Satellite converter LNB, for receiving a satellite signal, failure. Converters for satellite dishes

Satellite TV today frequent guest in almost every home. It is very convenient to use both in a city apartment and in a country house, where a satellite TV set is simply necessary to brighten up monotonous, idle days.

So, the decision was made to connect satellite television, and even a satellite broadcast operator was selected. Congratulations!

There's only one small thing left to do: you need to choose a suitable converter for receiving Tricolor TV channels. What are the main differences between existing models, and what parameters you should focus on when choosing a device, we’ll talk further.

A converter is that remote part of the antenna that serves to receive an RF signal and transmit it via cable to the receiver, so that after conversion the signal can go directly to the TV.

Other names related to the product that you may find:

Convector. This is what the device is called by those who have been dealing with satellite television for a long time;
Head. It is jargon and is used among professional craftsmen;
LNB. You can find such a mention in the literature. This abbreviation stands for the following: “low-noise block”, which means low-noise block.

The last definition is the main parameter that you should focus on when choosing a converter. Currently, for all products on the market, this level is quite low and ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 decibels. At this level, the device has virtually no effect on the noise level. However, if the level is higher, you should refuse it.

The converter is installed on a special rod, or remote bracket, as it is also called, and installed in such a way that the receiving part is located at the focal point of the signal reflected from the dish. The converter is used to receive a signal from a satellite.

What device options are there?

First of all, let's look at the main types of converters, such as:

C-band converters;
Ku-band converters.

The main difference is the different frequency range of the received signal. For the first group of devices it ranges from 3400 to 4200 MHz, for the second from 10700 to 12750 MHz.

In our country, devices of the first type are practically not used and, as a result, they are almost impossible to find on sale, however, when buying a converter, you need to pay special attention to this indicator so that the device works correctly in the future.

Everyone Russian operators Satellite television uses the Ku band for signal transmission. This is the type of converter you choose.

If you do not purchase a device from an official Tricolor representative, be sure to check its operating range in order to avoid conflicts in the operation of the equipment.

In addition, when buying a converter for Tricolor TV, you need to make sure that it is a type of circular polarization converter; this will be indicated by the Circle inscription on the product packaging.

There are also linear polarization converters that have the inscription Universal in their designation. Such devices are not suitable for Tricolor TV. Be careful! Despite the Universal designation, which translates as “universal,” converters with this marking are linear, not universal. And in our case they don’t fit!

What parameters should you pay attention to?

For the user, the most important parameter will be the number of inputs on the device, because it determines how many TVs you can connect to one dish. The following options are available:

SINGLE. Has one entrance;
TWIN. The device has two inputs;
QUAD. The converter is equipped with 4 inputs;
OCTO. Rarely used option for 8 outputs.

How many inputs the device will have depends on how many TVs you are going to connect to satellite television. Do not forget also that you will also need several cables, and if you connect three TVs to satellite television, you will need to lay 3 cables from the dish to the house.

Of course, you can use a divisor satellite signal to reduce the number of inputs in the converter and save money on cabling. However, it is important to remember that such devices, despite all possible innovations, still create an interference level of at least 5 dB (decibels), which will have a bad effect on the quality of the received signal. Therefore, it is better to immediately buy a device for the required number of inputs and pay for laying the cable in order to fully enjoy the high quality satellite TV provided by Tricolor to its customers. The divider will also not work if you subscribe to multiple satellite TV operators.

Which price group to choose

It all depends on what city in Russia you live in. The company's Tricolor satellite occupies a position aligned with our longitude, and the signal level in most cities is excellent. Therefore, you can buy a not very expensive receiver; this will not affect the quality of the signal. This applies to everyone who is in the zone >50 dB; practice shows that converters of all price groups work great with Tricolor TV!

Some masters offer their clients to install several receivers on one dish, and although Tricolor will provide work in this case, it is better to install one converter for several inputs, the signal quality will be higher.

The main thing is not to save money when buying a converter, and not to buy cheap Chinese devices, with excellent characteristics, this is usually not true.

