Which LNB

iba

Guys,

Can u tell me which LNB out of these two would u recommend please:

http://www.sat-planet.ie/freeview_tv/satellite_lnb/twin_lnb_for_sale

or

http://www.sat-planet.ie/freeview_tv/satellite_lnb/twin_lnb

Thanks

Regards

Iba

zg3409

It depends.

Generally I would only recommend people buy quad LNB's as they cost very little extra and it can be handy to have spare connections if you decide to add a TV in a spare room or get a satellite box that can record and need an extra connection.

The other issue is your dish.

If you have a solid dish then 99% of the time a normal 40mm diameter mount LNB will work.

If you have a mesh dish then the mounts for then are different and you may need a new adapter or bracket. The LNB's you linked to, may not fit easily on older dishes.

Generally if your mesh dish is less than 5 years old then have a go at fitting a new LNB. Best to attached a photo of where the LNB meets the dish and we can recommend which model of dish you have, and from that which types of LNBs are suitable.

If your mesh dish is more than 5 years old it's probably worth replacing it anyway, and you can go for a modern type that takes most LNBs.

To answer your qn which is best:
•Input Frequency Range: 10.7 ~ 12.75 GHz -Standard
•Output Frequency Range: 950 ~ 2150 MHz -standard
•High Band : 1100 ~ 2150 MHz -standard
•L.O. Frequency : 9.75 / 10.6 GHz -standard
•Full HD 1080P -Bull, all LNBs are full HD
•3D Ready -more bull
•Noise Figure: 0.1dB -probably a lie.
•Water Protection -This is a slight benefit, a plastic cover slides down to protect connectors and cable from rain

I would not believe any noise figures quoted. The main thing that affects sensitivity are
1) Dish size
2) Dish alignment
3) Receiver sensitivity
lastly LNB noise figure

I would recomment if I has to choose the cheaper The Golden Interstar Twin LNB GI-202 Platinum X due to the rain cover for the cables. Spend the extra few euros on a better dish, better cable, or bracket. Get a solid dish over a mesh type any day.

iba

ZG3409,

Thanks very much for ur very detailed and comprehensive reply.

My set up is a Triax 1.1m with a multi-holder and I have 4 LNBs tuned into Astra 28, Badr 26, Astra 19 & Hotbird 13. And my receivers r a Humax and an Ariva combo.

U can actually c some pics of my dish on this page (although Ive changed the LNBs a bit around since then) - scroll down to a post by GB Cullen:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056441713

Its just a blew my diseq switch the other day and need to buy a new one and thought I may aswell upgrade one of my LNBs whilst Im at it.

Was just going to buy the GT-Sat one but when I saw the other one cheaper and at 0.1db, I became confused about which one to get.

Although it dosent say in the specs, but the GT-Sat LNB also has a rain cover (I know coz I have one of these already).

So in ur opinion should I go for the GB-Sat LNB or the Gold Star LNB? - Im only going to be using it to pick up Astra 28 as the LNB I have there alreday is not very good in my opinion.

Thanks for ur help.

Regards

Iba

zg3409

If they both have rain covers then it would be very hard to tell any difference between the two without specialised equipment, and then they could vary item to item.

I doubt the specifications are much different, as I said go for the cheaper one, and spend the spare money on better cable or a replacement switch, and earth the dish!

iba

Thanks very much ZG3409

Ill have to start another thread now to ask u how to 'earth a dish'

t c

Hi iba,

How are things going, apart from blowing Diseqc switches?

I have 3 of the GT-QD40 quad LNB's on my 1.1 Triax, in a set up similar to yours. I use them fro 28, 19 and 16 and an Inverto Ultra for 26.

see http://www.tele-satellite-global.com/TELE-satellite-0611/eng/gtsat.pdf

No problems with the Q-SAT's and I also use the same brand 4x Diseqc from sat-planet.

Found them sat-planet very good to deal with and quick delivery. Also bought the Triax from them as it was, and still seems to be, best value around.

Cheers,

TC.

iba

t c wrote: »

Hi iba,

How are things going, apart from blowing Diseqc switches?

