Need Advice

[xray145]

Hi Experts!
Bit of a newbie here but not totally helpless.
I am in the Philly PA area and have a Pansat 2500a hooked up to a stationary 80cm Fortec dish (non-motorized).
I am successfully pointed at T5 (IA5) using 0.5dB DMS lnb.
I only get at best 45% quality on strongest tp, and 10% quality on the less powerful tp's - which are the tp's I would like to have. I have tweaked this dish every which way and these are the best readings I can get.
Also, the dish set up is extremely sensitive - one wrong hair movement and the signal deteriorates immediately.
My question is, if I get a 0.3dB LNB (such as Invacom), will it make enough of a difference to pull in the weak signals? and make the set up less sensitive ?
Any ideas...?

 

[PSB]

Hello and WELCOME to the SatelliteGuys.US FTA Forum

The lower the dB level of the LNBF the better it will pull in those weaker TP./Channels.
I was very happy when I changed over to the Invacom LNBF and recently the New Xtreme LNBF, both are 0.3dB

For now I would try moving the LNBF closer and further away from the dish reflector to see if you can get slightly better signal quality. Also a lot of people overtighten the 4 bolts that hold the dish reflector to the mount, this can often bend the dish out of shape, resulting in poor signal quality. These bolts should only be hand tightened then half a turn with a wrench.

 

[PSB]

Here are all the angles to the Satellites form your area in case you do not have them : )

                     Philadelphia, PA 19154
           Latitude 40° 5.382'N Longitude 74° 58.686'W

                         Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
----------------------------------------------------------------
                                 
