I first became interested in civilian satellite communications some 26 years ago after leaving the Army where I had been an Instructor in Communications, both Radio and Human, as well as many other things. So I have been “feed hunting”, in one way or another, for over 50 years.
26 Years ago there was very little on the Clarke Belt to view. If my memory serves me right there really was only one receivable analogue satellite at that time and that was an Intelsat at 27.5 degrees West, Intelsat 601 rings a bell.
Equipment and interest has gained momentum since then, somewhat. People ask me if I watch television, possibly sarcastically after seeing my dishes. When I answer “No!” the questioner appears a little perplexed.
I don’t watch television, I Feed Hunt.
I am a little old fashioned in my feed hunting, in that I do not use a spectrum analyser. I know many people do use a spectrum analyser, but I regard that as equivalent to fishing a lake by putting a large fine mesh fishing net into a lake at one end, and dragging it across the width and breadth. I don’t see any joy in that.
However I do use a Spectralook, an inexpensive device that allows you to look at the frequency spectrum that your receiver/dish is looking at. It does not give you the frequency of a signal, but only an indication that a signal is there. It is excellent for tweaking your dish, you only need a TP to be operating on a satellite, you do not need to know that transponders frequency etc.
Some lady visitor once said “I certainly would not allow all that in my living room”. To which I replied, “And you wouldn’t be there either!”
My system has grown over the years, thankfully and mainly because I have an extremely tolerant and loving wife, that now the lounge looks like the flight desk of the Star Ship “Enterprise”.
The main television is a 32 inch Sharp LCD TV, and all equipments can also be viewed on the Samsung 19” widescreen computer/monitor/TV and a 7 inch Saka widescreen TV.
The system has been designed so that the Wife and Grandchildren can watch TV, using either, Freeview, Sky, DVD-RW or VCR and I can still stay in the room with them and feed hunt. Or I can use both the main TV and the computer/monitor TV to feed hunt. The whole system is designed to be of the ultimate in flexibility.
The equipment is divided up into 8 Main Parts.
Part 1 is a feed acquisition set up based on a 1.2 Channel Master dish.
Part 2 is a feed acquisition set up based on a 90 centimetre Triax Dish.
Part 3 is Sky Television and Freeview.
Part 4 is the recording set up, based on 1 VHS video recorder and 3 DVD-RW recorders.
Part 5 is the Audio Entertainment side of life
Part 6 HDTV.
Part 7 consists of the computer/s set up.
Part 8 is the wiring and distribution.
I will now expand upon each part, describing the equipment used within.
Part 1. Satellite signal acquisition set up based on a 1.2metre dish.
The 1.2metre Channel Master dish is mounted on a 5 metre 4” diameter metal pole bolted to the concrete shed at the bottom of the back garden. Some 15 metres separate the dish from the receiver area. The dish is set up with and moved by an 18inch “Superjack” heavy duty actuator. This dish views the Clarke Belt from 64 degrees east to 37.5 degrees west.
The Low Noise Block (LNB) used here currently is an Inverto White Tech Twin Universal .3db. This is an exceptional LNB.
Sat FT 100 cable connects the LNB to the principle receiver, an Echostar AD-3600IP Viaccess. This receiver also moves the Channel Master dish by controlling the 36 volt Superjack actuator. The LNB Cable first enters a Global 4 Way active splitter. Also attached to this splitter is a Technomate TM-6900 HD Combo Super USB PVR Ready receiver that receives MPEG 2, MPEG 2S2, and MPEG 4, MPEG 4S2 signals and also terrestrial “Freeview”
The other LNB leg is connected to an 8way Eurostar IF (Intermediate Frequency) active splitter, via Sat FT 125 cable.
The Eurostar 8way IF splitter provides LNB (IF) power to, firstly a Manhattan Plaza XT-F 100, blind search satellite receiver.
Another lead, from the 8 way splitter, is then connected to a manual “A/B” switch; this in turn is connected to a Quali QS 1080 IRC (MPEG 2) High Definition Common Interface Satellite Receiver. This receiver reads 4.2.2., as well High Definition MPEG 2.
These Eurostar 8 Way active splitters are ideal because the signal gain to each output socket is 1db up on the inputted signal.
The Manhattan Plaza XT-F 100 and Technomate TM-6900 will “Blind Search” the KU Band spectrum. Because of the shortcomings of the Technomate TM-6900 receiver I need to search both with the Technomate TM-6900 and the Manhattan XT-F 100 at the same time to compare the end results to discover as to which feeds are MPEG 2 and those that re MPEG 4. The Technomate TM-6900 does not delineate which feeds are MPEG2 or MPEG4, I feel that this is a major failing in the software of this otherwise excellent receiver.
