AMIKO My new FTA setup seems to be signal blind?

[Ectron1]

Hello All,

I recently pulled the trigger on buying some FTA equipment, and this weekend have been trying to get a preliminary test setup going before i move forward with setting a pole and getting a rotator.
The problem I am having is that no matter what I do I can't even get a blip from the receivers signal meter. I had been trying to tune into SES3 then gave up and started trying galaxy 19 to no avail. The dish is dead nuts on according to the satellite pointer app, so I assume that should at least get me a signal. I tried a different coax but that didn't change anything, and I confirmed that the lnb was set to 10750 in the setup and it was correct. The receiver behaves the same regardless if I have the dish connected or not, it always shows 5% on the quality meter. I'm wondering if there is some obscure setting somewhere that would cause this?

My equipment is an Amiko 4k reciever a Maverick MK1-PLL lnb and a 39 inch dish.

Thanks in advance for any assistance

 

[primestar31]

Post some photos of the dish, the mount, the elevation setting, lnb on the dish, etc. As clear as possible, and the area that you live.

 

[mc6809e]

What transponders are you using to aim the dish? For SES3 I initially use 12145 V 20000 and on G19 I use 12152 H 20000. The Amiko displays a quality of 5% until an active transponder is selected. On my Amiko 4K, selecting transponder 1 (11730 H 4000) on SES3 shows 5% quality. Changing to transponder 10 (12145 V 20000) shows a quality of 86%.

 

[KE4EST]

Aiming a satellite dish is not like aiming a TV antenna. You can just aim it close to the direction and expect to get a signal. You have to choose an active transponder and then move your dish, up-down, east and west until you hit the signal.
Also, like I already said you have to choose an active transponder. For G19 the best one to use for aiming is 12152 H 20000. You are aiming at a satellite that is over 22,000 miles away, so it has to be spot on. Close don't count in satellite dish aiming.
If you don't have a satellite meter, you may have to take your receiver and a small TV out to the dish so you can move the dish slowly and watch for the quality bar to come to life. Just make sure what ever you are aiming for you again have an active transponder for that satellite selected.

 

[Radioguy41]

Make sure the skew is set correctly on the LNB for the type setup you are experimenting with. The skew will not be the same for a fixed dish as for a motorized dish. You may also have to move the LNB back and forth in the mount to hit the focal point exactly. This is all done much easier using a signal meter rather than the receiver's signal indicators.

 

[Ectron1]

Thanks for all of the replies. Here are some pictures of what I'm working with. It appears that the default transponder value is correct. I did try having a tv connected to the receiver in view while I was moving the dish but I still haven't been able to get any response. If the skew isn't just right can I still get some sort of signal that I can work with and get dialed in? I have a cheap signal meter on order, hopefully it will be here by next weekend.
One thing I wasn't clear about when assembling the dish was the sleeve that attaches the dish to the pole, the instructions seemed to imply that there were 2 different options a or b but there was no explanation so I just assembled it like it was in the picture. I'm in northern Indiana if that helps. Thanks

 

[a33]

One thing I wasn't clear about when assembling the dish was the sleeve that attaches the dish to the pole, the instructions seemed to imply that there were 2 different options a or b but there was no explanation so I just assembled it like it was in the picture. I'm in northern Indiana if that helps.

It looks to me like scale A goes from elevation 10 to 60 degrees, and scale B goes from elevation 50 to 86 degrees.
And that the actual elevation number is where the bolt is.
Looking at the actual elevation of the (offset) dish, I'd think you are on scale B now, at about 55 degrees elevation.

To set the elevation at about 42 degrees (elevation for 97W in indiana 40N, 86W), you'd need scale A.
That would mean: remounting the bracket on the back of the dish upside down, so that the scale would be at the upper bolt, and the fixed bolt would be at the lower bolt, if I am not mistaken.

But I have no experience with this type of brackets, so I'd wait for confirmation of another member here, if I were you.

Greetz,
A33

Edit: spelling correction and small addition.

 

[Radioguy41]

A bit difficult to tell for sure but it looks like the bracket clamped on to the pole is upside down. It should have an A and a B end and A should be up.

Keep in mind an offset dish does not point directly at a satellite like a prime focus dish does.

 

[Titanium]

No explanation on using "A" or "B"? I wrote the assembly manual... LOL!!! Yep, the post clamp is assembled upside down for your install location. The "A" hole (snicker) is centered and the "B" hole is offset.

Approximately, where are you located? The skew angle setting suggests that you are east of longitude 97w (Texas).

 

[KE4EST]

Approximately, where are you located? The skew angle setting suggests that you are east of longitude 97w (Texas).

I am seeing Indiana here.

 

[a33]

To set the elevation at about 42 degrees (elevation for 97W in indiana 40N, 86W), you'd need scale A.
That would mean: remounting the bracket on the back of the dish upside down, so that the scale would be at the upper bolt, and the fixed bolt would be at the lower bolt, if I am not mistaken.

Ah! So it would be the post clamp that is upside down, not the bracket at the back of the dish.....?.....

 

[Ectron1]

Thanks for all of the replies. I went out tonight after work and flipped the post clamp to the A position, unfortunately I still wasn't able to find any signals. I'll give it another try when I have more light, and am not in a dust storm from the farmers cutting beans lol

 

[Ectron1]

As I'm waiting for the rain to let up I got to thinking about the single vs dual lnb's. Is a single lnb ran through a splitter the same as using a dual lnb? Or is there circuitry that makes the dual lnb work differently? I doubt there will ever be 2 tv's watching at the same time but i was thinking as cheap as lnb's are that maybe running dual coax into the house now while I'm putting everything in would be simpler in the long run, unless of course a splitter will do the trick.

 

[Titanium]

A single output LNBF with polarity voltage switching, selects between the Vertical (13Vdc) and Horizontal (18Vdc). As long as all connected STBs are tuned to the same polarity, there would be no conflict. If any of the connected STBs are tuned to the opposite polarity, only the STB(s) tuned to a horizontal polarity transponder would receive the signal.

A dual output LNBF with voltage polarity switching would allow two STBs (or more using a multi-switch) to select between either vertical or horizontal polarity independently.

There are also single output "stacked" LNBFs that places one polarity on a low frequency range and the other polarity on a higher frequency range. This type of LNBF typically uses a 22KHz tone or modulated 22KHz tone (DiSEqC) to change between the two polarities (LO frequencies). The signal may be divided to one or many STBs using appropriate frequency rated splitters.

 

[Ectron1]

Gotcha, That helps me better understand how they work. I'll just run the extra coax so its ready when I need it.
I got a proper pole in the ground and was able to find a good signal with my cheap signal meter, but I cant find it with the receiver so I presume must be a non-fta satellite that isn't pre-programmed in. Something I noticed is that of the 3 phone apps I have they are several degrees off from one another, I was shooting for 103w and after locking in the signal I checked it with another app and it was showing that I was pointed in the area of Galaxy12. I guess nothing beats a good old fashion compass.

 

[Ectron1]

Success finally . I decided to buy one of those V8 finder tools since between the rain and only having a half hour of light in the evening, dragging a TV and the receiver out there wasn't practical. I had Galaxy 19 tuned in within a couple of minutes, I must have gotten it close previously with my cheap little meter. That finder was well worth the money for the amount of time saved.

Thanks everyone for their help!