Another Newbie needs HELP getting "Quality" and using DSB 5700

[ipsolutions]

Am trying to set up FTA with an Omegasat DSB5700 and WS 9036 and 521 LNBF. I am at latitude 38.7 and longitude -78.6, so my due south satellite is AMC 5. It is supposed to be at an elevation of 45.2 degrees. Since the WS9036 has an offset of 24.62, the dish should be at an apparent elevation of about 20 degrees, right?

Using a satellite finder and lining the dish up according to the sun at noon, I see a signal on the satellite finder that peaks just about exactly where it should for AMC 5. Yet the TV and Omegasat see nothing.

I get about 32% on signal on the TV almost no matter what I do, and get 0 quality. I don't understand the Omegasat receiver at all. Where should I tell it my longitude?

The manual tells me to choose AMC5 under antenna setup and input may longitude? Why should this input be to a particular satellite? Isn't it used for all of them?

What am I missing?? This is exquisitely frustrating!

I would appreciate any help, as I have no idea what I'm doing!!

Thanks

 

[Lak7]

FTA is not Plug-N-Play, "you" have to tell the receiver what it is connected too. Look at your LNB, it will be maked with the info you need to enter into the receiver.
Something like "L.O. 10.750" Then go to the Receivers Setup Menu, look for LNB L.O. Freq. settings, and enter proper info.

Am trying to set up FTA with an Omegasat DSB5700 and WS 9036 and 521 LNBF.

Is this a Motorized setup? If so, which motor? If not, the is not much on AMC5 in the way of full time feeds.

Using a satellite finder and lining the dish up according to the sun at noon

I would start here....
Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com

 

[ipsolutions]

Yes, it is a motorized setup. I believe the motor is an SG9120 from galaxy marketing the package is listed under "Motorized systems". I got all the gear as a package from them.

I will check the LNB, I have not checked that yet. But I don't understand why I am supposed to input my longitude into the "AMC5" satellite setup. Should this number not be applicable to all satellites? In fact, there does not seem to be a setup screen other than selecting the display language. The documentation ("owners manual") is not very helpful for this receiever.

Thanks for the response, I will check this as soon as I can!

 

[cyberham]

I believe AMC 5 is gone. If I'm wrong, someone will correct me. Aim for AMC 9 at 83W. It is 187 degrees azimuth and 45 degrees elevation for you. Its frequency: 11735 polarity: H symbol rate: 4439. Or use SES 2 at 87W. It is 193 degrees azimuth and 44 degrees elevation. Its frequency: 11720 polarity: H symbol rate: 4858.

 

[Mauiguy]

"But I don't understand why I am supposed to input my longitude into the "AMC5" satellite setup."

I am not particularly familiar with the small dishes, but i believe you need the longititude in order for your motor to function correctly when positioning the dish.

 

[Lak7]

But I don't understand why I am supposed to input my longitude into the "AMC5" satellite setup. Should this number not be applicable to all satellites?

"AMC5" is what you call "your" true south satellite - the sat closest to your Longitude.
Once you enter your Location into the Receiver, it's the default for all Sats.

Your setup menu is probably in the Satellite Setup Menu, where you select the LNB setting and motor options.

 

[ipsolutions]

"AMC5" is what you call "your" true south satellite - the sat closest to your Longitude.
Once you enter your Location into the Receiver, it's the default for all Sats.

Your setup menu is probably in the Satellite Setup Menu, where you select the LNB setting and motor options.

Yes, this input I guess is supposed to be entered in the satellite menu. So if I enter my longitude for AMC5, it will understand that to mean my longitude for all satellites? Will the other satellites screens show my longitude (-78.6) or their longitude relative to me at -78.6?

And should I use USALS for the AMC5 setup? Should I use USALS for all satellites?

This receiver setup is very confusing, better documentation would really help, or else I am just too ignorant to do this. I'd hate to have to buy another receiver just for better instructions!

P.S. I did see somewhere that AMC5 is gone, but it still shows it working in Wikipedia, not that that means anything...

 

[Mr Tony]

AMC5 is no longer there. There is NO satellite at 79W. Nearest sat actually is now 83W

 

[ipsolutions]

OK, thanks, I will try these.

What I really don't understand is how the receiver/motor knows where true south is. Does it just assume that I've set it up to point to true south when it wakes up at 0 on its azimuth scale? How then, would I tune it to a satellite? Or should I first try to point it roughly due south, then ask the motor to go look for another satellite and tune on that one?

 

[ipsolutions]

Wow, thanks for the tip! I wonder what the signal was I thought I was seeing?? Was I just imagining it?

 

[Mr Tony]

sat signal just means there is a connection between the receiver and the LNB
QUALITY is what you need to show to have it work

 

[Lak7]

What I really don't understand is how the receiver/motor knows where true south is.

It doesn't.
"You" enter your Location (Long and Lat) into the receiver - it now knows how far from Zero to turn the Motor.
"You" must align to the Sat by adjusting the Azimuth, Motor Latitude, and Dish Elevation.

