30*35 inch dish

[sharpee]

Hello everyone,
Just joined the group. Great discussions, very educational!
Picked up a 30 x 35 inch dish at a flea market with 11.7-12.75ghz lnb for $20
The dish appears in great shape (not disformed). Then I ordered a Traxis DVB 3500 receiver. I still cant get any signal.
I'm trying to get Telstar 12 at 15w from the Philadelphia area (bristol, pa)
My aim at the sat is probably way off. My question is: will this dish work for this?
Or, should i get a perfectly round dish? I tested the voltage on the receiver and it looks good. Maybe bad LNB? I know my azimuth is good. I think it could be my EL.
Also can anyone tell me how to adjust the EL on the scale at the dish? It reads from 5 through 90. For Telstar 12 in my area the EL should be 14.24

Any help would be great!! I'm new to FTA. The only experience I have is with DTV
setup wich was a cinch!!
Thanks guys!!
Sharpee

 

[Mr Tony]

welcome

Yes that Dish will work just fine. Has to be at least a 30" dish. The oblong ones sometimes work better

I dont hvae any knowledge on the Traxis. PSB should be able to help out with that part

 

[scottc98]

What are you trying to get off Tel 12?

I haven't been able to hit it but make sure that your LO on your receiver is set to 10750. Your probably in a better location than me.

Believe that T12 is one of the few atlantic sats that doesn't require a universal LNB

 

[PSB]

Here are all the angles to the satellites from your area..........

                     Bristol, PA 19007
          Latitude 40° 6.552'N Longitude 74° 51.642'W

                       Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
--------------------------------------------------------------
           Thor 2/3 Intelsat 10    1.0W 100.6 114.5  3.6 -48.8
                               
                       Amos 1/2    4.0W 102.6 116.5  5.9 -48.3
                               
                Atlantic Bird 3    5.0W 103.3 117.2  6.6 -48.1
                               
                Nilesat 101/102    7.0W 104.7 118.6  8.1 -47.7
                               
     Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2    8.0W 105.4 119.3  8.9 -47.5
                               
