# Seeking layman answers to some technical questions



## AlphaHotel (Mar 11, 2009)

Hello. 

I have a couple of questions.


Concerning the DishNetwork 500 Dish, and the Hughes Direcway Dish; Are they both receiving the same Ku band? 

If so, why is one dish much larger than another. My initial logical guess would be that the larger dish would simply be able to provide a much stronger signal strength. Is that the case?

Does the Internet have a larger dish because the Satellite is in a higher orbit, so the signals are coming from farther away?


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Directway for internet connectivity and transmits, IIRC?
That would explain the larger size.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

All satellites in geosynchronous orbit, which allows you to see them with a fixed dish, are about 22,300 miles above the equator.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

DirecWay/HughesNet uses FSS-class satellites, which are Ku-band, but a lower portion of the Ku band (11.7-12.2 GHz), and FSS-class satellites are only medium-powered, which means they need a larger dish to gather enough signal.

In the US, most of the sats used by DirecTV and DishNetwork are DBS-class sats, which are high-powered and therefore use a smaller dish. DBS-class sats are Ku-band, but use the portion from 12.2-12.7 GHz.


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## jerry downing (Mar 7, 2004)

The larger dish has a tighter beam which is necessary for two way communication. A wider beam may cause interference to others.


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