BUD sizes

[Thun]

Hi,

Instead of multiple posts consisting of: Can I get the ________ channel on a ___ foot BUD, can someone explain just how one knows what channel you can receive on what size BUD? I'm presuming it's something other than first-hand experience. Websites I've seen regarding dish sizes and channel reception tend to differ.

Thanx,

[Costactc]

It all depends but I would have to say it's first-hand experience. I've tried a 6' solid on c band with good results but the more difficult tp wouldn't scan in as on my 10'. I pretty well get everything on my arc from 11-125w with my 10' bud but the few weak signals could be compensated with a 12' bud for sure. You need to actually install one yourself and start testing, be warned though once your hooked your addicted.

[Thun]

More specifically, I've been using this page for BUD sizes:


http://www.dishpointer.com/satellites/

but what is posted there and this site contradict each other

Thanx again,

[Costactc]

More specifically, I've been using this page for BUD sizes:

http://www.dishpointer.com/satellites/

but what is posted there and this site contradict each other

Thanx again,

Can you explain. What is contradictory?

[Thun]

Can you explain. What is contradictory?

For example: say I want to get all those Retro TV channels on C-band because I keep missing Marcus Welby at 11am on RTV Ku and I want to catch the west feed because the DVR is full. So I look up AMC 3 on dishpointer. It says that to get C-band reception on AMC 3 I need a 180 cm (6 foot) dish. Then I go a few posts down here that says (and I'm paraphrasing) that I need something bigger than a 6 footer to get those particular channels--it varies from 8' to 10'. Granted, some signals come in weaker than others, bigger is better, ect.

Therefore, the question clarified is: Is there something on Lyngsat in the tables that I can look up to determine just how strong/ weak the frequency is and am I going to break my back trying to get something that Dishpointer says yes but reality says no? A 36" dish is recommended to get Galaxy 19 Ku but it is possible to pick it up on something smaller.

[Gold]

Hmm.
A 36" will be fine for most every Ku channel in NA...I think there are a few places, Edmonton Canada comes to mind where a 36" is a little weak for some, but not all

[Thun]

be warned though once your hooked your addicted.

The problem with my addiction is that what ends up here also has a Doppleganger at the cottage...

[Costactc]

A 6' dish is adequate to pull in most tp on Amc3 but the retro channels are s2/8psk. If your dish is not spot on those channels will come up with no signal, even with a 10' bud.

[Terryl]

Is all "Location" "Location" "Location", what can be picked up with a 6 footer in Dallas TX may not work for someone above the fiftieth parallel, (or further North) and it all depends on where you are inside the satellites footprint.

That is why I use Satbeams.com to look at the footprint’s and get a estimate on the dish size, these are only estimates.

The over all gain and noise floor of the “C” band LNB would make a big difference also.

[Bowhunters]

I agree with Terryl, satbeams.com's 'footprint' page is awesome.

[jvvh5897]

It gets more complicated than just footprint though. The birds are in 2 degree spaced arc, but we live on a spherical earth and that changes what your dish will see. That 2 degree separation looks like 10 degrees for someone on 10 degree North latitude for sats near their longitude, but only 4 degrees at 30N and 3 degrees at 40N and only 2.5 degrees at 50N. So reports that a 6 foot dish works at C band for one person may mean nothing for someone at a different spot in footprint and location.

[Bowhunters]

That is true jvvh but the satbeams.com footprint page also has a handy tool that will estimate the dish size needed due to location and signal strength.

After you find the satellite you want to be able to get on the footprint page, then zoom in on your area on the map and double click your city or nearest town and it will place an icon there and it will tell you the minimum recommended dish size.

Because there is always a bit of trial and error or testing involved in setting up a dish and other gear it certainly helps to have a forum like this one where you can come ask questions.

[jvvh5897]

I should say something about receivers too. I have been playing with a 1M dish and a .77M dish, and when set to the same sat with the same LNB using the same receiver, the big one gives me Q of 90 and the small one gives me Q of 60--the ratio of the two dish areas is about 1.7 and the ratio of the two Q readings is about 1.7--this might only be true linear scale for part of the meter range because of AGC in front end. I know the receiver starts to have pixallation if the Q get below 37--so if I extend the meter reading to dish size (about a ratio of 1.7 again) I should be able to use a dish size of 23 inches and get same sat--I did do a test with 18 inch dish and I can almost get a bird with that dish. All this ignoring beamwidth.

Now, two 1.7 factors equates to only 5dB signal range--so if I look at the footprint for the sat above and get the signal for my area, I know that any other sat should have a signal not less than 5 dB of that reading if I want to get it with the 1m dish and not less than 2.5dB less for the .77m. Too much signal would not be a problem, but too little and pixalation.