got 3.6m solid dish on C1, possible to get Intelsat 701 with C LNB offset?

**gareth41** · 15-02-10, 05:46 PM

Got a 3.6m solid dish in Auckland pointed at C1, now I want to get Circular from Intelsat 701, is this possible with offset C band LNB on the 3.6m dish still pointed at C1? I understand if it is, my C LNB needs to be mounted around 40cm to the bottom right of the existing Ku LNB used for C1?

I already have a C band LNB, the same model shown here:

Just without a dielectric plate and scalar ring, do I need the scalar ring?

I understand for Circular, the LNB needs a dielectric plate and the scew of the LNB wont matter on Circular? will it work without a plate or am I wasting my time trying to get a signal?

What I eventually want to do is add more offset LNB's to a bracket on this dish for more satellites, mainly C band and connect them all thru a switch, is this going to work or am I better off getting seperate mesh dish's for my C band stuff?

**beer4life** · 15-02-10, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by gareth41

Got a 3.6m solid dish in Auckland pointed at C1, now I want to get Circular from Intelsat 701, is this possible with offset C band LNB on the 3.6m dish still pointed at C1? I understand if it is, my C LNB needs to be mounted around 40cm to the bottom right of the existing Ku LNB used for C1?

I already have a C band LNB, the same model shown here:

Just without a dielectric plate and scalar ring, do I need the scalar ring?

I understand for Circular, the LNB needs a dielectric plate and the scew of the LNB wont matter on Circular? will it work without a plate or am I wasting my time trying to get a signal?

What I eventually want to do is add more offset LNB's to a bracket on this dish for more satellites, mainly C band and connect them all thru a switch, is this going to work or am I better off getting seperate mesh dish's for my C band stuff?

G'Day Cobber,
Seems a terrible waste of a 3.6 M dish unless you are getting other TPs as well as Aurora. D3 is supposed be beaming into NZ, but have not seen any reports as yet.
It would be adequate to have 65 to 90 Cm in that case for the Ku Band.
I can't see that you would need a 3.6 M dish for Intelsat701 as it is almost due North from you. Bit of an overkill. Yes, it is circular polarisation.
Perhaps a few more details as to what you want to achieve will help.

Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".

**theriddler_1** · 15-02-10, 06:47 PM

you can get both c band and ku in 1 lnbf units. itechworld sell them for around 80 bucks?
not sure if this is what your after?

**gareth41** · 15-02-10, 07:14 PM

my 3.6m dish isnt going to waste its used to get the aussie beam off C1 and works a treat, get about 80% using an invacom ku quad lnb with adjustable feedhorn.

I dont have any other sat dish's large enough for intelsat 701, therefore I want to mount an additional C band lnb on an offset bracket on the large 3.6m dish so I get the C1 aussie beam and intelsat 701 together on the 3.6m dish, this way I dont have to buy another dish for intelsat 701.

I also want to get a 3rd lnb for intelsat 5 which will also be C band and mount this on the 3.6m dish too so I get all three satellites on the same dish using three different lnb's, with the two c band lnb's at offset positions. Will connect all three using a diseqc switch.

**mtv** · 15-02-10, 07:34 PM

I have doubts the dish will accept both C1 and I701 simultaneously, due to the narrow beamwidth of the large prime-focus dish.

The difference in azimuth between the two sats from Auckland is around 38 degrees.

You'd have more chance of the C1/I5 combination, as they are about 18 degrees azimuth difference from Auckland.

Only one way to know for sure.... try it.

Personally, I think you'd be better off with a motorised dish for all the other sats and leave the 3.6 pointed at the weakest signal.... probably the Australian C1 beam.

**gareth41** · 15-02-10, 07:53 PM

ok thanks for the info, ive just had some success in the last 10min with getting intelsat 5 but was holding up the c band lnb above dish and moving lnb around to find the beam, got 80% straight away just holding it up there with the scew at approx 8 o clock. So i know C1/I5 is possible, will try I701 once I have a dielectric plate.