                     Express A3   11.0W 107.5 121.5 11.2 -46.8
                               
                     Telstar 12   15.0W 110.5 124.4 14.1 -45.8
                               
                   Intelsat 901   18.0W 112.8 126.7 16.4 -44.8
                               
                          NSS 7   22.0W 116.0 129.9 19.3 -43.4
                               
                   Intelsat 905   24.5W 118.1 132.0 21.1 -42.4
                               
                   Intelsat 907   27.5W 120.7 134.6 23.2 -41.1
                               
                  Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 122.9 136.8 24.9 -39.9
                               
                   Intelsat 801   31.5W 124.3 138.2 26.0 -39.2
                               
                   Intelsat 903   34.5W 127.2 141.1 28.0 -37.6
                               
                    AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 130.2 144.1 29.9 -35.8
                               
                        NSS 806   40.5W 133.3 147.2 31.8 -33.8
                               
                      Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 136.0 150.0 33.2 -32.1
                               
                         Pas 1R   45.0W 138.3 152.2 34.4 -30.6
                               
                   Intelsat 705   50.0W 144.3 158.2 37.0 -26.5
                               
                   Intelsat 707   53.0W 148.1 162.0 38.4 -23.8
                               
                   Intelsat 805   55.5W 151.4 165.3 39.5 -21.5
                               
                          Pas 9   58.0W 154.8 168.7 40.4 -19.0
                               
                       Amazonas   61.0W 159.0 173.0 41.4 -15.9
                               
                     EchoStar 3   61.5W 159.8 173.7 41.6 -15.3
                               
                      Rainbow 1   61.5W 159.8 173.7 41.6 -15.3
                               
               Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 161.9 175.9 42.0 -13.7
                               
                   Brasilsat B2   65.0W 164.9 178.8 42.5 -11.5
                               
                   Brasilsat B1   70.0W 172.5 186.4 43.3  -5.7
                               
                       Nahuel 1   71.8W 175.3 189.2 43.5  -3.6
                               
                      DirecTV 1   72.5W 176.3 190.3 43.5  -2.8
                               
                          AMC 6   72.0W 175.6 189.5 43.5  -3.4
                               
                          SBS 6   74.0W 178.7 192.6 43.6  -1.0
                               
                     Echostar 4   77.0W 183.3 197.2 43.5   2.5
                               
                          AMC 5   79.0W 186.4 200.3 43.4   4.9
                               
                        Nimiq 2   82.0W 191.0 204.9 43.0   8.4
                               
                          AMC-9   83.0W 192.5 206.4 42.8   9.5
                               
                   Brasilsat B3   84.0W 194.0 207.9 42.6  10.7
                               
                          AMC 2   85.0W 195.5 209.4 42.4  11.8
                               
                          AMC 3   87.0W 198.5 212.4 41.9  14.0
                               
                           IA-8   89.0W 201.4 215.3 41.4  16.2
                               
                      Galaxy 11   91.0W 204.2 218.1 40.7  18.3
                               
                      Nimiq 1/3   91.0W 204.2 218.1 40.7  18.3
                               
                   Brasilsat B4   92.0W 205.6 219.5 40.3  19.3
                               
                      Telstar 6   93.0W 207.0 220.9 40.0  20.3
                               
                      Galaxy 3C   95.0W 209.6 223.6 39.2  22.2
                               
                      Telstar 5   97.0W 212.3 226.2 38.3  24.1
                               
                      Galaxy 4R   99.0W 214.8 228.7 37.4  25.9
                               
                     Spaceway 2   99.2W 215.1 229.0 37.3  26.1
                               
                DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 217.3 231.2 36.4  27.6
                               
                          AMC 4  101.0W 217.3 231.2 36.4  27.6
                               
                     Spaceway 1  102.0W 218.5 232.4 35.8  28.4
                               
                          AMC 1  103.0W 219.7 233.6 35.3  29.2
                               
                         AMC 15  105.0W 222.0 235.9 34.2  30.8
                               
                      Anik F1/R  107.3W 224.6 238.5 32.9  32.5
                               
                      DirecTV 5  109.5W 227.0 240.9 31.6  34.0
                               
                     EchoStar 6  110.0W 227.5 241.5 31.3  34.3
                               
                     EchoStar 8  110.0W 227.5 241.5 31.3  34.3
                               
                        Anik F2  111.1W 228.7 242.6 30.6  35.1
                               
                  Solidaridad 2  113.0W 230.6 244.6 29.4  36.2
                               
                       SatMex 5  116.8W 234.4 248.3 26.9  38.4
                               
                     DirecTV 7s  119.0W 236.4 250.3 25.4  39.6
                               
                     EchoStar 7  119.0W 236.4 250.3 25.4  39.6
                               
          EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 238.2 252.2 24.1  40.6
                               
                     Galaxy 10R  123.0W 240.0 253.9 22.7  41.5
                               
                      Galaxy 14  125.0W 241.7 255.6 21.2  42.3
                               
                  Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 243.4 257.3 19.8  43.1
                               
 Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 245.0 259.0 18.4  43.9
                               
                         AMC 11  131.0W 246.6 260.5 16.9  44.6
                               
                   Galaxy 1R/15  133.0W 248.2 262.1 15.4  45.2
                               
                         AMC 10  135.0W 249.7 263.6 13.9  45.8
                               
                          AMC 7  137.0W 251.2 265.1 12.4  46.4
                               
                          AMC 8  139.0W 252.7 266.6 10.9  46.9
                               
                     EchoStar 1  148.0W 259.0 272.9  4.1  48.6
                               
                     EchoStar 2  148.0W 259.0 272.9  4.1  48.6

       Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. Lutus

I would forget T-12 for now and go for a satellite HIGHER in the sky to you, like SBS6

The LNBF you have is a Standard so make sure the L.O. is set to 10750

Let me know if you have any specific questions on the Traxis 3500, I use one ALL the time!

If you think you are close to a satellite try Blind Search!

 

[sharpee]

Hey, U guys are great! Thanks for the info!
I'm new at this, so, A universal LNB has a wider freq range right?
Il probably get a new LNB soon. BTW, is there a way to teat the LNB with a meter?
It appears as though the previous owner of the dish marked the lnb for scew.
Well, I'm trying to get the Wine Channel and TV Pampa from Brazil on Telstar 12
Im gonna position my dish higher and clear of any trees tommorow.
I still haven't fidured out how to "blind scan" with the traxis 3500??
I have to set the lo freq to 11.7 and search a transponder or scan the whole satellite?
Thanks guys!!
Sharpee

 

[Mr Tony]

set the LO frequency for the LNB to 10750

You can manually enter the frequency, polarity and symbol rate but a blind scan works for me just as good

 

[PSB]

L.O. should be set to 10750

A universal works on two bands, but there is no need for one in this country.

