Need Help to set my FTA
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Have you checked out www.FTAinstall.com? The list shows 5 local companies.
http://www.ftainstall.com/Installer...g=OK&LocationName=STILLWATER&DisplayResults=1
http://www.ftainstall.com/Installer...g=OK&LocationName=STILLWATER&DisplayResults=1
Or, if you are willing to give it another shot yourself, please list all your equipment, and post some pics if possible.
Plenty of folks here willing and able to talk you through it.
Plenty of folks here willing and able to talk you through it.
Gfb,
There are plenty of resources available to you, especially right here on this forum! Most of us here will walk you through the entire setup step by step and help you troubleshoot any problems that arise along the way. Don't be bashful to ask any questions as we all have been in the same spot ourselves. Unsure, feeling overwhelmed, feeling stupid, alone, in the dark, etc... You know what I mean.
Welcome to this forum! If you are interested in anything satellite related, you are in the RIGHT PLACE!
Please feel comfy and ask away! You'll be amazed at how much help you will receive. Why don't you start out by explaining the equipment you currently have and what satellite/s you are trying to pull in. Be as detailed as you can, that is always very beneficial.
RADAR
Hello,
I thank you for replying to my need of help. This give me the reason to give it another try. I thank you very very much. Here is the hardware I have:
- 87cm offset oval antenna mounted in outside wall of the house
- ADTH model 5260 Ku-band single output LNB
- 8600IR ADTH Digital Satellite Receiver with remote
Pictures are below.
I thank you for your help.
I thank you for replying to my need of help. This give me the reason to give it another try. I thank you very very much. Here is the hardware I have:
- 87cm offset oval antenna mounted in outside wall of the house
- ADTH model 5260 Ku-band single output LNB
- 8600IR ADTH Digital Satellite Receiver with remote
Pictures are below.
I thank you for your help.
Any particular channel or channels that you are after. That receiver is DVB-S only. A lot of stuff is going to S2. Still a lot on 97W though. That receiver used to be used for the homeschool learning systems. It is I would say 8-9 years old.
Thanks for the photos! I would say the first important step is to get that dish mounted -somehow- so that it is stable and plumb. If you can't do a pole in the yard, try mounting it to a pallet. When I first got into the hobby, I tried swinging the dish this way and that by propping it up against things, but never got a signal. The problem is, you have several variables that are involved in a good satellite signal. The compass direction (azimuth), the angle that your dish is looking (elevation), and even the amount of twist on an lnb (skew). A good stable mount will allow you to make the necessary small movements to get a signal (it can take several seconds for the signal to register). Even if your mount is temporary -- mount it 
As far as the Azimuth is concerned, you can use the sun. This website: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/AltAz.php will calculate the Azimuth of the sun throughout the day. Aim your dish at the sun when it's azimuth = the azimuth of the satellite you're aiming for. Then slowly, in small increments, raise/lower your dish until you get maximum Quality reading. Fine tune the azimuth to peak the Quality reading.
NOTE: the receiver must be programmed with an active transponder* in order to register a Quality reading. (must also be selected while tuning the dish) Also the LNB L.O. must be entered correctly. For that LNBF use 10750.
* Check TheList (Link on the top of pages here)
The pole the dish is mounted to should/must be firmly mounted and plumb.
Another resource for visual aiming purposes - www.dishpointer.com
NOTE: the receiver must be programmed with an active transponder* in order to register a Quality reading. (must also be selected while tuning the dish) Also the LNB L.O. must be entered correctly. For that LNBF use 10750.
* Check TheList (Link on the top of pages here)
The pole the dish is mounted to should/must be firmly mounted and plumb.
Another resource for visual aiming purposes - www.dishpointer.com
While the receiver you have does have some limitations, as long as it is operable you should be able to receive some programming with it. I had one (same brand) that was similar and it did not have blind scan, you had to manually enter an active transponder into the receiver.
There are over 200 video channels on the satellite at 97 West, mostly foreign. And if you are located in Oklahoma that sat should be fairly close to due south from you, very high in the sky.
Do you have your dish mounted outside? If so, please post some pics of that.
Is there any info printed on your LNBF? Need to know what the LO is (maybe 10750?).
There are also some settings in the receiver that have to be correct, we need to know what they are set to.
A lot of things have to be right to get this thing to work, if any one of them is wrong it won't, but it's not that tough...if I can do it anyone can.
There are over 200 video channels on the satellite at 97 West, mostly foreign. And if you are located in Oklahoma that sat should be fairly close to due south from you, very high in the sky.
Do you have your dish mounted outside? If so, please post some pics of that.
Is there any info printed on your LNBF? Need to know what the LO is (maybe 10750?).
There are also some settings in the receiver that have to be correct, we need to know what they are set to.
A lot of things have to be right to get this thing to work, if any one of them is wrong it won't, but it's not that tough...if I can do it anyone can.
