Amstrad SRD400

Frequency conversions for using very old analogue receivers with modern LNB's

I was recently given an old Amstrad SRD400. This generation of receiver pre-dates modern universal LNB's by several years, and so as you can imagine there are one or two things to consider when you are using one of these old receivers.

The earliest type of LNB in use for reception of the Astra 1 satellites was the "Standard" type. These used an internal Local Oscillator frequency of 10,000MHz, and were in use until Astra 1D was launched in 1994.

Astra 1D used lower frequencies than the earlier spacecraft, and so the "Enhanced" LNB was developed. These use a LO of 9750 MHz.

Universal LNB's have two LO frequencies - 9750 & 10600MHz, switched by a 22KHz tone generated within the receiver.

Therefore if you use an early analogue receiver expecting a LO frequency of 10,000 MHz with a universal LNB which has the lower LO running at 9750MHz, you have an immediate frequency shift of 250MHz to consider.

I got most of the channels on the Amstrad with a bit of retuning. All the frequencies from the Astra 1 table were calculated as 250 MHz higher than their actual figure, and the channels appeared one by one :-)

Channel	Nominal frequency	Required frequency on Amstrad SRD 400

Kinder Kanal	10714 H	10964 H
CNBC Europe	10729 V	10979 V
TV Travel Shop Germany / XXP	10744 H	10994 H
QVC Germany	10759 V	11009 V
N24	10803 H	11053 H
Astra test card	10861 H	11111 H
Sudwest Fernsehen (Rheinland Pfalz)	10891 H	11141 H
Home Shopping Europe Germany	10906 V	11156 V
Astra test card	10921 H	11171 H
Neun Live	10936 V	11186 V
ZDF	10964 H	11214 H
Arte	10994 H	11244 H
Phoenix	11009 V	11259 V
B TV 4U	11023 H	11273 H
WDR Fernsehen	11053 H	11303 H
Hessen Fernsehen	11068 V	11318 V
BR Alpha	11082 H	11333 H
MDR Fernsehen	11112 H	11362 H
Viva	11127 V	11377 V
Bayerisches Fernsehen	11141 H	11391 H
RBB Berlin	11171 H	11421 H
Sudwest Fernsehen (Batten-Wurttemburg)	11186 V	11436 V
RTL 2	11214 H	11464 H
RTL	11229 V	11479 V
RTL Shop	11244 H	11494 H
Eurosport	11259 V	11509 V
Vox	11273 H	11523 H
Sat 1	11288 V	11538 V
Viva Plus	11303 H	11553 H
Kabel 1	11332 H	11582 H
3 Sat	11347 V	11597 V
Bloomberg TV Germany	11362 H	11612 H
TV Shop Germany	11377 V	11627 V
Super RTL	11391 H	11641 H
Pro Sieben	11406 V	11656 V
MTV 2 Pop	11421 H	11671 H
Sonnenklar TV	11464 H	Out of range. The Amstrad SRD 400 receiver cannot tune these channels.
ARD 1	11494 H
DSF	11523 H
Tele 5	11553 H
NDR Fernsehen Mecklenburg Vorpommern	11582 H
MTV Germany	11612 H
CNN International	11627 V
N TV	11641 H
RBB Brandenburg	11656 V
Astra test card	11671 H

You can of course use these conversions on other satellites. As long as the nominal frequency is no higher than 11450 MHz, you will be able to tune the channel onto one of these old receivers.

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