Again I would have to say forget T-12 for now, best to find an EASY satellite before you waste your time on T-12.

To blind Search on the Traxis 3500

menu

Left or right to Installation

Auto Scan

Scan mode FTA

Search.

(Page 13 of the Manual)

 

[sharpee]

OK,
I'll shoot for sbs6 since that is just about due south in my area. Hopefuly this
will help me to learn how to get a signal on the FTA Sats!
How can i adjust the scew? I notice the lnbf has a guage. The center is 0 ?
What deg are the other markers?

Thanks guys, you all been a great help!!

Sharpee

 

[PSB]

This should help with the skew setting!

http://sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/LNBF-Installation.htm

 

[sharpee]

Thanks PSB!
The link was very informative. Now i'm much clearer on the scew.
Just wondering, can the signal be "tweaked" by adjusting the scew??

Thanks!
Sharpee

 

[Mr Tony]

yes you can

skew helps fine tune the signal

 

[sharpee]

Oh well<
Still cant get sbs6! i know my AZ is correct its probably my EL
There are some trees in the front of the house about 8o ft away that stand maybe 45 50 ft?? would that be in the way at my lat?

Sharpee

 

[Tron]

A 50 foot high tree that's 50 feet away will block you from 45 degrees down to the horizon. There's a calculator somewhere (Pete?! ) that will give you the specifics. Without looking at it, you're probably okay from 35 degrees up.

 

[sharpee]

Still no signal : (
Hey guys. I'm beginning to think there is something wrong with my receiver. But I'm probably wrong! I have 2 lnbf's one is a universal the other a standard and a Traxis dvb-3500 receiver.How crucial is a plumb mount when aiming for a single sat? I understand the difference between quality and signal levels, only quality is truly important. Tried for SBS6 againtoday and still nothing.
Attached are some photos of my dish and the view of the southern sky from behind the dish. Notice the trees? They may be to high? Further below (not pictured) is my DTV dish installed since Aug of 2000 no problems and easy to setup except for the monthly payments! I figured if i could get DTV with those trees in the way, SBS6 should not be a problem higher and closer to the treeline.
Any thoughts anyone?
Thanks, Sharpee

 

[PSB]

I would let the receiver do the work for you, get as close as you can to where you think the satellite is then do a blind search!

Hard to tell what direction the dish is pointing in reference to the trees, but no signal will come through those trees!

 

[sharpee]

Tried the blind scan, no luck. Is it normal to get a signal level of 33-36% and a quality level of 10-11% with the lnbf plugged in aimed anywhere on a Traxis dvb-3500? Could that be a sign my brand new receiver is bad?

Thanks, Sharpee

 

[PSB]

Its VERY unlikely that the receiver or LNB is bad, they are ALWAYS the first thing to be blamed, but I guess it could happen.

I recently sent a system to a customer in another state. They were charged $400 for the install and the pro installer could not get it to work. They returned the system and I tried it out....

The system was PERFECT!

 

[sharpee]

Thanks PSB, I feel alot better now about my receiver. But i feel bad for the customer. Wow $400 dollars. I'm sure most installers are good guys! Oh well, Back to square one.

Thanks for your help
Sharpee

 

[PSB]

Still using the flea market LNBF?

I would also make sure the reflector on the dish has not been overtightened, especially with that kind of dish. It often warps the dish out of shape making it impossible to get any signal quaity. Hand tight then half a turn with a wrench is enough.

Had one like that in the middle of last winter, a customer had tried to install himself and had cranked down the four nuts on the reflector EXTRA hard.

It was about -20 deg. The roof was VERY dangerous and I would NEVER have installed it there in the first place. I had sold the system to the customer so felt obliged to get it working for him. Anyway was just about to give up and loosened the four bolts (as above). Had to unwarp the dish a little by pulling on both sides............. Signal quality JUMPED!

This may not be your problem but its something for everyone to be wary of!

Maybe useful to show us a picture from behind the dish facing forward just to make sure the trees are not the issue, another with both the DTV and FTA dish would also help.

 

[sharpee]

hummmm, good point PSB, Ill check on it later if it doent rain again. I put the flea market lnb aside and got a brand new universal one so i could get the Cuban channel and in case anything within that frq range ever opens up.
I also "strung" the dish with a couple of strings to make sure it wasn't warped by crossing 2 strings one from the length and the other from the width.

Sharpee