82, 85, Galaxy 17 (91) and 97 (RTP, AD Sport and C&W radio) all on one dish -- strong signals and TP for everything that I need.

Dish 2 Ku (same 90 cm) -- decided that I wanted to keep SES2 because of LPB and Patient Ch. Information -- so my experimentation with C-Band would be very, very limited.

For the main signal on dish 2, I added a C-Band with CS Ring. Located a TP within 5 minutes and fine-tuned it as best as I could. The quality moves from 47 to 56 for the Por.Rico mux (5 stations and one blank / scrambled -- #7). I think mine just say Ch 1,2,4,5,6, and 7. Enjoyed watching Shark Tank last night. Quality even with 15 mile winds today is still averaging 50.

Sometimes pixels appear, but very steady picture overall. This is with no winds and all clear (no rain affect). May keep for a while and enjoy. I guess for me, this was "success", although I respect others very much who have posted that dishes that small were never meant for C-Band. I tried.

Note:
I also found another KU signal to the left of SES2 (maybe 83 degrees west). I will need to fine tune when the winds die down here.

[majortom]

cool, yeah I'd call that a success. If for no other reason than to be able to say... and they said it couldn't be done...LOL. I can relate..

[tennative]

Interesting, I just phoned the sponser this past week and asked them if I could get SES2 on a 1.2 meter dish and they said no. I was interested in trying to get the METV affiliates from Chicago since WBBZ Buffalo is so problematic via OTA and they are on that satellite.

[majortom]

And they correctly answered you.
It wouldn't be a viable solution, and you wouldn't be a happy customer.
If you want to receive CBAND you need a CBAND dish.

[DrSat]

Originally Posted by HDTV Junkee

Just to follow up on my previous post, where I wanted to experiment a little with C-Band on a 90 cm Ku dish.

Dish 1 Ku (82, 85, Galaxy 17 (91) and 97 (RTP, AD Sport and C&W radio) all on one dish -- strong signals and TP for everything that I need.

Dish 2 Ku (same 90 cm) -- decided that I wanted to keep SES2 because of LPB and Patient Ch. Information -- so my experimentation with C-Band would be very, very limited.

For the main signal on dish 2, I added a C-Band with CS Ring. Located a TP within 5 minutes and fine-tuned it as best as I could. The quality moves from 47 to 56 for the Por.Rico mux (5 stations and one blank / scrambled -- #7). I think mine just say Ch 1,2,4,5,6, and 7. Enjoyed watching Shark Tank last night. Quality even with 15 mile winds today is still averaging 50.

Sometimes pixels appear, but very steady picture overall. This is with no winds and all clear (no rain affect). May keep for a while and enjoy. I guess for me, this was "success", although I respect others very much who have posted that dishes that small were never meant for C-Band. I tried.

Note:
I also found another KU signal to the left of SES2 (maybe 83 degrees west). I will need to fine tune when the winds die down here.

The easiest C-band satellite to receive when using a smaller 1.2 or 1 meter dish is Galaxy 16 @ 99W. Galaxy 17 @ 91W is also fairly easy to receive as well but some transponders such as CW at 3720 recently changed to DVB-S2 which would be harder to receive on a 1m dish.

In my experience, transponders from the following C-band satellites can be received with a well tuned 1.2 meter using the conical scalar ring over here in southern Ontario. Your results will vary based on location, dish size and LNBF used:

• 22W NSS 7 (using dielectric plate) - Bolivian Mux @ 3761 is strong and can be received easily.
• 40.5W NSS 806 (using dielectric plate) - only a few of the strongest transponders can be received.
• 55.5W Intelsat 805 - only a few transponders can be received. RTPi and a few others I believe.
• 58.0W Intelsat 9 - only a few transponders can be received NHK World @ 4040 is strongest.
• 87.0W SES 2 - This one used to be a bit easier to receive in the past when this satellite was still AMC 3. I believe you can still get THIS TV @ 3833 to come in but most other transponders are just under the threshold to be received.
• 91.0W Galaxy 17 - Most transponders on this satellite should be receivable except the 4180 DVB-S2 transponder. The DVB-S2 CW transponder comes in fine though
• 95W Galaxy 3C - A few horse racing feeds should be receivable along with the 4167 TP used most of the time by some west coast CBS affiliates.
• 99W Galaxy 16 - Most transponders on this satellite should be receivable except the high FEC rate ABC feeds and KRBK FOX.
• 101W SES 1 - The DVB-S religious channels should be receivable
• 107.3W Anik F1 - Most transponders on this satellite should be receivable except the CBC and Radio Canada DVB-S2 transponders. There is a fair amount of adjacent satellite interference at play here so positioning of the scalar ring is very critical.
• 113W Satmex - A handful of transponders can be received from this satellite such as TV Quatro @ 3744.
• 121W Galaxy 23 - A few transponders such as the COX sports channels used to be receivable but not anymore last time I checked. Most transponders here can't be received though.
• 123W Galaxy 18 - Jewish Life TV @ 4176 is currently the only receivable channel on this satellite
• 125W Galaxy 14 - The 3720 TBN mux comes in fine on this satellite. Shop NBC @ 3744 comes in at well but it is a bit harder to receive.