**LeroyPatrol** · 15-02-10, 08:10 PM

you don't need a dilectric plate to get i701. I used to get NASA TV without mine installed. I just can't remember if H was R or L and vice versa for V.

Leroy

**gareth41** · 15-02-10, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by LeroyPatrol

I used to get NASA TV without mine installed.
Leroy

Havent seen NASA TV on intelsat 701, have they moved to a different sat?

**Optima Collins** · 15-02-10, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by gareth41

Havent seen NASA TV on intelsat 701, have they moved to a different sat?

NASA has moved to AMC3, beyond our reach. Some feeds on AS5 and elsewhere, but you're best solution is to watch the live web-stream.

OC

**gareth41** · 16-02-10, 08:43 AM

was great when TVNZ had it on their mux here in NZ years ago, was also on amature tv for a while using a low power transmitter on UHF 38 I think, could get it with a normal antenna, fuzzy but still watchable.

**LeroyPatrol** · 16-02-10, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by gareth41

Havent seen NASA TV on intelsat 701, have they moved to a different sat?

It's moved on sadly

**gareth41** · 16-02-10, 12:42 PM

got c band lnb secured now, getting 80% on intelsat5, havent tried adjusting for best signal level yet. When I have some more time will try to get Intelsat 701.

Photo of c lnb offset on dish, the existing lnb in centre gets aussie beam on C1.

signal level on receiver:

**gordon_s1942** · 16-02-10, 04:32 PM

I thought C Band LNB's were bigger than that and is it 'secured' to that 'High Tech' Engineeered mounting Tube by a pair of cable ties or a Rubber Band??

Does NZ have big birds?? I can just see a Black Cockatoo perched on the end swinging around having a bath when it rains.

Top marks for the job tho,It does go to show what ingenuity can achieve if your keen enough to give it a GO.

**gareth41** · 16-02-10, 07:24 PM

Rubber band as its only temporary for now, will make up a proper bracket later.

No big birds here lol, only a tree above dish which may drop the odd small branch.

**JK200SX** · 17-02-10, 02:35 AM

Gareth, what is the F/B ratio of your dish, or the distance of LNB to the dish?

**comtj** · 17-02-10, 03:41 AM

I'm not sure the which beam you can receive from 180E. How ever, I just suggest you have a quick look on the following website to check the footprint and get the suggestion size of the dish which located in your place.

**Rentakill** · 17-02-10, 06:30 AM

Good one Gareth41.

I'm thinking of doing the same.
Have a 3.6M Mesh on C1 here in the BOP. I havent used the 3.6 on C band for about 5 years. Looking at your experiment has given me the motivation to add a few more LNBs to the 3.6.
Cheers for that.

Catchya

**Optima Collins** · 17-02-10, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by gordon_s1942

I thought C Band LNB's were bigger than that and is it 'secured' to that 'High Tech' Engineeered mounting Tube by a pair of cable ties or a Rubber Band??

Does NZ have big birds?? I can just see a Black Cockatoo perched on the end swinging around having a bath when it rains.

Top marks for the job tho,It does go to show what ingenuity can achieve if your keen enough to give it a GO.

LOL, Gordon those LNB's are dwarfed by the size of this thing.

As for the cockatoos perched on the end, I'm not sure which would be worse, that or the fruit bats I have living in my yard. They grow to the size of domestic cats around here!

OC

**gareth41** · 17-02-10, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by JK200SX

Gareth, what is the F/B ratio of your dish, or the distance of LNB to the dish?

Distance from centre of dish to LNB is 1.37m

and the distance from exisiting LNB to the offset C LNB is 42cm

**gareth41** · 17-02-10, 07:22 PM

Tried to get Intelsat 701 today without any luck, not even the transponders carrying sky pacific which are supposed to be strong in NZ. All this without a dilectric plate, would this be my problem? Is there any settings I need to change in my receiver for circular?