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OK so the subject is non-descriptive but I could not do any better.
As many of you know, we had hurricane in New Orleans that has screwed up nearly every bit of infrastructure we have. Installation/repair times are insane. You can count on a 3 month wait for a phone line or DirectTV etc. We won't even mention getting a cable modem down here. I had one friend who got quoted November and he thought that was good until they said 2006! (no joke)
SO I'm looking for better ways to do things. I read this forum for about an hour and I think many of you might be able to fill is some blanks in my knowledge. (and not all questions are exactly about FTA but I figure I'll put them all in one place)
1) We have plenty of people with no broadband access. I'm considering getting some direcway dishes off ebay and setting them up. (Any better options?) Did I read PSB say he uses the same dish and LNB to get FTA? Data is the primary need but getting some TV from the same rig would be cool. (I understand the need for a rotor to be effective.) Most people are more interested in internet but watching a few random shows when they are not on the net would be a bonus.
2) We have about 10,000 or more DirectTV and DishNetwork dishes that will be bulldozed with their hoses. From what I've read on the thread "What will I get with an 18" Dish?" there is basically no value in them anyway. -- But I can get an unlimited supply. Short of flooding ebay, do I want one? A guy gave me a Dishnetwork dish that, so far, I have not figured a use for. (I am a DirectTV subscriber)
3) Has anyone tried Voip over a Direcway? We have people who will not have phones for months.
4) I started reading about Direcway but got interested in FTA in the same way I listened to shortwave as a kid. I have DirecTV and 2 Tivo's so I have more TV than I can watch, but as a low end hobbiest, is there any real reason to get more than a ~$100 FTA receiver? -- I'm thinking about getting a 30" dish to use for DSB, FTA and Directway... Am I insane? 3LNBS?
Sorry to pummel you guys with questions. I've read all the FAQ's and such and some of what I'm asking is just to confirm I don't have any holes in my knowledge. Basically I have 20 different people with 20 different needs. The more I understand what I can do and what I can't, the better I can help get the right technology to the right people.
thanks
Paul
As many of you know, we had hurricane in New Orleans that has screwed up nearly every bit of infrastructure we have. Installation/repair times are insane. You can count on a 3 month wait for a phone line or DirectTV etc. We won't even mention getting a cable modem down here. I had one friend who got quoted November and he thought that was good until they said 2006! (no joke)
SO I'm looking for better ways to do things. I read this forum for about an hour and I think many of you might be able to fill is some blanks in my knowledge. (and not all questions are exactly about FTA but I figure I'll put them all in one place)
1) We have plenty of people with no broadband access. I'm considering getting some direcway dishes off ebay and setting them up. (Any better options?) Did I read PSB say he uses the same dish and LNB to get FTA? Data is the primary need but getting some TV from the same rig would be cool. (I understand the need for a rotor to be effective.) Most people are more interested in internet but watching a few random shows when they are not on the net would be a bonus.
2) We have about 10,000 or more DirectTV and DishNetwork dishes that will be bulldozed with their hoses. From what I've read on the thread "What will I get with an 18" Dish?" there is basically no value in them anyway. -- But I can get an unlimited supply. Short of flooding ebay, do I want one? A guy gave me a Dishnetwork dish that, so far, I have not figured a use for. (I am a DirectTV subscriber)
3) Has anyone tried Voip over a Direcway? We have people who will not have phones for months.
4) I started reading about Direcway but got interested in FTA in the same way I listened to shortwave as a kid. I have DirecTV and 2 Tivo's so I have more TV than I can watch, but as a low end hobbiest, is there any real reason to get more than a ~$100 FTA receiver? -- I'm thinking about getting a 30" dish to use for DSB, FTA and Directway... Am I insane? 3LNBS?
Sorry to pummel you guys with questions. I've read all the FAQ's and such and some of what I'm asking is just to confirm I don't have any holes in my knowledge. Basically I have 20 different people with 20 different needs. The more I understand what I can do and what I can't, the better I can help get the right technology to the right people.
thanks
Paul
4 Replies
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1410 views
Hey Paul... only an hour away from ya! 
