Reuse of old 45cm dish in SW London for Hotbird

[D4ftpunk]

Hi all, first post since about 2005… I’ve moved into a house with an old sky dish. It’s currently got the SkyQ lnb on it as far as I can tell.

My question is… if I did a simple LNB swap and re-aligned the dish, would you say SW London (clear view of space) is south enough to receive Hotbird 13.0E on a 45cm dish? Or need to go bigger?

Also, as someone who’s always been hobby level interested in sat tv/internet but never actually had to align a dish… is it something achievable with a basic sat finder? Or should I hire someone?

 

[Terryl]

You can go to a site called "satbeams" dot com, select the satellite from the list, select the little green globe on the right of the satellite then go to one of the beams, it will give you a map, zoom into the location of the dish, it will give you an idea on the size of dish needed for that beam.

From what I see a 48 cm dish would be needed.

Satbeams - World Of Satellites at your fingertips

Satbeams - Satellite footprints, news and charts

satbeams.com

You would also have to align the dish on that satellite, just pointing it South will not work too good, the map from satebeams will give you the true pointing information and dish angles.

 

[Mickha]

A basic satellite meter is ideal, for this kind of job, as it's cheap, and easy to use:


You might initially find a different satellite, like 19.2E, but it's quick, and easy, to move the dish, to the correct satellite.
Once the meter is attached, to the LNB, and the receiver, it should light up, showing that everything is working.
You then just move the knob, or - sign, depending on the meter, until the meter reads 5, about midway, then adjust teh dish, left/right, until it reaches 10. You then adjust the meters sensitivity, turn the knob to the right, until it's once again about 5, then move the dish, until you get 10, and keep doing this until you get the maximum signal, then do the same with tilting the dish.
Next check which satellite, you're pointing at, and adjust the dish accordingly.
Use lyngsat, kingofsat, or flysat to check the transponders/channels you find.

 

[Lazarus]

Hotbird is strong enough even up here in North Yorkshire to be easily receivable on a small dish, so you shouldn't have any problems at all (unless there are local obstructions in your line of site) down south!

It should be an easy task even without a meter, using trial and error only, just by swinging it about 15 degrees further west from it's current azimuth and also raising the elevation slightly. If you are gentle and methodical, you might find Hotbird straight off, but if you happen to find the 19E cluster first, then you're close.

 

[rolfw]

Yes, have realigned many a Sky minidish to Hotbird for customers in Reading, with perfectly acceptable results, not far from London.

 

[satesco]

Hi all, first post since about 2005… I’ve moved into a house with an old sky dish. It’s currently got the SkyQ lnb on it as far as I can tell.

My question is… if I did a simple LNB swap and re-aligned the dish, would you say SW London (clear view of space) is south enough to receive Hotbird 13.0E on a 45cm dish? Or need to go bigger?

Also, as someone who’s always been hobby level interested in sat tv/internet but never actually had to align a dish… is it something achievable with a basic sat finder? Or should I hire someone?

SatLex Digital can help you:

 

[D4ftpunk]

Thanks. I think I'm gonna give it a go, dish is south facing currently. I could calculate the angle for Hotbird and align using a compass... assuming the azimuth is fine being basically vertical (I think what sky dishes were designed for).

In terms of LNB... someone once told me the SkyQ LNB is "special" and not suitable for anything other than SkyQ... is that nonsense and I can re-use it? Else can anyone recommend a dual feed LNB that'd play nice with Hotbird?

EDIT: just bought one of those fancy sat finders with a screen/transponder selection as they were on offer on amazon. I also bought a generic dual LNB off amazon that apparently supports everything... but interested in opinions still.

 

[D4ftpunk]

Thanks. I think I'm gonna give it a go, dish is south facing currently. I could calculate the angle for Hotbird and align using a compass... assuming the azimuth is fine being basically vertical (I think what sky dishes were designed for).

In terms of LNB... someone once told me the SkyQ LNB is "special" and not suitable for anything other than SkyQ... is that nonsense and I can re-use it? Else can anyone recommend a dual feed LNB that'd play nice with Hotbird?

EDIT: just bought one of those fancy sat finders with a screen/transponder selection as they were on offer on amazon. I also bought a generic dual LNB off amazon that apparently supports everything... but interested in opinions still.

So. Sat finder arrived. The interesting news is the satellite is on Astra 1M already, looks like the previous owner had a fun idea too. The bad news is the aerial installer I paid, literally cut all the coaxial cables in the loft for unknown reasons including the feeds from there down into my lounge.

What’s a decent way to identify what end can go to which cable (so I can re terminate and join). Not sure how a continuity test works without something at both ends?

 

[Terryl]

Take a look on Amazon for one of these hummers.

Klein Tools VDV512-100 Cable Tester​

 

[D4ftpunk]

That seems exactly what I'm after I guess. Thanks!

 

[Terryl]

One thing though, if he cut the coax you would have to put connectors on each one, once this is done you can do a trace to find the other ends, then it's easy to put some barrel connectors to splice the coax together.

And if the coax is going to carry satellite signals you should use barrel connectors rated for that purpose, the ones for TV or cable signals will not work too good.

 

[rolfw]

So. Sat finder arrived. The interesting news is the satellite is on Astra 1M already, looks like the previous owner had a fun idea too. The bad news is the aerial installer I paid, literally cut all the coaxial cables in the loft for unknown reasons including the feeds from there down into my lounge.

What’s a decent way to identify what end can go to which cable (so I can re terminate and join). Not sure how a continuity test works without something at both ends?

Without a cable tester you can use trial and error, so connect the two feeds into the loft from the twin LNB on the dish and identfy using your satfinder in the loft, then connect them to two of the cables down to the lounge and do the same at the other end using your meter.

 

[a33]

What’s a decent way to identify what end can go to which cable (so I can re terminate and join). Not sure how a continuity test works without something at both ends?

I use the standard method: short the cable at one end, and then measure continuity between core and shield at the other end.
For shorting, I prepared a little piece of cable as in (the upper part of) the picture in this thread (correction: ) post:

Diseqc switch testen voor ie het dak opgaat

TIP OM JE DISEQC TE TESTEN VOOR DAT IE HET DAK OP GAAT (en of je instellingen goed staan) Ik heb (lang geleden) met m'n dBox / dvb2000 in kombinatie met een EMITOR ver2.0 serie C 4/1 diseqc zitten klooien. Ik kreeg het niet werkend en heb em omgeruild voor een SPAUN SUR 410F . Deze werkt perfekt....

www.sat4all.com

The continuity check I do with a transformer and little old bicycle light bulb, but a 'doorbell' or something other (or multimeter) would also do nicely.

In your case maybe the simplest method would be to do the continuity check in the room with one person, and then try shorting all the different cables (another person) at your loft, to find the one cable for that room.


Or like the idea of rolfw (don't know if I understand his method precisely, but here is my version):
Connect F-connectors to all cables.
Then connect a receiver to the room-end of a cable.
Then check in your loft with your satellite finder, what cable receives the power from that cable.(correction: ) receiver.
Do this for all your cables.


Greetz,
A33

edit: corrections added.

 

[D4ftpunk]

Thats a good idea too, I'm assuming I could use some tin foil to bridge the connector at the good end and then a multi-meter standard continuity test, one probe on the coaxial core, the other on the connector/shielding.

 

[Captain Jack]

Thats a good idea too, I'm assuming I could use some tin foil to bridge the connector at the good end and then a multi-meter standard continuity test, one probe on the coaxial core, the other on the connector/shielding.

That's what I do. Nice and simple - just make sure that none of your other cables are already shorted