Replasing LNB or dish - old Sky dish

MichaelR

Hello,

I have an old Sky dish on the wall of the house I rent. I use a Linux PC to get free-to-air channels from the Astra satellite; the PC is also great for aligning the dish if necessary (was needed in a previous house). All worked well until my son hit the LNB with a ball, breaking it off.

Now I need to replace either the LNB or the dish, preferrably *without* paying for either a professional installation or a Sky subscription.

The dish does not have a separately mounted LNB arm - instead the arm is a part of the structure and the dish mesh is held by nuts (and presumably bolts). The entire structure (arm+dish) is held by U-bolts, which sit on a metal pipe th\at is then bent 90 degrees and bolted/screwed (not sure) to the wall. The arm is rectangular, about 18 by 28 millimeters.

I would like to replace the LNB or the dish. Ideally just the LNB. But I was unable to get the rest of the LNB assembly out of the arm at all. While I did break off / push in the plastic pins that seemed to hold it in place, it still won't come out! What else can I do - just melt the plastic with a soldering iron or something? Also I wonder if any adapers for current LNBs will fit this arm.

Replacing the LNB would be great as then I don't have to take the dish off and hopefully even the alignment will hold. But if needed I can take it off. What I *can't* do is replace the wall bracket - too unsafe. So,, if I can't do the LNB, can I get a new dish that will sit in the same pipe/bracket?

Thanks!

P.S. To Mod: sorry for the typo in "replacing" in the title, would appreciate if you could fix it.

swoofer

yes you can buy an lnb holder that will sit on existing lnb arm, look on this link, click on images and see if your dish appears, then try ebay

http://www.google.com/search?q=old+sky+dish&hl=en&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=AYi7UOmjC4XVsgbV0YDYDQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&biw=1920&bih=1041

zg3409

Beware there are a few different models of Sky dishes such as Mk1, MK2 etc.

On the older models the plastic bracket sides INTO the inside of the metal arm.

On the newer types the plastic bracket slides on to the OUTSIDE of the arm. Both types are different and incompatable.

If you have the type that fits inside the arm, and it is brokwn, it may be impossible, due to rust, to remove the old part, to fit the new plastic bracket. In this case you would need a new dish.

If ordering parts make sure they are the same as you need.

zg3409

For example:
http://www.techdna.co.uk/legacy-mk2-lnb-mk1-sky-dish-adapter.html

http://www.techdna.co.uk/sky-quad-lnb-mk4.html

Note even if you fit the bracket OK, the LNB will need it's skew adjusted:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/LNB_skew.htm

Probably Number 2 for ROI.

STB

If its one of the MkIV Sky Mesh dishes the lnb just snaps on and snaps off.

They are on adverts brand new for €10. Thats if you cant resecure the old one with a load of masking tape!

Infact a Sky dish with the bracket, Quad LNB the lot can be bought brand new for €25 on boards.

MichaelR

It's evidently an Mk2 or Mk3 - the dimensions fit.

On which boards is the 25 Euro one?

And, I'm just not up to replacing the bracket. It's positioned very high, I don't have the equipment to do it safely, and I'm not risking my life over a Sky dish (lower positioning is not an option, there are obstructions that I can't clear as they are on someone else's land). If I can replace the dish on teh same bracket I'd gladly do that; positioning is not a problem, "been there done that".

dodzy

You most likely have the older dish on which the lnb mount inserts into the top of the arm. Your dish, even though it looks one-piece, most likely had the feed arm attached via a 5mm bolt behind the dish. A close inspection will confirm this, or not. If it is, remove this bolt, release the old arm, replace it with one of these and add a mk4 lnb. That would avoid you having to alter the alignment.

Obviously, the cost is close to a complete new unit, but the alignment should hold as long as you are careful.

EDIT: just seen that you are confident enough to replace all except bracket. So just buy one of these, and use everything, except the new bracket. It'll fit.
http://www.adverts.ie/satellite/sky-satellite-dish-with-quad-lnb-wall-bolts/834462

STB

MichaelR wrote: »

It's evidently an Mk2 or Mk3 - the dimensions fit.

On which boards is the 25 Euro one?

And, I'm just not up to replacing the bracket. It's positioned very high, I don't have the equipment to do it safely, and I'm not risking my life over a Sky dish (lower positioning is not an option, there are obstructions that I can't clear as they are on someone else's land). If I can replace the dish on teh same bracket I'd gladly do that; positioning is not a problem, "been there done that".

There is a few people selling them including the one linked above. You should get a bracket, dish, quad lnb and screws etc for that price (you can always keep the wall bracket for something else.

Take the existing dish off the wall bracket loosening the clams and slide it off and slide the other one onto the existing wall bracket. You will have to assemble the dish first and clip on the lnb that somes with it. Its all screw driver and nuts assembly.