First Time Tuning For HD Advice Wanted

[Rebel Racing]

Hi Guys,

Wanting to upgrade from our current SD receiver. It will replace our existing one receiver/tv set up. Ther will only be the one receiver/one tv in the house.

1. What dish will I need fro the HR24 receiver and will it require a B band converter?

2. Can I still use my existing single RG6 coax cable?

3. What satelites will I need to aim the dish to (Detroit area) 99,103,101 I believe?

4. Are the $20 meters on Ebay any help for this--I really can't justify a $350+meter for this one time deal.

I'm a diehard DIY'er and want to try aiming this one as I did the single LNB several yrs ago (I know this is a lot more involved but want to try it).

I've done some reading on older posts about using the tilt to dial in sat 119 but it is my understanding that that is for Spanish and Chinese programming which we won't be sub'ing to. From what I've been told, you need to aim it for one bird and the others will fall into place and tweak it a bit on the others??

Any other advice you can offer??

Thanks!!

 

[raoul5788]

You need a Slimline dish. Since your sd locals are on 101, you will need an sl3 lnb also. You will need the b band converter, too. Your cable is probably okay. The Slimline points at the 101 sat and picks up 99, 103. Aiming the dish is doable, especially if you are persistent! Using the menu setup in the receiver, find the elevation and skew for your area and set them accordingly on the dish leaving the bolts loose enough to adjust the dish. Make sure the mast is plumb, this is important! Then aim the dish by the azimuth given using the signal strength readings in the receiver. 101 is usually pretty easy to find. You may need to make some adjustments to the elevation and azimuth to get it. Once you do, check the 99 and 103 strengths and adjust the skew to make them stronger. It will likely take you at least 15-30 minutes if you haven't done one before, but with persistence you can do it! When you get the numbers at least in the high 80s, tighten the bolts down. It helps to have a buddy reading the signal strengths for you.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Hi Guys,

Wanting to upgrade from our current SD receiver. It will replace our existing one receiver/tv set up. Ther will only be the one receiver/one tv in the house.

1. What dish will I need fro the HR24 receiver and will it require a B band converter?
Any Ka/Ku Slimline dish will work. The B Band converter upconverts the HD signal from the 99 & 103 sats.

2. Can I still use my existing single RG6 coax cable?
Yes

3. What satelites will I need to aim the dish to (Detroit area) 99,103,101 I believe?
The sats are like books on a shelf; 99, 101, 103. Likewise the LNBs that focus the beam for use are on a ridgid frame on the dish arm. The SD signal from the 101 is easy to find...the 99 & 103 are on either side...three degrees away...hit one and the rest will be there.
4. Are the $20 meters on Ebay any help for this--I really can't justify a $350+meter for this one time deal.
You can do it with the meter on the receiver. Select the 101 for tuning. Then select the 103 sat & tune that. Make the mast plumb...set the elevation & tilt to the listed setting....tune the compass line carefully...tune the elevation if necessary. Just set & forget the tilt.

I'm a diehard DIY'er and want to try aiming this one as I did the single LNB several yrs ago (I know this is a lot more involved but want to try it).

I've done some reading on older posts about using the tilt to dial in sat 119 but it is my understanding that that is for Spanish and Chinese programming which we won't be sub'ing to. From what I've been told, you need to aim it for one bird and the others will fall into place and tweak it a bit on the others??

The 119 will send a signal you can use...tune the 101 & 119. IF you use the sl3 it only "sees" the 99,101& 103.

Any other advice you can offer??

Make sure the mast is plumb. Have someone on a cell phone watching the signal meter. Work slowly....there is a lag of several seconds.....tune only one parameter at a time to "peak" the signal by moving through the highest to a drop off..then go back to the highest setting....The 101 signal will go down slightly as you hit the 103 peak and this is normal.

Thanks!!

Report success,

Joe

 

[Rebel Racing]

You need a Slimline dish. Since your sd locals are on 101, you will need an sl3 lnb also. You will need the b band converter, too. Your cable is probably okay. The Slimline points at the 101 sat and picks up 99, 103. Aiming the dish is doable, especially if you are persistent! Using the menu setup in the receiver, find the elevation and skew for your area and set them accordingly on the dish leaving the bolts loose enough to adjust the dish. Make sure the mast is plumb, this is important! Then aim the dish by the azimuth given using the signal strength readings in the receiver. 101 is usually pretty easy to find. You may need to make some adjustments to the elevation and azimuth to get it. Once you do, check the 99 and 103 strengths and adjust the skew to make them stronger. It will likely take you at least 15-30 minutes if you haven't done one before, but with persistence you can do it! When you get the numbers at least in the high 80s, tighten the bolts down. It helps to have a buddy reading the signal strengths for you.

Thanks Chip--exactly what I needed to hear!! I'm guessing that a SWiM dish is the same as (in our application) as a Slimline?? By SKEW, is that the tilt or the direction (azimuth)?

