Motor or Multi LNB setup?

stesaurus

So which is better a decent motor to change the dish direction or a multi LNB setup skewed for maybe Astra, Euro and Thor?

I've just recently setup my 80cm offset dish and have it pointed at 28.2e Judging by my location I would think that between 31e and 4w would be possible to hit. Anything else and I've got apt. blocks in my way.

What would be the best dishes to hit within that range?

snaps

well if you have limited views than a multi lnb set up would be best, but saying that a motor would be as cheap and more efficent as i found out the hard way sometimes a feed may be on a different satellite to what you have lnbs for, then your stuffed. Also a 80cm is only average size for a motorised system. 1 west will be weak on it, 1m at least required really to get the most out of a motorised setup.

watty

YOu can only do about a 15 degree spread reliably on an ordinary Dish.

About 45 degrees spread on a WaveFrontier T90, but about the performance of 85cm dish.

Or you can have two dishes, an 80cm with 2LNBs and separate 110cm for a weaker satellite.

Motor is slower to change satellite but can give a 120 degree arc. About 22 satellites. Only one receiver.

Multi-LNB can easily drive as many receivers as you like. I have 4 x Quattros and Multiswitch for 4 satellites (13, 19, 23.5 & 28.2 on a 90cm dish) and 16 outlets, expandable to over 1000.

Also 110cm on a Motek motor feeding one receiver.

PC cards generally can't drive a Motor reliably but work fine with Multiswitch or Diseqc multi-LNBS.

PVR really needs Multi-LNB or else two motorised dishes

stesaurus

watty wrote: »

Multi-LNB can easily drive as many receivers as you like. I have 4 x Quattros and Multiswitch for 4 satellites (13, 19, 23.5 & 28.2 on a 90cm dish) and 16 outlets, expandable to over 1000.

Wow!:eek:

Thanks for the replies. I think it might be easier for my current setup to go motorized. I have a quad lnb fitted so the plan is to power two boxes, one of which a HD PVR.

If going the motor route would a Moteck 2100 be ok? How noisy/quick are they for example moving from 19.2 to 28.2?

M5

Have motorised setup myself, I have 2 receivers so im thinking of going for a wavefrontier myself for the simple fact that if i want to watch something on another sat i wont have to disturb whoever is watching the other box....

RimaNTSS

Some people like very much to play with remote and change TV channels extremely often (I am one of them). And if this change of channels takes up to ½ minute! Can you imagine how long will it take to get nervous breakdown? Moreover, in multi-LNB case there are no moving parts and system itself is not so sensitive to stronger winds, though it is little bit more expensive. By using twin or quad LNBs it is possible to connect up to 4 independent receivers. If I install motorized system one day – that will be only to try something new (if I have some spare time).

watty

s.welstead wrote: »

Wow!:eek:

Thanks for the replies. I think it might be easier for my current setup to go motorized. I have a quad lnb fitted so the plan is to power two boxes, one of which a HD PVR.

If going the motor route would a Moteck 2100 be ok? How noisy/quick are they for example moving from 19.2 to 28.2?

The limit for Motek is a 1.1m dish in a not-to-exposed area. Not very noisy, 19.2 to 28.2 isn't too band.

It's unsuitable for a PVR or two boxes even with a quad. Only one receiver "knows" which satellite the dish is pointing at.

for 19.2 & 28.2 with PVR and another receiver you need fixed dish multi-lnb.

I have both. So I can compare. I tried quad LNB on motorised dish. Waste of time.

Mike 1972

One advantage of a motorised setup is that it is more "future proof" if any new satellites suddenly start broadcasting channels of interest

cormacl

I think you need to think in terms of one receiver per motorised dish.. even if this one receiver is a PVR with twin inputs.

Trying to run multiple receivers off a motorised setup is going to have all kinds of problems. As Watty says, only one receiver is really aware of where the dish is pointed.

Even with just one PVR per motorised dish, you still have the disadvantage of only being able simul-record or watch/record programs from the same satellite. A switched solution is not limited this way.

