C-Band and KU-Band LNBs together on One Sat Dish?

[scooterboy]

Hrmmmmph!

What with all the cr-p with GMM, CTH & a very quiet NBTC, I'm wondering what about the future.

My old house had (has) a 2m motorized Satellite dish with BOTH C-Band and KU-Band LNBs on it, connected to a DMOVE receiver. As the dish is 'movable' there are no real problems getting whatever signal.

My new house only has a standard digital (HD) setup, with a 1.5m dish, a C-Band LNB and the GMM-box receiver. Now that CTH appears to want everybody to change to KU-Band, I'm wondering what to do, when and if a replacement box ever should turn up, as the box can apparently only work with a KU-Band LNB.

My idea is to keep the C-Band LNB and attach a secondary (KU-Band) LNB to the dish. However, the local guy that installs satellite stuff, says that it's not possible to have this 2 LNB setup on one dish. as the KU-Band LNB "can't work properly together" with a C-Band LNB. I was a bit surprised about his comment, as I've personally installed 3 LNBs on one dish without any problems, back in my own country. All that was basically required was a suitable bracket to hold the extra LNBs.

The alternative here is to have a NEW dish put up - just for the KU-Band LNB - and then attach this to the new CTH box.

My question is - why can't the 2 LNBs share the same dish?

Another question is, is there a way to connect 2 receivers, so that it's possible to switch between whichever receiver that I want to view its channels? I wouldn't be too happy having to remove/insert appropriate cable into the TV or receivers all the time.

Thanks for any helpful comments.

[Litlos]

Similar problem as myself, so you get the benefit of my research so far.

You can install 2 x LNB's or use a dual KU/C like this http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Free-Shipping-Universal-Ku-Quad-Polarity-Single-C-Ku-Band-LNBF-FTA-dual-output-twin-LNBF/204193_539629913.html It looks like the one unit has both V and H for both KU and C, with only one cable out, which would make it pretty versatile.

If you have two receivers then use a simple splitter. I actually have a multiswitch (2x8) which brings in both horizontal and vertical off the C band dual LNB and spreads it round the house, see http://www.9sats.com/product/product.php?cat=75&, you have to translate to English though.

Cheers

[Pib]

You can have multiple LNBs on a dish. On my fixed 1.7M C band dish I have a combo 2 output C band LNB and 1 output 11.3GHz KU band LNB for TrueVisions which access the Thaicom5 satellite. This combo LNB is mounted in the center/normal position on a C band dish.

And I also have a separate 2 output universal KU band LNB offset mounted on the dish for the NSS6 satellite at a different point in the sky than the Thaicom5 satellite.

Not uncommon to have multiple LNBs mounted on C band dishes in Thailand...many times pointed at Thaicom5 and NSS6. The 5 outputs from the combo LNB and universal LNB on the dish run to my multiswitch. Then the settop boxes connect to the appropriate LNB through the multiswitch which automatically handles all the switching.

The output from the 11.3GHz LNB portion of the combo LNB use to run to two TrueVisions satellite boxes but I've since switched to TrueVisions cable. But the 2 output C band LNB and 2 output KU universal LNB are still in use through the multiswitch.

But to use multiple LNB on a dish you need multiple cables running to a multiswitch and of course the dish-LNB combo need to be able to see whatever satellite you are using. Depending on the satellite's position in the sky you may have to have a motorized dish....but for Thaicom5 and NSS6 they are close enough to each other to where a fixed dish can be used....a fixed dish directly pointed at Thaicom5 can still pickup NSS6 with a properly offset LNB.

[Satcommlee]

Good advice from Pib

[scooterboy]

Yes, good advice from both Pib and Litlos. I'm not at all surprised to hear that it's a pretty normal thing - even for Thailand.

We live way out in the sticks and there are virtually no proper satellite people out this way. The nearest "expert" lives about 70 clicks away - and I don't think he would be interested in coming all this way just to fix up a simple KU-Band LNB. The 2 stores in this area that have some simple sat equipment seem to know next to nothing about what they sell/install. We did ask at one place - they don't have KU- Band LNBs and they certainly weren't aware of the GMM/CTH affair - even though they sold and install GMM boxes.

The wife reckons our local guy just doesn't know how to affix a second LNB - or is too lazy to bother. After all, setting up a new dish is much easier for them, as it's the standard procedure they've learned.

I see that Litlos' dual LNB looks to be imported. We'd prefer to have an LNB that's readily available in Thailand - in case of maintenance. Thanks for the link to splitters'n'stuff - very interesting and I didn't know this website beforehand. Great!

I'll try and concoct a few pics of dishes with 2 (or more) LNBs onto my tablet, to show the local guy. Maybe it'll set him thinking.....though I won't hold my breath.

In the meantime we still have to wait (and wait?) for the replacement receiver from CTH.........due in February.

Thanks, guys - a great help!

[Pib]

When you get away from the big cities and high rises where small KU band size dishes dominate and may be the only size allowed on the side of the building you enter the land of C band dishes. Most Thais point that C band dish with only a C band LNB at Thaicom5 and get around 300 free channels with around 200 being Thai language. It's all the TV they need and want--and as mentioned it's free.