1. As far as I know you have to be an approved Direcway vendor to provision the modem since you are transmitting data up into the sky. I believe the same stands true with WildBlue. You might check around about some of the fixed wireless solutions in the N.O. area. Why not just install the DBS system yourself instead of waiting?
2. Some DishNet dishs/lnb's are interchangeable with DirecTV stuff.
3. VoIP over DirecWay doesn't work too well since you have around 1000ms pings. Not sure about WildBlue but I've seen users with 600ms pings, still not good for VoIP but it might work fair.
4. Keep your dishes separate.
1. As far as I know you have to be an approved Direcway vendor to provision the modem since you are transmitting data up into the sky. I believe the same stands true with WildBlue. You might check around about some of the fixed wireless solutions in the N.O. area. Why not just install the DBS system yourself instead of waiting?
2. Some DishNet dishs/lnb's are interchangeable with DirecTV stuff.
3. VoIP over DirecWay doesn't work too well since you have around 1000ms pings. Not sure about WildBlue but I've seen users with 600ms pings, still not good for VoIP but it might work fair.
4. Keep your dishes separate.
M
They work fine for audio but there really isn't much FTA to get with a 18" dish/LNB.
Directway would work for internet. But if you want FTA, you would need a motor
Dish and Direct use different LNB's (the "eye" part) so they relay aren't interchangable. You can use a Direct LNB on a Dish dish
They work fine for audio but there really isn't much FTA to get with a 18" dish/LNB.
Don't know
Most decent receivers will put you back a couple hundred bucks. The elcheapo ones are under $100. Directway and FTA use the same LNB. DBS is different but there are a few of us who have both. They even have a LNB that does both
That's what we're here for. Glad everyone is safe. Living at the beginning of the Mississippi and seeing it on TV was bad enough. No way in hell I'd want to live through that. (we've lived through tornados here in MN)
Hi guys! Scanning the messages some tonight and saw this thread that contains the dreaded 'K' word 
I've been away from the forum for some weeks now, mainly due to a lack of time to do much reading on the 'net. Hopefully I will be able to pop in and at least scan the board from time to time
Anyway, depending on what part of the city you live in, you might not have cable service back for more than a year. I drove through Lakeview last week on one of my visits back. The word 'warzone' doesn't begin to describe it. The houses, trees (the ones left standing), cars, streets, grass, etc. are all covered in grey muck. Windows are all gone. Cars are thrown around (and on top of each other) like matchbox toys. There is a stench that is almost unbearable. The talk is that many entire neighborhoods will get bulldozed. I'm sure its more of the same in areas like the Lower 9th Ward and New Orleans East, not to mention Chalmette, Arabi, and points southeast of there.
Not sure of the feasibility of satellite internet (it never has really caught on here in the states), but you can certainly pull down some interesting and different TV with a decent size (30" or more) dish and motor. I'd definitely go for a FTA system if you can get power. But that's another story.
I live in Metairie, near the Bucktown area, just across the 17th Street Canal from 'The Breach'. Our neighborhood has electricity, phone service, and cable service back on. However, since my home took on about 18 inches of water, I cannot use any of those services until we get the interior gutted. They are supposed to re-connect electricity tomorrow, but the phone wires are corroded. We will probably re-connect cable internet service to the lone computer that survived once we get a FEMA trailer installed in front of the house.
I've been away from the forum for some weeks now, mainly due to a lack of time to do much reading on the 'net. Hopefully I will be able to pop in and at least scan the board from time to time
Anyway, depending on what part of the city you live in, you might not have cable service back for more than a year. I drove through Lakeview last week on one of my visits back. The word 'warzone' doesn't begin to describe it. The houses, trees (the ones left standing), cars, streets, grass, etc. are all covered in grey muck. Windows are all gone. Cars are thrown around (and on top of each other) like matchbox toys. There is a stench that is almost unbearable. The talk is that many entire neighborhoods will get bulldozed. I'm sure its more of the same in areas like the Lower 9th Ward and New Orleans East, not to mention Chalmette, Arabi, and points southeast of there.
