Setting up satellite dishes can be a fine business. To help align these precision antennas, satellite viewers are often used, which can display audio and video emissions from the satellite while providing signal strength readings for fine tuning. However, these devices can also be used in interesting ways for more terrestrial purposes (link to Youtube).
Using DMYCO V8 Finder, [Corrosive] demonstrates how to set up a device to capture terrestrial amateur streams. Satellite reception typically involves the use of a low-noise unit converter that converts the high-frequency satellite signal to a lower intermediate frequency. Operating in the 1.2GHz amateur band, this is not necessary, so the device is configured to use an LNB frequency of 10,000 and a channel frequency entered as a multiple of ten higher. Then, [Corrosive] is tuned to an amateur channel at 1254 MHz, which is entered as 11254 MHz, to account for the missing LNB.
[Corrosive] points out that when using an F-connector to a BNC adapter with this setting, it is important to choose one that does not break the center pin to the screen, as this will damage the device. This is because it is designed to power the LNB via the F-connector for satellite operation.
By simply reconfiguring a satellite finder with a main scanner antenna, it is possible to create a useful amateur TV receiver. If you’re wondering how to broadcast, [Corrosive] covered that too. Video after the break.
Comments are closed.