Gfb,
As has been stated, the age of your receiver would only limit you from receiving the DVB-S2 signals and beyond, but it should be fine for DVB-S signals and there are still many of those available to at least get you started. Galaxy 19 @ 97.0°W is going to be your best starting point for a satellite. It will be easily aimed and provide many transponders and channels. As Phlatwound stated, if that box does not have a blind scan function, you will have to manually enter the TP (transponder) data and then scan each TP for the channels.
There are indeed many items to be aware of when setting up and aligning a satellite system, but once you have been introduced to these points you will understand that they are just very simple steps. Like driving a car, you eventually take many things for granted, like checking the gas and oil and tire pressure and how to start it and when to hit the brake and when to hit the gas and how to turn left and how to turn right. All that stuff is rather dull, repetitious and nearly child's play now, but when you were first introduced to the car, it seemed rather ominous. It is the same as setting up and aligning a satellite dish / system. Once you have become exposed to it and done it yourself, it is as simple as riding a bike.
First item to be concerned with is having a LOS (Line Of Sight) to the satellite which is unobstructed. That means that there can be no trees or buildings or mountains in between your dish and the satellite in the sky. If you can see the satellite in the sky, you can pull it in. But, the satellite is so far out in space that you cannot see it. So how do you know that you have a clear LOS? You have to know what the orbital position and the elevation of the satellites are, then look up to the sky at those angles like gazing for stars. You cannot "SEE" the sat, but you will know where it should be. If you are in OK, your actual longitude should be something near 97°W. Galaxy 19 has an orbital position of 97°W so it should be nearly due south of you. That makes looking for this satellite more simplified. Now let's say that this satellite is 48° up in the sky, so you tilt your head up at approximately that angle to view the sat. If you don't see any trees or buildings in the way, then you have a clear LOS.
The next item is to have a mast or pole to mount your dish upon. This mast MUST be perfectly vertical (plumb) in all directions - so it cannot lean a little north or a little west or a little east or a little south! It has to be perfectly straight up and down. Use a bubble level to verify this and check it from all sides. Doesn't matter if your mast is on the ground or on a roof or on the side of a wall, it MUST be absolutely vertical. All the other angles associated with setting up the dish and aiming it rely upon this common reference point, the point of the mast being plumb.
Now you may set your dish atop that mast and set the elevation according to what your dish installation instructions say (might get some help from dishpointer.com) and set your azimuth (the east to west dialing of the dish aim) to where Galaxy 19 should be in the sky. This is where it takes a little bit of labor on your part as you cannot precisely measure either of these angles perfectly. You just get in the ballpark and then turn to monitor your signal strength and expressly your signal QUALITY meter from the receiver as it is displayed on your TV screen. You fine tune your dish elevation and azimuth alignment to optimize the SIGNAL QUALITY STRENGTH.
You must have a valid TP entered into your receiver menu for the satellite which you are aligning to. For Galaxy 19, I would choose TP 12152 MHz Horizontal polarity with a SR (Symbol Rate) of 20,000.
Set up your receiver to tune in this TP and monitor the signal level and signal QUALITY as you adjust your dish elevation and azimuth. Signal QUALITY is the most important, but you can often get a hint that you are coming closer by observing the signal strength level.
The SIGNAL STRENGTH indication tells you a lot about the health and connectivity and set up of your cables and LNBF. If you don't see any reading on the SIGNAL STRENGTH meter, then you will never see a SIGNAL QUALITY reading! If all your connections are good and your LNBF is good and you have your LNBF parameters (type) set properly within your receiver's menus, then you will observe a SIGNAL STRENGTH reading on your meter. If you don't see any indication, then STOP! and check all of these items because something is wrong. The SIGNAL STRENGTH indication is a power/current detection monitor. The internal oscillator of the LNBF will generate some level of electronic "NOISE" and the LNBF will pick up ambient electronic "NOISE" even if it is pointed at the dirt. So, there should always be a reading here. If not, like I stated, something is wrong and the first thing to check is whether or not your cables are connected and connected properly and you have the LNBF TYPE set properly in your receiver menus and if the LNBF POWER is set to ON. Also check whether the switch parameters are set properly if there is a switch installed in line (it is recommended to NOT use any switches at this point to avoid this dilemna).
Now you can continue on in your alignment endeavor. If you monitor the SIGNAL STRENGTH LEVEL indication, you should detect that it will RISE when you actually come close to alignment with a satellite, any satellite, as the electronic background or ambient "NOISE" will increase, but if you don't see the SIGNAL QUALITY level rise too, then you are just picking up a nearby satellite and not the one you were specifically looking for. Keep adjusting until you observe the SIGNAL QUALITY meter rise and increase dramatically. By setting your receiver up to monitor for the 12152 H TP signal, you know that you are looking for only one specific signal from space, so you should not detect any other signal (normally). It is possible for another satellite to be using the same frequency for a TP, but usually not a satellite which is in the same local neighborhood of the satellite that you are trying to dial in.
