MMDS Set-up Complete Beginner

Hi thanks for the reply, I had a Dreambox 500s a few years back but never got into the card sharing bit. Anyhow I was looking at a package on Sat and Cable.

THIS PACK INCLUDES 1 COMPLETE AM G-18 MMDS AERIAL WITH 222-408 MHZ DOWNCONVERTER AND POWER SUPPLY + 1 x DIGIVOX T
Would that be a good setup or would I need a stronger aerial?

 

have never tried those aerials i have tried two aerials inside an attic one was hi gain the other not both were C##*&s aerials. personally i would go for the hi gain mesh with seperate supply but i have heard the all in one which you refer to does work in Kerry 15 miles from the transmitter.Also if you ring that store the guy is quite helpful he can probably advise you best.

 

Rang the shop today but the main guy wont be there until wednesday. Will ring back then. How did you get on with the two antennas inside the attic did it work for you?

Or maybe might be easier just to subscribe for min package with Ch**us and use their aerial.

 

they worked inside the attic depends what your line of sight is like and how strong the signal is in your area personally i would just buy the aerial from sat and cable chances are it will work perfectly why pay for something when you can have it for free?

 

Ok about to place the order. I have just one question if anyone can answer it. The MMDS Integrated downconverter + aerial (including power supply)
[MMDSallin1] £39.99 has a gain options of 37db

Where as the MMDS Replacement CHORUS Aerial Antenna AM-G18 FULL SYSTEM (with £52.99
has a gain of 18db but yet I was advised to go for the AM-G18. I thought the higher the gain the better the antenna? The AM-G18 is also more expensive ??

 

not always higher gain equals better from my experience i tried a low gain and high gain aerial in the same location and had much more success with the low gain aerial in that particular situation That is the only thing I can add........

 

37db is the gain of the electrical downconverter element,the gain of the actual antenna element (the rod ) is ~ 13db .
Total gain of ~50db

The Am-G18 is just the reflector element .It also has the downconverter gain of 30db.
Total gain of ~48db.

So both units are pretty similar.

 

Thanks for the explanations, will stick the order in today

 

Hmm ,not sure about that.
I've tried on a couple of occasions to get an mmds aerial to work inside an attic and I failed to get anywhere near good enough a signal for Digital.
Both sites were near the transmitter < 1 mile and had clear line of sight (except for the roof ).
I tried a Yagi and a grid ,no go for either.
The signal outside the roof was very strong but inside it was poor.
2.5ghz radio waves are easily absorbed and find it hard to pass through solid objects.

 

Hmm ,not sure about that.

after I order my antenna , is there anyone out there using their antenna indoors with success?

 

As it turns out I am in an N*L MMDS area and not CH***S. I got a loan of a starview 3 to try but am unsure about the settings.

The mmds antenna I got from satandcable had the panorama downconverter with it. Will this work for with the N*L one or is that only for CH***S? Also when doing a scan will the automatic scan do or do I have to do a manual scan??? I seen on a different post about mmds frequencies that say rte one is 30600, so do I add on the 440 and rte should be on 74600??? Also is 6887 and qam 64 the standard settings for the manual scan??

Sorry for all the questions but hopefully someone can help.

 

It depends on your downconverter.
The first valid frequency for your area should be 258mhz with if222 or 698mhz with if662.

 

Thanks Mgb, here is the info on the downconverter
input 2500 - 2700 mhz
lo 1838
gain 38 db
nf 1.5 db.

I have connected it up to the starview and pointed the aerial in the direction my neighbours go. Is there any kind of a signal strength meter on the starviews so I know if I am locked on to anything. I notice if I go to do a manual scan on a particular frequency the two readings on the bottom stay at zero. If I move the antenna around this stays at 0 all the time. I guess what I am trying to ask is if I enter a manual frequency and move the aerial should the 0 reading rise if I manage to get a signal or does this only rise after you have scanned on that particular frequency.

The package I got on satandcable states for chorus mmds, is there a difference between a chorus and an ntl mmds aerial?

 

2500 minus 1838 give 662.
Try 698mhz in the manual scan menu and check the readings.

 

Just a quick one will the Dreambox 500C work on ntl mmds, I have the chance to buy an original not a clone?

 

NO it needs to be a box with a terrestrial tuner such as DReambox 600-T
T being the significant factor.

 

Sorry I thought the Ntl mmds uses a dvb c box and the chorus mmds uses a dvb t box?

 

mmds = Terrestrial

 

ntl mmds does in fact work with a dreambox 500c....and does in the ashbourne area as well. chorus mmds is dvb-t only.

 

Thanks for that, Had an idea but was not 100% sure.