IA5 Quality Readings Lower?

[SatelliteAV]

Could anyone comment on the Signal Quality during the past few weeks on IA5? Have you noticed decreased quality readings?

We are especially interested in muxs on 11874 and 11965. In the past week we have had MANY customers complaining of extremly low quality readings often affecting the ability to receive channels such as The Old Path and CNL. We have observed a drop in BER readings as well. Today the BER qualty readings seem to have increased, but still lower than previous records.

A few of the uplinkers have suggested that the problem could be associated with G16 transponders interferring with IA5. We believe that the problem may be enhanced by smaller dishes with wider beams or misaligned dishes, but it seems that the suggestion of 2 degree spacing with G16 transmitting at a higher power could be the cause.

We are currently working with IA and would appreciate any observation by Satellite Guy members.

Thanks!

 

[Keith Brannen]

Could anyone comment on the Signal Quality during the past few weeks on IA5? Have you noticed decreased quality readings?

We are especially interested in muxs on 11874 and 11965.

11874 has always been one of the weaker transponders for me. Checking my readings from last month it seems about the same.

11965 use to be one of the stronger transponders. It has dropped since my last recorded reading on August 20th. I have noticed about a consistent 15% drop since then. I didn't record when the drop was first noticed, but my best guess would be a minimum of a week, but more likely two weeks.

 

[Mr Tony]

both here are a stable 70-72. I know 11965 was higher a couple weeks ago but 11874 has always been low for me too

 

[Gary Z]

I have noticed Old Path and GCN is lower then normal I could not get a lock for the past few days.
But getting them now

Signal power and Signal quality are both 51% on 11874

 

[hantu]

Numbers are a little lower than usual here in upstate NY, but it's been overcast with scattered showers for the past few days. 11874 has always been a bit lower for me, too.

Hantu

 

[Hermitman]

IA5 is currently sitting at 97.64 degrees west and G16 is at 98.98 degrees west. That's only 1.34 degrees separation. Plus there's a couple of satellites between those two.

 

[Wescopc]

I am getting above 80% Quality on all of IA5 - but I have a fixed 1.2meter on it.
Bob

 

[tom_v]

- A big drop on 11965 (Russian Today) and a smaller drop on 11874. In fact, I had to climb to the roof to fine tune the motor system (USALS doesn't help much !). I t seems to me that both East coast and West coast could experience the drop, but not the Midwest (I have checked my acquaintances in Boston, San Diego and Houston). Also, If you have a bigger dish ( > 33"), you probably won't see it (I wish I had a bigger dish !).

 

[SatelliteAV]

Thank you for your observations. We certainly appreciate any observations that you can provide! We will pass along these reports and share any information that we might gather.

Viewers with larger dishes (90cm+) systems seem not to have been greatly affected by this event, but many viewers with misaligned or smaller 75cm dishes lost service for several days..

 

[SatelliteAV]

11874 has always been one of the weaker transponders for me. Checking my readings from last month it seems about the same.

11965 use to be one of the stronger transponders. It has dropped since my last recorded reading on August 20th. I have noticed about a consistent 15% drop since then. I didn't record when the drop was first noticed, but my best guess would be a minimum of a week, but more likely two weeks.

Seems to have started around 9/5/06 or at least that was when the viewers started calling .....

 

[Mr Tony]

satav
I'm using a 76cm dish here in MN and haven't seen any drops. I did lose "The Old Path" but that was due to strong winds and my dish being knocked out of alignment by one click on Diseqc 1.2

 

[tom_v]

Yep! It is around that time. My SQ has dropped from 75% to 48% the first day ... then to 40% as of yesterday. My Fortec LT Ultra kind of jumps back and forth because it won't accept anything below 40%... It' hard to watch Russia Today these days .....Fortunately, I can still watch CCTV9 by just moving the motor to G3....

Seems to have started around 9/5/06 or at least that was when the viewers started calling .....

 

[Keith Brannen]

Seems to have started around 9/5/06 or at least that was when the viewers started calling .....

I couldn't remember whether I noticed the drop just before or during the Labour Day weekend, hence my at least one week and maybe two. I never had any pixelation or loss of signal, but noticed it only because I regularly check the same four or five transponders per satellite to make sure I am not having LNB or dish movement! Both 11874 (because of its lower signal) and 11965 (because of its formerly high signal) were part of those I regularly check on IA5 (11965 was the only one to drop in the test group, so I knew it was the transponder not the LNB/dish).

 

[cuongvu]

TP 11966 too. Used to be very strong.

Cuong

 

[Langod]

I noticed the same thing here in Illinois on 12177 while watching JCTV. I just assumed the neighborhood trees may have grown just enough due the increased rainfall this summer that my quality was being affected.

Could anyone comment on the Signal Quality during the past few weeks on IA5? Have you noticed decreased quality readings?

We are especially interested in muxs on 11874 and 11965. In the past week we have had MANY customers complaining of extremly low quality readings often affecting the ability to receive channels such as The Old Path and CNL. We have observed a drop in BER readings as well. Today the BER qualty readings seem to have increased, but still lower than previous records.

A few of the uplinkers have suggested that the problem could be associated with G16 transponders interferring with IA5. We believe that the problem may be enhanced by smaller dishes with wider beams or misaligned dishes, but it seems that the suggestion of 2 degree spacing with G16 transmitting at a higher power could be the cause.

We are currently working with IA and would appreciate any observation by Satellite Guy members.

Thanks!

 

[penguinsix]

I thought I was all alone with the drop in Russia Today. It does get to the point of pixelation from time to time, while everything else seems to be pretty strong. Actually, all the stations that share Russia Today's TP seem to be a bit off, borderline unwatchable.

 

[JimTram]

Your not alone - I am in SoCal and I lost TGN and Russia Today about two weeks ago. I needed and ordered a 90cm dish and LNBF. Hope that fixes the interference problem with 11966 22000 H RRSat!

 

[tom_v]

JimTram,

Welcome to SatelliteGuys.US !!!

If the signal does not improve, I probably will be forced to order a bigger dish, too!

 

[JimTram]

Thanks for the welcome - I should get my dish next week or so and I hope everything works out.

JimTram,

Welcome to SatelliteGuys.US !!!

If the signal does not improve, I probably will be forced to order a bigger dish, too!

 

[PSB]

72% signal quality on RT here in MN. VERY cloudy outside!