Hi All I am new and need FTA Help

[sapote]

Hi ALL,

I'm totally lost in this site; I'm a new member and I'd like to post a question about FTA equipment purchase but could't find where and how, and I'm sorry if I hijack this thread.

I'm Brian and this is my first post. I just started my hobby in FTA -- kind of late to this game -- and decided to buy some components from Galaxy Marketing: SG9120 motor; WS9036 dish, Lexium dbs 7000 receiver. It seems their phone numbers no longer work. I'm in Los Angeles area, and so if they are out of business then what is the best way for me to get the system with minimum shipping cost.

Regards,
Brian

 

[Wayn23]

I would recommend a Amiko Mini HD SE and a 90cm dish as a good starting point, for a dish mover I don't use one so I will let someone else recommend a brand. Satellite AV is in California and sells dishes, I bought my Amiko receiver from Fridge FTA for about $100 including shipping. http://satelliteav.com/p/shop/?ws_pid=1623&ws_cat=470


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[ray224000]

http://www.nc-electronics.com/
http://www.titaniumsatellite.com/
http://gotcband.com/
http://store.fridgefta.info/#axzz3Clc4kAGU

Good luck in your hunt and welcome.

I have listed some very trusted retailers above. All are members of the Satillite Guys forum. Between the four, they have what you need.

 

[bpalone]

Wayn23 gave good advice. For a motor I use a Stab HH90 and you can find them on ebay for around $60 and I saw that Rick's has some now as well. Satellite AV sells on ebay as well and they offer their 90cm dish with a PLL LNB for for about $100 including shipping. They also offer a complete kit with their Micro HD receiver for about $200 including shipping. The Amiko Mine HD SE is probably a better receiver, though. I have a Micro HD (bought as the kit) and have been pleased with it, there is nothing wrong with it. Just doesn't have some nice features that some folks like and want, but hey.

Titanium and Ke4est and T134 all sell satellite gear, too.

Welcome to the fold!

Well Ray224000 beat me to it on most of this.

 

[FaT Air]

Mount the dish directly on the pole* (no motor to yet) and aim for G19 (97W) 'as a start'. www.dishpointer.com will 'show the way' so to speak.
*the pole must be as vertical as humanly possible. (especially when the motor becomes involved)

 

[sapote]

Thank you everyone for your inputs. Here are the components I will buy, but please let me know what else that I may need. I only need a system with one output for one TV.

- Amiko Mini HD SE from Michael Elec.
- Satellite_AV 36" dish + GeoSat Pro SL1PLL (0.5db noise)
- STAB HH90 motor
- 25ft RF cable with connectors + short section for connecting motor to lnb.

why most of the new PLL lnb's have more noise figure(0.5db) than 0.3dB, which is quite common for good non-pll? Is it because the phase-lock-loop requires more circuitry and generates more heat, hence more noise?

what is the cheap satellite finder product I should buy or should I buy something else? I'm in CA91501

Thanks,
Brian

 

[FTA4PA]

please let me know what else that I may need. why most of the new PLL lnb's have more noise figure(0.5db) than 0.3dB, which is quite common for good non-pll? Is it because the phase-lock-loop requires more circuitry and generates more heat, hence more noise? what is the cheap satellite finder product I should buy or should I buy something else? I'm in CA91501 Thanks, Brian

You might find a cheap compass comes in handy (but you can get away without one if you use www.dishpointer.com, like Fat Air recommended). Put all your info in and use the map to find an object that is in the exact direction as the sat you want. Aim your dish at that and you should be in the ballpark. Here is a thread explaining the noise figure? Basically don't believe everything you read. http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/threads/how-important-is-the-noise-rating-on-an-lnb-really.340117/ There are cheap satellite finders and there are good satellite finders. If you need something really low cost you can try one of these. Amazon product ASIN B00G99GUDC It only lets you know when you are pointed at an rf source but it will be up to you to do a scan and figure out what sat that is. Don't get me wrong, I started out with one and used it to install both my motorized KU and motorized C band dishes without issue. Then there are others like the Birdog Amazon product ASIN B001IX00XU and Super Buddy Amazon product ASIN B001COQIOK which cost several hundred dollars new (but can often be had for less if bought used on ebay). Or you can do what many people do - take your receiver and a small tv out to the dish and use some short lengths of coax to hook everything up. Then use the signal meter built into your receiver to peak everything. Works great and you will be able to confirm proper alignment with a picture on the tv. Whichever way you try, Good Luck!

