# 3lnb or 5lnb Dish which do I need?



## dcbag (Oct 1, 2006)

Coming back to Directv, which do I need the 3lnb or the 5lnb? I live in area code 37148. I would like to get the Hope channel which I think is on 119, but that could be a sight problem. I have tired to locate set up settings for my area code for the 5lnb slimline but have not been able to locate. I think the 3lnb would be 204-206 at 43-45 which would not be a problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated


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## Spoffo (Jan 1, 2007)

Assuming you want to watch HD, you're going to need the 5 lnb dish. a LOT of the HD channels are now at 99 and 103 are are most (all?) of the HD locals.


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## dcbag (Oct 1, 2006)

Spoffo said:


> Assuming you want to watch HD, you're going to need the 5 lnb dish. a LOT of the HD channels are now at 99 and 103 are are most (all?) of the HD locals.


Yes, I would have HD, however there is a 3lnb which picks up 99/101/103, where the 5lnb picks up 99/101/103/110/119, so with either one HD would should be covered.


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## sungam (May 10, 2007)

dcbag said:


> I think the 3lnb would be 204-206 at 43-45 which would not be a problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated


The 3LNB and 5 LNB Slimlines aim the same at 44.8, 207, 71 according to dishpointer.com . You will need the 5 LNB if you want the Hope channel, otherwise either one will work.


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## dcbag (Oct 1, 2006)

sungam said:


> The 3LNB and 5 LNB Slimlines aim the same at 44.8, 207, 71 according to dishpointer.com . You will need the 5 LNB if you want the Hope channel, otherwise either one will work.


Thanks for info, I finally saw that info myself, but I find it hard to believe that would be possible, but guess it must be.


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

I don't see why they even install the Slimline 3 dish and deny customers channels in their package that they pay for like numerous video channels and several good Sonic Tap channels that are sent out on the 119.


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## HerntDawg (Oct 6, 2008)

ThomasM said:


> I don't see why they even install the Slimline 3 dish and deny customers channels in their package that they pay for like numerous video channels and several good Sonic Tap channels that are sent out on the 119.


What is this sonic tap? I guess I never make it up that far.... :lol:


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## shedberg (Jan 20, 2007)

Sonic tap are the music channels that used to be XM.


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

Although dishpointer gives you the aiming parameters for the dish, you can also use it to check LOS to particular satellites. Just select the satellite from the drop down menu. IE: DirecTV 119.


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## mcbeevee (Sep 18, 2006)

HerntDawg said:


> What is this sonic tap? I guess I never make it up that far.... :lol:


When I started with Directv in 1999, it was Music Choice, then came XM, then Sonic Tap.


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## evan_s (Mar 4, 2008)

110/119 currently has the Spanish and Jadeworld packages, a couple music channels, 1 religious channel (hope) channel and locals in some areas.

At this point DirecTV is installing SL3's unless you subscribe to one of the foreign language packages or need locals. Getting them to install a SL5 just so you can get the Hope channel may not be easy since if your area doesn't have locals on 119 the installers aren't likely to have many or any SL5 lnbs.


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## Michael H.. (May 31, 2007)

ThomasM said:


> I don't see why they even install the Slimline 3 dish and deny customers channels in their package that they pay for like numerous video channels and several good Sonic Tap channels that are sent out on the 119.


The last time I looked, the only 3 out of ~80 Sonic channels on 119° were the Espanol ones. If they're the only 3 you listen to, then getting the 5LNB would be important. Also, I have Premiere, and probably get Hope, and don't know what it is, but if it is on 119°, or anything else you're interested is, then the 5LNB would be important.

The dishpointer site has a nice feature, can't remember what it's called, but it is a LOS obstruction tool. Max magnify the aerial view (should be able to clearly-enough see your house), place the appropriate cursors at the spot of the dish and the obstruction, and it will tell you the maximum height that the obstruction can be. The orbital slots arc down from E-to-W (from Eastern dish locations, opposite from the W) so the 119° will be the lowest in the sky.

