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B.J.

Last reply Jul 24, 2009 · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion

connector,lnb,or revenge of trees?

A couple days ago, I posted about how I doubled my signal on AMC6 by cutting down a few pine trees (I still have about 6 smaller ones to go). Well yesterday, I was dragging off those trees, after taking off most of the bigger limbs. After I was finished, I came inside, and was searching for some signals on C-band. I scanned one particular satellite with my Broadlogic spectrum scanner, and got the results shown below.

As you can see, about half way through the scan, the signal pretty much died, not only on the Broadlogic, but I was also monitoring on my Azbox and TT3200 at the same time, and also, the background signal went nearly to zero on my analog receiver. I thought that perhaps the LNB voltage had gone out, but I checked, and I still had voltage. I checked, however, and the LNB was no longer drawing any current.
I thought oh fooey, the LNB died. But then I remembered that when I had dragged the trees away, I had dragged them very near to where the coax comes up out of the ground going into my garage to the house. I went out and checked, and sure enough, not only had the several coaxes there been pulled to the side, a small ladder had been jammed down into the hole that the coaxes came out of. I didn't see any damage to the coax, but I figured that I had probably broken the center conductor or something.
Anyway, today, I started trouble-shooting, went outside with my meter, hooked it up to the coax that comes from the receiver.... no voltage.... until I wiggled the connector, then voltage kind of went on and off every couple seconds. This was a good 60' from the place I ran the trees into the coax, so it's completely un-related, and apparently the trees didn't do any damage after all. Then, just to make sure that the LNB was still good, I connected my meter to the coax that goes to the lnb (I have a barrel connector out at the dish to allow me to insert meters and switch coax). Well this connector also seemed bad. Ie the LNB was drawing current, but every few seconds it would jump down to zero... until I wiggled THAT connection, and I got it working steady.
I've now re-done BOTH connections by cutting off a couple inches of coax, and everything seems back to normal, but I find that it's kind of wierd that BOTH connectors that connected to this barrel connector went bad at the same time, and so suddenly. I HAVE been having trouble with C-band, ever since a big rainstorm a couple weeks ago.. no lightning, but LOTS of water, so I guess I could have gotten a lot of water into this barrel connector, even though it's enclosed in a plastic military box to protect it from the elements.
Anyway, everything back to normal, and the trees didn't get the last laugh.

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cracklincrotch

Jul 23, 2009

Definitely weird. But I've known that type of thing to happen. Ever renovate a house where you're sure things can't got but a certain way and should take so long but ends up taking triple the time because you ran into this, this, and this? And how could "this" even end up like that? And while you're scratching your head your wife is wondering what the heck is going on that you're not done yet?

I feel a rant coming on. Can you guess about what?

MikeinBaja

Jul 23, 2009

Possible you pulled the coax with the trees or the "jammed" in ladder and loosened the connections? Sometimes, it doesn't take much.

mikelib

Jul 23, 2009

B.J. said:
I scanned one particular satellite with my Broadlogic spectrum scanner, and got the results shown below.....

B.J.
I tryed to Google Broadlogic spectrum scanner to get information on it and was not successful. Do you have website information on the spectrum scanner. Tnx OM
Mike Lib

B.J.

Jul 24, 2009

mikelib said:
B.J.
I tryed to Google Broadlogic spectrum scanner to get information on it and was not successful. Do you have website information on the spectrum scanner. Tnx OM
Mike Lib

