LNB and Diseq Switch

Pollux

Hi,

I got one of the Lidl sattellite systems and got it working without too much problem I got it on ASTRA 2B at 28.2E but I will like to get ASTRA 1B at 19.2E at the same time. From reading on the forum I know it should not be a problem to add a second LNB and a Diseq switch to the system.

As I am new to all this I do not know which LNB I should get? The same question applies to the Diseq switch. Any help?

Thanks in advance,

Pollux

taung

I've installed two Lidl multi-satellite systems with the following components;

http://www.hm-sat-shop.de/10053.ahtml
http://www.hm-sat-shop.de/10383.ahtml

and have had no problems. (HM-SAT is a reliable online shop as well).

Good Luck.

watty

I use a "global" brand 4-way switch. one, two, three or four LNBS can be used. It works with "Universal" (recommended), and old Standard, Enhanced or Telecom LNBs. It ought to be usuable with a C Band LNB too, but often that device needs a separate "polariser" control wire.

I've used Grundig, Sky, Phillips and wierd LNBs on it.

About the only RX I have that doen't drive the switch is the Sky Digibox. Works with the various Analog Sat boxes sold by Lidl also. All all types PC Cards for satellite.

I have 3 LNBs on one dish (one is a dual to feed Digibox) and a forth LNB on a second dish.

Pollux

taung, watty:

Thanks for the replies. I will give it a go and let you know how it went. I probably comeback with more question. :-)

Regards.

Darby OGill

HELP!!!
I'm using a Comag SL65 receiver and disecq switch. I have
1. Astra 19 east on centre- single lnb connected to disecq
2. a twin output lnb for Astra 28, connected to a digibox (completely separate cable connected directly) and the other going throught the disecq switch to the Comag
3. Hotbird 13 east through disecq- single lnb

I'm having a slight problem in that whenever I change channels on Hotbird, the signal on my Sky digibox is affected- it disappears altogether on the weaker channels like Pop and I have to re-select BBC etc. to get them to reappear.

I don't understand this as the digibox (pace) is completely seperate, but I'm guesung the switching in the disecq box is having some effect. Astra 1 causes no problems- can anyone advise?

watty

Hmm..
1) Check your alignment on Digibox and Comag quality meters.
Hotbird LNB should be slightly lower and right beside (east) the central Astra 19E LNB.
Sky 28.2 (Dual, I hope, a Twin is a different thing), should be a little higher and much wider spaced to west.

On my website
see http://homepage.eircom.net/~watty/satellite/sathowto-p6.htm

(early version, now a Dual for 28.2 and bolted / clamped rather than tied on

2) You did use real satellite cable? Ordinary TV cable is not screened enough!

If you using a 70cm to 90cm dish (recommend min 80cm for this) there will be NO weak channels on Sky, as thought the off-focus signal is lower, it is much higher than a minidish.

3) A Sky mini dish is not suitable for various reasons.


Still, even so, unless you have very leaky coax, with separate coax from digibox to one of the DUAL LNB outputs, there should be no problem.

watty

P.S. That web site was started in 2000 and not really updated since 2001
My systems are a lot differnet now.

Darby OGill

Thanks Watty- comments as follows:

According to comag, quality is 75% on hotbird, 72% on astra 2 (90% + on Astra 1). 50% quality on Astra 2 according to digibox

Dual output lnb- always get those confused

80 cm dish- lnbs set up as per your description. I have a basic meter and I can't get better signal than shown.

All cable is Rg6 or equivalent- no rg 59 or co-ax

I don't understand your remark about no weak channels- there is much lower signal quality for many channels, according to my receiver- are you saying this should not be the case?

Thanks in advance.

Tony

Darby O'Gill wrote:

Dual output lnb- always get those confused

Twin output you were right the first time

watty

I could be wrong but I thought RG6 was inferior to CT100, a cable for Cable TV installation, durable but high losses at higher frequency.

Cable TV uses 45MHz to 460MHz
UHF TV uses 470MHz to 860MHz (Ch21 to Ch69)
Satellite LNB feed uses 750MHz to 2100MHz

So if you get TG4 on Ch68, diplexing an LNB cable with TV isn't smart.

Check your connectors and cable.

