Group test: 0.1dB LNBs by What Satellite & Digital TV

GROUP TEST: 0.1db lnbs ust 2011

Aug

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0.1dB LNBs group test

0.1db lnbs Wotsat gets sensitive with four single LNBs engineered to weed out weak signals AS SEVERAL LNBs now boast an astounding 0.1dB noise figure you’d be forgiven for thinking that LNB noise is the only concern when picking up weak satellite signals – and that a 0.1dB noise figure is actually possible. Neither is true. These four single LNBs claim a 0.1dB noise figure but, although LNB design is constantly advancing and all these LNBs do operate with so little noise as to be almost magic, the physics of the semiconductors at their heart stops them achieving a genuine 0.1dB noise figure. What’s more, while low noise is always worth watching out for, a larger dish is nearly always needed to solve a weak signal reception problem.

Nevertheless, low noise is important as it enables you to make the most of the dish you have. When you need that little bit extra, these super low-noise LNBs may help. Gain is important too, as any amplification of the signal further down the line will introduce more noise. Low noise with low gain is (relatively) easy. It’s a high gain and low noise that’s the most desirable combination. For each LNB, as well as getting a general picture of its performance with different satellites and channels, we measured the bit error rate (BER), carrier-to-noise ratio (C/N) and signal level (for the gain), from three different transponders on Hot Bird, in quick succession, repeating

the measurements several times to get an average measure to compare between the different models. Of course, there’s more to a good LNB than just the specifications, and these LNBs have their physical differences too. Size and weight can be important in some situations and anything that helps (or hinders) easy installation is certainly worth paying attention to as well. Price is also bound to be a factor, and a bit of searching around will find these LNBs at hugely reduced prices. However, do be aware of unscrupulous online traders who may pass off a higher noise product as one of these – the latest cutting-edge products in the ever-advancing world of LNBs.

Buying tips n:Don’t choose solely on the manufacturers’ noise figures. They won’t be based on real life, and don’t apply to the actual LNB you’re buying n:For a multi-feed dish, for satellites at 3° apart, the size of the LNB will be important to physically fit in n: The best way to keep out water is selfamalgamating tape. Don’t rely on a rubber cable boot for anything more than temporary waterproofing.

Group test 0.1dB LNBs

Ratings

PLUS

n High gain n Built-in water shield n Robust

www.icecrypt.co.uk n £12.95

Icecrypt Pro

Minus

n High current

consumption n Largest and heaviest in test n Largest feedhorn mouth Build

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82%

Ratings

PLUS

n Very small n Eco-friendly

The Icecrypt Pro is the largest of the LNBs tested. Like the others, it has a 0.1dB noise figure, but it also boasts a 60dB gain – much greater than the other models. However, the measurements of the test did not reflect this as clearly as might be expected. The signal levels produced were certainly high but only as much as the Technomate TM-1 produced, which has a notional gain 4dB lower (although it is termed as ‘Super High gain’). At any rate, the Icecrypt Pro produced a healthy signal level that should go some way to compensate for losses over long cable runs and the like. However, this LNB produced the highest BER, almost twice the error rates produced by the next best LNB and 25 times the error rate of the best LNB in the group. This is still a tiny error rate and the few errors introduced in the signal are easily sorted out by the error correction

system so an excellent picture is produced from all but the very weakest signals.

Sliding section The Icecrypt Pro is the largest LNB in the group, constructed in the traditional design with the bulk of the electronics in a box at right angles to the feed wave guide. It has a large feedhorn mouth too – 62mm – which is likely to prove troublesome if the LNB is to be used in a multi-feed system for very closely spaced satellites. Like the other models, the Icecrypt Pro’s plastic casing conceals the real metal LNB box inside. Built into the case is a sliding section that is pulled down once the cable

connection has been made to shield the connector from rain. Even when the sliding section is up, there are only a few millimetres of F-connector protruding, which makes screwing on the connector tricky but the sliding shield is much easier to use than a rubber boot – there’s nothing to lose, or to forget to put over the cable before the F-connector is fitted.

