Hi Greg,

For a datapoint, I have a worse return loss in my system at around 14-15dB, measured at the N-connector on the coax-to-WR90 transition. That equates to something like 1.4:1 VSWR and the impact to the system NF from the mismatch is on the order of a tenth of a dB.  More return loss would be welcome, but I don't know how noticeable it would be in the grand scheme of things as there are probably a few other places to find a tenths of a dB first.  I'd do whatever got me on the band before the 10G and Up contest and improve from there.  It doesn't mean modifying a TV dish feed is the easy path to success, but don't get caught up on a trying to achieve a 20dB+ return loss.  You can do just fine with worse.

Good luck!
Andy K0SM/2
  

On Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 07:06:53 PM EDT, Greg Putrich via NLRS <[email protected]> wrote:


Thanks Bill, Ed, & Jon, 

As I was reading the replies, I was wondering if it would just be better to make a new one instead of converting this one. I'll try the conversion just to see, but making a new one is probably the better answer. Ed said he saw around a 16 dB return loss, which is far too high. But I also don't have anything to measure the return loss.

In the picture you have, it appears to be the same dish that I have.

  Greg



> On Jul 21, 2026, at 17:54, Bill Davis <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>  Greg I have done a bunch of these for my use. What follows is a link to an old web page of mine from over 20yrs ago. It describes the best I can of how I modified mine. I did not optimize with tuning screws since I have nothing to measure return loss at 10GHz. Some people have had good luck with this mod and at least one didn't do as well. I is a place to start and with the addition of tuning screws (some one else will have to help there) you should do ok.
>
>  Others have built entirely new feeds -- Chris VA3ECO went that route.
>
> KØAWU 10Ghz Gear <https://www.qsl.net/k0awu/10GhzGear.html>
>
> KØAWU 10Ghz Gear
>  <https://www.qsl.net/k0awu/10GhzGear.html>
>
>
> 73 Bill  K0AWU
>
>
> On Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 11:33:36 AM CDT, Greg Putrich via NLRS <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I have an old DirecTV dish and I'd like to convert its feed horn to be used on 10 GHz. It was working fine when I last used it ~15 years ago and it was removed from the roof a few years ago (thanks to a storm).
>
> I've tried to look up how to convert its feed horn to 10 GHz, but haven't found anything online. Can the original DirecTV feed horn be converted for use on 10 GHz and if so, does anyone know how? I have a DEMI 10 GHz transverter and will use a FT-817 to drive it.  The dish is the oval one with a single LNB, its slightly oval vertically. I got it back in 2001.
>
>
>  Thanks,
>  Greg
>  N0QDS
>
>
>
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