Moving to FBC/Unicable. How?

[Mr_D]

Hi,

My current set up consists of an 80cm dish pointing to 19.2E fitted with 2 x dual output LNBs (one to 19.2E and one off centre for 28.2E). The four outputs feed 2 x DISEqC to combine the 19 and 28 feeds, carried through 2 cables to the STB’s (Vu+ Solo 2) two inputs. As one of the LNB has just failed, I’d like to take this opportunity to migrate to a Unicable/FBC set up and upgrade to a Vu+ Solo4k.

1. Is the Vu+ Solo4k “the right choice”, or is there a better option for FBC in this price range?

2. I plan to continue with 2 LNBs pointing to 19.2E and 28.E. The Vu+ provides a fixed dual FBC. How would the wiring work out (simpler is better)? We currently have one STB but may get a second one in future.
a. Will the connectivity be similar to the current set up, so just swapping my old LNBs with Unicable dual output LNBs, and everything else remains unchanged (i.e., the 2 DISEqC, the cables, etc)?
b. OR should I use single output LNBs, an output combiner near the LNBs, get down a single cable, and use a splitter near the STB?
c. OR any other schematics, e.g. maybe with a single cable getting down directly from each LNB, with a switch to first combine the 19/28 signals and then split the combined signal as two feeds for each FBC tuner?

3. Choice of LNB. I’d like to stick with Inverto if possible. Any recommendations (do I still need a dual output LNB or should I go for a single output?) Any SKU to recommend?

4. Re. cabling. The current set up uses “shotgun” (dual core) cable from the DISEqC to the STB. Length is c. 15m. Is the existing cabling appropriate or will unicable/FBC require higher quality, single core, cabling? I’d rather get this changed now if signal quality is likely to be insufficient. Linked to this, will an 80cm dish will still be sufficient to get 28.2E off centre (I am based in Dublin)?

5. Finally, will “a typical installer” (so probably someone dealing mostly with Sky installations) be able to do a good job with the above?

Thanks for your advice!
Mr_D

[Huevos]

You don't use switches with Unicable.

Either join both lnbs together on the same cable and program them to only respond to commands for their respective satellite or bring a single cable from each all the way to the Solo4k.

[Mr_D]

Thank you Huevos. I didn’t know re. no DISEqC for UniCable. When you say “program them to only respond to commands for their respective satellite”, can the programming be done from the tuner setup menu in the OS (I use OpenVIX) or does it require the use of one of these (expensive) Inverto Unicable II programmers?

In case this is of use to others, my findings so far:

Re. (1) seems most owners of the Solo4k are happy with it (though the “24Hz issue” comes up regularly).

Re. (2). In terms of combining the 19 and 28 feeds, Inverto has a page where they describe their recommended wiring for a 2 satellite set up: “SDU with two satellite dishes, each mounted with a Unicable II LNB. The outputs of the LNBs are connected to a single output combiner and one cable enters into the house. Inside the house, the cable drop is split with unicable splitters to connect up to 32 tuners…” I think the parts are Inverto Unicable II 2-way combiner (IDLU-UCM1O1-OOO2O-OPP), Unicable II 2-way splitter (IDLU-USP1O4-OUO2O-OOB) and optionally the Unicable II Power Inserter (IDLU-PINS02-OOOOO-OPP). Is this the way to go or would anyone recommend some other components? Only concern is re. signal loss (c. -8dB for each) and also if I need to re-program the LNBs with the Unicable II programmer.

Re. (3). Most on the forum recommend the Inverto IDLU-32UL40-UNBOO-OPP so I’ll get two of those.

Seems I should have posted this to the ”UniCable support discussion” or “VU+ Solo 4K Talk”. Could this post be moved to one of these please?

[Mr_D]

Okay, just so that I don't mislead anyone coming across this thread, I need to correct a few things... Some of the assumptions I had made earlier in the post are not correct.

1- there is no real need for the combiner in 2 LNB setup unless you are limited to a single cable (instead of 2 cables or a twin) - e.g., if you use an existing installation with only one cable, or have only one tuner. But in the case I described (Solo4K + 2 LNBs), this is not needed.

2- As the virtual tuners are not attached to any specific input (as I first thought), I can connect 19e to one input and 28e to the second one, without being stuck with 4 tuners for each feed. The only limitation is that each physical tuner is attached to the input, but the (six) virtual tuners can be re-assigned in any combination (for example 1 virtual on 19e and 5 on 28e).

Thanks to help/advice from the forum (and particularly Huevos and abu baniaz). It starts making sense now.

[Huevos]

When you say “program them to only respond to commands for their respective satellite”, can the programming be done from the tuner setup menu in the OS (I use OpenVIX) or does it require the use of one of these (expensive) Inverto Unicable II programmers?

Requires a (not so expensive) programmer.