Broadband dish steerable?

[Windmill]

Are steering mechanisms sufficiently stable, and sufficiently precise, to allow use of the same dish with both TV and broadband? (Obviously two LNBs slightly offset from each other might be required, depending on frequency etc.)

Allegedly, great precision is needed for broadband (though I don't see why; presumably any reasonably-sized dish would have a fairly large beam width).

Do steering mechanisms use stepping motors, so that there is a minimum possible angular change, or are some/all capable of any desired degree of movement?

[Theo Markettos]

Won't you have an issue that the signals come from two different satellites, at two different angles? Both geostationary, but one at XX degrees W and another at YY degrees E, or whatever. Or are they on the same satellite?

If there's servo control then high resolution should be possible (nanodegrees or something), though whether you can buy such a thing cheap enough and designed for satellite positioning I don't know.

Theo

[The Natural Philosopher]

Fundamental misconception of optics. (of which RF is a special long wavelength case) The larger the dish, the smaller the beam width, generally.

Pass.

>

[The Natural Philosopher]

Certainly can. My BIL in Germany had such years ago in his back garden.

Could pick up one of three or four different satellites. Controlled (when it worked) by a 'remote' similar to any other TV remote.

Time and the weather reduced its reliability ISTR.

[RobertL]

the bigger the dish the smaller the beam-width of course...

Robert

[Michael Chare]

Normally you either have a steerable dish with one LNB or a fixed dish with maybe multiple offset LNBs.

Large dishes collect more signal, but have to be more accurately aligned.

IME the biggest problem is find the satellite in the first place. Making small adjustments to maximise the signal quality is not difficult.

My 90cm dish uses a 36v motor. When it moves it opens and closes a switch 6 times per degree. When I change satellites the receiver normall sets the dish to exactly the right position. Normally I would get enough signal if the the disk is a couple 'clicks' out. I used to move the dish from Astra 2 at 28.2 to Euobird at 28.5. I now don't bother.

Most European domestic steerable dishes use DiSEqc 1.2 motors. Which I think do allow even more precise setting.

[Graham.]

Can you give more information? Which satellite broadband system, provided on which satellite? is it downlink only or up/down?

Which TV satellite? A different one presumably

What if you want to watch TV and use broadband simultaneously?

Why does it need to be done with a common dish?

[cynic]

Anybody want to buy a 6 foot dish and ground mount - collection only in East Yorkshire? Needs new LNB