Sorry, that was just a way I referred to the process.
What I was referring to is described here:
bjblscan
It is a way to generate a VERY SLOW spectrum scan, ie about 9 minutes per scan.
Basically, it only works with a Broadlogic 1030 computer card receiver.
A fellow called Hans (last name I can't spell, but he wrote the DVBAPPS program) wrote an application that would generate a text file of frequency vs signal strength using the Broadlogic 1030. I think he abandoned the project since the BLSA thing became more popular, and his program is no longer available at his web page, but I can give anyone interested a copy. I had the 1030, however, and the BLSA doesn't work with that, so I wrote a little VB program that would plot out the text file that Hans' program generates, and it also allows you to drag your mouse across the signals to identify the frequency of signals, and it gives an estimate of the SR via the width of the peak. I've found that it generally identifies the freq to within 1 or 2 MHz, but the SR estimation isn't very good, as it depends upon where on the peak you drag. The image at the above web page shows a version which doesn't estimate the SR, mainly because it wasn't very accurate, but anyone interested in the newer versions, I can provide the newer version.
It only works with the 1030 card, so it won't be of any interest to people who don't have this receiver. The 1030 receiver is nice due to it's interesting control app, as well as this spectrum capability, however it doesn't seem to have any DiseqC capability, so I generally have to use it slaved, since it can't select switch positions.
THe spectrum plots, however have been a way of locating DVB-S2 signals, since blind scan receivers for DVB-S2 are rare. In fact the particular sat (which I don't want to identify) that I was scanning has about 23 DVB-S2 transponders that I found with the program, plus SR determination via the shortwave method, although only one of these transponders ever have viewable video. So although it is VERY SLOW, I think it's quite useful, and I use it all the time.

mikelib

Jul 24, 2009

Thanks for the explanation B.J.

B.J. said:
Sorry, that was just a way I referred to the process.
What I was referring to is described here:
bjblscan
It is a way to generate a VERY SLOW spectrum scan, ie about 9 minutes per scan.
Basically, it only works with a Broadlogic 1030 computer card receiver.
A fellow called Hans (last name I can't spell, but he wrote the DVBAPPS program) wrote an application that would generate a text file of frequency vs signal strength using the Broadlogic 1030. I think he abandoned the project since the BLSA thing became more popular, and his program is no longer available at his web page, but I can give anyone interested a copy. I had the 1030, however, and the BLSA doesn't work with that, so I wrote a little VB program that would plot out the text file that Hans' program generates, and it also allows you to drag your mouse across the signals to identify the frequency of signals, and it gives an estimate of the SR via the width of the peak. I've found that it generally identifies the freq to within 1 or 2 MHz, but the SR estimation isn't very good, as it depends upon where on the peak you drag. The image at the above web page shows a version which doesn't estimate the SR, mainly because it wasn't very accurate, but anyone interested in the newer versions, I can provide the newer version.
It only works with the 1030 card, so it won't be of any interest to people who don't have this receiver. The 1030 receiver is nice due to it's interesting control app, as well as this spectrum capability, however it doesn't seem to have any DiseqC capability, so I generally have to use it slaved, since it can't select switch positions.
THe spectrum plots, however have been a way of locating DVB-S2 signals, since blind scan receivers for DVB-S2 are rare. In fact the particular sat (which I don't want to identify) that I was scanning has about 23 DVB-S2 transponders that I found with the program, plus SR determination via the shortwave method, although only one of these transponders ever have viewable video. So although it is VERY SLOW, I think it's quite useful, and I use it all the time.

Recently, I was wondering how you can hook up a computer to a satellite box to make it a spectrum analyzer. (I read your link, great explanation, information, files and pictures)

I have an Uniden 396T trunk tracking scanner that I use ARC396Pro software to load the scanner and I use the bandscope feature to hunt out frequencies to scan. It has the mouse over the signal peak feature to displayed and determine the frequency; it also has a waterfall feature so you can tell how active the frequency is.

I thought that it would be great to scan satellites with a bandscope feature and was trying to figure how it can be done. When I came across this thread I read that you have the feature already. I spend more time hunting and scanning satellite signals then watching TV. FTA to me is Shortwave Listening of satellite TV channels, I love the hunt more then the view.

The fall project this year is to take an old server I have purchased and turn it into an home entertainment center. I'll Google the Broadlogic 103 card and see if I can find out the info on the card. Maybe I can use that card for satellite reception; I would love to have that spectrum analyzer feature Thanks again. :up
Regards
Mike Lib

teachsac

Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!

Last reply 12 minutes ago · posted in TV Shows

House of the Dragon

House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, premieres on HBO Max on 8/21. I will be warching

'Game of Thrones' spinoff 'House of the Dragon' fires up release date at HBO, drops new character pics

The wait’s felt a little like watching for a dragon egg to hatch, but HBO’s hugely anticipated Game of Thrones prequel series finally has a release date. House of the Dragon will debut the first of its initial 10-episode season this summer, the network revealed today in a series of tweets that...

www.syfy.com

View: https://youtu.be/fNwwt25mheo

S~

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KAB

Sep 30, 2024

That was as bad as the rest of the show. Jean Smart was mostly invisible.