Since you have no Sat at your True South location, you will need to start at the closest Sat - 83 West.
In the Setup menu for AMC9 @ 83 west, look in the Transponder list for 11735
Freq: 11735 (plus or minus a couple)
Polarity: Horizontal
Scan Rate: 4439 (plus or minus a couple)

Now enter the proper LNB settings.
Find Motor Settings, select USALS and enter your Long and Lat.
Try and scan a TP, the Motor should move just a little from center.

 

[T4Runner]

Too many cooks spoil the soup, however I'll throw my comments on the pile.

To understand setting up a motorized satellite dish system, think of it as if you are looking at a clock. Standing behind the dish and looking South your True South satellite is near 12Noon. That's the highest point in the arc that the satellite dish will track. BUT, ... your True South satellite isn't there so you must move the motor to the highest point first, (where 79W would have been) then move it West a few clicks (about 4-6; or 1 O'clock) and the leave the motor alone for awhile. That's because you are now moving/turning the whole dish and bracket mounts together looking for that signal and quality at the elevation you have already set at the high point.

There is alot more, but you must careful with the DBS5700 as it defualts to the satellite at 97W and you must keep checking the menu because it will assume that is the satellite you are trying to get....

 

[ipsolutions]

Setting up satellite signal inside the house

Too many cooks spoil the soup, however I'll throw my comments on the pile.

To understand setting up a motorized satellite dish system, think of it as if you are looking at a clock. Standing behind the dish and looking South your True South satellite is near 12Noon. That's the highest point in the arc that the satellite dish will track. BUT, ... your True South satellite isn't there so you must move the motor to the highest point first, (where 79W would have been) then move it West a few clicks (about 4-6; or 1 O'clock) and the leave the motor alone for awhile. That's because you are now moving/turning the whole dish and bracket mounts together looking for that signal and quality at the elevation you have already set at the high point.

There is alot more, but you must careful with the DBS5700 as it defualts to the satellite at 97W and you must keep checking the menu because it will assume that is the satellite you are trying to get....

Thank you all for the help. Now another very basic question from this newbie--

Assuming I get quality and can lock onto a satellite, how do I set up multiple TVs inside the house?

So I assume I would have one TV connected to the Ku receiver. This one selects the satellite and transponder. Then, should I put a cable signal divider downstream of the receiver that goes to the additional TVs? Does a single transponder carry multiple channels? If this is the case, seems each TV would then scan the channels available to it, and show whichever is selected on the various TVs from a single transponder?

That is, I would have one "master" TV connected to the receiver that chooses the satellite and transponder, etc. all other TVs receive the signal from this transponder and choose a channel by their individual remote controls?

 

[Lak7]

Does a single transponder carry multiple channels?

It can.

Your receiver can only tune 1 channel at a time.
If you want to watch different channels in different rooms, get another receiver.

Keep in mind that you can only control a Motorized Dish from a single receiver.

 

[turbosat]

You can get an lnbf that has multiple outputs, so you can power more than one receiver, but as Lak said only one can be set up to actually run the motor. Other boxes will have to tune to whatever satellite the dish is parked on. There are other ways to get signals to different receivers, but involve multiple dishes and switches.

 

[ipsolutions]

I am still having no luck with this gear, getting frustrated. Iceburg said AMC5 was gone, so I looked instead for AMC9 with a signal finder. As before, I see a signal on the signal finder peaking where the satellite should be, but still get 0% quality and 30% signal. My LNB is "on", standard, LO frequency 10750. The transponder frequency, polarity, etc is set already by the receiver. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?? I have tried adjusting the skew a bit, but see no effect on signal finder or TV. The signal strength according to the signal finder is quite sensitive to the dish position, but still am getting no quality.

It sure seems like I have some setting wrong on the receiver, but the documentation for the DSB 5700 is almost useless.

 

[Lak7]

As before, I see a signal on the signal finder peaking where the satellite should be

A "cheap-o Signal Finder is just that a "signal" finder, does not mean you are pointed at any particular satellite.
Keep in mind that there is a Satellite every 2 Degrees up there, and when you do the math, it comes out to about every 128th of an inch on your post.

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??

Nothing - this is not easy.

Just because a Transponder is listed, does not mean it's correct or active.
In you Setup Menu for AMC9, what do you have selected for the Transponder?

Can you list what you have the Motor Latitude Scale and Dish Elevation Scale set too?

Forgot to add - If in doubt, use the Blind Scan feature, and post some of the Channel that come in.

 

[ipsolutions]

My motor latitude is set to about 39 (I am at latitude 38.7), and the dish elevation has got some crazy scale I don't understand. I measured the dish angle directly with a level, and got about 20.5 degrees. As this is an offset dish (24.65) this seems about right for the near-south satellites at my latitude and declination (6.1 degrees). I had planned to tweak the angle with the signal finder, which does appear to work and shows the signal quite sensitive to positioning.

Nonetheless, I am getting nothing on Quality and an unchanging 33% on signal, as though it is not seeing anything at all.

The receiver claims there are 7 transponders on AMC9, and I scanned 4 of them, saw nothing, and gave up.

I will try the blind scan, but if Quality is 0%, is there any chance of seeing anything?

 

[ipsolutions]

I might also mention that when I drive the motor between AMC5 and AMC9, the signal finder peaks in both locations, suggesting the dish is pointed about right.