Don't bin your squarial - It works on digital broadcasts - Page 2 - Techwatch Support Forums: Digital & Satellite TV, FTA, Cable, Computers, Mobile Phones, Apple and General Tech Forums

BGonaSTICK · 30-09-06, 07:13 PM

Never mind. Someone else will hopefully find a use for it.

nanochickin · 29-11-06, 09:41 PM

Quote:

I'm now encouraged to have a go with my minidish if the weather forecast is correct and its warm this weekend

Did you manage to get anything out of your minidish AS. :?

I was just wondering if next time you get it out (ooh err!!!!

) you can try to see if you can get the horizontal transponders on it. I only managed to get the verticals on my squarial.

I'm just interested to see if the mini dish has any more capability than the squarial. 8)

Nano

Analoguesat · 29-11-06, 10:03 PM

Never got around to any meaningful tests. unfortuantely I was totally wrapped up in replacing our computer system at the local high school for the summer, and was so exhausted when I got home the last thing I wanted to do was start playing with dishes in my free time. Possibly over the Christmas holiday now.. Full details will be posted once experiments start!

jonesjones · 25-05-08, 10:10 PM

hi there - whats a squareial ..?

Robbo · 25-05-08, 10:16 PM

It is a satellite TV antenna for the old BSB company, which later merged or was taken over by Sky.

Robbo

nanochickin · 26-05-08, 12:45 AM

Thats the one

michael01707 · 26-05-08, 01:44 PM

Am I right in thinking that it works as if it is a big LNB feed collecting the signal rather than the conventional dish which collects the signal and reflects it to the LNBF?

Robbo · 26-05-08, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael01707

Am I right in thinking that it works as if it is a big LNB feed collecting the signal rather than the conventional dish which collects the signal and reflects it to the LNBF?

Something like that

Yes, there is no separate LNB. I think they are printed patch arrays. The amount of signal collected is still determined by size.

nvingo · 28-05-08, 05:21 AM

Inside is a big PCB with a grid of small aerials printed on it. In front of that are some perspex sheets with the polarising elements printed on. Rotating one of these (by 180 degrees?) swaps the circular polarisation from right to left handed.
There is only one band and one preset polarisation so the aerial does not accept switching voltages or tones. It will receive vertically or horizontally polarised signals but IIRC any aerial/LNB set up or adapted for circular polarisation suffers very slight reduction in signal with H/V.
With circular polarisation the skew doesn't matter - as long as the aerial points directly at the satellite it can be any orientation. Maybe with H/V signals rotating it slightly will bring in more signal.
The BSB system used a non-standard intermediate frequency, hence the difference between actual and displayed frequency on a "normal" receiver connected to a BSB antenna. Many modern receivers have the option to choose from typical LNB downconverter values or program an explicit value which would allow correct frequency display.

5bellies · 22-12-08, 12:40 AM

Weren't the Marcopolo birds left & right hand circular polarisation?

30-09-06, 07:13 PM	#11 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Dodgy Geezer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 9,718 Thanks: 3 Thanked 163 Times in 57 Posts	Re: Don't bin your squarial - It works on digital broadcasts Never mind. Someone else will hopefully find a use for it. __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

29-11-06, 10:03 PM	#13 (permalink)
Analoguesat manic midlander retired mod Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,668 Thanks: 21 Thanked 1,334 Times in 985 Posts	Re: Don't bin your squarial - It works on digital broadcasts Never got around to any meaningful tests. unfortuantely I was totally wrapped up in replacing our computer system at the local high school for the summer, and was so exhausted when I got home the last thing I wanted to do was start playing with dishes in my free time. Possibly over the Christmas holiday now.. Full details will be posted once experiments start! __________________ Basic forum rules for both satellite & cable: no keys no patches no offering or asking for card shares Anyone pm'ing me for details of card sharing or anything to do with hacking cable will be banned immediately Analogue forever!!

25-05-08, 10:10 PM	#14 (permalink)
jonesjones Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Don't bin your squarial - It works on digital broadcasts hi there - whats a squareial ..?

26-05-08, 12:45 AM	#16 (permalink)
nanochickin Retired Mod & Sat Guru Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wolverhampton Posts: 3,825 Thanks: 46 Thanked 338 Times in 270 Posts	Re: Don't bin your squarial - It works on digital broadcasts Thats the one __________________ Sanity is nothing more than an excuse to be boring

26-05-08, 01:44 PM	#17 (permalink)
michael01707 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 15 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Don't bin your squarial - It works on digital broadcasts Am I right in thinking that it works as if it is a big LNB feed collecting the signal rather than the conventional dish which collects the signal and reflects it to the LNBF?

28-05-08, 05:21 AM	#19 (permalink)
nvingo Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cambs, UK Posts: 400 Thanks: 6 Thanked 64 Times in 60 Posts	Re: Don't bin your squarial - It works on digital broadcasts Inside is a big PCB with a grid of small aerials printed on it. In front of that are some perspex sheets with the polarising elements printed on. Rotating one of these (by 180 degrees?) swaps the circular polarisation from right to left handed. There is only one band and one preset polarisation so the aerial does not accept switching voltages or tones. It will receive vertically or horizontally polarised signals but IIRC any aerial/LNB set up or adapted for circular polarisation suffers very slight reduction in signal with H/V. With circular polarisation the skew doesn't matter - as long as the aerial points directly at the satellite it can be any orientation. Maybe with H/V signals rotating it slightly will bring in more signal. The BSB system used a non-standard intermediate frequency, hence the difference between actual and displayed frequency on a "normal" receiver connected to a BSB antenna. Many modern receivers have the option to choose from typical LNB downconverter values or program an explicit value which would allow correct frequency display. Last edited by nvingo; 28-05-08 at 05:30 AM.

22-12-08, 12:40 AM	#20 (permalink)
5bellies Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 64 Thanks: 4 Thanked 16 Times in 12 Posts	Re: Don't bin your squarial - It works on digital broadcasts Weren't the Marcopolo birds left & right hand circular polarisation?