Jim S.

Oct 6, 2024

I prefer the trailer for the movie adaptation of Mario Kart. At least that had Pedro Pascal in it.

klang

Feb 19, 2026

View: https://youtu.be/i6w7O1kwuBk?si=Q557kzRMDJYsAl4j

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harshness

Feb 20, 2026

"A new line of unsullied kings" would seem impossible given the GoT definition of "unsullied". :biggrin

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osu1991

12 minutes ago

View: https://youtu.be/0JlMjgqduVw?is=wLRc7xhSLRSgsUML

3rd season starts June 26

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TWiT Tech Podcast Network

19 minutes ago · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Why New FCC Rules Could Crush Phone Privacy in the US

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!

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Direct YouTube Link - Why New FCC Rules Could Crush Phone Privacy in the US
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teachtom

Last reply 54 minutes ago · posted in DISH Network Support Forum

Problem when I switch from Bonus View channels back to regular Dish channels

Hello everyone, new guy here. I'm trying to solve problem I'm having with Dish bonus view channels. When I'm watching the bonus view channels then I switch back to regular dish channels, after few minutes the screen flips to black and after 30 seconds flips back to regular channels and continues to flip back and forth until I turn off TV. After I wait 30 minutes and turn back on , I can use regular channels again. So, its after I switch from bonus view channels to regular dish channels the problem starts. Been trying to fix this for a month, but no luck
Here what I've done.
i contacted Dish support and they sent me a new Joey3, but no help. Switched to a different HDMI input on TV, no help. Used different HDMI cable , no help. Used different electrical wall plug, no help.
Finally got a Dish tech to check it. He ran all systems check and was OK. Finally he brought in a small TV and plugged in the HDMI out from the Joey to the small TV. He could not get the problem to occur on his small TV, so the new Joey was working OK. So, then the problem must be myTV. He made some phone calls and came back with the answer that there must be a problem with the analog to digital switch in my TV. Has anyone ever heard of a problem like this, or is it time to be looking for a new TV? My tv LG OLED65C8PUA. TV has been trouble free til now. Thanks

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HipKat

Today at 5:07 PM

teachtom said:
Hello everyone, new guy here. I'm trying to solve problem I'm having with Dish bonus view channels. When I'm watching the bonus view channels then I switch back to regular dish channels, after few minutes the screen flips to black and after 30 seconds flips back to regular channels and continues to flip back and forth until I turn off TV. After I wait 30 minutes and turn back on , I can use regular channels again. So, its after I switch from bonus view channels to regular dish channels the problem starts. Been trying to fix this for a month, but no luck
Here what I've done.
i contacted Dish support and they sent me a new Joey3, but no help. Switched to a different HDMI input on TV, no help. Used different HDMI cable , no help. Used different electrical wall plug, no help.
Finally got a Dish tech to check it. He ran all systems check and was OK. Finally he brought in a small TV and plugged in the HDMI out from the Joey to the small TV. He could not get the problem to occur on his small TV, so the new Joey was working OK. So, then the problem must be myTV. He made some phone calls and came back with the answer that there must be a problem with the analog to digital switch in my TV. Has anyone ever heard of a problem like this, or is it time to be looking for a new TV? My tv LG OLED65C8PUA. TV has been trouble free til now. Thanks

First off, great TV. I'm torn between the 77C5 or the 77G5.
It sounds like the handshake between the Receiver and the TV is having a problem. Are you using the free cable that came with the Joey or a higher speed HDMI cable?? That's the f irst place I'd look

