Your thoughts please on upgrading old system

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Archived from groups: alt.video.satellite.4dtv (More info?)

We have an old Cband system that hasn't been in use for years, but appears
to be in good shape. It appears the ideal way to go would be to buy a
new Digital 4dtv 922 receiver, a videocypher 2 decoder, and perhaps a free
to air receiver. However that would be quite an investment for us not even
knowing if everything works. What would be a cheaper, and more gradual
way to go? We are thinking about hooking up the OLD receiver (Drake 324),
upgrading the LNA to a LNB, and if this works getting an inexpensive FTA
receiver, and eventually buying the 4dtv. Any thoughts? There is also an
old Primstar dish in the garage that I believe we could use for KU band?

 

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Archived from groups: alt.video.satellite.4dtv (More info?)

On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 16:31:28 -0400, "tvviewer" <jimcrowl@aol.com>
wrote:

|We have an old Cband system that hasn't been in use for years, but appears
|to be in good shape. It appears the ideal way to go would be to buy a
|new Digital 4dtv 922 receiver, a videocypher 2 decoder, and perhaps a free
|to air receiver. However that would be quite an investment for us not even
|knowing if everything works. What would be a cheaper, and more gradual
|way to go? We are thinking about hooking up the OLD receiver (Drake 324),
|upgrading the LNA to a LNB, and if this works getting an inexpensive FTA
|receiver, and eventually buying the 4dtv. Any thoughts? There is also an
|old Primstar dish in the garage that I believe we could use for KU band?
|

Before I forget, DRLev's suggestion about the sale going on for the
622 4DTV boxes is a great buy.

Guess I'd start with checking the health of the dish. How big is it
and is it free of distortions. If so, you probably have a great
start. If there are distortions in the dish or it is not very large,
you may have problems with gain, and surely would have problems if you
are considering K Band. Your actuator will probably need replacement
after a long time of not being used. As you noted, you'll need a new
LNB. Might as well get a new feed while you're at it, one that
includes Ku. You might want to check the mounting at the feed as I
don't have a clue as to how those hole patterns and mounting areas
might have changed over the years. My experience with digital was not
good using the cheaper low noise LNB, though analog worked just fine.
I had to put in a PLL LNB, at much greater cost, to get reliable
digital for my 922. I agree that getting the analog system to work
first is a good idea. Alignment problems are much easier to tweak out
with that forgiving signal. Anyway, your proposed approach sounds
like you have a good idea of what needs to be done and it seems a
cautious way to spend your money on parts for the C Band system. I'd
shy away from the small Primstar dish and use the greater Ku gain of
my large dish. The 622 has ports for both C and Ku, so that part is
plug and play, given good alignment and a reliable actuator.

All I know about this is from things I have done in my back yard with
my dish. There are frequent posters here who know far more than me,
so I'm sure any of your questions here will get a response. If the
real experts don't reply, I will try.

Good luck.

Ron (In the Southern California viewing area)

 

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Archived from groups: alt.video.satellite.4dtv (More info?)

If you are interested
NPS, one of the programming providers, is offering a special on new 922's.

http/www.callnps.com/offers.htm


"tvviewer" <jimcrowl@aol.com> wrote in message
news:18937e67c2ebf81c12652dd87979be5f@localhost.talkaboutvideo.com...
| We have an old Cband system that hasn't been in use for years, but appears
| to be in good shape. It appears the ideal way to go would be to buy a
| new Digital 4dtv 922 receiver, a videocypher 2 decoder, and perhaps a free
| to air receiver. However that would be quite an investment for us not even
| knowing if everything works. What would be a cheaper, and more gradual
| way to go? We are thinking about hooking up the OLD receiver (Drake 324),
| upgrading the LNA to a LNB, and if this works getting an inexpensive FTA
| receiver, and eventually buying the 4dtv. Any thoughts? There is also an
| old Primstar dish in the garage that I believe we could use for KU band?
|
|

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.satellite.4dtv (More info?)

"tvviewer" <jimcrowl@aol.com> wrote in message
news:18937e67c2ebf81c12652dd87979be5f@localhost.talkaboutvideo.com...
> We have an old Cband system that hasn't been in use for years, but appears
> to be in good shape. It appears the ideal way to go would be to buy a
> new Digital 4dtv 922 receiver, a videocypher 2 decoder, and perhaps a free
> to air receiver. However that would be quite an investment for us not even
> knowing if everything works. What would be a cheaper, and more gradual
> way to go? We are thinking about hooking up the OLD receiver (Drake 324),
> upgrading the LNA to a LNB, and if this works getting an inexpensive FTA
> receiver, and eventually buying the 4dtv. Any thoughts? There is also an
> old Primstar dish in the garage that I believe we could use for KU band?
>
>
Good posts from the others and hope all goes well with you getting set up.
However I did want to mention that the earlier Models of the Drake 324 were
70Mhz IF systems in which you had to use an LNA and a Downconverter. Later
on in production there was another more expensive version produced referred
to as the 324B "Block System". Unless you own this older version I do not
believe you will be able to use an LNB. In the long run you will need an LNB
anyway, but just didn't want to see you spend money if for some reason you
decide not to complete the project.
Jerry