SatCure LNB fitting instructions

We have been selling LNBs since 1995 and always thought that how to fit them was obvious!

But recently I've had a few people complaining that we didn't provide fitting instructions.

Well, that's fair comment and we specialise in making technical things easy to understand so here goes.

First, if you are replacing an existing LNB, it's good idea to touch the dish as little as possible. If the dish is already aligned correctly, you don't want to move it even a fraction of a degree!

So, make a careful note of the position of the LNB. There are often two possible adjustments.

1. Focus - the LNB can be slid back and forth to set its exact distance from the dish.

2. Skew - the LNB can be rotated. Often numbered 1 to 5.

Carefully remove the LNB from the dish arm. For a conventional fitting, the LNB will be held by a "saddle clamp" and two screws. Remove the screws and lift out the LNB.

For a Sky minidish the LNB has a plastic spigot or "finger" which is pushed into the dish arm (except latest MK4 type which fits OVER the arm). To remove the LNB, remove plastic pin and place a piece of wood or thick card against the cap that faces the dish and strike it smartly with a piece of wood or mallet. The LNB spigot should spring out of the hollow dish arm.

Now the old LNB is free from the dish arm, cut off any self-amalgamating tape with a sharp blade or remove the rubber cap that keeps rainwater out of the screw "F" connector. Unscrew the "F" connector. If it is tight you will need an 11 mm spanner.

Check the cable for signs of corrosion. If water has entered it, the cable will be ruined and may cause some channels to give a "blocky" picture (or none at all). The typical life of unprotected cable outdoors is 5 years. You can protect the cable by giving it a good, thick coating of oil-based paint or by routing it through conduit or trunking.

Screw the cable to the new LNB. The modern quad-output LNB has an integral pulldown rain cover, but condensation can still get into the connections, so apply a liberal coating of silicone grease inside each 'F' plug, before tightening, then pull the cover down. If there is no such cover on your new LNB, use a rubber boot or self-amalgamating tape to waterproof the connection so that rainwater can not enter the connection. This is most important since water can quickly run down the inside of the cable and straight into your satellite receiver! If you don't have any self-amalgamating tape or boots, use Blu-Tack temporarily. DO NOT use any other tape such as PVC electrical tape, Sellotape or Duct tape, because it's impossible to make a waterproof seal and such tape will simply trap water inside, making a bad job even worse.

Unused LNB outputs can be protected with a little "Blu-Tack" to keep out moisture. If the LNB comes with plastic caps fitted to the output threads, put a little silicone grease into each cap and push onto unused output connectors.

See "How to fit an 'F' connector" and "Using silicone Grease".

Aligning the dish

If your dish needs realigning then, provided that it is only slightly misaligned and still receiving a signal, you can achieve perfect alignment by using your Sky Digibox.

Connect a portable TV to your Digibox with a cable long enough to reach. Position the portable TV in a window close to the dish or tie it to the ladder (care!) where you can see it. Don't bother to try the "wife looks and shouts instructions" method. It doesn't work!)

Select the Digibox signal menu by pressing [services] 4 6.

Set the dish to give maximum signal.

Set the LNB focal position (if adjustable) to give maximum signal.

Now rotate the LNB clockwise from vertical ("skew") to give maximum "signal quality".

If you are getting no signal at all, then you may need to use a meter to locate the satellite position first.

Please DO inspect the dish assembly on delivery. If there is a problem please REJECT the whole delivery so you don't have to pay for return postage. Cosmetic faults, such as scratched paint, are deemed acceptable because we advise you to paint all parts (except the LNB cap that faces the dish) to protect them from the effects of sun and rain. Matt paint is recommended.

Dents and distortion to the face of the dish (no matter how slight) are not acceptable and you should reject any delivery where there is such damage. Slight rim damage is usually permissible if it does not affect the dish face.

If any parts are missing, please contact our SALES department using the email form and state which parts are missing.

LNB Pictures

Sky minidish LNBs are different from standard LNBs.

1. They have a "spigot" or "finger" which slides into the dish arm.
2. They are designed to focus on an oval area. This prevents them from picking up excessive background noise, which an ordinary LNB will do when used with an oval dish.

How can I tell if I have a minidish LNB?

By inspection of the feed horn shape.

The SX1019 on the left has circular scalar rings inside the feed horn. It is designed to be used with a nearly circular dish. (A dish which is truly circular when viewed from the focal point at which the LNB is fixed.)

