connector,lnb,or revenge of trees?

[B.J.]

A couple days ago, I posted about how I doubled my signal on AMC6 by cutting down a few pine trees (I still have about 6 smaller ones to go). Well yesterday, I was dragging off those trees, after taking off most of the bigger limbs. After I was finished, I came inside, and was searching for some signals on C-band. I scanned one particular satellite with my Broadlogic spectrum scanner, and got the results shown below.

As you can see, about half way through the scan, the signal pretty much died, not only on the Broadlogic, but I was also monitoring on my Azbox and TT3200 at the same time, and also, the background signal went nearly to zero on my analog receiver. I thought that perhaps the LNB voltage had gone out, but I checked, and I still had voltage. I checked, however, and the LNB was no longer drawing any current.
I thought oh fooey, the LNB died. But then I remembered that when I had dragged the trees away, I had dragged them very near to where the coax comes up out of the ground going into my garage to the house. I went out and checked, and sure enough, not only had the several coaxes there been pulled to the side, a small ladder had been jammed down into the hole that the coaxes came out of. I didn't see any damage to the coax, but I figured that I had probably broken the center conductor or something.
Anyway, today, I started trouble-shooting, went outside with my meter, hooked it up to the coax that comes from the receiver.... no voltage.... until I wiggled the connector, then voltage kind of went on and off every couple seconds. This was a good 60' from the place I ran the trees into the coax, so it's completely un-related, and apparently the trees didn't do any damage after all. Then, just to make sure that the LNB was still good, I connected my meter to the coax that goes to the lnb (I have a barrel connector out at the dish to allow me to insert meters and switch coax). Well this connector also seemed bad. Ie the LNB was drawing current, but every few seconds it would jump down to zero... until I wiggled THAT connection, and I got it working steady.
I've now re-done BOTH connections by cutting off a couple inches of coax, and everything seems back to normal, but I find that it's kind of wierd that BOTH connectors that connected to this barrel connector went bad at the same time, and so suddenly. I HAVE been having trouble with C-band, ever since a big rainstorm a couple weeks ago.. no lightning, but LOTS of water, so I guess I could have gotten a lot of water into this barrel connector, even though it's enclosed in a plastic military box to protect it from the elements.
Anyway, everything back to normal, and the trees didn't get the last laugh.

 

[cracklincrotch]

Definitely weird. But I've known that type of thing to happen. Ever renovate a house where you're sure things can't got but a certain way and should take so long but ends up taking triple the time because you ran into this, this, and this? And how could "this" even end up like that? And while you're scratching your head your wife is wondering what the heck is going on that you're not done yet?

I feel a rant coming on. Can you guess about what?

 

[MikeinBaja]

Possible you pulled the coax with the trees or the "jammed" in ladder and loosened the connections? Sometimes, it doesn't take much.

 

[mikelib]

I scanned one particular satellite with my Broadlogic spectrum scanner, and got the results shown below.....

B.J.
I tryed to Google Broadlogic spectrum scanner to get information on it and was not successful. Do you have website information on the spectrum scanner. Tnx OM
Mike Lib

 

[B.J.]

B.J.
I tryed to Google Broadlogic spectrum scanner to get information on it and was not successful. Do you have website information on the spectrum scanner. Tnx OM
Mike Lib

Sorry, that was just a way I referred to the process.
What I was referring to is described here:
bjblscan
It is a way to generate a VERY SLOW spectrum scan, ie about 9 minutes per scan.
Basically, it only works with a Broadlogic 1030 computer card receiver.
A fellow called Hans (last name I can't spell, but he wrote the DVBAPPS program) wrote an application that would generate a text file of frequency vs signal strength using the Broadlogic 1030. I think he abandoned the project since the BLSA thing became more popular, and his program is no longer available at his web page, but I can give anyone interested a copy. I had the 1030, however, and the BLSA doesn't work with that, so I wrote a little VB program that would plot out the text file that Hans' program generates, and it also allows you to drag your mouse across the signals to identify the frequency of signals, and it gives an estimate of the SR via the width of the peak. I've found that it generally identifies the freq to within 1 or 2 MHz, but the SR estimation isn't very good, as it depends upon where on the peak you drag. The image at the above web page shows a version which doesn't estimate the SR, mainly because it wasn't very accurate, but anyone interested in the newer versions, I can provide the newer version.
It only works with the 1030 card, so it won't be of any interest to people who don't have this receiver. The 1030 receiver is nice due to it's interesting control app, as well as this spectrum capability, however it doesn't seem to have any DiseqC capability, so I generally have to use it slaved, since it can't select switch positions.
THe spectrum plots, however have been a way of locating DVB-S2 signals, since blind scan receivers for DVB-S2 are rare. In fact the particular sat (which I don't want to identify) that I was scanning has about 23 DVB-S2 transponders that I found with the program, plus SR determination via the shortwave method, although only one of these transponders ever have viewable video. So although it is VERY SLOW, I think it's quite useful, and I use it all the time.

 

[mikelib]

Thanks for the explanation B.J.

Sorry, that was just a way I referred to the process.
What I was referring to is described here:
bjblscan
It is a way to generate a VERY SLOW spectrum scan, ie about 9 minutes per scan.
Basically, it only works with a Broadlogic 1030 computer card receiver.
A fellow called Hans (last name I can't spell, but he wrote the DVBAPPS program) wrote an application that would generate a text file of frequency vs signal strength using the Broadlogic 1030. I think he abandoned the project since the BLSA thing became more popular, and his program is no longer available at his web page, but I can give anyone interested a copy. I had the 1030, however, and the BLSA doesn't work with that, so I wrote a little VB program that would plot out the text file that Hans' program generates, and it also allows you to drag your mouse across the signals to identify the frequency of signals, and it gives an estimate of the SR via the width of the peak. I've found that it generally identifies the freq to within 1 or 2 MHz, but the SR estimation isn't very good, as it depends upon where on the peak you drag. The image at the above web page shows a version which doesn't estimate the SR, mainly because it wasn't very accurate, but anyone interested in the newer versions, I can provide the newer version.
It only works with the 1030 card, so it won't be of any interest to people who don't have this receiver. The 1030 receiver is nice due to it's interesting control app, as well as this spectrum capability, however it doesn't seem to have any DiseqC capability, so I generally have to use it slaved, since it can't select switch positions.
THe spectrum plots, however have been a way of locating DVB-S2 signals, since blind scan receivers for DVB-S2 are rare. In fact the particular sat (which I don't want to identify) that I was scanning has about 23 DVB-S2 transponders that I found with the program, plus SR determination via the shortwave method, although only one of these transponders ever have viewable video. So although it is VERY SLOW, I think it's quite useful, and I use it all the time.

Recently, I was wondering how you can hook up a computer to a satellite box to make it a spectrum analyzer. (I read your link, great explanation, information, files and pictures)

I have an Uniden 396T trunk tracking scanner that I use ARC396Pro software to load the scanner and I use the bandscope feature to hunt out frequencies to scan. It has the mouse over the signal peak feature to displayed and determine the frequency; it also has a waterfall feature so you can tell how active the frequency is.

I thought that it would be great to scan satellites with a bandscope feature and was trying to figure how it can be done. When I came across this thread I read that you have the feature already. I spend more time hunting and scanning satellite signals then watching TV. FTA to me is Shortwave Listening of satellite TV channels, I love the hunt more then the view.

The fall project this year is to take an old server I have purchased and turn it into an home entertainment center. I’ll Google the Broadlogic 103 card and see if I can find out the info on the card. Maybe I can use that card for satellite reception; I would love to have that spectrum analyzer feature Thanks again. :up
Regards
Mike Lib