What's an Amstar?

[FTA Michael]

Bought a satellite receiver at a thrift shop this morning. Got it home and Googled for more info. The only thing I could find about it was an eBay auction that ended just this evening (eerie coincidence). My receiver looks exactly like the one pictured here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3093035873&category=32848&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBWA%3AIT&rd=1

It's an Amstar BR-1000 Plus. It has a C/Ku switch on the back. The front has lots of knobs; it seems very analog. It has a sticker on the front saying that it has been approved by the N.A. Telecommunication Corp. It has a sticker on the back saying that it has been inspected by the City of Los Angeles(?!?).

So what the heck is it, and what can I do with it? More important, what can I do with it without building a BUD?

[RJS1111111]

You're not going to pull in a decent C-band signal without a BUD or equivalent. There aren't many (any?) analog channels on Ku-band or (upper-Ku) DBS. I suppose you might possibly be able to make the local oscillator frequency setting low enough (and design your own exotic LNB to go with it), so that you could watch possible terrestrial broadcasts. Maybe as low as UHF band, but I doubt it. Once upon a time, they were "narrow-casting" premium channels into subscriber neighborhoods, unscrambled at low microwave frequencies. Then there's "wireless cable" in some areas at microwave frequencies, but that is most likely all-digital (more channels compressed into less bandwidth).

With lots of improvisation, it might make a good rig for experimental high-frequency amateur radio.

[TonyM]

If it can pick up KU band, you can aim a 30" or larger dish and get feeds, and during football & basketball season, lots of college backhauls.

[Richard King]

Just a guess, but what you have was probably owned at one time by an Amway rep. I think they had a KU channel up there somewhere at one time.

[FTA Michael]

Thumbing through LyngSat, I'm inspired for another newbie question. If I point a 30" dish at Galaxy 10R, could I pick up The Outdoor Channel East at "4180 H"? LyngSat lists one analog clear channel for that bird, and I interpret the table to say that's it.

(I know I need a digital box for the Outdoor Channel East and West digital feeds.)

With a signal strength needle on its front, maybe I can make this critter work as a signal-finder or proof-of-concept for aiming a dish. Then I can figure out which digital receiver to go for on eBay.

[TonyM]

Thumbing through LyngSat, I'm inspired for another newbie question. If I point a 30" dish at Galaxy 10R, could I pick up The Outdoor Channel East at "4180 H"? LyngSat lists one analog clear channel for that bird, and I interpret the table to say that's it.


anything 4 digit frequencies (4180) are C-Band and you need at least a 6 foot dish and correct LNB for that.

If you have a spare 30" around, aim it at AMC9 (85). TP19 is usually up with color bars.