The SX1019/S on the right is designed specifically for a Sky minidish which is wider than its height. This type of LNB can also be used with a Raven dish of a similar shape to the Sky minidish.

Both LNBs are made by Philips. The one on the right, however, is branded "Skyware".

We never know what type of LNB we are going to receive when we order a "Sky Minidish" LNB so we (and you) are left guessing till they arrive. Listed below are some that we've had in the past.

If you have a Channel Master dish (see photo) then the only LNB we could offer that would fit was the MTI QUAD-S819010705 (below). Supplies now have dried up but we think a MK4 LNB should fit, with a bit of bodging (drill a hole and fit a self-tapping screw).

Sky LNB with pull-down cover

If you need to replace a Sky Minidish LNB, the first thing to do is measure the arm to which it fits.

The very latest Sky LNB was introduced in May 2009. You are UNLIKELY to have this type unless your dish was fitted after May 2009. It can not be fitted to an earlier dish without a different mount.*

It has a pulldown cover to protect the connections from direct rain. All they need is a little silicone grease to keep moisture out.

*The MK4 Sky Quad LNB has an optional old-style 28 mm converter mount available (order separately). Only the new-style mount has the spirit level which cannot (normally) be transferred to the older style mount - unless you fancy a bit of hacking and glueing.

Note that the green fluorescene in the spirit level will fade in sunlight so it should be covered when not in use.

The MK4 mount has a "saddle" fitting that goes over the arm which is a 27 mm wide channel (not tube).

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Obsolete Types, below

Mk2-3 MTI QUAD-S819010705 LNB

Comes with plastic adapters to fit on various makes of Sky minidish and Sky zone 2 dishes. For the Triax dish with a hole in its arm, use the adapter with the hole and plastic pin. For other dishes choose the adapter that gives the best signal indication.

It has a pulldown cover to protect the connections from direct rain. All they need is a little silicone grease to keep moisture out.

Spigot dimensions 20 x 5 mm approx. (Mk2)
Spigot adapter dimensions: 28 x 18.5 mm (Mk3)

Inside the MTI plastic cover is the actual metal casting. Red arrow points at the scalar steps, which are oval in shape to give optimum performance with an oval dish.

Has a spigot measuring 28 x 18.5 mm and NO adapter mouldings. Fits most Sky minidishes but notably NOT the Channel Master minidish.

Has a pulldown cover for the 'F' connectors. 38.5 mm neck. Plastic pin supplied.

The red arrow indicates the 1 2 3 4 5 markings for setting the "skew". Start at 3 and adjust for optimum "signal quality" indication.

This LNB also has a pulldown cover to protect the connections from direct rain. All they need is a little silicone grease to keep moisture out.

Inside the Zinwell plastic cover is the actual metal casting. Red arrows point at the scalar steps, which are designed to give optimum performance with an oval dish.

Sky minidish LNB with very small spigot that fits the old Channel Master dish. (No longer manufactured AFAIK.)

Here is a very early type of "Universal" LNB used with a Sky "minidish" (no longer manufactured).

Inside that plastic rain cover is the actual LNB. Note the difference in scalar ring height (red arrows). The side projections allow the LNB to focus on a wide area in the horizontal plane, while the top and bottom projections are longer and focus the LNB on a narrower area in the vertical plane. This LNB is designed specifically for an oval dish and will give very poor results with a dish that is roughly circular or a dish that is taller than it is wide.

The skew setting on the early type LNB.

Here is an obsolete Philips SC519QS/S Quad output LNB, which used to be supplied with the SKY-plus system with adapters for the "minidish". The red arrow points to the special oval shaped "scalar" steps in the feed horn. These cause the LNB to focus exactly on the oval shape of the "minidish", using the full dish area but without picking up reflections from the wall behind. This type of LNB would not give good results with a circular dish.

Some dealers are offering a standard Twin-output or Quad output LNB with an adapter to fit the "minidish". The adapter fits a treat. Unfortunately, the LNB will not give optimum performance - and could result in "rain dropout" during bad weather.

(We can supply an adapter to fit a 40 mm LNB to a Sky minidish but you use it at your own risk).

However, you may prefer to buy a standard dish of, say, 60 cm diameter and use a standard 40 mm neck twin-output or quad-output LNB with this. The match and fitting will be perfect and the "rain dropout" will be very rare.

If you are fitting a Quad-output or OCTO LNB to your dish, read this page.

How to align a minidish, read this page.