I have 3 of the GT-QD40 quad LNB's on my 1.1 Triax, in a set up similar to yours. I use them fro 28, 19 and 16 and an Inverto Ultra for 26.

see http://www.tele-satellite-global.com/TELE-satellite-0611/eng/gtsat.pdf

No problems with the Q-SAT's and I also use the same brand 4x Diseqc from sat-planet.

Found them sat-planet very good to deal with and quick delivery. Also bought the Triax from them as it was, and still seems to be, best value around.

Cheers,

TC.

Hi TC

All is grand apart from me blowing up all my Diseqc switches.

I have 3 different types of LNB at the moment. Using them as follows:

Astra 28 - FTE maximal Quad - http://www.ftemaximal.com/ingles/productos2.php?idt=2&idss=15&idp=61&num=1&idserie=16
Badr 26 - GT-TC40
Astra 19 - FTE maximal again
Hotbird 13 - the Inverto Ultra.

So since I had to get a new Diseqc swicth, I thought Id upgrade my Fentac LNB that Im using on Astra 28.

Im using the Ultra on Hotbird rather than Badr coz Im subscribing to Canal+ in Poland to watch my premiership soccer, so thats more important to me than Badr. Having said that, I find the GT-TC40 that Im using on Badr is very very good. But the Fentac that I have on Astra 28 is a bit poor, especially in the rain. Dont really care too much about Astra 19, nothing to watch there really, except the very odd football match.

Yes, Ive used Sat-Planet before and they seem to be by far the cheapest and their delivery is fast. I even had a manufacturing problem on a Diseqc switch that Id bought from them before and I sent it back and they replaced it no problem and paid for my postage. So I would also recommend them. And at the rate that I go through Diseqc switches, I need there cheap ones and now they have them for only €4

So we will have the same diseqc switch soon

Take care

Iba

Peter Rhea

iba wrote: »

. . . But the Fentac that I have on Astra 28 is a bit poor, especially in the rain.

Probably due to poor alignment. You say you've changed things since the pics were taken, I think it was pointed out before that the lnb for 28E looked at least the same distance from the centre as the one for 19E & didn't seem right to me anyway.

Also, you might want to reconsider your supplier of DiSEqC switches if they keep 'blowing' ().

iba

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Probably due to poor alignment. You say you've changed things since the pics were taken, I think it was pointed out before that the lnb for 28E looked at least the same distance from the centre as the one for 19E & didn't seem right to me anyway.

Also, you might want to reconsider your supplier of DiSEqC switches if they keep 'blowing' ().

Hi Peter,

Ill have a look when I get home and post a pic later.

I dont think its the Diseqc switches fault - I think its mine for plugging cables in and out of them without turning off the power on the STB

Regards

Iba

iba

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Probably due to poor alignment. You say you've changed things since the pics were taken, I think it was pointed out before that the lnb for 28E looked at least the same distance from the centre as the one for 19E & didn't seem right to me anyway.

Also, you might want to reconsider your supplier of DiSEqC switches if they keep 'blowing' ().

Peter,

Bit late, but heres the pics

Regards

Iba

iba

iba wrote: »

Hi Peter,

Ill have a look when I get home and post a pic later.

I dont think its the Diseqc switches fault - I think its mine for plugging cables in and out of them without turning off the power on the STB

Regards

Iba

some more

iba

iba wrote: »

Hi Peter,

Ill have a look when I get home and post a pic later.

I dont think its the Diseqc switches fault - I think its mine for plugging cables in and out of them without turning off the power on the STB

Regards

Iba

last one

Ronnie Raygun

From looking at the manual for the multiblock & making some very rough calculations, it would seem there should be in the region of 14mm separation per degree between lnbs on the TD110, measured where the holders attach to the bar (lessens slightly the further north you go & lower the dish elevation).

Also, there are a lot of otherwise unsupported cables hanging on those switches pictured (just a comment, mightn't be doing any harm).

Peter Rhea

Ronnie Raygun wrote: »

From looking at the manual for the multiblock & making some very rough calculations, it would seem there should be in the region of 14mm separation per degree between lnbs on the TD110, measured where the holders attach to the bar . . .