How to understand that the quality of the converter leaves much to be desired? It’s very simple - if the HD picture on the channels is stratified into “squares,” it means that the device is not working well, and you made the wrong choice in favor of saving money.

The converter is one of the main parts of the satellite television set and there is no need to save on it.

What to do if the device does not work

A converter is a device for receiving a satellite TV signal; you can understand that it is not working based on the most important sign - the absence or decrease in the quality of the received signal.

It is very important, before blaming the converter for signal loss, to exclude all other signs:

Bad weather. The signal may deteriorate for a short time, this is rare, but it does happen;
Cable damage. Make sure there is no damage anywhere on the line;
Poor contact. It can also cause signal quality deterioration. Check all connections and make sure there is no disconnection anywhere;
Badly installed card subscriber or insufficient funds in the account.

All these and more possible reasons The absence of a signal should be excluded before touching the converter directly. The device is quite reliable and should not fail.

Do not save money or buy converters of questionable quality from unverified sources. Do not invite unprofessional craftsmen to install the satellite system; check the quality of the purchased products and ask for quality certificates. Do not buy converters that do not meet the parameters stated in the article.

The best thing to do is just contact the satellite television operator Tricolor TV and order branded device based on your needs. You can also call the Tricolor master for correct installation and system settings.

Taking these simple steps, you can provide yourself with high-quality satellite television anywhere in our beautiful and large country. Do not forget also that official equipment installed by certified specialists is covered by warranty.

Enjoy the signal quality with the Tricolor TV operator!

As you probably know, the dish (satellite dish) has satellite converter or converters, for different purposes.

No, it’s me, there’s only one goal!

Catch a signal from a satellite and process this signal beautifully. In order for a beautiful picture to appear on the TV.

The LNB or satellite head is installed on the receiving satellite antenna. If you want to watch movies from many satellites, then there will be not one but several satellite converters.

And so we have clarity that converters are designed to convert received signals, namely, to lower the frequency spectrum, linearly transfer it to a lower frequency region.

Why such transformations?

The need for such a conversion arises because the frequencies at which satellites operate are too high to transmit via cable.

The decoding of the abbreviation LNB ambiguously hints at the main characteristic of the converters and this is the noise level, you probably guessed, the lower the noise, the better.

The noise level of modern converters does not play a big role, since it usually ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 decibels and has virtually no effect on the signal quality.

This LNB device or satellite converter is mounted on a special holder called a remote bracket (included in the satellite dish kit) so that the head is in the focus of the antenna mirror.

Satellite converters can be divided into groups according to several criteria.

For broadcasting TV programs from satellite, 2 bands are used. C-band is a frequency band from 3.4 to 4.2 GHz. Ku-band is a frequency band from 10.7 to 12.75 GHz. The Ku-band is too wide, so it is divided into 2 sub-bands: lower (10.7-11.7 GHz) and upper (11.7-12.75 GHz).

The Ku-band converter includes two local oscillators to work with both sub-bands. As a rule, a local oscillator with a frequency of 10.6 GHz is used for the upper subband, and 9.75 GHz for the lower subband.

LNBs come in circular (Circle) and linear (Universal) polarization. There are two types of satellite signal polarization: left-right (circular) and vertical-horizontal (linear).

Different satellite TV operators operate with different polarizations. The most common ones are presented below:

Tricolor TV -CIRCULAR
NTV Plus -CIRCULAR
Telecard - UNIVERSAL
Continent TV -UNIVERSAL
Rainbow TV -UNIVERSAL

LNBs differ in the number of independent outputs. There are converters with one (SINGLE), two (TWIN), four (QUAD) and eight (OCTO) outputs. If you buy a converter to watch satellite TV on only one TV, then you need a converter with one output.

If you intend to install the kit on 2 TVs, then the converter, accordingly, should have two outputs. Sometimes, in order not to run a lot of wires into the apartment, instead of installing, for example, a converter with four outputs, they use a satellite signal divider.