Not sure of the feasibility of satellite internet (it never has really caught on here in the states), but you can certainly pull down some interesting and different TV with a decent size (30" or more) dish and motor. I'd definitely go for a FTA system if you can get power. But that's another story.
I live in Metairie, near the Bucktown area, just across the 17th Street Canal from 'The Breach'. Our neighborhood has electricity, phone service, and cable service back on. However, since my home took on about 18 inches of water, I cannot use any of those services until we get the interior gutted. They are supposed to re-connect electricity tomorrow, but the phone wires are corroded. We will probably re-connect cable internet service to the lone computer that survived once we get a FEMA trailer installed in front of the house.
A
A better option might be to try and find out if any wireless ISP's have set up operation. The equipment is generally less expensive and you get better bandwidth and far less latency (which is REALLY important for VoIP). A good forum to ask questions about wireless ISP's is at http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/dslalt - use the forum search function and search on various keywords such as "New Orleans", just by doing a search there I came up with this thread: http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,14271600
Was I the only one who, while watching the coverage of the destruction in New Orleans, kept seeing all those dishes on roofs and thinking "just give me 24 hours, a boat and a socket wrench set"? No, of course that wasn't my only thought, but every time I saw a picture of a perfectly good looking dish I couldn't help thinking it's a real shame that so many of those are going to get bulldozed. I know, what a thing to think about when seeing all the destruction and loss of life, but I'll bet some others in this group had the same thoughts, if only for a moment.
Another thing is, once you've set up one or two FTA systems, you will hopefully have enough confidence to start setting up Dish Network or DirecTV dishes for close friends and family. There is no reason anyone has to wait for a professional installation if they know how to do it themselves, and for someone that has the basic technical understanding of how to hook everything up, the biggest challenge can be setting up the dish and finding the satellites. An FTA receiver can be used to find the Dish Network birds and do an initial signal peak, but of course you'd then have to connect a real Dish Network receiver with an active subscription to pick up any of the desirable programming. Anyway, finding the first satellite is the hardest (don't be fooled by the offset of the dish and keep looking much higher in the sky than where the satellites are actually located) and once you've done it two or three times, you can almost certainly cobble together a working Dish Network or DirecTV system without waiting a year for a professional installer to show up. Of course you'd only want to do this for family members or very close friends, who presumably won't sue you if you make a mistake or damage their roof or something.
Hope this helps.
First of all, I'm not trying to discourage you on the idea of satellite broadband, but it can be expensive to set up (as someone else mentioned, professional installation is required because you are transmitting, and you may have to buy the satellite modem). I'd personally try WildBlue; it's a newer service that's supposed to work much better. The biggest problem with satellite broadband (at least in my opinion) is the usage caps - download too much and you may suddenly find your download speed cut to about that of a 56K modem. Also, most of the companies will try to lock you into at least a one-year contract. And there is a problem with rain fade - during heavy rain you may lose your Internet connection completely. Oh, and the fact that satellite broadband can cost about twice as much as terrestrial broadband (depending on the competition) is no small consideration.Katrinasucks said:
A better option might be to try and find out if any wireless ISP's have set up operation. The equipment is generally less expensive and you get better bandwidth and far less latency (which is REALLY important for VoIP). A good forum to ask questions about wireless ISP's is at http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/dslalt - use the forum search function and search on various keywords such as "New Orleans", just by doing a search there I came up with this thread: http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,14271600
Be on the lookout for old PrimeStar dishes, especially the larger ones. These are generally oval shape, or LARGE round (around 3 feet). These are great for setting up a FTA system - you can point one of these puppies at a single Ku satellite such as G10R and get a bunch of channels. Or you can sell them on eBay. Or you could send me a couple (especially if you find any with the LNB that has the single coax connector rather than the dual one).Katrinasucks said:
Was I the only one who, while watching the coverage of the destruction in New Orleans, kept seeing all those dishes on roofs and thinking "just give me 24 hours, a boat and a socket wrench set"? No, of course that wasn't my only thought, but every time I saw a picture of a perfectly good looking dish I couldn't help thinking it's a real shame that so many of those are going to get bulldozed. I know, what a thing to think about when seeing all the destruction and loss of life, but I'll bet some others in this group had the same thoughts, if only for a moment.