www.eurosat.co.uk n £12.95

Inverto black eco

Minus

n Relatively expensive n Fiddly connection

Build

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82%

The big USP of the Black eco is its ‘eco-friendly’ credentials – in particular, meeting hazardous material guidelines, use of recycled materials, and low power usage. And it has a green feedhorn cap to reinforce the point. However, although the Black eco does consume less power than the other LNBs here (100mA maximum), the difference is pretty small so it is hard to get overly excited about that. In practice, you’ll get far greater savings (of power, money, and the planet) from using a receiver that automatically powers down when the system is not being used at night, and if that includes cutting power to the LNB, the savings there will exceed the 10 per cent or so from its power consumption. This LNB is certainly economical with its size. It is the smallest and lightest LNB tested and about half the volume of the largest (the

Icecrypt Pro). The whole casing is under 10cm long and that, of course, is merely a cover for the die-cast box inside that actually contains the LNB’s works, which is tiny – some serious miniaturisation has gone into this LNB.

Tough enough Unfortunately, the casing makes this LNB feel the least robust of the models tested (although it’s undoubtedly tough enough for the job) and the F-connector protrudes only a short way, so it’s a fiddly job to screw on the plug and to tape up the connection. The overall small size is reflected

in the smallest feedhorn mouth of all these LNBs – just 49mm – so a number of Black eco LNBs can be packed close together on a dish side arm if you want to get closely spaced satellites from a multi-feed dish. The Black eco did not stand out in the measurement tests, with a (relatively) low gain and middle-ofthe-range noise. However, all these LNBs are cutting-edge performers and being in the specifications or measurements middle ground did not seem to unduly affect the Black eco’s real-world performance and this LNB worked well with all the signals it was called on to receive.

0.1dB LNBs group test

www.satellitesuperstore.co.uk n £14.95

Ratings

Smart titanium Ts

PLUS

n Compact n Robust n Best BER

performance

This is the most expensive of the LNBs tested and it is not immediately obvious from the specifications why that should be. It appears to be broadly similar to all the other models. However, in the measurements taken in the tests, the Smart Titanium really stands out. The Titanium’s gain was not the highest, but it is certainly adequate for most situations and the error rate measured was by far the lowest of the group. Although a 0.1dB noise figure is pretty much impossible to actually achieve, the Titanium tries to do a good job of changing the laws of physics.

Bullet type The bit error rate from this LNB was far lower than all the others and a factor of 25 times lower than the least impressive of the LNBs tested here. Although an LNB’s noise figure

is not the be-all and end-all, if you’re going to get the best out of a limited dish, then this is the kind of LNB with which to do it. Otherwise, the Titanium is a much like other LNBs, including those tested here. It is a compact ‘bullet’ type, but not as small as the Inverto Black eco and it has a middling-sized feedhorn mouth which may still prevent really close-up fitting in secondary offset LNB arrangements that the smallest LNBs can manage. The moulded casing around the LNB’s die-cast metal innards is cream-coloured and exceptionally strong, with drain holes provided at the base to let out any water that gets in between the case and the

Minus

n Expensive n Fairly large

feedhorn mouth Build

hhhhhhhhhh Installation

hhhhhhhhhh Performance

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hhhhhhhhhh

LNB proper. Skew angle markings are provided, which may help to make installation a touch quicker. The F-connector sticks out a reasonable way so fitting the plug and self-amalgamating tape is not too fiddly, and a rubber boot is provided to clip into the casing surrounding the connector to protect the connection against rain. The connector is gold-plated to reduce corrosion of the contacts by air and water over time, although proper protection should render this unnecessary, it’s nice to see and certainly no harm.

www.technomate.com n £12.99

Value

hhhhhhhhhh Overall

85%

Ratings

technomate tm-1 super high gain

PLUS

n Compact n High gain n Good performance

Minus

This is a mid-sized LNB which, as well as trumpeting its 0.dB noise figure (complete with a hologram sticker on the body), is sold on the basis of ‘super high gain’, so it should be particularly suitable for installations with a long cable run from dish to receiver or with a lossy DiSEqC motor in the cable. However, the TM-1 does not have the highest-rated gain of the LNBs looked at here (its specification is in the middle of the range) but it did produce the equal top signal level in the tests so it certainly does produce some signal gain above the norm.