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RJT79

Today at 5:17 PM

teachtom said:
Hello everyone, new guy here. I'm trying to solve problem I'm having with Dish bonus view channels. When I'm watching the bonus view channels then I switch back to regular dish channels, after few minutes the screen flips to black and after 30 seconds flips back to regular channels and continues to flip back and forth until I turn off TV. After I wait 30 minutes and turn back on , I can use regular channels again. So, its after I switch from bonus view channels to regular dish channels the problem starts. Been trying to fix this for a month, but no luck
Here what I've done.
i contacted Dish support and they sent me a new Joey3, but no help. Switched to a different HDMI input on TV, no help. Used different HDMI cable , no help. Used different electrical wall plug, no help.
Finally got a Dish tech to check it. He ran all systems check and was OK. Finally he brought in a small TV and plugged in the HDMI out from the Joey to the small TV. He could not get the problem to occur on his small TV, so the new Joey was working OK. So, then the problem must be myTV. He made some phone calls and came back with the answer that there must be a problem with the analog to digital switch in my TV. Has anyone ever heard of a problem like this, or is it time to be looking for a new TV? My tv LG OLED65C8PUA. TV has been trouble free til now. Thanks

First off, The analog to digital switch, also known as the digital television transition, is the process of converting older analog television broadcasting technology to digital broadcasting. It's used through coaxial cable for the an antenna during the mandatory switch from Analog to Digital on June 12, 2009. You either had to get a converter for your analog (Tube TV) or use a converter box that has the analog or digital tuner or an HDTV which your is and has the tuner built in. Your TV is HD and using an HDMI Cable and nothing is connected by coaxial cable so this wouldn't apply.

In my theory it probably means a new TV. I had a TV go out on my switching between the Smart Screen from the HDMI inputs before because they went faulty. Sometimes electrical surges can cause this. If you have an older home or rent an older home or apartment sometimes the electrical outlets are not grounded and these days HDTV's need a ground which can cause them to malfunction and go bad quicker. Never plug it directly in an outlet. It will damage the TV.

Hope I could be of some assistance.

RJ T.
From Illinois

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teachtom

Today at 7:33 PM

RJT79 said:
First off, The analog to digital switch, also known as the digital television transition, is the process of converting older analog television broadcasting technology to digital broadcasting. It's used through coaxial cable for the an antenna during the mandatory switch from Analog to Digital on June 12, 2009. You either had to get a converter for your analog (Tube TV) or use a converter box that has the analog or digital tuner or an HDTV which your is and has the tuner built in. Your TV is HD and using an HDMI Cable and nothing is connected by coaxial cable so this wouldn't apply.

In my theory it probably means a new TV. I had a TV go out on my switching between the Smart Screen from the HDMI inputs before because they went faulty. Sometimes electrical surges can cause this. If you have an older home or rent an older home or apartment sometimes the electrical outlets are not grounded and these days HDTV's need a ground which can cause them to malfunction and go bad quicker. Never plug it directly in an outlet. It will damage the TV.

Hope I could be of some assistance.

RJ T.
From Illinois

Thank you for the information. I do keep the TV plugged into a surge protector, but we have had pretty strong thunderstorms/lightning in the last month so that have contributed to my problem.The house was built in 2009 so everything seems to be grounded correctly. We have had a power surge also. Seems like no one fixes anything any more, so just get a new one or live with the problem. Thanks

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teachtom

Today at 7:39 PM

HipKat said:
First off, great TV. I'm torn between the 77C5 or the 77G5.
It sounds like the handshake between the Receiver and the TV is having a problem. Are you using the free cable that came with the Joey or a higher speed HDMI cable?? That's the f irst place I'd look

I think the HDMI cable is good, i used one of my own from my 4K atmos system, i'll switch it with another just to check. Also I have a bid in at Greentoe for 77" G5. Thanks

Reactions: HipKat and charlesrshell

HipKat

54 minutes ago

teachtom said:
I think the HDMI cable is good, i used one of my own from my 4K atmos system, i'll switch it with another just to check. Also I have a bid in at Greentoe for 77" G5. Thanks

I hope that works. I'm waiting til Black Friday sales

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natevw

Last reply Today at 8:02 PM · posted in FTA Receiver / Equipment Support

GEOSATpro Does anyone recognize these channels (/audio loop)?

Hi all, I recently inherited a FTA system off Craiglist and have been trying to get it set up. What I got was a Glorystar-branded ~90cm offset dish with a ground mount (/flat roof) frame, and GEOSATpro DSR200c receiver. From that initial equipment, I've replaced the old LNBF with a (cheap!) new one and also splurged on an SG-2100 H-H motorized rotor which does respond from the receiver's USALS menu.