The Manhattan receivers when searching a satellite will display the Frequency, Polarity, Symbol Rate and FEC as well as the Programme Identification Data (PID) on any feed/programme found, unfortunately the Technomate does not display the FEC (Forward Error Correction). The Manhattan is MPEG 2 and is the only blind search receiver to register FEC in its search findings.
The IF splitter also feeds an IF signal to the Spectralook via yet another A/B switch. More about these switches later.
A spare lead from the 8 way IF splitter is stored in the cabinet so other receivers can be attached and viewed when required. Often you will find another satellite receiver connected here, either for computer updating or testing purposes.
You have to be a little alert to use these IF distribution units as you need to turn off any other receivers that are fed by the unit and use just the one you are working on. After a while you can soon use two or three receivers at a time by co-ordinating polarity and band. The general rule is that the last receiver switched on dictates the polarity and band in use.
Part 2. Satellite signal acquisition based on a 90 centimetre Triax dish.
The Triax 90 centimetre dish is fitted with a Smart Titanium .2db Twin Universal LNB and is located on the west facing wall of the house. The dish is moved using a Jaegar 128 H to H motor driven by a second Echostar AD 3600 IP Viaccess, a combined analogue/digital receiver. This dish can view from 28.5 degrees east to beyond 61 degrees west.
Again I use Sat FT 100 cable to an Echostar AD 3600 IP Viaccess, the principal library receiver, via a second Global 4 Way active splitter. The Echostar controls the dish movement. Also another cable from the Global 4 way splitter goes to the A/B switch as described in the 1.2 meter dish set up, onward to the Technomate TM-6900 HD receiver.
The Echostar receiver AD 3600 can store 1,299 TPs (5000 Channels). The AD 3600 will also store some100 satellites. All receivers in use are capable of receiving both Multiple Channel Per Carrier (MCPC), sometimes referred to as Muxx or Bouquet, and Single Channel Per Carrier (SCPC). The Echostar 3000 and 3600 are about the only receivers still around that will receive Analogue TV as well as Digital TV.
Sat FT 125 cable connects to a second Eurostar 8 way IF active splitter.
One IF socket serves a Manhattan Plaza XT-F 100 Free to Air (FTA) receiver, this receiver is used to find the “new” feeds on this Triax dish based set-up in the same manner as the 1.2.Metre dish set up.
Another socket sends IF to the Quali QS 1080 IRC via the other A/B switch also mentioned in the 1.2 metre dish set up.
Other IF leads from the 8 Way connect to the Spectralook of course via the second A/B switch mentioned in Part 1.
The Spectralook, Quali, and Technomate can be switched between the two main dishes.
Again a spare lead is connected to the IF splitter and stored within the cabinet for external receiver testing.
A third A/B switch comes into play here. This A/B switch allows me to switch the Sky receiver between the standard 45 centimetre and the 80 centimetre dish to compensate for bad weather.
You may wonder how on earth you can operate similar receivers within the same system, Well you turn one off the other comes on, if I need to keep both receivers of similar type on I have a Remote Control Unit (RCU) blocking device that is placed in front of one of the receivers.
Part 3. Sky and Freeview.
A mini dish with a quad LNB, mounted on the chimney, feeds both mine and the neighbours Sky receivers, allowing us a spare IF input for the hard disk type Sky receiver, or HD Sky Box when purchased. At the time of the Sky dish being set up my neighbour had a tree that prevented him having a dish anywhere on his property.
The roof mounted wideband TV aerial provides IF to a Digital Terrestrial Freeview receiver as well as to the ATi ALL-IN-WONDER X800 analogue/digital TV card in the Hybrid computer and also to the HP Computer Media Centre. The UHF feed also goes to the two bedrooms that have a digital terrestrial TVs as well as DVD players. Sky and freeview can also be watched on the computer monitor.
Unfortunately because we use the Reigate “fill in” transmitter to receive terrestrial digital signals, we will not receive the full programme availability of Freeview until April 2012.
Part 4 is the video recording side of life.
In the cabinet I have three Digital Versatile Disk-Re Writers (DVD-RW). They are, Sony RDR-GX 120 (+R), Samsung DVD (-R) and a Toshiba HDD @ DVD Video recorder RD-88DT (+R & -R). The Samsung and the Sony have attached a Scart type Freeview receiver attached at the rear.
The Panasonic NV-HS880 (SVHS) is the only VHS recorder in use.
Each recording device can record analogue terrestrial TV and digital terrestrial TV and also every satellite receiver via scart or phono leads, via a Keene Professional switch/patch box!
