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Can anyone tell me what the subtle difference is between a "universal LNB"
and for the lack of a better description, a "non universal" one. I need to eliminate problems receiving Astra "D" free to air channels and my set top box is telling me there is no signal. My sat finder says otherwise, checked both at the output of the dish and the input of the set top box and I am confident from panning around the area of the Astra "D" satellite I have the correct signals. The LNB is marked as covering the Astra satellite frequency range but it is an old analogue LNB.
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Any universal digital one will do the trick. They have db ratings... go for the lowest you can get for the best signal pickup. Generally somewhere between 0.2db and 0.5db.
But what is the technical difference? All the LNB is doing is converting the high frequency satellite frequency to a lower intermediate frequency for transmission to the set top box. No demodulation/decoding is involved so why does it not work ? A new LNB for this particular Arcon dish is £39 and I do not want to buy one to find it is not the problem.
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Its the same as trying to get your cd player to play your old vinyl records... The LNB can pick up the signal from the satellite, but does not have the ability to interpret the digital signal.
£39 for an LNB is expensive, is it gold plated?? I think I pay under a tenner for a universal one. All clamps for LNB's are generally the same... surely anyone will do?? Send me a picture, lets have a look.
Some more info found on a digital tv providers website:
Universal LNB
Most LNBs in the market today are analogue, however, as digital satellite services become increasingly popular throughout Europe, many households are upgrading their satellite service to digital. This upgrade from analogue to digital requires the replacement of the analogue LNB with a Universal LNB. This piece of hardware is mandatory for receiving the digital satellite signal carrying the Europe Online service. A "universal LNB" receives the entire range of analogue and digital signals (from 10.70 to 12.75 GHz) and is compatible with both digital and analogue receivers.
Can I use a satellite dish with an analogue LNB as well?
Unfortunately it is not possible to receive our service with an analogue LNB, since an analogue LNB cannot receive the frequencies on which our service transmits. Europe Online operates from digital satellite signal and requires that the home satellite dish be equiped with a digital LNB, called Universal LNB.
How can I check if my LNB is analogue or digital?
You can check whether your LNB is digital or not by looking at the frequency range, which is usually written on the LNB. When your LNB is digital this frequency range goes up to 12.75 GHz. If it is analogue this frequency range only goes up to 11.75 GHz.
So in a way you were right, it just conveys the signal to the decoder... but an analogue LNB does not have the frequency range to get digital transmissions.
Some more info found on a digital tv providers website:
Universal LNB
How can I check if my LNB is analogue or digital?
You can check whether your LNB is digital or not by looking at the frequency range, which is usually written on the LNB. When your LNB is digital this frequency range goes up to 12.75 GHz. If it is analogue this frequency range only goes up to 11.75 GHz.
Thank you Shane this is the key piece of information that I had failed to find in my searches, so if this is in fact correct, my problem is not the LNB.
My dish is simialr to the centre fed Arcon Sweety and it is the LNB for this dish which would be a direct replacement. See
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Off set LNBs are, I agree, much cheaper.
It must be something to do with the box or the sky card then.
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If you have sky at home or know someone with sky... why not put your decoder out the mh on their dish and coax?? That will rule the decoder out... then work your way back to the dish.
Just to close this one off, I would like to thank Dave Burleigh for his PM adding a bit more information as to the differences in LNBs. Without getting too technical, a "universal" LNB allows reception of two bands of frequencies, a high and a low band. A non universal LNB only allows reception of a single band of frequencies and these may or may not include the Astra 2D free to air channels depending on the LNB.
For those interested in the nitty gritty techie stuff go
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