As others have mentioned, the problem you will have when trying to use VoIP over satellite is excessive latency, which will make conversation extremely uncomfortable. WildBlue is said to be a bit more VoIP friendly than the others, but even they cannot exceed the speed of light. I would again strongly suggest that you beat the bushes to find a wireless ISP in the area before you even think about satellite broadband.Katrinasucks said:
I will just say that in your situation, the best reason for getting and setting up an FTA receiver might be to learn how so you can do it for others. I would keep the FTA receiver on a separate dish from satellite broadband, in part because some folks may want to put a motor on the dish so it will track the arc and receive more satellites. Obviously you don't want your broadband dish turning.Katrinasucks said:
Another thing is, once you've set up one or two FTA systems, you will hopefully have enough confidence to start setting up Dish Network or DirecTV dishes for close friends and family. There is no reason anyone has to wait for a professional installation if they know how to do it themselves, and for someone that has the basic technical understanding of how to hook everything up, the biggest challenge can be setting up the dish and finding the satellites. An FTA receiver can be used to find the Dish Network birds and do an initial signal peak, but of course you'd then have to connect a real Dish Network receiver with an active subscription to pick up any of the desirable programming. Anyway, finding the first satellite is the hardest (don't be fooled by the offset of the dish and keep looking much higher in the sky than where the satellites are actually located) and once you've done it two or three times, you can almost certainly cobble together a working Dish Network or DirecTV system without waiting a year for a professional installer to show up. Of course you'd only want to do this for family members or very close friends, who presumably won't sue you if you make a mistake or damage their roof or something.
Hope this helps.
Supporting Founder
Lifetime Supporter
This is a thread that will keep you apprised of 4K events that will be showing on Dish channel 540. Keep looking here for information.
As of today, 9-27-17, there are no scheduled events posted for the next 2 weeks. That is subject to change on a daily basis.
As of today, 9-27-17, there are no scheduled events posted for the next 2 weeks. That is subject to change on a daily basis.
763 Replies
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167366 views
Linus Tech Tips
Time for another AWESOME video from Linus Tech Tips!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGA4ZFr-hfo
Direct YouTube Link - I Gotta Stop Following Advice From Reddit
Linus on Facebook
The LTT Store
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGA4ZFr-hfo
Direct YouTube Link - I Gotta Stop Following Advice From Reddit
Linus on Facebook
The LTT Store
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5 views
Lifetime Supporter
Schedule drops tomorrow. Mandatory mini camps in June. Hall of Fame game August 6th.
119 Replies
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1905 views
I guess even the patience of us laid-back Hoosiers has its limits:
www.colts.com
Colts relieve general manager Chris Ballard of his duties
Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon released a statement Monday announcing the news.
www.colts.com
Be nice to see a Cowboy headline like that.I guess even the patience of us laid-back Hoosiers has its limits:
Colts relieve general manager Chris Ballard of his duties
Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon released a statement Monday announcing the news.
M
Can we expect to see a new coach if we say "pretty please?"
I guess even the patience of us laid-back Hoosiers has its limits:
Colts relieve general manager Chris Ballard of his duties
Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon released a statement Monday announcing the news.
Can we expect to see a new coach if we say "pretty please?"
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Stumbled across this ... http://www.gaspricewatch.com/USGas_ZipSearch.asp
I found no local prices, although it did show stations at my location...
Added these to this post...
USA National Gas Temperature Map
State By State Gasoline Taxes
Gas Buddy
Ethanol Free Stations
I found no local prices, although it did show stations at my location...
Added these to this post...