 

[migold]

For RF Cable use RG6.

 

[sapote]

I had reviewed the STAB HH90 motor spec numerous times but couldn't find the value of the motor shaft crank angle. Why it was not listed. I would think one needs to know this angle in order to set the dish elevation correctly. No?

Regards,
Brian

 

[KE4EST]

Here is the formula for a STAB HH-90:
Degrees of dish elevation = P - (45 - latitude)
P = degrees of dish elevation for fixed mount given by the manufacturer.

 

[sapote]

Thanks. So the crank angle is 45*? The product has been around long enough that I would think they should update the spec sheet to show this angle. Very sloppy people.

 

[Elkview]

Angle is shown on dishpointer for Stabb 90. Look under motor

 

[sapote]

Hi ALL,

I had set the motor body/dish point to true south and correct elevation and motor shaft latitude, and went into USALs menu to set my local Long and Lat, but after this I failed to motorize the dish to any satellite. The Amiko Mini Manual doesn't help much in providing the instruction how to setup/program the satellite/TV channels. I'm total new to motorize dish and feel helpless here. Could you point me to the right direction.

Regards,
Brian

 

[FTA4PA]

Hi ALL,

I had set the motor body/dish point to true south and correct elevation and motor shaft latitude, and went into USALs menu to set my local Long and Lat, but after this I failed to motorize the dish to any satellite. The Amiko Mini Manual doesn't help much in providing the instruction how to setup/program the satellite/TV channels. I'm total new to motorize dish and feel helpless here. Could you point me to the right direction.

Regards,
Brian

Hi! If this is the Amiko Mini HD SE, did you go into the Installation menu and turn on USALS under the Positioner setting for each KU satellite that you want to scan?

 

[sapote]

I think I slowly getting there now with your and Michael's helps. Once I choose usals for each sat, do I have to run blind scan for each?
Now I can motor to galaxy 19,97w, got signal=90 and quality=71 for vertical, but zero level and quality=5 for horizon. Am I missing something here or it just needs to fine tune the dish position?

 

[KE4EST]

Yes you have to run a blind scan on each sat. If you are on a Vertical transponder and getting signal but change it to hoz. you won't get anything. Run a blind scan on 97W and see what you come up with.

 

[FTA4PA]

Yes, under Installation > Satellite Installation make sure the settings for your lnb match the one you have installed. If you don't have any diseqc switches installed (you probably don't if you are not using more than one dish or lnb) then don't worry about the diseqc settings. Set Polarity to Auto and make sure LNB Power is set to On. Then run a blind scan on a satellite you have enabled and check your results. As ke4est said, 97w is a good satellite to start with. If all is aligned correctly you should get well over 200 channels on that satellite (a lot of ethnic programming with several religious and english channels). If you get what is expected on 97W try your other satellites as well. Let us know your results. Good Luck!

 

[sapote]

I bought the dish and lnb from Satellite_av:
GEOSATpro 90 cm / 36 inch Satellite Dish and Free GEOSATpro SL1 - Bullet 0.4 Linear HD LNBF
This lnb has both vert and hozi polarizations.
since I seems to have good vertical signal but nothing horizon signals, I will try to align the dish again at 97w sat and let you know.

Also, when I changed the channel, it said Move Dish....but it seemed to take a long long time, many minutes.why?
Thanks,
Brian

 

[SatPhreak]

What receiver do you have, and is your dish motorized?

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[sapote]

So I motorized to 97w, then pulled off power to receiver to locked the motor, then went up the roof and with Channel Master meter connected to lnb, I dialed in the dish to max signal, assuming I was pointing to 97w. went down and powered the receiver again and blind scanned 97w, nothing! Obviously without a tuner my Channel master led me to dial into a nearby sat, not 97W!! so in USALS with 97w sat, no signal, I used the stop/start control to manually move the dish and I got 90 signal and 75 quality on 97w. How do I disable the motor so it won't move when I want to run a blind scan at this new position, temporarily, to see what channels I can get?

I think Channel Master meter is useless for dial in, and I think it's better to have a small portable monitor and the receiver up the roof for fine tune the dish. Yes? what else I can do?