Change LNB to dual on large Austar dish

**phatal** · 04-07-11, 06:26 PM

Hi there,

This is the simplest question however....

I have a customer with an old Austar installation which has one of those huge ground mounted dishes (roughly 3 to 4 meters in diameter) rather than your standard residential dish. Basically what I want to know is can I simply change out the LNB for a dual LNB and run another cable so I can set up VAST for them the same as I would with the standard dish? Obviously it is pretty hard with out seeing it but are all LNBs created equal? By that I mean will a standard dual LNB fit any type of dish or do these larger dishes have a type of LNB designed just for them?

**mtv** · 04-07-11, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by phatal

Hi there,

This is the simplest question however....

I have a customer with an old Austar installation which has one of those huge ground mounted dishes (roughly 3 to 4 meters in diameter) rather than your standard residential dish. Basically what I want to know is can I simply change out the LNB for a dual LNB and run another cable so I can set up VAST for them the same as I would with the standard dish? Obviously it is pretty hard with out seeing it but are all LNBs created equal? By that I mean will a standard dual LNB fit any type of dish or do these larger dishes have a type of LNB designed just for them?

Yes, a dual output LNB will do what you need.... one output to the Austar box, the other to a VAST box... however, it depends on what type of LNB is currently on the dish as to mounting compatability.

If it's a standard Ku Offset type LNB, no problem.

If it's a separate LNB with a feedhorn, it may be more complex, unless you can get a dual output LNB with an identical mount.

BTW, where is the dish located?.... seems rather large for Austar, so you may need to confirm the VAST signals are actually available in the area.

If you can post a pic of the current dish/LNB configuration, it will help take the guesswork out of advice.

**phatal** · 04-07-11, 06:37 PM

Thanks for the quick reply. I will go take a picture of the dish and LNB tomorrow and post it here. I am quoting on an upgrade of an accomodation village that I look after and just want to check out that adding a dual LNB is the same on this dish as on any other. If someone can help me out (after seeing the pic) with a part number or brand for a suitable dual LNB to replace the existing one with it would be much appreciated.

**beer4life** · 04-07-11, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by phatal

Hi there,

This is the simplest question however....

I have a customer with an old Austar installation which has one of those huge ground mounted dishes (roughly 3 to 4 meters in diameter) rather than your standard residential dish. Basically what I want to know is can I simply change out the LNB for a dual LNB and run another cable so I can set up VAST for them the same as I would with the standard dish? Obviously it is pretty hard with out seeing it but are all LNBs created equal? By that I mean will a standard dual LNB fit any type of dish or do these larger dishes have a type of LNB designed just for them?

G'Day Cobber,
I've never heard that Austar used anything like that.
My guess would be that it was C Band and the LNB swapped over for Ku.
The only reservation that I would have is the focal distance, may need adjusting in or out.
My gut feeling is that it would be simpler and cheaper to do a smaller dish installation.
But then I wasn't around when Adam was conceived.

Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".

**phatal** · 04-07-11, 06:49 PM

I was actually thinking of going the smaller additional dish install as well. That would probably be easier in the long run. The ground mounted dish is about 50m away from where the headend equipment is and will require trenching and conduit to install a secondary cable as the existing one is direct buried.... The only problem I have is that we are not setup to align the dish as we don't have the tooling to do so. In saying that I have set up a dish for someone that came with a cheapo signal level meter and basic spirit level with degrees on it so that might be the go. The other positive for an additional dish is that it would sit on the roof directly above the headend equipment so it would be a very short cable run. Seems the way to go doesn't it......

**mtv** · 04-07-11, 07:05 PM

What's the location?

Yes, you may indeed be able to use a much smaller dish for both Austar and VAST..... doing away with the large dish altogether.

Is it only used for Austar ATM?

Once we know the area of the installation, we can advise if a smaller offset dish and appropriate LNB will suffice.

**viewer** · 04-07-11, 07:39 PM

I assume he wants to put on a dual prime focus lnb, and not an offset lnb on it?

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**viewer** · 04-07-11, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by mtv

What's the location?

Yes, you may indeed be able to use a much smaller dish for both Austar and VAST..... doing away with the large dish altogether.

Is it only used for Austar ATM?

Once we know the area of the installation, we can advise if a smaller offset dish and appropriate LNB will suffice.

One of his other posts mentions remote South Australia....