Outwardly, this really looks more aesthetically pleasing and in some cases much more convenient, but we should not forget that when using a divider you get about 5 decibels of noise into the load, which will negatively affect the quality of the signal.

But in some cases, you can’t do without a divider when the house has already been finished and wired for terrestrial television. IN in this case It’s just that you can’t do without a divider.

Remember!

The average converter can last from one to five years, depending on environmental factors, mainly the amount of precipitation and humidity.

There are also cases when, due to a manufacturing defect, the converter fails within a couple of weeks from the moment of installation.

But even in this case, there is no point in searching for the truth, since it is unrealistic to prove that the cause of the breakdown is the quality of the converter’s assembly, and the warranty, as a rule, does not apply to them.

There is an opinion that it is easier to buy a new one than to repair it. But this is also not a panacea for everyone. Since we are already talking about a new converter, we would like to bring to your attention a new product for reliable 4K reception.

Universal converter with linear polarization (2 outputs).

The Inverto Essential converter is perfect solution For satellite reception broadcasting throughout Europe, allowing you to get the most out of your antenna.

The developers of Inverto Essential took care of the 4G/LTE signal filter, so mobile networks new generation, do not interfere with the excellent reception of this converter!

What is relevant, low noise figure, low level phase noise, DVB-S2 (HDTV) and 4K Ultra HD compatible, low power consumption, high Cross-Pole performance.

Key Features:

Low phase noise, DVB-S2 (HDTV) compatible
Ultra Low Noise technology ULN+
Low power consumption
High cross-polarization characteristics
High frequency stability
Noise figure: 0.3 dB (ULN+) Typ. (0.7dB Max.)
Input Low range: 10.70-11.70 GHz
Input High range: 11.7-12.75 GHz
Output Low range: 950-1950 MHz
Output High range: 1100-2150 MHz
Low local oscillator frequency: 9.75 GHz
High frequency local oscillator: 10.60 GHz
Waterproof housing
Number of outputs: 2

How to determine if the converter is faulty?

There are not many disease syndromes of satellite converters.

And so, during a manual search, the receiver shows that the signal strength is more than 50 percent, but the quality is 0 percent. But often the same indicators occur when you mistakenly tuned in to another satellite.

Or even like this... sometimes converters “lose polarization”, or only some of the frequencies. At the same time, some channels are not shown. The receiver displays the message “No signal”.

As a rule, the effective treatment under any circumstances is to replace the faulty converter with a new one.
It must be remembered that the new converter must be of the same polarization as the previously failed one.

At self-installation satellite converter, be careful not to change the antenna direction angle, this will save you from having to re-adjust the antenna to the satellite.

Let's sum it up

Converter functions

Converter for converting microwave to more low frequency, called intermediate (900–2150 MHz). The signal at this frequency is transmitted through the cable to the receiver and fed to its antenna input.

To reduce the received frequency spectrum, one or two local oscillators are built into the converter - stabilized high-frequency sources. The input frequency is reduced by subtracting the local oscillator frequency from it.

Converter for amplification of the received signal. After all, the signal from the satellite is received with very low power, which is completely unacceptable in the paths of receiving equipment. Therefore, the second, no less important, function of the converter is amplification.

The 13/18 V signal is used in modern universal converters only to switch polarization.

Universal converters differ from other full-range Ku-band converters in the versatility of the signals that control band switching and polarization, and also in the fact that these signals are transmitted over a single cable with an intermediate frequency.

If there is a need to receive broadcasts in both bands (C- and Ku-), you can go in three ways:

Firstly, install two converters on the antenna, each with its own feed and polarizer. But in this case, the feed of at least one converter will not be entirely in the focus of the antenna, which will somewhat reduce the directivity of the antenna;

secondly, purchase a design called a C/Ku rotor, which includes irradiators for the C and Ku bands, dividing the received flow into two parts. C/Ku rotors are produced combined with electromechanical polarizers.

But at the same time, there are significant losses in the power of Ku-band signals and frequent failure of the moving parts of the electromechanical polarizer, especially when low temperatures;

thirdly, install a combined converter for receiving C- and Ku-bands, which is still inferior to separate converters in terms of technical characteristics.