The previous owner had it set up for religious programming on Galaxy 19 and I've been trying to start by finding that same bird at least. After a couple sessions I'm not sure I have, but I've found *something* at least! A handful of motor ticks further than the dish wants to be for 97W after starting from motor 0 pointing as much south as I can guess at. (I don't have great references to aim for and it's really hard to sight where exactly the dish is pointing anyway….)

Anyway, so far there's only one transponder that I've ever been able to catch as I search. It's 12146 V and when the receiver scans it I get this list of video channels:

1.1 Srv_1
2.84 OU_Chan
3.2 Srv_2
4.5 Srv_5
5.3 Srv_3
6.4 Srv_4
7.6 Srv_6
8.7 Srv_7

There's iirc three audio channels it finds too but I didn't get a good snapshot of those. All the channels except for one seem to be dead (black screen and silent audio), except for the OU_Chan one which on both days I found it was just rolling one same ad over and over on a loop. I won't repeat the full roll since I don't want to spam the forums as my first post

but it's a long-winded spiel about "you know us as an industry-leading satellite solutions provider with over a quarter million sites" and to call them For All Your Every Needs™ type thing.

While I get little blips from other frequencies, this is the only strong transponder I've been able to come across. My receiver shows it as S 75 and Q up to 85 when I adjust it. It actually seemed to get better as I **un**skewed my LBNF — iiuc G19 was supposed to be -20º for me but however I'm supposed to be reading/referencing the angles the puck is now basically at 0º relative to the dish/arm got the strongest on this transponder.

Anyway sorry this is so long winded already… my question is, do I even have the right satellite? None of the other transponders that are supposed to be active on G-19 seem to come in. And if not the right satellite does anyone happen to recognize which one I might have found instead? I think knowing that would help me then adjust for a truer south aim and then hopeful the USALS will work automatically once I can get it dialed in.

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cyberham

Jun 2, 2026

Correct LO setting to 10600 MHz. Set receiver to 12053 V 22000. Use USALS to motor over to 97W Galaxy 19. Then, loosen bolts and rotate entire assembly (motor & dish) very slightly east or west until you peak on that transponder.

You should be able to blind scan in 6 transponders (DVB-S) and dozens of channels.

When using a motor, just set skew of LNB for 0 degrees and don't change it. The motor automatically rotates the dish to the correct skew.

natevw

Jun 4, 2026

cyberham said:
Correct LO setting to 10600 MHz. Set receiver to 12053 V 22000. Use USALS to motor over to 97W Galaxy 19. Then, loosen bolts and rotate entire assembly (motor & dish) very slightly east or west until you peak on that transponder.

Done and done and done! I ended up doing a bit more iteration (back and forth between the left-right and up-down adjustments) but I've now got it landing on G19 at its default position for 97W.

cyberham said:
You should be able to blind scan in 6 transponders (DVB-S) and dozens of channels.

Yep, ended up with a page or two full on my receiver's search. Didn't double-check that my receiver has all six of the right transponders but I can mess with that later if it turns out I'm missing something interesting but still DVB-S / MPEG-2 compatible.

cyberham said:
When using a motor, just set skew of LNB for 0 degrees and don't change it. The motor automatically rotates the dish to the correct skew.

Yep, can see definite signal degradation as soon as I skew the LNB either way from "straight" (seam on the LNB lined up with the clamps on the mounting bracket). Will make setup easier if I want to try swapping anything else in!

I don't know if there's any good (unencrypted, DVB-S) satellite farther away to really check the sweep against, but I was at least able to program in my original find at 101.0 W back in (now at the correct "12000 V 20000" setting) and can get both birds automatically.

Shouldn't be *that* exciting since it's just an ad, but still really fun to choose channels on the other one and have it jog over and lock on

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cyberham

Jun 4, 2026

Motor over to 123W Galaxy 18 and try for 12078 V 3680 (Korean Broadcasting System). It is DVB-S. And 12008 H 12660 (Daystar mux) on the same satellite.

Beyond these, you'll need your new receiver that supports DVB-S2.

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Brct203

Jun 4, 2026

natevw said:
Done and done and done! I ended up doing a bit more iteration (back and forth between the left-right and up-down adjustments) but I've now got it landing on G19 at its default position for 97W.