The UHF antenna is mounted on the chimney, the signal is then passed into 2 UHF/VHF amplifiers that distribute the UHF signal to the 3 DVD recorders, VCR, 2 computers, main TV, Monitor/TV, and 7 inch widescreen TV, as well as to the bedroom TVs.
Note the DVD-RW recorders are not fitted with a UHF tuneable output so the component video outputs have been utilised.
The Hybrid computer also has a NEC DVD/CD recorder and an LG DVD/CD player/recorder built in, along with a Freecom stand alone USB 2 link DVD+RW. These three DVD recorders allow me to record a channel direct digitally from the Ati All In Wonder X800 card or any other source
The HP computer has on board a Lightscribe HL-DT-ST DVDR+RW GSA-H200 DVD recorder and a Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-112D, the computer can also share the Freecom USB 2 DVD+R via the USB/VGA switch.
My Sony Mini DV Handycam can also be fed into the system. To maintain digital integrity I connect the Sony camera into the Toshiba HDD & DVD Video recorder via a 4 wire “I” link cable, and then can pass the camera recording to either the Hard Disk Drive or to disk.
The Sony Mini DV Handycam also has SVHS and Composite output with stereo audio, therefore I can transfer from camera to the Sony DVD +RW or Samsung DVD –RW. The camera can also be connected direct to the TV via USB mini to USB lead.
The camera can also be fed into both computers digitally by using the same type USB link.
Part 5 is the Audio Entertainment side of life.
CD recordings can be played either using the computer, or any one of the three DVD-RW machines.
My VSX-909 RDS Pioneer Audio/Video multi-channel digital amplifier/receiver not only combines all external video and audio sources but also supplies my radio entertainment. The receiver has all the usual radio bands that are available on any normal entertainment radio. My VHF radio signal is received via a motorised VHF antenna.
Living as I do on the edge of the very beautiful Surrey Hills, I can receive signals from France. I can also listen to Isle of Wight Radio, a low level signal serving only the Island.
Part 6 the HDTV set up
Composite signals from all of the satellite receivers and SVHS VCR, these are fed through a Scart Auto Commander to the Pioneer Amplifier to a Data Composite Video/Audio amplifier direct to the second Scart socket on the rear of the TV. They can also be viewed on the TV by using the composite input on the TV
The satellite receivers are also fed to the first Scart socket on the TV via a Scart Auto Commander switch into a manual Scart switch. This manual Scart switch allows the satellite receivers and Sky receiver to be switched to the TV in RGB mode ensuring a much better resolution on the TV screen.
Component video from the Sony DVD+R and the Samsung DVD-R plus the component output from the Quali QS 1080 are fed through a an AVT component switch into the TV’s Component input. The Quali can also be viewed the TV’s 3rd HDMI socket..
The computers are also routed to the TV via the USB Data Switch (combines and switches the two computers) and a Candy VGA active splitter. A single VGA lead leaves the USB Data switch to the Candy VGA active splitter. One of the Candy VGA splitter outputs go to the Samsung LCD Monitor/TV and another to the VGA input on the TV. A quick note here, the Computer monitor is situated some 4 metres from the actual computers. Computer audio is routed to the Pioneer via a BTech manual scart switch.
The HDMI outputs from the Toshiba DVD+-R is direct to the TV via HDMI input 1 and the Technomate TM-6900 direct to the TV via HDMI input 2.
The two computers are sent direct to the TV when using the “catch up” facilities provided by the UK broadcasters, for example the BBC’s “I” player. (Odd fact here, you can only use the BBC I player direct from the BBC site to the TV via the HP Media Centre as for some reason when using the Windows XP Media Centre edition of computer software you cannot download the programme to the hard drive, whereas XP professional will allow the download and storage of the BBC “I” player.) This allows me to continue feed hunting whilst the wife catches up on programmes we missed or did not record.
The Technomate and the DVD recorders are Digital Audio wired to the Pioneer amplifier as well as by aanalogue connection.
The advent of the Sharp TV has made the wiring so much easier because of the vast amount of inputs available on the TV’s rear. 2 x Scart Sockets, 3 x HDMI sockets, 1 x Component socket (this component socket can handle Analogue Y Pb Pr and Digital Y Cb Cr signals), VGA RGB input for computers, and lastly a composite input comprising of three RCA sockets.
The Sharp TV has built into it an excellent Digital Scaler that provides atunning pictures at 576i level. The TV also handles 1080i pictures to almost 3D level.
Part 7 is the computers.
Linking the equipments to the computers.