                                 
                     Intelsat 901   18.0W 112.7 126.5 16.3 -44.9
                                 
                     Intelsat 603   20.0W 114.3 128.1 17.8 -44.2
                                 
                            NSS 7   22.0W 115.9 129.7 19.2 -43.5
                                 
                     Intelsat 905   24.5W 118.0 131.8 21.0 -42.5
                                 
                     Intelsat 907   27.5W 120.6 134.4 23.1 -41.2
                                 
                   Hispasat 1C/1D   30.0W 122.8 136.6 24.9 -40.0
                                 
                     Intelsat 801   31.5W 124.2 138.0 25.9 -39.3
                                 
                     Intelsat 903   34.5W 127.0 140.9 27.9 -37.6
                                 
              AMC 12 & Telstar 11   37.5W 130.0 143.9 29.8 -35.9
                                 
                          NSS 806   40.5W 133.2 147.0 31.7 -33.9
                                 
                        PAS 6B/3R   43.0W 135.9 149.7 33.2 -32.2
                                 
                           PAS 1R   45.0W 138.1 152.0 34.3 -30.7
                                 
                     Intelsat 705   50.0W 144.1 157.9 37.0 -26.6
                                 
                     Intelsat 707   53.0W 147.9 161.8 38.4 -24.0
                                 
                     Intelsat 805   55.5W 151.2 165.1 39.5 -21.6
                                 
                            PAS 9   58.0W 154.6 168.5 40.4 -19.1
                                 
                         Amazonas   61.0W 158.9 172.7 41.4 -16.0
                                 
           EchoStar 3 & Rainbow 1   61.5W 159.6 173.4 41.6 -15.5
                                 
                 Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 161.8 175.6 42.0 -13.8
                                 
                     Brasilsat B2   65.0W 164.7 178.5 42.5 -11.6
                                 
                     Brasilsat B1   70.0W 172.3 186.1 43.3  -5.9
                                 
                 Nahuel 1 & AMC 6   72.0W 175.4 189.2 43.5  -3.5
                                 
                            AMC 6   72.0W 175.4 189.2 43.5  -3.5
                                 
                        DirecTV 5   72.5W 176.2 190.0 43.6  -2.9
                                 
                            SBS 6   74.0W 178.5 192.3 43.6  -1.2
                                 
                            AMC 5   79.0W 186.2 200.1 43.4   4.8
                                 
                          Nimiq 2   82.0W 190.8 204.7 43.1   8.3
                                 
                            AMC 9   83.0W 192.3 206.2 42.9   9.4
                                 
                     Brasilsat B3   84.0W 193.9 207.7 42.7  10.6
                                 
                           AMC 16   85.0W 195.3 209.2 42.5  11.7
                                 
                            AMC 3   87.0W 198.3 212.1 42.0  13.9
                                 
              Intelsat Americas 8   89.0W 201.2 215.0 41.4  16.1
                                 
                 Galaxy 11/Nimiq1   91.0W 204.0 217.9 40.8  18.2
                                 
                     Brasilsat B4   92.0W 205.4 219.3 40.4  19.2
                                 
                        Telstar 6   93.0W 206.8 220.6 40.0  20.2
                                 
                        Galaxy 3C   95.0W 209.5 223.3 39.2  22.1
                                 
              Intelsat Americas 5   97.0W 212.1 226.0 38.4  24.0
                                 
                        Galaxy 4R   99.0W 214.7 228.5 37.4  25.8
                                 
                            AMC 4  101.0W 217.2 231.0 36.4  27.5
                                 
                            AMC 1  103.0W 219.6 233.4 35.4  29.2
                                 
                           AMC 15  105.0W 221.9 235.7 34.3  30.7
                                 
                          Anik F1  107.3W 224.5 238.3 33.0  32.4
                                 
         DirecTV 6 & EchoStar 6/8  110.0W 227.4 241.2 31.4  34.3
                                 
                          Anik F2  111.1W 228.6 242.4 30.7  35.0
                                 
                    Solidaridad 2  113.0W 230.5 244.4 29.5  36.2
                                 
                         SatMex 5  116.8W 234.3 248.1 27.0  38.4
                                 
          EchoStar 7 & DirecTV 7S  119.0W 236.3 250.2 25.5  39.5
                                 
  EchoStar 9/Intelsat Americas 13  121.0W 238.1 252.0 24.2  40.5
                                 
                       Galaxy 10R  123.0W 239.9 253.7 22.8  41.4
                                 
                        Galaxy 12  125.0W 241.6 255.5 21.3  42.3
                                 
             Galaxy 13/Horizons 1  127.0W 243.3 257.1 19.9  43.1
                                 
 Intelsat Americas 7 & EchoStar 5  129.0W 244.9 258.8 18.5  43.9
                                 
                           AMC 11  131.0W 246.5 260.4 17.0  44.6
                                 
                        Galaxy 1R  133.0W 248.1 261.9 15.5  45.2
                                 
                           AMC 10  135.0W 249.6 263.4 14.0  45.8
                                 
                            AMC 7  137.0W 251.1 264.9 12.5  46.4
                                 
                            AMC 8  139.0W 252.6 266.4 11.0  46.9
                                 
                     EchoStar 1/2  148.0W 258.9 272.7  4.2  48.6

        Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. Lutus

SBS 6 @ 74.0W would be your True South satellite if you ever decide to add a motor to your system!



I would also SKEW/tilt the LNBF in the holder (rotate slightly) and stand away from the dish and watch the signal quality meter!

More info on Skew here.....

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/Dish-Pointing-Tips.htm

 

[xray145]

Thanks PSB...
Already tried moving the lnb backwards and forwards.....to the extent that the max and min of the holder will allow.....no discernable difference.
I realize a 0.3db will be better than what I have, but will it be "good enough" with this dish?

 

[PSB]

Of course the bigger the dish the more signal it will gather, I am here in the Minneapolis metro area MN. I get signal quality of around 70-80 % on most TP. on IA-5 right now and its a VERY overcast day here. I use a 36" dish and an Invacom 0.3dB QPH-031 LNBF

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

Xray

Maybe this will help. Here is a screen grab from the days when I had a Pansat 3500s. I believe the signal meter is the same. I live in NY state so it is a similar location as you. I use a 30 inch dish and an Invacom .3 LNB and here is what I got on IA 6 TP 11711-not great but good enough to lock on. I remember some signals in the 70's on some things. Compare this to what you are getting and it may give you a rough idea.

 

[voomvoom]

xray145,
Have you tried moving/nudging your dish to the east or west just a bit. This might help.

Al

 

[xray145]

Yes...I've tried everything I can think of.
Right now, I have the mast with dish screwed to a piece of plywood, and the plywood placed on top of the lazy susan on the picnic table!
This way, I can make minute adjustments to the east and west, and by applying slight pressure to the arm, I can change the elevation very slightly.
I have also skewed the lnb in approx 5 deg intervals (both ways). No matter what I do, I max out on tp 19 with a quality level of 45, and only 10 on most of the other tp's. If I use another tp as a reference, I can sometimes get it up to 14 or 15, but that's all.

 

[neil_kc1]

xray,

3. thoughts, 1. do you have a really clear view of south? no trees , your signal may be breaking up some through the tree sleaves. 2. it sounds like you dish needs to be a bit more secure if you can simply touch it and later the signal that much 3. ios your dish plumb, sounds like you have lots of give there.

no expert but just some thoughts.