Question on receiving 5 sats w/o using motor

[brant]

Is it possible to receive the following w/o using a motorized dish; how many antennas would I need to do this;

AMC 4 @ 101
AMC 21 @ 103
AMC 1 @ 103
AMC 9 @ 83
Echostar 7 @ 119



I would like to get some channels off these using a dvb PCI card.


where's a good place to start figuring out how to do it? Because I don't know jack about FTA.

[stogie5150]

Three dishes.

AMC 4 and AMC 1 on one dish. Primestar 84e dish with custom LNB holders will be required. At the very least some kind of oval dish. These two are going to be a bear regardless because they are so close together.

AMC 21 ( its at 125w BTW) and 119 on the other. Same dish type as above.

And lastly, if its the RTV's you want on AMC 9, get a 90cm or 1m dish.

There's a couple ways to make LNB holders, I like electrical conduit hangers, they fit the dishes well, and you can put them on some aluminum flatbar or something to get the spacing and focal distance correct.

This is, BTW, going to be a DAUNTING task for a newbie. I been doing FTA for a couple years now, and I still have trouble with multiple LNB's on one dish. And a DVB card is the absolute WORST way to start, because you will need a receiver and TV at the dish to aim them. Aiming a dish without a TV at said dish is,well, crazy, IMO.

Check out www.global-cm.net for wild ideas on multiple LNB's on one dish.

[brant]

thanks for the answer!

I have a basic satellite meter (eagle aspen). could I use that instead of a TV & receiver?

[brant]

what's got me interested in this is someone gave me a 4dtv receiver the other day; i did a web search and found some c-band info. would it also work for Ku band?

[stogie5150]

There's a little bit of Ku that the 4DTV can get, but most of its analog. IMO not enough to fool with. 4DTV is slowly going the way of the dodo bird.

I don't recommend any kind of meter short of a birddog. Even right now, with the two years experience I have, I wouldn't even attempt it. Pick yourself a Coolsat 5000 or 6000 off ebay for 30 bucks or so and get a little tv to tune the dishes in. You WILL thank me later.

[brant]

okie doke.

i know a guy that has a bird dog so i can probably swing that.

if you have any other links that would be helpful, i'd appreciate it!

[stogie5150]

okie doke.

i know a guy that has a bird dog so i can probably swing that.

if you have any other links that would be helpful, i'd appreciate it!

I'd bite the bullet and get a motor. It will be MUCH easier. And whatever you do, mount your dish on the ground somehow, either a pole or some kind of mount. Roof mounted FTA dishes are bad news, because it is so much harder to get to for adjustments.

I PM'd you some links...:)