C band advice for a novice

[NoviceSat]

Having tried Ku and Ka, I thought I would try C band satellite. I now have a C band LNB and a small 100cm offset dish - but I can't get any signal, let alone a picture.

What is the strongest source of C band in SW England? I can see from 45E to 40W in the sky.

Do I need to use "the piece of plastic" (some sort of polarizer?) and if so in which orientation?

Would I get any C band signal without a conical scalar?

Sorry to ask so many questions, but I would like to see something!

 

[gibertini]

id say try 3east,11west then 5 west although im sure others can give more detailed advice

 

[Channel Hopper]

If you have good access to the 80cm dish and it is tracking the arc correctly you could always try the C band LNB on it first, just to get an idea of which positions give a signal.

 

[Terryl]

100 cm may be a bit too small of a dish for your location to get anything on most "C" band satellites.

Most use a 2 to 3 metre dish for good "C" band reception, (we call them BUDS, Big Ugly Dishes) you can get one with a combo LNB for "C" and "kU" band and save a dish.

There is a site called "satbeams.com" it has active footprint maps for most of the birds up there, you select a satellite by name or location, then click on the little green globe, this will give you the footprint for that satellite, zoom into your location and click on it, this should give you the estimated dish size needed for a stable signal on that bird.

The plastic polarizer is used for satellites that have a left hand or right hand polarization, most are horizontal or vertical in "C" band, and you will need the "Scalar ring" in most cases.


Now some are experimenting using a 1 meter dish for "C" band, some have had success, some need a hair transplant.

 

[NoviceSat]

Thanks for the quick responses!
I don't have a conical scalar. I had hoped it would just make it harder to pick up a signal, but it looks like it is essential. It's probably not good that my dish has a f/D of 0.6, and the LNB goes up to 0.44.
I wasn't using the polarizer so I will try again with it inserted in a vertical position (when it stops raining )
Anybody know of a UK based seller of conical scalars? My dish has the Triax ('double rectangle') connector.

 

[Terryl]

Try this place.

http://www.satellitesuperstore.com/cband.htm#cbandfeed

 

[Channel Hopper]

I've got a couple in the shed, whereabouts are you ?

 

[Analoguesat]

I got a few channels off 20E C-band with a 1m dish.

 

[RimaNTSS]

I do not have much experience catching C-band signals, but know for sure that in Europe it is possible to catch for example 11*W with dish even smaller than 1m. I've tried with 1,5m PFA some time ago and got C-band from 8 satellites. Last week installed C-band LNB on 1,2m dish and got 11*W loud and clear.
I think it is more than possible for NoviceSat get 11*W at his location. Just move your Ku-band dish to that satellite, change LNB to C-band and there should be. Of course, it is needed to change parameters in receiver.

 

[Terryl]

As I said, it's all in the location, some may have some luck with a 1 meter dish, others will wind up throwing things off the roof and in the funny farm.

11W has multiple footprints, if your in one of the prime spots you may/will get lucky.

Take a look.

http://www.satbeams.com/footprints?norad=26378

Check the foot prints before you start cussing out the birds, and use a bat on the LNB, it will save your hair line.

 

[Vipersan]

I've got a couple in the shed, whereabouts are you ?

I'd take one of those Cband conical scalars off your hands CH ..
Having put my only one on the TD110 at height ..I now need another for Carl ..
..T'would save me ordering from outside the UK ..
rgds
VS

 

[Channel Hopper]

The one I have right next to me is marked WS-KUsC bracket and Conical Scalar ring, came with the C band unit that is currently strapped to the 1.8m.

I can stick it in with the PC parts, another thing that's taking up space.

 

[Vipersan]

Cheers CH ...
quite looking forward to your red cross parcel..
;)

 

[Vipersan]

As has aleady been mentioned 11W is definately doable on a 1mtr dish ..it's just so powerfull..
I personally have had about 10db on a TD110 ..
Set local osc freq to 5150 ..and the supplied depolariser plate inserted ...or a small piece of polythene ..at 45 degrees to the a vertically positioned probe ...the other one being Horizontal ..
Scan both H and V ..and with the dish pointing at 11w ..you should see it.
Enter the details manually for you search...
Set parameters the same for both H and V ..thus you cover incorrect positioning of the lnbf..
I would hazard a guess this bird is so strong you may not even need a conical feed..
rgds and good luck
VS

 

[Archive-8]

I am in the south west and I have an op1.25 dish and a BSC-421 and cp-pll titanium. I can pick up stuff on 20 east, 10 east , 3 east, 1 west (data) 5 west, 11 west booms in, 22 west, 34.5 west and on 40 west. The hardest sat for me in 5 west.