[scooterboy]

Very true - and plenty of houses (up this way) have massive dishes, often set at ground level. Not that too many of them appear to actually be in use at all, though. We've asked several at houses and have received the same answer - "We don't really know how to use it, so we've just left it there".

At one house, just down the road from us, they use their large dish to dry clothes on........

[duan]

Please excuse my complete ignorance of technical matters. I have a True visions satellite dish to which a local satellite guy connected the GMM Z box I purchased when CTH pulled the plug on their cable system in November and they failed to provide me with the replacement box I requested on 26 October. Following the GMM announcement of the CTH service ceasing on 6 February I eventually got through to the CTH helpline once more and they have promised yet again to despatch the new box.

If I do receive the new CTH box am I correct in thinking that I can merely disconnect the two cables connecting the dish and the TV from the GMM Z box and attach them to the new CTH box and that will work or am I missing a trick?

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

[scooterboy]

^It sounds rather like you have a C-Band LNB on your dish, which won't take any signals when (if, maybe...) you get a new box from CTH, as this is said to operate only with a KU-Band LNB.

However, if you're not sure which LNB you already have, you can get your satellite guy to check (and perhaps install a KU-Band LNB at the same time).

An alternative would be to connect the new box by taking out the cable from the old box and inserting it into the new one. If you get a signal then good.

Read posts 2 and 3, that give some very good advice.

Whatever you do, wait until the new box arrives (yeah, right!) before you install/change anything. This is Thailand and things change very quickly, so what CTH say today might not be applicable tomorrow.

Maybe other members can offer further (or better) advice.

Good luck - and remember to report back on what you end up doing - as a help for others in the same situation.

Cheers

[Litlos]

Then I found this one C/KU in Thailand, just got to get the search term right to find the item some times. http://www.sat-foryou.com/product-LNBFC+KUHISATTEL%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9A2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9A%E0%B9%83%E0%B8%99BOX%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%A7-75668-1.html

The Sat-foryou.com site is interesting, but I found that item by external Google search Nothing mentioned on the website or came up.

I found a lot more items on Aliexpress using "C/KU LNB" as a search term. They have dual LNB's and brackets for 2 LNB's. I have used Aliexpress a few times and no problems so far.

Cheers

[scooterboy]

Another thought - and another question.

Assuming I have C-Band and KU-Band LNBs on one dish - can I feed the 2 LNB cables into a filter? box so that I only have one cable coming into the house, serving both LNBs? - And if so, could this cable again be channeled out to 2 receivers (1 C-Band & 1 KU-Band set-top boxes, near to the tv) - and how to do this?

Apologies, I haven't really dealt with any satellite setups for the last 15 years or more, so I'm very rusty and the terminology rather escapes me at the moment.

If there is a link to a Thai/foreign website that has such boxes - then I'd be very grateful - thanks!

Thanks for any further good advice

Cheers

[Pib]

You are going to need multiple cables from the LNBs running to a multiswitch and from that multiswitch one cable per settop box.

Just for example take a look at this 9sats webpage which shows a 5 input multiswitch (4 inputs from LNB outputs and 1 terrestrial which you probably will not use) and then the various possible outputs running to the settop boxes. I've also included the hookup diagram from the webpage below.

[Litlos]

Apparently the Gmm free to air channels will continue on the C band for a while. No idea exactly how long as the wife contacted the call centre, and I am not in Thailand at the moment.

I ended up buying a Leotech C/Ku LNB, an Infosat 5x8 Multiswitch and a PSI O2X receiver (CTH compatible). All these were bought via Lazada Thailand which I have used before without problem, so hoping the same applies again. I bought the receiver as a backup in case the GMM service does drop off before I get back home, as I do not need the frantic messages that the TV is offline while I am not there. The receiver was only about 850 Baht, so cheap insurance and I will probably end up putting this one on my TV so I can subscribe to something English language for when I am home. The multi switch is a 5 input and as Pib said will cover 2 x dual LNB inputs plus terrestrial (via aerial), so pretty much all bases covered for future needs and the dual band LNB should cover all the other future changes, till next week when something else changes.

Cheers

[scooterboy]

Thanks, guys - all very useful info and much appreciated.

Hrmmphh! Seems not a lot has changed in the sat-install world these last 15 years or so - though I must admit that set-top boxes (receivers) have gotten much smaller!

Apparently the Gmm free to air channels will continue on the C band for a while. No idea exactly how long as the wife contacted the call centre, and I am not in Thailand at the moment.

Sure would like to know for how long they will continue - would be great if they stayed on C-band, That would solve a lot of headaches for everybody...yeah, right - wishful thinking.....

[scooterboy]

Well, it looks like it's all been rather a waste of time !

Seems it's not worth the bother and cost to throw a KU-Band LNB up, as the satellite company have just informed us that they only want to give us a VERY short time viewing their pay channels, when and if they send a replacement box for the GMM/CTH thing.

There's no way I'm investing in new satellite equipment just for a few months of viewing - and certainly not with the involvement this company.

Thanks, guys, for your hard work and excellent info - perhaps some other members can use the info if they want to set up an additional LNB.

Cheers