Converters must be sealed. Otherwise, due to daily temperature fluctuations, condensation forms inside the converter, which leads to a deterioration in its parameters and, ultimately, to failure.

In addition to insufficient tightness, there are other variants of design defects, for example, high damage during operation sun rays or temperature changes.

We got to the place about with an offset satellite dish, read it.

Breakdowns do happen, and it is quite difficult to insure against such pitfalls when purchasing. Here's a video that can help when repairing the head:

In addition, we will look specifically at setting up the LNB, what and why, and most importantly, what I do before the onset of cold weather and also recommend the same in the spring.

Good luck, Friends!

Without of this device V satellite system, of course, there is no way around it. Converter important part for watching satellite TV. Since it is a parabolic mirror, thanks to this shape the signal is focused at one point, specified by the geometric parameters of the antenna.

From Fig. 1 it is clear that, due to its spherical shape, the signal falling on the mirror of the satellite “dish” is reflected strictly in one direction and focused at one point. The converter is attached to this point. It “collects” the signal coming to it. The received signal is then amplified and converted to a low frequency. After this, the signal is transmitted to the cable.

Converter(more precisely, this device is called LNB, from “Low Noise Block” low-noise block) is designed to convert the frequency of the electromagnetic wave “Ku” (10...13 GHz) or “C” range (3.5...4.5 GHz) into a lower intermediate frequency 0.95...2.5 GHz so that the signal can be transmitted with minimal losses via cable to the satellite receiver (receiver). Thanks less high frequency signal and its increased power, you can use an inexpensive signal and increase its length up to one hundred meters without significant loss of the signal.

All converters are characterized by their own noise factor. The lower the self-noise, the better the converter. The typical value of this parameter, which is indicated by converter manufacturers, is 0.3 - 0.5 dB. On at the moment There are no converters with an intrinsic noise of less than 0.3 dB on the general market. All manufacturers' claims that their converters have a noise figure of 0.1 dB are a marketing ploy.

The variety of converters is very large. We will highlight three main types that are most often used in our everyday life.

“C” band converter.
“Ku” band converter with circular polarization.
Universal “Ku” band converter (vertical and horizontal polarization).


"C" band converter	Universal “Ku” band converter	Ku-band converter with circular polarization. (outwardly no different from the universal one)

Tell me which converter I should choose. Let's figure out how to choose the right one converter(LNB). I can safely reassure you that when choosing a converter you will not have any particular difficulties or problems. Since the characteristics of most converters used in household satellite television very similar.

The first thing you need to decide is the type of converter (LNB), i.e. in what range it will be used in “Ku” or “C”. Fundamental difference between the types of converters is that they operate in different frequency ranges.

The C-band local oscillator frequency is 5150 MHz. In addition, the C-band LNB is larger in size compared to the Ku-band LNB. First of all, this is due to the different wavelengths.

Universal “Ku” band converters have a dual-frequency local oscillator. The use of such a local oscillator is determined by the fact that the Ku-band is quite wide, according to this Ku-band is divided into two sub-ranges: the lower 10700 - 11800 MHz and the upper 11800 - 12750 MHz. Switching between bands is carried out by a signal transmitted via cable from a satellite receiver (receiver). In modern universal converters, bands are switched using a 22 kHz signal. And to switch the polarization, a 13/18 V signal is used.

If you have chosen a Ku-band converter, you must take into account the LNB type: linear or circular. If you don’t go into details of the technical differences between them, then we can say that when you purchase a universal converter, you can easily turn it into a circular one, but a universal converter is linear from the very beginning. For the most part, all satellites have a predominant list of channels in the Ku-band, mainly with linear polarization. An exception is the NTV+ and Tricolor TV packages, which broadcast in circular polarization and require a converter with circular polarization.