**phatal** · 04-07-11, 08:09 PM

Yep remote northern sa. Thinking may just go small dish now. Even if I just set it up just for vast and leave the large dish alone. May be a case of it ain't broke don't fix it...

**mtv** · 04-07-11, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by phatal

Yep remote northern sa. Thinking may just go small dish now. Even if I just set it up just for vast and leave the large dish alone. May be a case of it ain't broke don't fix it...

A 90cm or even better.... 1.2m offset dish will work fine.

I'd be using the new dish for both and if the client still wants to keep the big dish.... have it as backup.

Any 10700 dual output offset LNB will work, however, the standard Austar/Foxtel LNB is the Sharp dual output.

The current (and only one at this time) VAST decoder requires a stronger signal than Austar, so I'd recommend the 1.2m offset dish

**phatal** · 05-07-11, 08:54 AM

Thanks for your help guys. If I get a chance today I will go and take a photo of the dish anyway. Just for something to look at.

**phatal** · 05-07-11, 03:58 PM

Just went and had a look at the sat dish on the customers site. They have two sites with the same equipment. The other site has two sat dishes that are similar to this but are Austar branded (stickers on them anyway). One for Austar one for Aurora. I have never checked out this dish before as I haven't had the need and just assumed this was what brought their Austar down to the headend equipment. After having a look at this dish however it is a lot different to the other site. This has a massive LNB on it and is branded as Patriot. There is a house just to the side of the site which is under the care of the customer and it has a small austar dish on it with a dual LNB. I am now thinking that possibly one leg of the LNB is used rather than this dish.... Either way I think I will just put up a whole new dish etc as then we will know what is going on. Just out of curiousity if this isn't for Austar has anyone got an idea of what it would be for? I am pretty sure they don't have any other equipment laying around that would use it...

**admin** · 05-07-11, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by phatal

Just out of curiousity if this isn't for Austar has anyone got an idea of what it would be for?

Probably C Band services, you can receive some free to air services on sats that arent accessible on small standard Foxtel/Austar type dishes.

**Dave001** · 05-07-11, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by phatal

Just out of curiousity if this isn't for Austar has anyone got an idea of what it would be for?

It's an Austar dish mate, they used them up north in the low signal areas back in the Optus B3 days.

If it was me, as long as it didn't cost an arm and a leg for the LNB, I'd stick with the prime focus, a smaller dish will loose signal during heavy rain, the larger dish will be much better during the wet season.

Hope this helps,
Dave

**mtv** · 05-07-11, 05:58 PM

The dish can be used for either Ku or C Band with the appropriate prime focus LNB.

Unfortunately the pic doesn't show what the LNB is... just it's cover, but from the little I can see of it's feedhorn, it's a prime focus.

So you have a few options..... leave this on as-is.

Replace the LNB with a dual output LNB and dig a trench to lay conduit & new cables. (worst option)

Add a new Ku dish either with a single LNB just for VAST, or fit a dual output LNB to the new dish for both Austar & VAST, or fit a dual LNB to the new dish and use only one output for VAST and keep the other as a backup.

I'd personally be going with the last option and if you only use one output of the LNB, cable both outputs back to the headend.... much easier than having to add cabling later if you decide to use it.

**viewer** · 05-07-11, 06:11 PM

Oh what a fantastic dish...I'd LOVE to find someone around here that had no need for one like that...I'd gobble it up in a flash !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**phatal** · 05-07-11, 06:29 PM

I have just sent the quote through. I have quoted to install a new dish with dual LNB. See how we go - thanks for your help guys.

**phatal** · 05-07-11, 06:31 PM

Oh actually one other question - they want me to quote on their other site now. Their other site has the two separate dishes - Austar and Aurora. I am assuming the Aurora can just be changed straight up for a VAST box with no change to the dish? Once again it is an older dish. The digital service doesn't need a different type of LNB?

**mtv** · 05-07-11, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by phatal

Oh actually one other question - they want me to quote on their other site now. Their other site has the two separate dishes - Austar and Aurora. I am assuming the Aurora can just be changed straight up for a VAST box with no change to the dish? Once again it is an older dish. The digital service doesn't need a different type of LNB?

Austar, Aurora and VAST are all digital.

Yes, you should be able to just connect VAST decoders to any dish aligned for either Austar/Foxtel or Aurora (they use the same co-located satellites C1/D3).