As to why there's a push to the 3LNB... the primary reason is that virtually all HD, and the local's still on 119°, are eventually going to migrate there. And the secondary reason is alignment, the dish is designed for nominal alignment conditions. The orbital slots arc [relative view], depending on dish E-to-W geographic location, varies slightly (not referring to the skew/tilt, but the arc radius) but the dish focal lengths are fixed. When you align the 3LNB or 5LNB, you center to the 101° slot, and skew/tilt to align the W-most slot, 103° for the 3LNB, 119° for the 5LNB. The 18° [119° - 101°], vs. 2° [103° - 101°] means that equivalent angular displacements relative to 101° result in ~ 9 times greater translational displacements for the 119° vs. 103°, so for the 5LNB, you have to peak the 119°, the alignment of 103° (and 99°) fallout as more a byproduct (aside from the fine-tuning/dithering). With the 3LNB, you are directly aligning the 103° (and 99°) and typically are able to peak those to higher signal quality numbers, than you could with a 5LNB, and not be concerned with degradation (and possible loss) of the 119° numbers... Having said that, I currently am using a 5LNB which I don't intend to swap, even though I have a 3LNB-SWM in a box, and no longer have any programming (that I watch) on 119°. The reasons are that I have a dual SWM8 E2-expander (before SWM16) and a legacy H10 to go along with 6 HD-DVR's, and that the upper 80's / lower 90's I get on the Ka's, are plenty good, no rain fade or any other problems.


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## evan_s (Mar 4, 2008)

ThomasM said:


> I don't see why they even install the Slimline 3 dish and deny customers channels in their package that they pay for like numerous video channels and several good Sonic Tap channels that are sent out on the 119.


As far as I know it's 1 SD religious channel on 119. What are the other numerous video channels that aren't accessible on an SL3?

I honestly haven't ever listened to the new sonic tap channels so have no idea which ones are on 119 but assuming that it's the 3 Spanish sonic tap channels that makes perfect sense.

There are 2 huge reasons why they use the SL3 as the default where they can.

#1. Cost. The SL3 the is simpler and smaller than the SL5 so costs them less.

#2. Line of Sight. LoS is much easier on a SL3 with a tight grouping at 99/101/103 than it is for a SL5. This is especially true on the east coast where 119 is pretty low on the horizon. This makes installs easier and in some cases makes installs possible that would be impossible if LoS on 119 was needed.


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## dcbag (Oct 1, 2006)

evan_s said:


> As far as I know it's 1 SD religious channel on 119. What are the other numerous video channels that aren't accessible on an SL3?
> 
> I honestly haven't ever listened to the new sonic tap channels so have no idea which ones are on 119 but assuming that it's the 3 Spanish sonic tap channels that makes perfect sense.
> 
> ...


I have not had Directv for about 3 years now. Back when I did I had one of the original 5lnb slimline dishes, which was a real pain. Is it possibe to let Direct put up the 3lnb dish then later for me to put up a single dish just for 119 and somehow connect them together. Over the years I have put up quite a number of Direct, Dish, & FTA dishes, but since I have been away from Directv for a while, I'm not sure of some of the new stuff yet.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

ThomasM said:


> I don't see why they even install the Slimline 3 dish and deny customers channels in their package that they pay for like numerous video channels and several good Sonic Tap channels that are sent out on the 119.


I think the better question is why are channels that are for everyone on 119 as their reasoning for minimizing lnbs is sound. I know of no USA packages that don't use 101.


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## evan_s (Mar 4, 2008)

dcbag said:


> I have not had Directv for about 3 years now. Back when I did I had one of the original 5lnb slimline dishes, which was a real pain. Is it possibe to let Direct put up the 3lnb dish then later for me to put up a single dish just for 119 and somehow connect them together. Over the years I have put up quite a number of Direct, Dish, & FTA dishes, but since I have been away from Directv for a while, I'm not sure of some of the new stuff yet.


With a bunch of new HD expected to come from D12 at 103 in the ka hi I'm pretty sure combining 103 with a second dish for 119 is going to be pretty difficult because you'll need to combine in both the ka low a 250-750 and the ka hi at 1650-2150.


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## iceturkee (Apr 1, 2007)

actually when i got the swm, mrv upgrade, the installer changed the lnb on my slimline dish and now i have a singular lnb (with the infamous green dot).


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## bakerfall (Aug 23, 2006)

iceturkee said:


> actually when i got the swm, mrv upgrade, the installer changed the lnb on my slimline dish and now i have a singular lnb (with the infamous green dot).


Same, he swapped out my 5lnb for a 3lnb


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