Characteristics that you need to pay attention to when choosing a converter. This is the noise figure described above and which is important technical parameter. Noise figure is measured in dB (decibels) and indicates the threshold value of the signal level c below which the signal will be lost. In accordance with this, it would be reasonable to assume that the lower the noise figure we install the converter, the more weak signal we can accept.

For C-band converters, a value equivalent to the noise figure is used, it is called noise temperature. This is an effective quantity that serves as a measure of the noise power in radio receiving devices; it is equal to the temperature of an absolutely black body or matched resistance, at which the power of its thermal noise is equal to the noise power of this device. According to this, the lower the noise temperature value, the lower the noise threshold value, the better. The typical noise temperature for currently produced C-band converters is 15K.

There are also a number of converters that differ from conventional ones - these are converters with several independent outputs.

In fact, everything is simple here. If you decide to add a couple more TVs for independent viewing, then you need to focus on a certain number of outputs on the converter. Independent outputs give us the opportunity to view satellite channels different polarizations, regardless of the number of receivers connected to the converter. Suppose you have a receiver with a TV in each room, and there are four of them, then you need to purchase a converter for four outputs, i.e. Quadro.

Russians are stuck with millions of converters different colors and configurations. Increasingly, problems are arising with them, associated both with bad weather conditions and with a lack of visibility into the condition of the antenna installation. There are also problems with wave aliasing and interference from other sources, including LTE transmitters, which older types of converters cannot cope with.

How to choose a satellite converter, is it an indispensable link? You can answer this question only by knowing what kind of antenna installation you plan to use, i.e. will it be reception from one or several satellites and how many tuners will be involved? Do you specifically need a converter for Tricolor or an NTV-plus converter? The type of converter always needs to be thought out in advance, because there are so many of them that you can get lost: linear, circular, universal, digital - the end of the world!

What is a converter

First of all, a satellite converter is a device that is a guide to the world of high quality. It is an element that amplifies received signals and converts their Ku-band frequency (10.7 - 12.75 GHz) or C-band (3.5 - 4.2 GHz) to a lower intermediate frequency of 950 - 2150 MHz.

It works in the following scheme. Satellite services are provided by appropriate transponders. The video signal from the transponders hits the umbrella, is reflected from it and hits the focal point where the converter is attached. It irradiates the antenna and further enhances the signal. From it, amplified and converted to a lower frequency, the signal is transmitted to the input satellite receiver. It is in this device that real miracles happen: the converted signal comes to the TV, and you enjoy watching high-quality images.

LNB converters got their name from the abbreviation, which translated from English language means "low noise unit". And in the Russian user environment you can hear the simplified name “head”.

Design of satellite antenna converters

Some satellites still broadcast in the C-band, and if they are of interest to you, your antenna will need a C-band converter. It works in linear polarization, differs slightly large sizes from its counterparts and is more suitable for direct focus mirrors.

For satellite TV broadcasting

The use of C-band broadcasting, which is currently overloaded, is declining. The main broadcast occurs in the Ku-band. Switch to broadcast in a new frequency spectrum makes it possible to receive with relatively compact dishes.

Relatively popular among Russians satellite operators, then for successful reception and correct operation equipment, choose LNB with the correct parameters:

converter for telecard – Ku band linear converter;
converter for Tricolor - Ku band, circular polarization;
head for NTV plus - Ku band, circular satellite converter.

Number of outputs

The choice of a suitable dish head depends on the number of devices that need to receive the satellite signal.

One way out

LNB with one connector is the simplest type of converter that supports one receiver. The tuner controls the converter depending on what range and polarization it receives. The signal from such an LNB cannot be divided into two tuners with full access to the entire range. The two tuners may provide different control signals to the unit and its operation will become incorrect.

Double output

A satellite circular converter with 2 outputs is suitable for most viewers. It has two independent outputs. Essentially, these are two converters in one housing. This two-port head can support two tuners or a tuner with two signal inputs.

LNB with four outputs

More demanding users will be satisfied with a circular satellite converter with 4 outputs. This quad LNB is equipped with four independent outputs. Its housing contains four individual converters. It can support, for example, four independent tuners or two tuners with PVR function, or two conventional set-top boxes and one with PVR function. A separate one is connected to each tuner.

