Comments from a newbie to FTA

From what I remember the sleeve is always composite video on 3.5mm, 1/8" A/V jacks. Thinking it's a set standard.
The next ring will be ground, then right audio out, the tip being left audio out.
As far as what type of plug to get. You can use a spare headphone/mic plug like for a phone. One a little longer.
A bit of "lockpicking" is needed.
If the plug is long enough or too long. You will feel the last connector tab latch the bell end of the tip.
Too long, it will just stop. Of course don't go gorilla shove it in further.
If it's too short, the opposite happens. You push it in and it never latches and will pull back easily.

I'd start 'picking the lock' with the plug all the way in. Pull it out and mark the length to the plastic end on paper.
If it happens to be too long, just mark where it stops at the jack end with a sharpie, tiny chunk of tape.
Then put it back in and pull back until you feel the bell end on the tip rub the next ring contact. Mark it and add that to the first full-insert length sketch.
Do it again and feel for the 3rd ring contact. Get it yet?
The last (or first as you insert the plug) contact is the sleeve contact. Easy. Just a bit of finesse. And it works.
You can refine your drawing and probably come up with the right plug. I mean, there are 76 different types. At least there aren't 760.

Through the courtesy of Dr. Johannes Dremel (I think he was a Hollander) hah!.....And Mr. Carbide Burr.
I hot aired out a scrap pc main board jack.
The tip contact is folded up so you can peek inside. Keeping with the stereo dynamic microphone jack pinout standard.
There were indeed three contacts. A long pullback from the tip contact for one channel. The a bump for the other channel. A final bump right where the plug inserts for the ground. I think!
 

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When you need a sleeve of 3mm, but insert a plug with a sleeve of 6 mm, I guess you would short the signal of the last ring.
(I don't know if a short in that video signal also would lead to a defect in HDMI, as was the case with texanboy ?)
BTW, welcome to the forum, texanboy !

Thanks for your warm welcome comfortably_numb
Which cable are you using? This one from Amazon only outputs L channel and Video:

View attachment 184717

It was a similar type of cable that I had lying around. I threw out that cable after shorting my GT box.
It may have been my mistake, as I was plugging/unplugging the cable while the box was on. I just wanted to share my experience.


BTW, I recently added a refurbished 10ft mesh BUD to my antenna farm. I have been testing it over the last few days.


  • 34.5°W – Only AFN channels found after adding a dielectric plate to my Titanium LNBf (couldn't catch 4132 R 30000; I don't know why). That's my western satellite in the arc for this C-band dish. AFN signal is low but locked fine
  • 37.5°W – I couldn't lock onto Greek channels (4176 V).
  • 40.5°W – I can lock onto many channels even without a dielectric plate.
  • 45°W – Likely Spanish channels.
  • 47.5°W – Locked France24 even without a dielectric plate.
  • 58°W – Many channels over 15dB.
  • 97°W – Tested as my Zenith satellite; locked without any issues.
  • 101°W – I noticed the signal level is around 10dB for most TPs, slightly lower than at 103°W and 97°W.
  • 103°W – Locked without issues.
  • 117°W – Locked without issues.
  • 135°W – Spent some time trying to lock onto this satellite, as it is the most western in the arc (nothing blocking the view).
Here are my questions:
  1. I locked frequencies around 3800–4000 MHz with my Titanium LNBf at 58°W, but the signal quality keeps going up and down. Is that due to 5G interference? Why did it lock and find the frequency if 5G interferes?
  2. Is the signal quality at 101°W generally lower than at 103°W and 97°W?
  3. Any idea why I can't lock onto anything at 135°W? I'm sure I am on a good satellite arc because all the other satellite signals are coming in fine.
  4. I tried finding the 30°W Ku LNB when the C-band was at 34.5°W, but had no luck. I have a static Ku dish pointing to 30°W, so I should be able to catch it. Adding a side LNB when it is at 101°W is almost impossible, as the LNB will be very high and difficult to reach. Maybe the mesh dish has lower gain in Ku band?
 
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  • 101°W – I noticed the signal level is around 10dB for most TPs, slightly lower than at 103°W and 97°W.
Here are my questions:
  • Is the signal quality at 101°W generally lower than at 103°W and 97°W?
  • Any idea why I can't lock onto anything at 135°W? I'm sure I am on a good satellite arc because all the other satellite signals are coming in fine.
Using my 7.5' dish, I also find 101W has lower signal qualities than 103W and 97W. For example, I must tune very carefully to receive the Weigel mux well on 101W. This means I need to tune dish azimuth and elevation and LNBF skew and position in its holder.

As for 135W, that satellite doesn't have so much to receive. It has three encrypted transponders and one unencrypted transponder. I can receive and view this unencrypted one. The Ion mux is not on 135W anymore despite Lyngsat showing it. This Ion mux is now on 103W.
 

Need some help - 8 foot Unimesh install