The two computers, the “Hybrid” homemade computer, bit of a “bitsa,” bits of this and bits of that, and an off the shelf computer, an HP Pavillion t3625UK
The Hybrid computer has a 150Gbyte Hard Disk. Also built into the computer is a digital/analogue terrestrial television tuner that I have mentioned before (the ATi card).
The HP Pavillion has a 250 GByte Hard Disk. This is a Media Centre Edition and has its own on board TV set up. The reasons that I have an Hauppage USB TV unit attached to this is so that I can get “stills” direct from feeds, whereas if I used the Media Centre itself this would require recording the feed and then editing the “stills”.
With a bit of fiendish wiring I can either watch all of the satellite receivers on the computer, or with the pushing of an auto electronic switch I can also view all DVD-RW/SVHS Video Recorder.
To muster the equipments into the computers:-
The 2 x Echostar and 2 x Manhattan XT-F 100 satellite receivers I use a Philex TriStar 5 Channel AV Control Centre, this then feeds into a BTech Quintro Scart switch at Input 1.
Input 2 on the Quintro comes from the Pioneer Receiver/Amplifier.
Input 3 on the Quintro is for the Technomate TM-6900.
Input 4 on the Quintro is for the Quali 1080.
Input 5 on the Quintro is the recording Equipments (3 x DVD Recorder and Panasonic VCR) are fed firstly into a BTech Quarttro Scart Switch and this is then connected via Input 5 of the BTech Quintro.
The Quintro then is linked into the via a Scart amplifier. This scart amplifier then feeds into a Keene Distribution Amplifier KDA1S, onward to both computers, HP via Hauppage USB, Hybrid via Ati card mounted in the computer. This also feeds the Monitor /TV and the 7 inch Saka TV and can also be viewed on the main TV via the composite input..
Audio from the computers, via a BTV28 Headphone Pro Amp, can be listened to through earphones or the speakers mounted in the monitor/TV.
All of the satellite receivers are also connected to the computer using RS 232 9 pin connectors via an RS 232 switch box. This permits both software and database updating of the satellite receivers. Each computer has two “serial” outputs. Each of the two outputs connect too the switch box so that both computers can be used for the updating function.
The computer can also be used too pass to friends and colleagues, recordings of feeds found via MPEG 3 Disks, as well as storing important feed materials.
Computer users will also know that you can record your favourite tracks from records, cassettes or other CDs, so that you can make a CD of all your favourite music. Also I can edit my videos and re-record them.
Obviously I also use the computers as computers. Mainly to keep up the database that I started back in late 1998 of all digital feeds found. Microsoft Excel allows me to organise the databases in almost any order, be it by date, frequency, symbol rate, etc.
The computers can be viewed both on the Samsung SyncMaster 940MW 19 inch widescreen LCD monitor and the main TV via a USB Data switch.
The main TV can be connected to both the computers via a Candy VGA splitter.. There is a DVI socket on the ATi Card in the Hybrid, The HP also has a DVI socket and the Sharp TV has an HDMI socket, the change from DVI to HDMI is completed by HDMI/DVI lead adapters. Pictures are stunning when sent from the computer to the TV. The TV can be used as a stand alone computer monitor.
The business end (The monitor).
The manual B Tech switch panel seen below the stand drawer allows the switching to an insert on the computer monitor screen the picture that is passing through Pioneer amplifier, Scart Auto Commander, Spectralook and whatever the Quintro Scart Control Unit is switched to. The right hand set of buttons controls the picture going to the 7” Saka TV. This allows me to view both receivers at the same time, be they the Echostar, Technomate, or Manhatten 100 satellite receivers. All of these can also be received full screen on the computer monitor if required.
To the right of the monitor and on top of the 12 drawer unit are the audio controls to the monitor and to the headsets. The 7” Saka TV is wired separately for audio.
Part 8 The cabling and the Pioneer amplifier.
In the whole of my equipment connections there are very few ready made cables although with the advent of HDTV I am using ready made HDTV cables. However there are two ready made high-grade audio cables in use within the system and most USB cables are ready made.
I make all other cables myself, both to the Computers and to the Pioneer Amplifier, using the best materials available. It takes me absolutely ages to do because my hands don’t work properly, but the end result is well worth the trouble. Within the system there are many custom built leads especially in the scart side of the system. There are some 70 plus scart plugs in use! Many are daisy chained to get maximum flexibility out of the equipment. With so many different manufacturers equipments in use, good cabling must be used. Also many of the cables, because of what I am requiring them to do, cannot be purchased in any shop. By making my own cables I have totally eliminated the crosstalk problems that are created by many ready made cables. There is only one way to make an RGB scart and that is by using miniature co-axial cable to all pins. Hard work but great fun and time consuming.