LNB for eight outputs

And for dessert, for those who want to compete with the “cable guys”, a converter with eight outputs. It also has four outputs, but it is a converter designed to work with a signal splitting device called a multiswitch. Each of the outputs of the quattro block has a different range and polarization. The signal from such an LNB supplied to a multiswitch can be divided into several tens or even hundreds satellite set-top boxes. Therefore, eight-port heads are used with a multiswitch in installations where it is necessary to connect more than four satellite receivers to one antenna.

Double monoblock for one output

When using it to receive from two satellites, there is no need to install two separate LNBs complete with double multifeed and a “Dysec” switch to control their operation. The signal from this LNB model is intended for one receiver.

Double monoblock with two outputs

Similar to a single-port monoblock, but with two independent outputs. Allows reception from two satellites. Can support two independent tuners or one PVR tuner.

LNB with Unicable technology

It has the same functions as a four-pin LNB, but allows you to transmit a signal to four tuners over one cable. To split the signal to different set-top boxes, a satellite splitter will be enough. Thanks to the Unicable solution, there is no need to use a multiswitch or lay separate cables from the dish and converter for each tuner.

Polarization type

The signal coming from transponders, like any electromagnetic wave, has a parameter called polarization. Its main characteristics are the vectors of electromagnetic field strengths: electric and magnetic. The geometric location of these vectors determines the type of polarization of the coming signal.

Main types of signal polarization:

linear (vertical and horizontal);
circular (right and left).

The converter rotation angle is the maximum orientation of the LNB housing relative to its own axis for confident reception signal. It is not always important, but only if the angle of linear polarization does not converge. With circular polarization, it does not matter, and therefore, to receive Tricolor and NTV+, the converter does not need to be rotated.

How to check a satellite converter

The pricing policy of online stores is such that you will definitely want to purchase a converter at their attractive prices, bypassing official suppliers. But when buying such a critical element as an LNB, you must understand that you can be sure of its quality only after trying the converter in action during the initial installation.

Here are the main criteria by which you can judge the performance and quality of a product:

after installing the head in its proper place, the satellite finder already “sees” its signal;
the signal level in a television receiver without fine tuning is 30-40% of the quality scale;
install the LNB in place of another (into a previously configured dish with good welcome) and evaluate the difference.

Satellite converter universal and with circular polarization - a device or device for receiving a signal from a satellite, combines two devices (functions), a signal converter from one range to a specific frequency and a signal amplifier.

Types.

Exists large number various convectors. They differ in local oscillator frequency, type of polarization, noise level, and operate in different frequency ranges.

Let's consider two types of converters operating in the Ku band. Converter data is the most widely used.

1. Universal converter with linear polarization.

One of the most popular converters. Receives programs broadcast with vertical and horizontal polarization from various satellites. For example - Amos 4w, Astra 4.8E, Hotbird 13E and others.

2. Circularly polarized.

Used to operate in the Ku-band 11700-12750 MHz. Exactly like this , with circular polarization, is needed to receive programs from the providers “NTV Plus” and “Tricolor TV”. This converter is appearance, does not differ from the “universal” one, but has a built-in dielectric plate, the so-called. depolarizer and one local oscillator with a frequency of 10750 MHz. The name of the converter contains the inscription Circular Single.

TWIN .

This converter is used on a satellite dish to view television content independently on two TVs.

QUAD .

The use of a Quad converter is due to the need for independent viewing satellite programs- up to four TVs.

Characteristics - Ku band.

Satellite converters are characterized by:

First of all, the noise factor

Local oscillator frequency (9750 MHz and 10600 MHz - universal converter with linear polarization. 10750 MHz - for converter with circular polarization)

For the KU range - a sub-frequency range (lower, upper, Telecom).

Type of signal polarization (horizontal, vertical, circular - left and right)

Number of outputs

What's inside?

When installing satellite dishes, customers sometimes ask, “What's inside?”

Let's take the device apart and see what's inside.