USA National Gas Temperature Map
State By State Gasoline Taxes
Gas Buddy
Ethanol Free Stations
5556 Replies
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460858 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68543 Replies
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2673992 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_t6DHoWkL4
Direct YouTube Link - iOS Today 825-826
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_t6DHoWkL4
Direct YouTube Link - iOS Today 825-826
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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7 views
Interesting article about the work being done to develope an ATSC 3 converter box. Yes it does mention affordable.
www.tvtechnology.com
Pearl TV Issues Progress Report on Low-Cost 3.0 Converters in Advance of NAB Show New York
Group has secured lower pricing from key tech players to make less costly boxes available
www.tvtechnology.com
4 Replies
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43 views
Lifetime Supporter
Can't wait to see this:
John Travolta & Robert Carlyle Lead New JFK Assassination Movie in November 1963 Trailer
John Travolta & Robert Carlyle Lead New JFK Assassination Movie in November 1963 Trailer
0 Replies
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18 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ET_7F3I6C5s
Direct YouTube Link - America's $10 Trillion AI Boom Is Starting to Crack #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ET_7F3I6C5s
Direct YouTube Link - America's $10 Trillion AI Boom Is Starting to Crack #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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11 views
Howdy folks long time no write.
Issue(s): Horizontal transponders (esp. Weigel mux) breakup/mosaic/sputtering audio, JTV less so (but received perfectly up until a month or so ago.
Vertical is fine (Daystar). Up until recently couldn't even get any signal on Weigel Mux but JTV was perfect.
What I did to improve things: A slight westward move improved reception but only slightly (approx 72 on the micro HD, sorry no dB to post). I removed the 3-way C-Band splitter and used a 2-way to get a 1-2 db signal gain ( the power port goes to the Startrak - the micro HD doesn't have enough juice ! (1st clue) even after swapping the switching power supply it came with with a heftier linear 12 V supply (less RFI too !).
I have had issues with the uHD before signal breaking up that a reboot would clear up (clue #2 = dying tuner?) - FYI, I reinforced the IF input and removed all flux from the pcb completely with a Flux Removal Pen (MG Chemicals Cat No. 4140-P) which definitely makes a huge difference.
I went outside and pushed and pulled reflector slightly and no improvement. Pole (actually tower in yard - the neighbours love me..NOT) is plumb, checked with carpenters level. Dish was last peaked in 2017 or so, after overhauling 24" Von Weise, new Acme, fresh grease, etc. Focal length, f/d ratio etc meticulously adjusted. One panel has a tear so planning to repair that this weekend when my cousin comes over ( to help me out (old guy here) forecast calls for sunshine.
What has changed: My utility company has installed new high tension line poles (one smack dab in the middle of 101°W target! But they put it in last year and reception (of JTV (HOR) at least) was fine, BUT when they came out to transfer the wires over this year from the old (sawed in half) pole that's about when the troubles started (coincidence?), but again Daystar (VER) was fine. I always had this pole in the light of sight of 101° before with no issues. (fyi my zenith sat 74° is unobstucted, but can't test)
In the meantime Weigel mux is trying to break in MOSTLY in LATE at night (less cell usage?) (audio not video except for a frame here or there) so don't know what has changed with this mux which suddenly "woke up". I have never had to fuss with dish moves on this satellite ( the slightest move +/- motor clicks loses lock, wheres normally on C-band I can go significantly wider east or west and still have a strong signal ( have these gone "spot beam" or narrower somehow and what is the slight difference in Az listed on Lyngsat to 100.9° affect things ( isn't that the declination i.e. requiring a tweak of declination?).
Long story short (too late, ha), if I had another DVB-S2 box to try and / or a newer more stable PLL lnb ( I have been meaning to upgrade many a time but never got arround to it) I could determine if it's my antiquated receiving equipment, or my dish/feed alignment ( doubtful as it tracks everything from 55 °W to 133 ° W nicely.) or the dreaded 5G! (BUT only on HOR and not VER?).
I read another post where the OP (with his smaller 7.5 footer) played around with the illumination to peak desired transponder and reduce qrm on interfering/ stronger xpndrs (even on 103° W). So will play with that too - and cut away the RG-6 a and pull up a fresh section with new PPC and coax Seal. Open the throat cap see if any cobwebs are there and check servo operation (also changed in last maintence 10 years ago).
