DXer REPORT Czech Satellite Enthusiast

Jiri, Jiri Vanek lives in Jablonec

nad Nisou, a Czech town

the Racer
with a population of
50,000. In younger years
he used to do race driving
– “I even came in third
once with my Skoda 130RS
in a mountain race,” Jiri
proudly remembers. Car
mechanic springs to mind
as an ideal profession for
a race driver, and that’s
actually what Jiri has done
for a living. He used to
spend long hours at the
turning lathe and with
this technical background
it’s only a small step
to becoming a satellite
enthusiast with a special
liking for rather individual
solutions. In Jablonec nad
Nisou (incidentally, the
Czech word jablon means
apple tree) Jiri’s house can
easily be spotted thanks to
the many dishes mounted
all over.

■ Satellite
enthusiast Jiri
Vanek and his
2.6m dish.

TELE-satellite World www.TELE-satellite.com/...

ë Jablonce nad Nisou
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102 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 08-09/2010 — www.TELE-satellite.com

 ■ Jiri Vanek in the attic of his house:
The difference between all those
shiny satellite receivers (“Currently
I have 20 of them,” he adds up) and
rather out-of-fashion CRT TVs could
not be more striking. Jiri focuses
on technical reception aspects and
could not care less about what’s on
TV.

■ Have you ever wondered what the home of a true satellite

enthusiast looks like? Here we are at Jiri’s house, covered
all over with satellite dishes and not minding what his family
or neighbours think. On the left (in the garden, waiting for
assembly) a 2.5m dish, a 1.8m Ku band dish on the wall, and
a smaller 1.3m offset dish below which is also for Ku band
reception. The large antenna in the centre is Jiri’s main
dish and boasts a diameter of 2.6m. It has been used in a
professional environment before and therefore even comes
with a heating system. This antenna is used for C band
reception. On the right there is a 2.4m dish mounted on a
7m pole. Incidentally, all dishes are equipped with actuators
and thus can be rotated, with the two large dishes featuring
motors for both elevation and azimuth. This way the dishes
can be rotated in all directions. “I use the CHAPARRAL
Monterey motor control,” Jiri explains – a unit that has been
out of production for some time now.

104 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 08-09/2010 — www.TELE-satellite.com

 The attic of Jiri’s house is filled to the much. What sounds odd at first seems
brim with receivers of all sorts. While to be a common trait of many satellite
watching a Chilean channel beamed enthusiasts: It’s not what’s on TV that is
from INTELSAT 805 he tells us of how his important, but how to master technical
hobby gradually turned into passion. “In challenges and find solutions for tricky
the year 1986 I set up my first satellite reception problems. The journey is rated
antenna.” At the time Europe saw its first much higher than the destination, so to
satellite channels spring up and Jiri was speak.
fascinated by this emerging transmission
technology right from the start. Of course with his technical background
and metal-working skills Jiri is in an excel-
It wasn’t long before he added a second lent position for overcoming problems. “I
satellite antenna (this time with a diam- even built a number of polarisers myself,”
eter of 1.4 m) and in 1996 he installed he states with pride and points to his
his first C band dish. “That year I spent LNB rotation motors. His workshop is a
my vacation in South America and was genuine treasure for all kinds of LNBs
amazed by all the really huge C band and polarisers and impressive proof of
antennas there,” Jiri remembers. Back his long-standing commitment to satel-
home the first thing he did was get a lite reception. His passion even goes as
large C band antenna, of course. When far as to offer other satellite DXers help
asked about his favourite channels it and support in his free time so that their ■ Jiri in front of his PC, updating the website of
turns out he doesn’t like to watch TV too installations can deliver the same results his DXer club.

■ The back of the huge 2.6m dish

can be seen when looking out of a
window. Note the way Jiri solved
the problem of pole mounting: He
used empty drums which he only
filled once the construction was
completely set up.

www.TELE-satellite.com — 08-09/2010 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 105

as Jiri’s. “Recently I set up a dedicated DXer’s
club, which currently has 27 members in ■ Doing what he does best:
Jiri at his turning lathe
the Czech Republic and three in Slovakia,” in the garage, where he
Jiri continues. The club’s name – “Vanspeed ‘manufactures’ bespoke
Sat DX Klub” – suits perfectly when we take mechanical components
whenever necessary.
into account that Jiri also used the name
Vanspeed when he was a self-employed
car mechanic. “You can see many photos of
various satellite antenna installations on our
website at http://vanspeed.myspace.cz,” Jiri
goes on and adds that club meetings take
place two to three times a year for exchang-
ing opinions and ideas. “We’re always happy
to welcome any DXer to our meetings, no
matter where they come from,” Jiri extends
an invitation to interested readers.

When asked about his plans for the future

Jiri has a surprise in store. He is planning to
set up a 6m dish shortly. “I already ordered
all components and am currently working on
the mast construction.” Jiri hopes to be able
to receive CHINASAT 9 at 92.2° East with this
monster antenna, but that is something that
remains to be seen. “Elevation is extremely
low, but perhaps it’s possible nonetheless,”
Jiri expresses his hopes.

His house stands on one of the town’s hills,

so chances are CHINASAT signals will actu-
ally make it all the way to Jiri’s house – at
least in theory. One thing is for sure, though:
We’ll all keep our fingers crossed.

■ Proudly made by Jiri: Two

samples of his work – polarizers
which rotate the whole LNB. All
mechanical components seen
here are custom-made by Jiri
Vanek. The upper model is for
Ku band reception, and the lower
model for the C band.

106 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 08-09/2010 — www.TELE-satellite.com