Cable TV cable uses the F-Connector with a smaller centre for the inner core which is usually solid plastic.

CT100 uses the F-Connector with a larger hole and is usually got 4 or 5 air cores and not much plastic.

I think CT125 uses a slightly bigger still connector.

The outer that the screen screws into is also according to cable type.

Check my satellite pages (Technomage, then Satellite link).

watty

Also don't stack the boxes directly.
I use a shelf unit with lots of space (electrical isolation and cooling) and also no back (cooling).

It was infact two TV units assembled without one top as a single unit. (Most TV cabinet units are about half the height needed for "back safe" viewing. Middle of screen should be slightly above eye height when you sit up comfortably.).

Tony

watty wrote:

I could be wrong but I thought RG6 was inferior to CT100, .

It most definitely is inferior

Greenman

Tony wrote:

Twin output you were right the first time

Tony or others a question??

A double horn LNB single output, looking face on at the at the dish, which LNB is Astra 19 and which is Hotbird??

Tony

Greenman wrote:

Tony or others a question??

A double horn LNB single output, looking face on at the at the dish, which LNB is Astra 19 and which is Hotbird??

If you are behind dish looking towards sky hotbird is on the left and astra on right, dish acts like a mirror so lnbs are the opposite of how they "appear" in the sky. Shine a torch in a mirror and see what I mean

Greenman

Tony wrote:

If you are behind dish looking towards sky hotbird is on the left and astra on right, dish acts like a mirror so lnbs are the opposite of how they "appear" in the sky. Shine a torch in a mirror and see what I mean

Thank you Tony!!! 73's JD!!!

Darby OGill

I know rg6 is inferior to ct100, but I've never experienced any problems with my signal (3 years).

One thing I have noticed is that the signal strength meter on the digibox seems "stuck" at about 20-30%, no matter how much adjusting I do. (I can easily get a quality reading of 90% if I centre the Astra 2 lnb). Why might this be, and could it be related to the signal problems I've mentioned?

watty

The signal level on Digibox is "relative", it even seems to "wrap around" if very high. Once you have ANY level, only the Quality means much.

I've commpared different digiboxes, Palcom DSL4 and PC satcard on the _SAME_ LNB & Cable. They all differ wildly on level and somewhat on quality.

Pollux

Hi,

Got two additional LNB's and following some suggestions on the forum I set up my custom build supports for them. I got Astra 19E in the LNB in the center of the dish and Astra 28E in an LNB offset to the left of the center on (looking at the dish). I got around 80% strengh signal in both of them and quality varies according to the channels.

I tried to add a third LNB to the right of the center on so I could get Hotbird at 13E but I can not get it to work. I got some signal form "Sky.." all in Italian but I can not get anything else. The decode does not even show a signal when you check the satellite settings as it does for the other two satellites. The only way I can get something is by putting the LNB very close to the center one. This suggest that there is not enough focal separation between the two signals for me to add the third LNB. As I said before I am tryign to do all this on the dish that came with the Lidl package. I am right about the focal separation? If so I guess I need a bigger dish or maybe I am doing something wrong.

ANother question: I get a very strong signal on Astra 19E (around 80%) but quality always seems to be around 50% in the best cases. There is a group of channels that get a lot of pixelation and I do not know why? I did rotate the LNB and I think it is in the best position it can be. Any idea?

Another question: Maybe related to the previous one.. I do not think to get all the channels in Astra 19E or at least what is listed in Lyngsat and the Astra web site. For example I was expecting to get "Real Madrid Tv" that is FTA and as far as I remember was detected without any problem in a similar single LNB system I installed (Lidl again) somewhere else. But it is not detected no matter how many rescans I try.

watty

The Itallian Sky is Hotbird 13E. With most 70cm to 90cm dishes the Hotbird LNB is right beside the Astra one. This is why Dual horn monoblocks work.

inigo

Pollux wrote:

For example I was expecting to get "Real Madrid Tv" that is FTA and as far as I remember was detected without any problem in a similar single LNB system I installed (Lidl again) somewhere else. But it is not detected no matter how many rescans I try.

Are you just doing an automatic search? I found out that some transponders are not in the list by default, so you'll have to add them in yourself. That's how I usually look for channels: I add the new transponder, then search for channels in that particular transponder. Good luck!