Yep, ended up with a page or two full on my receiver's search. Didn't double-check that my receiver has all six of the right transponders but I can mess with that later if it turns out I'm missing something interesting but still DVB-S / MPEG-2 compatible.

Yep, can see definite signal degradation as soon as I skew the LNB either way from "straight" (seam on the LNB lined up with the clamps on the mounting bracket). Will make setup easier if I want to try swapping anything else in!

I don't know if there's any good (unencrypted, DVB-S) satellite farther away to really check the sweep against, but I was at least able to program in my original find at 101.0 W back in (now at the correct "12000 V 20000" setting) and can get both birds automatically.

Shouldn't be *that* exciting since it's just an ad, but still really fun to choose channels on the other one and have it jog over and lock on

beside 123W, another one to try (if it's above the horizon at your location) is Hispasat @30W. It has at least 2 DVB-S transponders with SD/Mpeg2 channels

Reactions: cyberham

natevw

Today at 7:36 PM

cyberham said:
Motor over to 123W Galaxy 18 and try for 12078 V 3680 (Korean Broadcasting System). It is DVB-S. And 12008 H 12660 (Daystar mux) on the same satellite.

No luck finding this one. I motor over and it seems like a pretty dead spot of sky. I did get a slight blip (Q up to 1% or 2%) if I lowered the dish slightly. So I wonder if my polar mount itself maybe needs a bit of fine tuning?

Even when loosening the bolts and manually nudging the dish up/down/left/right nothing seemed to really wake it [new receiver, see below!] up and never saw anything more than 4% or 5% which I don't know is even real or could have been just noise?

Brct203 said:
beside 123W, another one to try (if it's above the horizon at your location) is Hispasat @30W.

I'm in Washington state (northwest CONUS) so this one's not an option for me.

cyberham said:
Beyond these, you'll need your new receiver that supports DVB-S2.

I now have a V8 Finder 2

I've been able to scan in more now on G-19, and as well as watching the ad on SES 1 and getting some PBS stations there and G-16 both. So three satellites kinda in the general vicinity of each other (97W/101W/99.1W) programmed and able to rotate between.

Is G-18 at 123W as strong as the others? According to Satbeams I should be at least somewhat in its footprint although it looks like it's maybe focused more on Alaska.

Now that I'm back at my computer waiting for the Finder to charge back up looks like the Eutelsat(s) 117W have a couple Ku transponders I could look for too.

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cyberham

Today at 8:02 PM

On 117W, try for BVN. It has a C/N lock of just 1.0 dB so it's easy to receive. See transponder data on Lyngsat. 123W is receivable. Your motor is not perfectly on the arc yet.

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TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Today at 7:52 PM · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Google’s New Translate Tool

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW3qReY-JYA

Direct YouTube Link - Google's New Translate Tool
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Today at 7:52 PM · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Another Cisco SD-WAN 0-day?

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zh1RgcJue0

Direct YouTube Link - Another Cisco SD-WAN 0-day?
TWIT's Website
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natevw

Last reply Today at 7:19 PM · posted in FTA Receiver / Equipment Support

OTHER Does the GT Media V8 Finder2 run rotor motors? (/DVB-S2 recommendations)

I'm having trouble finding a for sure answer on this. When I first started diving back into satellite stuff I noticed the GT Media V8 Finder2 which looks pretty cool and relatively low price point. But I can't find an answer, seems like some people (and Amazon's own AI guesser-bot) say it doesn't support motors.

The manual itself (the PDF that I found is named 20220718043903GTMEDIAV8FINDER2.pdf and it's on page 6 of 8) does show on the installation screen a "Motor Setup" menu item and says "If select DiSEqC1.2 or USALS, we can press ◀︎▶︎ to select IF Channel, and use number key to input Center Frequency."

Which…… the USALS part seems promising, but I don't know what IF and Center frequencies have to do with anything? Can it drive the motor off its battery for one, and does it have options for e.g. using the ◀︎▶︎ arrows to change the aim and save adjustments?
The closest I've found to real-world experience here is in Long shot with TBS6909X card where someone is talking about a different rotor and says:

> when I connect my V8 Finder 2, it immediately moves the dish if it's not in the correct position

which seems really promising! Moving the dish is what I'm after here, with something newer than the old MPEG-2 receiver I have now. Even for other receivers its really unclear if motor support is just pretty much a safe assumption that they don't even mention it anymore?