Now the linking of the receivers, DVD-RW/VCR etc to the Pioneer VSX-909 RDS Audio/Video Multi Channel Receiver
The Echostar AD 3600 IP , Manhattan Plaza XT-F 100 (Channel Master dish), Echostar AD 3600 IP Viacess, Manhattan Plaza XT-F 100 (Triax Dish), Quali 1080 and Technomate TM-6900 are connected into a 6 Way scart commander unit. All cables are RGB and stereo audio capable, and are also wired for composite. The output cable from the the Scart Auto Commander provides RGB output and a composite output, both with stereo audio.
The RGB goes to the TV via a manual Scart Switch and also to the composite on the Pioneer Amplifier.
Most of the cables plugging into the TV carry an audio signal. Unfortunately the one failing of the Sharp TV has such poor audio, I therefore take the audio back out of the TV via the two RCA on the rear of the TV into CD player input of the Pioneer Amplifier.
By setting the Sharp TV and also the Pioneer Amplifier to “Surround Sound” I have found produces an exceptional manufactured surround sound capability.
Switched signals from the Pioneer are then fed into a 4 way Keene Data Video line amplifier combined time base corrector (TBC) to provide the connection of the composite TV signals to the TV.
Because of the introduction of DVD-RW capability (mentioned earlier) this has brought about the introduction of a Video/Audio sender that can transmit by RF to the bedrooms. The Video Audio sender can be plugged into either the Pioneer output (same as main TV) or the Quintro link. A homemade double scart socket at the front of the main cabinet provides the plug in source.
DVD and VCR audio are routed to the Pioneer via a BTech Quarttro scart switch and as previously mentioned this Quarttro signal is also carried to the Quintro Scart switch for onward to the computers and the Monitor/TV.
The Panasonic Sky Digi-box, Astratec Freeview, the 90 centimetre dish Echostar AD 3600 IP Viaccess receiver and I metre dish Manhattan XT-F 100 receivers can be switched via a B Tech Manual switch to either the Panasonic VCR or the Toshiba DVD-RW as well as the computers.
The system has been designed to avoid as much manual switching as possible. The whole system can be controlled from my bed via an X 10 PowerMid receiver.
A/B switches allow me to use the Technomate TM-6900, Quali IRC 1080 and the Spectralook on both dishes. These are low loss manual switches.
This is the system that is the ultimate “must” for the couch potato”. Yes I would agree, but I had to design it that way because of my disabilities as I have somewhat limited ambulation and 50% hearing loss.
Summary.
How do I use all of this equipment?
I mainly use the 1.2metre dish for my feed hunting unless I want to search beyond 37.5 degrees West, the Channel Master view is crested by the house beyond Telstar 11N (37.5 West). If I find something interesting I move the Triax dish to the interesting satellite and TP and leave it there whilst I carry on searching with the Channel Master set up.
Feed hunting is now virtually all done by Blind Search receivers.
Just enter the parameters I wish to search and set the receiver to search. Anything going on will be found. The only shortfall of the Technomate is that the receivers do not provide the FEC (Forward Error Correction) and it has a poor db threshold and it will not handle Symbol Rates (SR) below 2000.
Of course if you have the available cash you can buy a spectrum analyser and give up fishing with a rod and go to fine mesh net fishing, so to speak.
Moving on then, as I have said previously, received pictures can be viewed either on the TV or via the computer composite feed set up. I can use one dish arrangement on the TV, the other on the computer, or vice a versa or mix and match so to speak. Having several receivers also allows me to leave one on an active feed whilst another searches the rest of the satellite.
Any received signals can be recorded on any of the recorders that are free at the required time. This can be done either via the Pioneer Receiver Amplifier, or by simply wiring by a phono leads to the third input on the face of the DVD/VCR recorders
The Triax dish set up can be used in the same manner as the Channel Master.
Often I buy a piece of equipment to test, set it up, try it, don’t like it and move it on. Now and again a piece of equipment comes along that I do like and it stays and becomes integrated into the system. I can assure you there are not many pieces that stay!
I think part of my passion for satellite TV is the construction and design of a system that makes the equipment work to its utmost functionality, integration and performance. I am always looking for new ways to do things, and new equipment to try. Unfortunately most manufacturers and their vendors do not like honesty, nor do some satellite magazines, and I can write honestly because I do not have to rely on advertisers to obtain my revenue!
After reading this you may doubt my mental stability. I can assure you that it is Satellite TV that has maintained my sanity! Further more, where we are all going in the end, you cannot take your money with you, so why not spend it on something you enjoy doing whilst you are here.
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