Looking at those pics & attempting to use the 40mm lnb neck as a reference, that would seem to correspond with the separation between the centre (26E) & the 19E lnb.

The others seem very far from their respective neighbours e.g. the edge of the 28E holder on the bar looks about 2 neck widths (80mm) from the central mounting, rather than ~30mm that you'd expect.

iba

Ronnie Raygun wrote: »

From looking at the manual for the multiblock & making some very rough calculations, it would seem there should be in the region of 14mm separation per degree between lnbs on the TD110, measured where the holders attach to the bar (lessens slightly the further north you go & lower the dish elevation).

Also, there are a lot of otherwise unsupported cables hanging on those switches pictured (just a comment, mightn't be doing any harm).

Thanks for the advice Ronnie.

The only thing is, if I move the LNBs from the positions that they are in, Ill lose the signal. Perhaps my error is however, that I have the bar for central LNB (the one pointing at 26 degrees) not exactly in the right place. Perahps someone who has also drilled a hole in their bar can tell me exactly what disatnce it is from the end ?

As for the cable - just got to screw the yellow diseqc box to the wall - then all should be allright - just waiting to get my Ariva STB back from Poland (again) before doing that. The blue Diseqc switch goes to my Humax and all is good there.

Regards

Iba

iba

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Looking at those pics & attempting to use the 40mm lnb neck as a reference, that would seem to correspond with the separation between the centre (26E) & the 19E lnb.

The others seem very far from their respective neighbours e.g. the edge of the 28E holder on the bar looks about 2 neck widths (80mm) from the central mounting, rather than ~30mm that you'd expect.

Thanks Peter,

Im going to go measure them later and let u know the exact distances

Regards

Iba

Ronnie Raygun

iba wrote: »

Perhaps my error is however, that I have the bar for central LNB (the one pointing at 26 degrees) not exactly in the right place.

You mean you don't think the lnb for 26 east is actually at prime focus? Wouldn't you just centre it on the feed arm?

It's not easy to judge from photos, but the spacing between 26 & 28 is the only odd looking one (to me), the others seem as you would expect.

iba

Ronnie Raygun wrote: »

You mean you don't think the lnb for 26 east is actually at prime focus? Wouldn't you just centre it on the feed arm?

It's not easy to judge from photos, but the spacing between 26 & 28 is the only odd looking one (to me), the others seem as you would expect.

Ronnie,

Sorry Im not very good with all the technical terms

Yes, 26 east is at prime focus and centres on the feed arm.

What I mean is I need to drill the hole a little bit further to the edge which will then (I think) change the location of the 28 LNB slightly and which (I think) will then bring 28 and 26 closer together i.e. 30 - 40 mm apart

Regards

Iba

swoofer

iba how good is that cable you are using? is it the real deal? ie ct100, look here
http://www.megalithia.com/elect/cable/index.html

gbc

Ronnie Raygun

That article is concerned with impulse interference in terrestrial reception & only mentions satellite in passing.

Even the worst "satellite" coax. is better than the old brown cable they caution against here.

Peter Rhea

Not sure now if the OP actually has a problem, though this quote would seem to suggest so:

iba wrote: »

. . . the Fentac that I have on Astra 28 is a bit poor, especially in the rain.

The cable should be alright, unless it's really unsuited to the task or there are very long runs involved.

If it works with the weak 26E signal on all frequencies, there can't be much wrong with it.

Liameter

Regarding burnt out DiSEqC switches see http://www.satcure.co.uk/reviews/satcure_blog_164.htm#diseqc

Regarding LNB noise figures see http://sam-radford.me.uk/lnbs.htm

For coaxial cable review see http://www.glodark.com/cable.htm

iba

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Not sure now if the OP actually has a problem, though this quote would seem to suggest so:


The cable should be alright, unless it's really unsuited to the task or there are very long runs involved.

If it works with the weak 26E signal on all frequencies, there can't be much wrong with it.

Hi Peter,

Sorry about the confusion - dont really have a problem - I just need to do a bit of slight tweaking.

As I mentioned a couple of posts earlier, i need to drill the hold in the bar a little bit nearer the edge - didnt get a chance to do anything this week with the terrible weather.

Regards

Iba