So you know you need a Quad LNB but how do you find the right one? Once I had decided I needed the ability to watch and record programs at the same time in the lounge and give my son a Freesat box in his bedroom and have a Freesat box in the marital bedroom I headed for the friend to all seeking knowledge – the Internet. Boy oh boy what a minefield. Not only are there loads of different brands (Chess, Invacom, Smart, Konig, TO, Triax and the list goes on) but there are many other things to consider:
Decibel rating
These can be confusing because if you have read as many forum threads as I have you learn that this can be slightly misleading and is not always a guarantee of high quality. Generally however the rule is the lower the better. The lowest I have come across on the internet is 0.1db however these do tend to be a little pricier at over $50.
Price
Anywhere between $10 and $250. I would avoid anything under $25 unless someone you know has one and you are happy with the results they are getting. At the top end of the price scale any value added would only be appreciated by the purest of technofiles or those with receivers on the very fringe of the reception who need to eek out every last drop of signal available to them.
Weatherproofing
Most but not all come with a snap out cover which protects the connectors from rain and frost etc… If you do decide to go cheap make sure you take steps to protect the connections at the dish as the weather will cause wear and tear and subsequent signal loss if these are left unprotected.
Weight
Anywhere between 0.1 and 0.9 kg. I know it sounds crazy but some of the heavier ones may weigh down the arm of your dish enough to put them out of alignment. Just make sure that the dish you buy or already have can take the weight.
Quality
You can easily pay over $50 for an LNB Quad and get a cheap shoddy product. There are, as with any product, sellers on the internet who don’t give details of the product and only supply the cheapest of Quad output LNB. Make sure you know who you are dealing with. Amazon have a few for sale and are always worth a shot if you don’t know where else to shop.
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