expensive LNBs -- are they any good ?

[leighbee]

I have a 1 metre dish & can just about receive TV1000 etc OK at 5 deg
E but would like to improve this without increasing dish size.
Would it be worthwhile for me to invest in one of the more expensive LNBs or not -- anyone got experience of this change ???

 

[2old4this]

it might help if you told us the specification of the LNB you already have...

 

[leighbee]

All I know is that it is a basic Grundig twin head.
The ones I have been looking at have been around the £100 - £150 mark.

 

[rolfw]

The only rule of thumb that I can apply, is that the so called ultra low noise LNBs are not used by most professionals, as they are not considered to give value for money results.

A lot of the difference in quoted performance on LNBs is that some quote minimum Noise, some quote average and some quote maximum. So if one quotes 0.6db max and another quotes 0.4db minimum or average, they are probably very similar in performance.

The best way to improve performance is an improved dish, improved alignment and a relatively standard but high quality LNB.

Rolf

 

[zansi]

The MTI .6db Blue Line AP8-T2B is favoured by installers in Spain/Portugal as giving good results at reasonable cost.

See-: http://www.mti.com.tw/LNB_Main.htm


zansi

 

[Channel Hopper]

Try a single LNB on the dish first

Noise figures claimed by manufacturers on twins cannot be verified by normal means

If you cannot improve dish size, then apart from LNB substitution there is either a diffrent receiver (for tuner variations, you might be lucky) or move house further North into the satellite footprint

 

[ckrys1]

Just wondered CH if there are any receivers that are renowned as better at locking onto weak signals? Living in Scotland there are half a dozen channels on various sats that are `fringe` for me. They are available on a clear day but disappear in cloud and rain (of which we see our fair share!). I presently have a Humax 5300, but it is nearing its channel limit so I`ll have to add another receiver soon - probably just a FTA - any advice appreciated.

Ckrys1

 

[Channel Hopper]

I would be advertising on this forum if I mentioned the TS 4000 from Techsan. Its got the best balance of tuner sensitivity and symbol rate reception via software limitations - For example the Mihr channel with 1400 symbol rate is no problem

Basically anything recent with whats called a zero IF tuner - or one of the new NIM modules - will have a lower sensitivity, thay are in the boxes for cost savings, not to help the user

If you get older reeivers then of course you run the risk of spares if anything goes wrong

The Samsung tuners used in a lot of older receivers (good sensitivity but dubious reliability) are now no longer made so if it goes down you will be stuck, there is as yet no known cure.