Die-cast shell The LNB is encased in a die-cast shell, which is in turn enclosed with a plastic cover. It has a standard 40mm neck (the neck makes up half of the LNB’s main body) with a small protrusion at one end for the connector (gold-plated, no less) and

a flared feedhorn mouth covered with a yellow cap. The mouth is quite wide (60mm), which may prove troublesome if you are fitting this LNB as a secondary offset LNB for reception of satellites close together. The TM-1 is supplied with a rubber boot that clips into the plastic housing and seals reasonably effectively against normal-sized cable (you must remember to put the boot over the end of the cable before the F-connector goes on), although both the boot and the plastic body shell have drainage holes to allow out any water that gets inside. As usual, we’d recommend that you waterproof the

n Wide feedhorn n Can be expensive

Build

hhhhhhhhhh Installation

hhhhhhhhhh Performance

hhhhhhhhhh Features

hhhhhhhhhh Value

hhhhhhhhhh Overall

85%

connector with selfamalgamating tape instead. In tests the TM-1 did very well. Although it did not produce the least errors in the signal, it was not far behind the top performer and its signal did produce around 10 times fewer errors than the next best models. Plus, it has that high gain and an excellent signal-tonoise ratio.

Group test 0.1dB LNBs

comparisons

Make and model

Icecrypt Pro

Inverto Black eco

Smart Titanium TS

Technomate TM-1 Super High Gain

Price

£12.95

£9.95

£14.95

£12.99

Typical minimum price

£8

£6

£7.50

£6

Rated noise

0.1dB

Rated gain

60dB

56dB

50dB

56dB

Rated current consumption

23dB

22dB

20dB

Rated cross-polar isolation

130mA max

100mA max

110mA max

Weight

114g

89g

112g

Length

96mm

112mm

113mm

Max feedhorm width

62mm

49mm

58mm

60mm

Neck diameter

40mm

Connector cover

Built-in

Boot

Low band input

10.70GHz-11.70GHz

Low band output

950MHz-1950MHz

Low band local oscillator

9.75GHz

High band input

11.70GHz-12.75GHz

High band output

1100MHz-2150MHz

High band local oscillator

10.6GHz

Average test signal level

76dBuV

73dBuV

76dBuV

Average test BER

2.20E-04

1.40E-04

9.00E-06

1.20E-05

Average test C/N

12dB

13dB

Rating (%)

The Winner: Smart titanium ts It’s a bit misleading to declare the best LNB on the basis of single samples because the performance of the actual LNB you buy may differ widely from the models tested. But these measurements should give some indications as to the performance you’ll see. On that basis, the Icecrypt Pro fares worst because its noise, as measured by the bit error rate (BER) of the signal from the LNB, is highest. However, this is relative to the other units tested; the Icecrypt Pro’s actual BER performance was still excellent, particularly as it has a high gain, which stands it in good stead with systems using long LNB cables. Replace any LNB bought more than a year or two ago with

this and you’re unlikely to be disappointed. The Inverto Black eco’s performance is similarly not a world-beater but more than adequate for domestic use. This LNB also has the potential benefit of its small size and low weight (not to mention its ‘eco’ credentials). If you’re planning a multi-LNB antenna, then a handful of Black eco LNBs will fit together tightly and not weigh down the dish’s feedarm. The Technomate TM-1 is close to being first equal. This LNB gave an excellent measured performance with very good gain, strong C/N and a blistering BER which almost confirms that 0.1dB noise is actually possible. The TM-1 is well made too and it’s easily available for around half the price here. Anyone in need

of a cutting-edge LNB will find this a tough offer to refuse n Geoff Bains

VERDICT

On its performance alone the Smart Titanium TS is a no-brainer as it excels in the measured tests with a good strong gain, a more than reasonable C/N ratio and a BER that is as close to zero as you

are (as yet) likely to see in the real world. Coupled with a neat (if not super-compact) design, rugged construction, and nice touches like the gold-plated connector and waterproofing boot, the Smart Titanium TS is a worthy winner.