big dish set up question

[blksabth]

hello everyone,
I finally got my first 10' mesh dish,it has a chapperel c band only feedhorn on it. I got it for free (I had to dig it up and break the concrete off the pole but but that's a fair trade!). anyway, I set it up in my back yard ,bought a cheap reciever of fleabay(nextwave 500) and after days of trial and error and hours on the internet I got it to recieve a picture. the problem is the picture only comes in when I adjust skew fine tune. when I stop after a few seconds the picture goes away and I only see a slight ghost image roll across the screen.I admit I know very little but hope to change that.I also have sparkles in the picture,this dish sat in this guys yard for years, could the lnb be shot?.any suggestions? thanks,Ken

 

[fsds]

C-band Satellite Installation. try this site it has some helpfull information it sounds like you could have several problems, good luck and enjoy Click on Cband installation should get you to site.

 

[zaxxon]

check your connections first , then buy a new LNB. They are cheap, buy one off of ebay or one of the people above.

I have to replace my C band LNB about every two to three years my KU will last a little longer. The heat and lightning will kill them quick.

As cheap as they are I keep an extra C and KU LNB in the box waiting for the next shoe to fall

 

[Lynskyn]

You might have a bad servo motor. Go out to the dish and listen at the feed to see if the servo motor is running constantly. It should be silent if nobody is changing channels. Chaparral had a run of servos stamped "Made in USA" years ago that had this issue.

 

[blksabth]

I bought a new one,when I switch channels it moves. could I have put it in backwards? not the unit, it only screws on one way but the wire hook turned and i couldn't remember which way it was pointing.could it be 180 degrees out?

 

[turbosat]

Easy way is to go to your southernmost satellite, if you can find any cband analog video on it, and set your polarity motor then. There's usually an arrow on the little motor that is supposed to be lined up with your polar axis (north/south). Find your polar axis on the dish mount, its the part that will be pointed n/s and lined the polarotor with it.. then try going thru the channels and see if it needs adjusting (by the reciever's skew control)
If your southern satellite has no video on it just try to find a bird close to it that does have some analog to tune by.

 

[blksabth]

I just got the picture to stay. It's a guy who looks like he's selling books.Channel 16,moved dish with antenna button on remote a little bit and got ET.lots of sparkles.I have tv outside with me.how do I know what satellite I'm picking up?it's pointing at about 230 degrees.I live in Jersey. not much else comes in.Thanks everyone for all your help,I'll keep tring.

 

[Anole]

If you read, understand, and apply all the info in the link given above, and this C-band setup site, you'll have a good chance of getting it going.
That's a tall order. I had to read the site I linked quite a few times before some of the basic geometry sank in.
And of course, the great guys here will help ya.

As for which bird is where, this site has lists with location of both C-band and Ku satellites.

As to where to aim to get a particular satellite, input your zip code to this program, and then use the magnetic azimuth and a compass.

Sorry if any of this info is a duplicate of what you've already discovered.
Just want you to have the best reference material on hand.



When you move on to Ku-band and DVB, these lists are very helpful for finding satellites and programming:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/1098232-post3.html

 

[turbosat]

Prob Gal 16 at 99degrees if you got video on 16>Shepards Chapel, religious programming, usually there's two or three other analogs on that sat, Buena Vista (disney) feeds channel is 18 i think.