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132 TELE-audiovision International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 05-06/2013 — TELE-audiovision.com
circular and is switched with a 13/18V
control voltage. The output signal from
the central Ku-band LNB is in the 950 -
1450 MHz range while the outputs from
the two outer Ka-band LNBs (depend-
ing on the 0/22 kHz signal) is 250 MHz
- 750 MHz and 1660 MHz - 2150MHz.
Since satellite receivers can‘t receive
the 250 - 750 MHz frequency band, a
B-band converter (BBC) needs to be
installed between the receiver and the
SL3 the upconverts the 250 - 750 MHz
range back up to the 1160 - 2150 MHz
range.
The BBC is waiting for a 22 kHz con-
trol signal. But this is not the same
continuous 22 kHz tone that is used
with universal LNBs to switch between
the low and high bands. This wouldn‘t
make any sense since this 22 kHz tone
is already being used to switch be-
tween the left and right LNBs. Because
of this the BBC is switched on using a
non-standard „E20300“ DiSEqC com-
mand and off using a non-standard
„E20200“ command. The second Byte
of a correct DiSEqC command usu-
ally specifies the receiver. The values
considered here are 00 (all connected
receivers) or 10 (each LNB, matrix or
SMATV). That‘s why the Ka low band
of both outside LNBs in the SL3 cannot
be received with a standard receiver.
There are two ways around this: ei-
ther the BBC is modified or you use
a programmable DiSEqC generator/
monitor. This is something you can
find, for example, in the Kathrein MSK
33 signal analyzer. This somewhat old-
er signal analyzer doesn‘t just simply
support DiSEqC 1.0/1.2/2.0, it also ex-
pects that the user will enter in RAW
DiSEqC sequences manually. What ap-
pears to be complicated and not very
user-friendly, is actually an absolute
top feature. Aside from that, the DiS-
EqC monitor can also be used to log
DiSEqC commands.
At this point we‘d like to make a
suggestion to today‘s signal analyzer
manufacturers: a DiSEqC monitor to
display and set DiSEqC control com-
mands is a very important feature to
1. The DirecTV SL3 LNB is a complex
and heavy LNB. It is actually a multi feed
combination of three separate LNBs,
connected through an internal multi
switch to provide the output signal on four
individual connectors. It is no surprise
that the LNB weighs 650 grams, making it
too heavy for the motor to rotate properly.
2. This is how the inside of the SL3 LNB
looks like. One can clearly recognize the
three different LNBs and the multi switch
PCB.
3. The feedhorn is actually composed of
three feed horns.