I use a 13/19/28 switched setup and often find myself recording English programs from 28.2 while the wife watches German TV on 19E.

stesaurus

Okay so bare in mind I'm a novice. If I go the fixed route and have four quad lnb's. So 28.2, 23.5, 19.2 and 13 that's a total of 16 cables!

I am only running one box at present but will also be getting a HD pvr so I'll need to feed two boxes. How is that done with 16 cables???

I can't have 16 lines of cable running through my apartment!!! Would it require 4 of these:
http://www.satellitetv.ie/shop/index.php?controller=product&path=21_25&product_id=112

What kind of reception loss would these create?

watty

You have a SINGLE Multiswitch at the dish, either a weather proof model or put it in a plastic box (easily obtained) with all cables at bottom.

You can get a four LNBs input + aerial in and 16 outputs multiswitch about the same price as 4x diseqc switches, and just ignore unused outputs. The signal level is lower on Multiswitch or Diseqc but it doesn't matter, quality is not affected.

Generally only the 1st LNB can be a quad, you need quattros for the others.

Then coaxs from multiswtich to receiver.

I use a EMP-Centauri, but there are hundreds of brands inc Triax
http://www.hm-sat-shop.de/multischalter-emp-centauri/
This is mine
http://www.hm-sat-shop.de/multischalter-emp-centauri/emp-multischalter-17-16-economy-line-e170-cp-16.html

if you are NEVER going to have more than 4 PVRs, or 2 PVRs and 4 single tuner receivers you could use
http://www.hm-sat-shop.de/multischalter-emp-centauri/emp-multischalter-17-8-economy-line-e170-cp-8.html

8 or 9 means two LNBs
16 or 17 means four LNBs
(The 9th or 17th connection is for Cable TV, MMDS or TV aerial, fit any inline PSU for MMDS or TV aerial mast amp before the input).

At the room outlet you put a 950MHz splitter to separate Satellite Tuner and the signal fed to 9th/17th input.


From multiswitch below dish:
I have 2 coax along one garden edge to Dining room
3 coax along other side of garden to Radio shack
4 or 5 coax in pipe under lawn to kitchen, thence living room etc.
1 coax by different outdoor route to master bedroom.


nearest is 4 x quattro LNBs to multiswithc nearby
next is motorised dish
last is 1.2m dish not in use
All dish positions more than 5 years (more than 10 probably), so they can't make me take them away (hence "placeholder" dish)

Closeup with one Quattro disconnected

28.2E, 23.5E (two way), 19E and 13E.
The "two way" ODU is gone and quattro LNB lying on wall refitted.

28.2E is "1" so the system works with all types of Sky Digiboxes.
You can see the 16 coax to the multiswitch A waterproof box is cheaply available if the Multiswitch needs to be outdoor rather than in a shed or attic.

My original setup in 1999
http://homepage.eircom.net/~watty/satellite/sathowto-p6.htm

Feeding 28.2, 19.2 and 13E to a Sky Digibox using a homemade remote operated 3way change over relay.

originally I had a second manually moved dish for "multple" satellite reception using home made polar mount. Up higher than the multi-LNB dish

Replaced with a 1.1m triax and Motek motor. Same pole but slightly dropped for stability and multi-LNB dish moved over to east a little.

stesaurus

I would love to have the space to have that kind of setup!

I was going to ask difference between Quad and Quattro but this explained it:
http://www.xtendedplay.co.uk/techtip-quatro-quad-lnb-differences.html

So if I was to use a 17x8 multiswitch or a 17x4 then would I need 4 Quattro's on the lnb rail?

Is there a big difference between brands of Multiswitch or would a cheaper chinese version be just as good.

watty

yes, or with the EMP listed, (czech made) the 1st quattro can be a quad.

I have no idea about random chinese products.

Triax and EMP are good. Most of the ones sold in German shops are likely to be OK.

Many German shops ship here.

stesaurus

I've gone for a Rotek 17/8 multiswitcher and 4 Quattro LNB's just so they all look the same! Hehe:P

http://www.rotek-sat.de/english/html/17_8.html

Any opinions?