In 1998 Eutelsat persuaded manufacturers MTI and Zinwell to develop the so called monoblock LNB. This is not more than two LNB’s and a antenna switch integrated into one housing. This way there is only one cable between the Dish (LNB) and receiver. It was intended for models which you could connect 1 receiver to, nowadays there are models for 2 (twin) or even 4 receivers (quad).

As a alternative for the rotating and extra dishes Eutelsat propagates a year of 10 the so called dual-feed formation. Hereby is a positioned Dish with an extra LNB mounted on it, which a neighbour satellite can be received. This approach is due to low costs very popular for receiving  Astra 1 (19.2 Oost) and Hot Bird (13 Oost) together

Standard Dishes are les suitable, although most of the 85 cm models will do fine for these two satellites. Standard offset Dishes can be used in this way to receive satellites which differ not more than 8 degrees  in orbit position. Various manufacturers developed  special Dishes where two or even more LNB’s can be used. Famous ones are the Visiosat BySatellite and the Wave Frontiers Dishes. 

A Monoblock is a LNB with two feed-horns, and thus the capability to receive to satellites at once on a Dish of 80-90 cm (See description below).
Often these LNB’s are used for the reception of Astra 19° and Hotbird 13°. The strange thing is that not Astra but Hotbird has been pointed out as the Master satellite (See figure 2). So if you had your old LNB focused on Astra, then those channels will be placed in the list via DiSEqC A, and because Astra can be found via DiSEqC on a monoblock LNB, you will get no results with this channel list. So if you assemble the monoblock in a normal way, then Astra will be on DiSEqC B and Hotbird on DiSEqC A. The DiSEqC switch is placed in the monoblock.


Replace the LNB with the monoblock and fix this as seen on picture (next to this text). Make sure that the free hanging LNB is turned approximately 2 – 3 degrees up. This is for the correction of the polarisation and will improve the reception. Point the centered LNB (this would be DiSEqC A) on the Hotbird. Now has the weakest satellite the best signal.

The installation of the monoblock is not an easy job to do. It has been thought that it is a principle of changing the LNB with the monoblock and turn the Dish a bit, but unfortunately this is not the case, often we get questions about placing the monoblock. The installation can be done one way, every other method are unnecessary and wrong. Replace the LNB with the monoblock and fix this like seen in picture 3 (see above). Make sure that the free hanging LNB is turned approximately 2 – 3 degrees up. This is for the correction of the polarisation and will improve the reception.(see figure 4)

General:
Use a Dish with a width of 80 – 90 cm. The distance of the monoblock – feedhorns are adjusted in the middle of this type of Dish. With a 60 cm Dish the horns must be placed further apart, with a bigger 110 or 120 cm Dish the Horns should be closer together. That’s way we advise a Dish of 80 – 90 cm

TIP:
If you point the single LNB (so before you change to the monoblock) to Hotbird, then the only thing you have to do is change the single LNB with the monoblock. In this case you are certain that you point your Master LNB at Hotbird, and Astra should then be on the other LNB. (see picture)

LNB settings for Echostar satelliet receivers