DirecWay Antenna

bozzchem · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:19 pm Post subject:

h3brewing, your results are amazing!

I'm still not hitting the download speeds I want and have two dishes I can work with to increase my signal even further. One is a run of the mill Dish TV dish. The other is a 7ft C-band dish. Both are collecting dust in my yard so both can be put to use to amplify my signal even further. Both are aimed in the general direction of the closest tower so shouldn't need too much adjustment in that arena.

My terrain is somewhat hostile in that I am on 8 wooded acres and I figure once Spring rolls around and the leaves come back my signal will only get worse. The problem is my lack of experience and know how regarding the modification process to do so. I have the tools and can follow directions like a champ. It sounds like you're busy as hell at work but I would appreciate any advice you could give me regarding the required modifications to make this work.

I'm guessing the big ass C-band dish would really make the best antenna due to its massive size. I can do whatever I need to to modify it. Hell, I have another one at my other property that is collecting dust so could bring it over if I screw up the first one.

Thanks!

n6gn · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:20 pm Post subject:

For anyone trying to use the common offset-feed DBS TV dishes (Hughes, DirecTV etc):

Many or most of these antennas use an offset feed rather than one centered on the reflector. This means that the proper arrangement is with the feed off to one side of (but pointed toward) center and the dish mounted so that the reflection from the feed is in the direction of the satellite (cell tower).

Put another way, normal mounting for satellite use is with the dish apparently pointing half way between the feed and the satellite's elevation. Normal mounting for cellular/terrestrial use will not have the feed at right angles with respect to the center of the reflector.

Maybe this is already understood and everybody in this thread knows it but I wasn't completely sure so I thought I would mention it.

n6gn

turkeyhill00 · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Posts: 13

Thanks H3 for the info, I already have a wildblue dish thats already mounted. Would the cable that was used for that work, or do I need a different kind to run from the antenna?

Thanks

h3brewing · EVDO Newbie Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 8 Location: KC, MO

Here is my best shot at some answers:

bozzchem

I would go for the gusto and build out the c-band dish, its worth a shot in my opinion. First your probably going to have to get a panel antenna, I have seen some nice 12db ones out there. Connect it to your dish where the feedhorn assembly used to be and then connect the antenna to an amp and start tuning. To connect it to your house your going to have to get some good lmr400 / 600 cable and then run it inside. Depending on how long of a run you have that could expensive. I know what you mean about dealing with rough terrain, I am on 25 acres. Luckily when I built the house I put us on the edge of the hill so that where I mounted the dish on the back of the house its about 17' off the ground already. I was going to try the chimney chase but its even farther up and the day I was testing it was really windy. Here is the back of the house, on the far left under the eave of the wrap around is where I mounted it.

Let me know if you have any more questions, I will try to respond as time permits.

turkeyhill00

I am pretty sure you are going to have to use a lmr400 / 600 type cable that is 50 ohms. The cable I took out of the direcway dish was regular 75 ohm catv cable and it wont work. after you get the correct cable then I would hook an antenna to your dish and start tuning. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Tks in advance, H3

sharevdo · EVDO Newbie Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 1

Hello all,

I have been following this thread with great interest - I also have an unused DirecWay dish and I would like to use it to boost the signal of my verizon USB720.
Could anyone creat a quicky itemized list of what i need? type of antenna to buy, cable, adaptors(?)

I would like to keep it as simple/bare bones as possible. Is an amp 100% necessary?

Thank you very much h3brewing for the initiative:)

anyone feel free to PM me

Nighthawke70 · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 110

This one might blow some minds if you have a old C-band antenna, plus a directv or dish, dish.

Mount the receiver onto the dish like you would normally do. THEN! Take the assembly and mount it on the C-Band unit, with the smaller dish facing the larger one.
According to my mind's eye, it'll look either crazy or ugly.
I'm calling this the Double C-Cup Rig.

n6gn · Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:56 pm Post subject:

Nighthawke70 · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 110

Umm, did not know that. Lesson learned for the day, thanks!

bozzchem · Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:18 pm Post subject:

In layman's terms, please?

I've got a C-band dish and a Dish network dish sitting here doing nothing.

I have an exterior antenna and an amplifier for my Sierra 595U which dropped me from the low 100s to the 80s/90s (70s on occasion). I haven't been able to hit 1MB/s download which is my goal and don't care about upload. I'm guessing it is as much Sprint's fault as anything since I've used the external antenna/amplifier system in four different cities (Franklinton, Research Triangle Park, Clayton and Raleigh) and still can't break the 1MB barrier.

I need a parts list and a push in the right direction. Please email me directly if I'm taking up too much space on the board. I don't care what the arrangement looks like since nobody can see it out here in the sticks. All I care about is getting back to watching a YouTube video without it buffering every 10 seconds.

I promise that if you provide me with the instructions, again - in regular guy speak to a guy that knows car/home audio and can solder with the best of them, I will put your plans into action and post pics of whatever happens in the process.

Think of me as your guinea pig....but steer me in a direction that is plausible rather than theoretical - assuming that is possible.

bozzchem@hotmail.com is the address I check most often. I already get a ton of spam so if you're serious about helping me slap this together, put something in the subject line so I know it's not someone else who think I need Viagra or some other drug.

Who knows? We may come up with the MOAA (Mother Of All Antennas) or it may just be a pile of wires and metal that eventually ends up in the Granville County landfill! Cool

Thanks in advance to all who help me on this mission.