Finally, this will probably be the last chance I get to play with the BUD from the looks of it (providers leaving, auctioning off rest of spectrum imminent above 4.0 Ghz, and to keep the peace with neighbours so it would be nice to have that mux back for the long, cold and dark winters to comfort this old man before I call it quits and buy a VHF/UHF/FM Yagi and get MeTV, H&I from my Vermont local stations (checked at a friends today and they come in nicely - except ABC) .
Only one guy in town (Montreal) I may be able to get a receiver or PLL lnb from to try (RPS Sat) so hopefully with elimnate that as a possible culprit. Be nice to pick up a cheap or used PLL lnb to try w/o 5G BPF (money is tight )
Like others I couldn't care less about "tv" (well maybe just a liitle or a lot) it's the challenge that excites me , I can get MeTV other ways OTA (no pirate crap).
So what do you guys (and gals) think ?. p.s. I don't have a spectrum analyzer and there are def/ cell towers nearby (half a Km or so away).
Oh and time permitting will hammer out dings too and wire damaged mesh on one section for an extra dB or two. Hesitate to touch Declination, Elevation and pole mount but will play around with those a little too... Why is this mux for finicky suddenly ?(8psk, 5/6 fec, beamwidthetc.. man wish they went back to VER I think everthing would be fine! For the engineers out here does 5G QRM affect one poliarization (HOR) more than another (VER)? I understand the strong interference swamps out the input mixer/local oscilator in the hapless old C-band lnb (I think it at time affect KU too esp. LPB on 101°W KU - incidentally thos were weak or "gone' but are back almost at the time MeTV improved..hmm Terrestrial interference?
Any thoughts or suggestions ( cheap or free solutions please) greatly appreciated. Cheers.
p.p.s. Micro HD can't display Decades and Toons but records them fine so I can watch on another box/media player (Ali chip set issue). Another reason to upgrade.
Anybody interested in a nice C/KU system free ? (for next Spring/Summer 2027)
[Sami 10' mesh, Corotor II+, Eagle Aspen (very old) C-band lnb, Norsat Ku lnb, Channel Master C/Ku (H/V) switch, Startrak 400 Analog receiver w/ motor control, Geosat uHD DVD-S2, CW600S for Mpeg-2]
Issue(s): Horizontal transponders (esp. Weigel mux) breakup/mosaic/sputtering audio, JTV less so (but received perfectly up until a month or so ago.
Vertical is fine (Daystar). Up until recently couldn't even get any signal on Weigel Mux but JTV was perfect.
What I did to improve things: A slight westward move improved reception but only slightly (approx 72 on the micro HD, sorry no dB to post). I removed the 3-way C-Band splitter and used a 2-way to get a 1-2 db signal gain ( the power port goes to the Startrak - the micro HD doesn't have enough juice ! (1st clue) even after swapping the switching power supply it came with with a heftier linear 12 V supply (less RFI too !).
I have had issues with the uHD before signal breaking up that a reboot would clear up (clue #2 = dying tuner?) - FYI, I reinforced the IF input and removed all flux from the pcb completely with a Flux Removal Pen (MG Chemicals Cat No. 4140-P) which definitely makes a huge difference.
I went outside and pushed and pulled reflector slightly and no improvement. Pole (actually tower in yard - the neighbours love me..NOT) is plumb, checked with carpenters level. Dish was last peaked in 2017 or so, after overhauling 24" Von Weise, new Acme, fresh grease, etc. Focal length, f/d ratio etc meticulously adjusted. One panel has a tear so planning to repair that this weekend when my cousin comes over ( to help me out (old guy here) forecast calls for sunshine.