The V9 Prime actually looks pretty nice too and assuming it runs motors maybe that'd be better than the V8 Finder 2 for actual long term use since it has networking. But I'm having trouble finding listings for it (and actually most other receivers I see mentioned here) on Amazon or eBay or even Aliexpress. I'm wanting a DVB-S2 receiver for at least MPEG-4 with H.264/AVC and maybe should just get H.265/HEVC while I'm shopping. Main criteria:

* run my "Goto X"-era SG-2100 rotator
* be able to view most/all modern FTA satellites
* ideally a scheduled DVR feature and/or network would make it more useful
* I don't mind if it has… "alternative" firmwares or features but just for broader compatibility/interest

My main goal is I guess just exploration, seeing what's up there. Honestly not a big TV guy and definitely not into infomercials but if I can time shift the occasional Bob Ross or Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, or catch some world events as they're being uplinked, that sort of thing might be interesting. (Honestly main goal started out as weather satellites but this is kinda a warmup excercise for what will likely be a separate setup due to the frequencies.)

My dish is kinda far from my house and even farther from my "radio shack" so if I could just run a PoE ethernet line to something in a box below the dish, or a coax only to the crawlspace where I have 110V but either way would need it full remote including changing between satellites. To avoid having to buy and pull tons more coax up and down through the house. I'm into open source and real standards, so I'd much rather something that I can say use with VLC or go2rtc via a raw IP address and protocol rather than some convenient but proprietary iOS cloud app thingy.

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cyberham

Jun 2, 2026

I have the GT Media V9 prime receiver. It's a good modern receiver for its price. I think it's no longer available new since GT Media stopped making receivers.

The V9 supports USALS and Diseqc motor positioning. I have 125 feet of RG6 to my dish. I'd recommend 100 feet of cable maximum due to voltage drop issues as the cable gets longer. In my case, my motor works but at times when I move the motor I stay tuned to horizontal (H) transponders which sends a higher motor voltage than if tuned to a vertical (V) transponder.

natevw

Jun 2, 2026

Thanks, great tips and yeah when I'd read how the H/V bias worked I wondered if the higher voltage was ever useful for better power transfer

It was perhaps slightly impulsive (though I guess not too late to cancel) but instead of the Finder unit I ended up going for kinda the opposite: a completely faceless USB tuner box (TBS5930) which should have RF support all the way up through DVB-S2X. If I'm understanding correctly the actual video/audio will then be whatever I can get software/GPU support for so my hope is that any unencrypted MPEG-2/AVC/HEVC feed can be viewed with VLC or whatnot. As well as access to what I assume is pure data like the Blockstream stuff just for example. (They had a lot of good resources for reception of their own signal in lots of various interesting ways and is kinda how I found the TBS options.)

And I think I will be able to control DiSEqC stuff through Linux including motor commands. So the idea is kinda what I mentioned, hoping this can just get chained in to an old thin client PC or if there's any Raspberry Pi that doesn't cost triple digits these days, somewhere physically convenient and then run it all over LAN from my laptop.

All this is somewhat theoretical of course based on what I'm piecing together but at a certain point I usually have to close all the browser tabs and just commit to try *something* that looks promising and go from there.

natevw

Today at 7:19 PM

natevw said:
I'm having trouble finding a for sure answer on this.

Had a mixup with the TBS5930, got sent a cheaper Lite model than I paid for and am returning that. Ended up with the V8 Finder 2 after all.

And can confirm that it *does* have motor support! There's options for each satellite:

* None
* DiSEqC 1.2
* USALS

If you choose USALS (after setting device lat/lon) then it simply goes to where it thinks the satellite should be. If you arrow over to the DiSEqC option then you can press "OK" on it and pull up a menu with the ability to save position presets and also a motor nudge feature.

So between the two I can first choose USALS to get my initial setting, and then switch to DiSEqC to see if fine tuning helps.

That's all in the "Installation menu". When just watching channels it automatically switches between satellites too. Can even do a multi-satellite scan although it seemed it maybe didn't wait for the motor to finish before starting the scan.