Thanks for talking to me about this!!

 

[Rebel Racing]

Report success,

Joe

Thanks Joe!! Am I reading it correctly, after I have the 99,101 and 103, I should then try to get 119 the best I can??

Thanks!!

 

[raoul5788]

Thanks Chip--exactly what I needed to hear!! I'm guessing that a SWiM dish is the same as (in our application) as a Slimline?? By SKEW, is that the tilt or the direction (azimuth)?

Thanks for talking to me about this!!

Glad to help. That's what we are here for!
The Slimline is the dish itself. A SWiM is the lnb that uses only one cable, but can support more than one tuner. I saw you wrote receiver, but you also said HR24, which is the dvr requiring either two cables from the dish, or the SWiM setup. I would go with the SWiM if you can. Skew is tilt, and azimuth is the compass heading. Like Joe said, make sure to let us know how it goes, and ask as many questions as you need to.

 

[raoul5788]

Thanks Joe!! Am I reading it correctly, after I have the 99,101 and 103, I should then try to get 119 the best I can??

Thanks!!

You don't need the 119 since it doesn't have any programming you need unless you want some of the music channels carried there or some Spanish programming.

 

[Rebel Racing]

Glad to help. That's what we are here for!
The Slimline is the dish itself. A SWiM is the lnb that uses only one cable, but can support more than one tuner. I saw you wrote receiver, but you also said HR24, which is the dvr requiring either two cables from the dish, or the SWiM setup. I would go with the SWiM if you can. Skew is tilt, and azimuth is the compass heading. Like Joe said, make sure to let us know how it goes, and ask as many questions as you need to.

Learning lots more than I knew a few days ago with this stuff We figured with going to a new receiver we might as well get it with a DVR for the extra $5/mo. We will go with the SWiM set up as I really don't want to run a second cable. Sine we just bought a new 46" Samsung, we need to wait a bit before the next step but would like to have it up and running (HD) by mid April--by then, the "money tree" might have a few more leaves on it I'll definately have more questions and once it is finished I'll let you all know how it turned out.

Thanks!!

 

[Rebel Racing]

You don't need the 119 since it doesn't have any programming you need unless you want some of the music channels carried there or some Spanish programming.

O.K. Got it now---Thanks!! Any advantage to getting a cheap $20 meter from Ebay or, is having the Wife inside with the cell and watching the receiver going to be just as good?

 

[raoul5788]

O.K. Got it now---Thanks!! Any advantage to getting a cheap $20 meter from Ebay or, is having the Wife inside with the cell and watching the receiver going to be just as good?

I've always tuned my dishes without a meter. I don't know if the cheap ones work all that well.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Back in the day all we had were the cheap meters. They pick up every sat in the sky. The HD is in a lower freq and they won't see the HD from the 99 & 103. There are bunches of signals coming from every launch position and Directv owns or leases sats in five of them. With the RF meters you have to count and recognize levels from an azimuth you use all the time while swinging the dish to get close..then you are back to looking at the IRD meter anyhow.

Using someone to recite signal levels only is best.....not hot and cold or, ooooo, just missed it you idiot!

It was hard back then but beer was cheaper and we had cool rock & roll.

Joe

 

[Daddy Dithers]

The 3lnb has 4 ports...as mentioned with that lnb you will need 2 lines from the dish to that HR24 receiver. Any 2 ports on the lnb will work. Of course each line will need a B Band at the receiver.

 

[Joe Diamond]

The 3lnb has 4 ports...as mentioned with that lnb you will need 2 lines from the dish to that HR24 receiver. Any 2 ports on the lnb will work. Of course each line will need a B Band at the receiver.

ERRRRRRR! H23 no BBC

Joe

 

[raoul5788]

ERRRRRRR! H23 no BBC

Joe

Who said anything about the 23 series? The op specifically mentioned the HR24.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Hmmmmmm!

Quite so........& no delete button.

Joe

 

[Rebel Racing]

The 3lnb has 4 ports...as mentioned with that lnb you will need 2 lines from the dish to that HR24 receiver. Any 2 ports on the lnb will work. Of course each line will need a B Band at the receiver.

So.............just to confirm.........the HR24 and a SWiM setup will only need one wire from the dish and a B band converter yes? Keeping in mind that it will only be a one receiver/one tv house.

 

[raoul5788]

The SWiM setup removes the need for the b band converter. You would need it without the SWiM.

 

[Rebel Racing]

The SWiM setup removes the need for the b band converter. You would need it without the SWiM.

Cool, I can save a few bucks then.

Thanks!!

 

[Rebel Racing]

Kinda unrelated..................with the HR24 and the SWiM lnb, will we be able to record one show and watch another at the same time or would that require a second cable??

 

[raoul5788]

The SWiM setup works the same as the two wire, you can watch one show and record another.