What has changed: My utility company has installed new high tension line poles (one smack dab in the middle of 101°W target! But they put it in last year and reception (of JTV (HOR) at least) was fine, BUT when they came out to transfer the wires over this year from the old (sawed in half) pole that's about when the troubles started (coincidence?), but again Daystar (VER) was fine. I always had this pole in the light of sight of 101° before with no issues. (fyi my zenith sat 74° is unobstucted, but can't test)
In the meantime Weigel mux is trying to break in MOSTLY in LATE at night (less cell usage?) (audio not video except for a frame here or there) so don't know what has changed with this mux which suddenly "woke up". I have never had to fuss with dish moves on this satellite ( the slightest move +/- motor clicks loses lock, wheres normally on C-band I can go significantly wider east or west and still have a strong signal ( have these gone "spot beam" or narrower somehow and what is the slight difference in Az listed on Lyngsat to 100.9° affect things ( isn't that the declination i.e. requiring a tweak of declination?).
Long story short (too late, ha), if I had another DVB-S2 box to try and / or a newer more stable PLL lnb ( I have been meaning to upgrade many a time but never got arround to it) I could determine if it's my antiquated receiving equipment, or my dish/feed alignment ( doubtful as it tracks everything from 55 °W to 133 ° W nicely.) or the dreaded 5G! (BUT only on HOR and not VER?).
I read another post where the OP (with his smaller 7.5 footer) played around with the illumination to peak desired transponder and reduce qrm on interfering/ stronger xpndrs (even on 103° W). So will play with that too - and cut away the RG-6 a and pull up a fresh section with new PPC and coax Seal. Open the throat cap see if any cobwebs are there and check servo operation (also changed in last maintence 10 years ago).
Finally, this will probably be the last chance I get to play with the BUD from the looks of it (providers leaving, auctioning off rest of spectrum imminent above 4.0 Ghz, and to keep the peace with neighbours so it would be nice to have that mux back for the long, cold and dark winters to comfort this old man before I call it quits and buy a VHF/UHF/FM Yagi and get MeTV, H&I from my Vermont local stations (checked at a friends today and they come in nicely - except ABC) .
Only one guy in town (Montreal) I may be able to get a receiver or PLL lnb from to try (RPS Sat) so hopefully with elimnate that as a possible culprit. Be nice to pick up a cheap or used PLL lnb to try w/o 5G BPF (money is tight )
Like others I couldn't care less about "tv" (well maybe just a liitle or a lot) it's the challenge that excites me , I can get MeTV other ways OTA (no pirate crap).
So what do you guys (and gals) think ?. p.s. I don't have a spectrum analyzer and there are def/ cell towers nearby (half a Km or so away).
Oh and time permitting will hammer out dings too and wire damaged mesh on one section for an extra dB or two. Hesitate to touch Declination, Elevation and pole mount but will play around with those a little too... Why is this mux for finicky suddenly ?(8psk, 5/6 fec, beamwidthetc.. man wish they went back to VER I think everthing would be fine! For the engineers out here does 5G QRM affect one poliarization (HOR) more than another (VER)? I understand the strong interference swamps out the input mixer/local oscilator in the hapless old C-band lnb (I think it at time affect KU too esp. LPB on 101°W KU - incidentally thos were weak or "gone' but are back almost at the time MeTV improved..hmm Terrestrial interference?
Any thoughts or suggestions ( cheap or free solutions please) greatly appreciated. Cheers.
p.p.s. Micro HD can't display Decades and Toons but records them fine so I can watch on another box/media player (Ali chip set issue). Another reason to upgrade.
Anybody interested in a nice C/KU system free ? (for next Spring/Summer 2027)
[Sami 10' mesh, Corotor II+, Eagle Aspen (very old) C-band lnb, Norsat Ku lnb, Channel Master C/Ku (H/V) switch, Startrak 400 Analog receiver w/ motor control, Geosat uHD DVD-S2, CW600S for Mpeg-2]
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With the microHD connected this afternoon and tuned to the Weigel mux, I can receive the mux well.
My conclusion is that the sensitivity of the receivers in descending order of sensitivity is as follows:
My conclusion is that the sensitivity of the receivers in descending order of sensitivity is as follows:
- V9 Prime (best)
- microHD
- Edision osmio4k+
