Flat Antenna Replaces DBS Dishes

By Doug Lung
published

SelfSat has announced a new flat-panel antenna that it claims can replace existing Ku-band/DBS antennas.

The SelfSat H21D Flat Antenna works from 10.7-12.75 GHz and includes an LNB and switchable polarization. The size is 475x258x74 mm (19x10x3 inches). The rectangular shape and thin size should make it easier to hide. The antenna will sell in the United Kingdom for approximately £150 pounds (almost US$300). In the United States, FCC rules prohibit restrictions on TV and satellite antennas (under 1 m in size), with some limits. Other countries do not have the same protection and in the United States many homeowners do not want to cause problems with neighbors even if their antenna is protected by law.

While all the stories I saw on the antenna referred to the U.K or Europe, SelfSat has a U.S. office so the antenna may be offered here as well.

The gain, specified as 35 dBi at 12.7 GHz, is roughly equivalent to a 20-inch (50 cm) dish antenna. If true, this antenna should work as well or better than a standard 18-inch DBS antenna without being as conspicuous.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.