Once you believe you have found the satellite you were seeking and have optimized the signal quality, then perform a SCAN of the TP and look to see what channels you actually logged in during the SCAN. If they match the channels that LYNGSAT or other sources tell you should be there, then you know you are on the right satellite!
Hope that my information here helps you! Even if you eventually decide to have someone else set your dish up for you, at least you will understand what is going on. I really hope you try to do it all yourself because the exhilaration is very much worth the effort! This really is a HOBBY and not so much for the purpose of watching TV. If you get bit by the "hobby-bug" you will understand this, too!
Good luck and see you soon!
RADAR
Radar, this is a good write-up.
May I add.....Go to dishpointer .com and type in your address, select 97 w/galaxy 19 satellite.
That will give you all the coordinators needed to aim your dish. It will give a google map and will show you which way to aim your dish. Use a compass or a app for a cellphone to help you point the dish.
Adjust the elevation of your dish per data from dishpointer. You will find the elevation marking on the side of your dishmount.
Skew your LNBF according to your data and location.
When adjusting azimuth, elevation and skew for finetuning and for finding a satellite make very very small adjustment. Make a small adjustment and then wait a while so the receiver can respond to the signal, take your time.
May I add.....Go to dishpointer .com and type in your address, select 97 w/galaxy 19 satellite.
That will give you all the coordinators needed to aim your dish. It will give a google map and will show you which way to aim your dish. Use a compass or a app for a cellphone to help you point the dish.
Adjust the elevation of your dish per data from dishpointer. You will find the elevation marking on the side of your dishmount.
Skew your LNBF according to your data and location.
When adjusting azimuth, elevation and skew for finetuning and for finding a satellite make very very small adjustment. Make a small adjustment and then wait a while so the receiver can respond to the signal, take your time.
Thank you to all of you who reply and making some suggestions. I have attached some pictures to see where I am so far. The vendor sent me some of the information that included that D/L Freq should be at 11789 and Sym Rate at 28125. According to my location the elevation should be a 48.1 which is hard to set on the dish, and the Azimuth at 176. I try all these and nothing is showing up.
Looks like it pointing way too high.
To get a "rough" idea, look at someones DirecTV or DishNet dishes.
To get a "rough" idea, look at someones DirecTV or DishNet dishes.
Do you have the menu setting for frequency 11789, symbol rate 28125 and polarity Vertical?
I agree that the dish appears to be aiming too high, but the picture of the scale looks correct.
Are you watching the signal meter on a TV next to the dish as the dish is slowly panned East /West? If no Signal Quality reading s detected, increase or decrease the dish elevation in one degree increments and repeat.
Was this recently purchased from a vendor? If so, what vendor? Too bad they are selling such outdated receiver. Maybe they would credit you for the receiver return so something more modern and easier to install and update could be purchased?
I agree that the dish appears to be aiming too high, but the picture of the scale looks correct.
Are you watching the signal meter on a TV next to the dish as the dish is slowly panned East /West? If no Signal Quality reading s detected, increase or decrease the dish elevation in one degree increments and repeat.
Was this recently purchased from a vendor? If so, what vendor? Too bad they are selling such outdated receiver. Maybe they would credit you for the receiver return so something more modern and easier to install and update could be purchased?
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Looking again at your Pics, the angles may be deceiving.
The one Pic shows gauge at 46, so crank it up to 48.
I have exact same Dish at home, and remember the elevation gauge being accurate.
Also, at about 12:45, the Sun will be at the same direction as the Sat - give you an idea where you should be pointing.
The one Pic shows gauge at 46, so crank it up to 48.
I have exact same Dish at home, and remember the elevation gauge being accurate.
Also, at about 12:45, the Sun will be at the same direction as the Sat - give you an idea where you should be pointing.
Shouldn't the dish elevation be set to compensate for the offset of the LNBF support arm? I am thinking that the dish elevation should be set to something like 48.1° - 22.5° or 48.1° - 24.5° etc. I have a block in my mind but I was thinking the actual elevation of the satellite from Stillwater, OK was 48.1° and that the dish elevation will be less than that. Or am I in error?
RADAR
RADAR
A typical offset dish elevation scale would already account for the offset angle. Have never seen an offset dish with a non calculated offset scale, but there is always a first!
I must be trying to confuse myself with setting up a H-H motorized offset dish. Maybe the dish appears to be aiming high, but then again, Stillwater is 10 degrees further south than I am, so that will make a difference. Lak7 stated that he has the same dish and believes the elevation scale to be correct. Gfb may have it set just a couple degrees too low still. I'd boost it up a couple degrees like Lak said and then get a portable tv and the receiver out there in the yard and watch the quality meter as the dish is panned in the azimuth VERY SLOWLY.
RADAR
RADAR
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