Make a multifeed LNB bracket for your satellite dish

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Although a satellite dish is designed to receive signal coming from a single direction, by placing additional LNBs near the main one you will be able to receive more than one orbital position. Thus, each LNB will receive signal from a different satellite. You can receive in this way signal from satellites placed at near orbital positions. Having multiple LNBs fitted to a dish is called multifeed and it comes with advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage over a motorized dish is the fact that it is a fixed installation and you can change channels instantly without waiting for the antenna to move. However, the additional LNBs that are not placed in the middle focal point will receive lower quality signal than the main one.

Brackets for multiple LNBs are commercially available, but I found them rather... rigid. Most of them are for 2 or 4 LNBs and don't allow too much fiddling to get the best signal quality. Let's try to make that bracket. It must keep a constant focal distance and should follow the inverted reflection of Clarke orbit. The focal distance depends on antenna and orbit reflection depends on dish size, receiving location and satellite positions. The distance between LNBs is proportional with dish diameter. You will learn how these parameters affect the LNB bracket shape and size and how you can calculate distance between LNBs.

Multifeed dish with 8 LNB

Photo courtesy of Paul Lucas on Flickr