[Classof83]

Thanks for the list doc. I'll have to try this out again now that the warmer weather is here.

[Kraven]

Ah..this topic makes me cringe!

Seriously folks, there isn't *much* of a difference between 4 and 6 feet. On the other side, I can understand those who want to save a few bucks BUT that 100$ or so saved isnt worth the aggravation..imo!

Cheers, K

[DrSat]

Originally Posted by Kraven

Ah..this topic makes me cringe!

Seriously folks, there isn't *much* of a difference between 4 and 6 feet. On the other side, I can understand those who want to save a few bucks BUT that 100$ or so saved isnt worth the aggravation..imo!

Cheers, K

It's not really about money but about size and the method used to mount the dish. A 6 footer has to be pole mounted while a 4 footer can be mounted on a brick wall or solid wood fence. Many of today's homes in urban areas have very small lots due to greedy development land owners wanting to profit as much as possible from their piece of land.

[Classof83]

I'm doing it just to see if it's possible at all! I'm not overly interested in any specific channel out there, and I am pleased with what I can get via Ku, but I bought the conical scaler and C-band LNB just to expand my horizons and see if I can defeat the laws of physics!!!

[kooguy]

99W Galaxy 16 - Most transponders on this satellite should be receivable except the high FEC rate ABC feeds and KRBK FOX.

I have 3 Ku dish and have been looking into C-band dish for a while...

That info (99W) is very encouraging if I can do it via a 1.2m dish.

Thanks Dr.Sat!

[majortom]

said it before and I'll say it again. An extreme example, but ya get the point.
Back in the 90's we had installed a 12 foot CBAND antenna on my friend's garage
(most content was still analog VC2+ back then).
Wish I had pictures, we took it down about 2 or 3 years later when he moved, but it worked like a champ.
So space in the city is not an excuse IMHO. Just have to use your imagination sometimes.

[cyberham]

I've said it before too. For many people living in cities in townhouses or in detached houses on postage-stamp lots, it is impossible to consider even a Ku-band dish installation, let alone a C-band dish, due to restrictions from land use contracts. It is common for all outdoor antennas to be banned. This was even stated in a contract (where we never bought) in a new home contract for a house on a 1-acre lot in small city Halifax. Where my brother lives in the Vancouver area, he cannot even rearrange his shrubs in his own yard without permission from his coucil. This is the type of thing that killed C-band reception for the common guy along, of course, with the introduction of pizza dish and cable with their outrageous fees which the average guy seems to find perfectly acceptable for their TV reception.

[HDTV Junkee]

So true are the stories about restrictions for smaller lots "adjustments" over in this area too, especially in townhouse complexes or Newer Condo buildings.

I wish my parents had committed back in the very late 80's early 90s for a C-Band dish -- it would still have much relevance for them today. For them, the reason was "cost" $5,500 Cdn fully installed (properly installed footings).

I think the dish that they were quoted on was about 10 feet, but I'm not exactly sure (wasn't living there at the time). In the end my parents used the money for a new car -- which they badly needed.

My parents have about 4 acres -- wide open space for a C-Band dish -- though lots of trees close to the house, which influences the OTA reception. They have 1960's Yagi's (VHF - UHF combos). But try to get them to cut down their 60 year old oaks and maples (just joking) -- well that's another story.

Actually my parents are so close to the 2,4,7 channel transmitters (within spitting distance) that I can pick them up with a bare wire (about 12 inches long).

Nevertherless, with the C-Band dish -- they would have had lots of enjoyment over the years and would likely have avoided spending about $600 last year to upgrade their Bell Sat. system.