Need some troubleshooting tips

[rjc3895]

Ok. I know C-band is more difficult than Ku. My refurbished C-band is not functioning yet. So, I'm looking for some troubleshooting steps on where to begin; for example:

1. Check the post is plumb
2. Make sure dish is point to true south
3. Check elevation and declination
4. Check connections
5. Inspect dish

What should I look for when inspecting the dish? This a big 10 foot dish. It is not typical mesh that I see on many of the 8 ft dishes. It's a solid piece of metal with small holes divided into 12 panels. Will small gaps between the panels cause problems?

Thanks.

By the way. My receiver is a 4DTV 920. This might add to the complexity of my troubleshooting. I reset the receiver to factory defaults, so I need to reprogram it.

 

[iammike]

There's a lot of good info in the FAQ, this link in particular may be helpful though:

http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizepgs/tuningp2.html

From my own experience, I just set up my first BUD last year, I'd say don't worry about true south. That's more important for the KU dishes. It's also better to start with analog channels than digital. On analog, you can be way off and but still get a little bit of picture through all the snow. If possible, take your receiver and TV out to the dish so you can watch the picture as you make adjustments. Also keep in mind that skew plays a big part. With the little dishes, skew pretty much takes care of itself if you 0 it out on true south. With big dishes, that's not the case, you have to dial it in yourself. You can be bang on with azimuth and elevation but get no picture if the skew is wrong. I think Sadoun has a pretty good calculator for determining azimuth, elevation and skew from your zip code.

Mike

 

[WyrTwister]

Ok. I know C-band is more difficult than Ku. My refurbished C-band is not functioning yet. So, I'm looking for some troubleshooting steps on where to begin; for example:

1. Check the post is plumb
2. Make sure dish is point to true south
3. Check elevation and declination
4. Check connections
5. Inspect dish

What should I look for when inspecting the dish? This a big 10 foot dish. It is not typical mesh that I see on many of the 8 ft dishes. It's a solid piece of metal with small holes divided into 12 panels. Will small gaps between the panels cause problems?

Thanks.

By the way. My receiver is a 4DTV 920. This might add to the complexity of my troubleshooting. I reset the receiver to factory defaults, so I need to reprogram it.

Does it have a LNB w/ a polorotor ? If so , is the polorotor working ? Check the coax connector where it screws into the LNB & see if you have DV voltage ?

If you have a LNBF , them you eill have to set the receiver to use 13 - 18 VDC polarity switching .

I used a level and a battery charger to bump the dish accuator / motor untill I got the mount level . I set my analog receiver to my due south sat , which luckily is only about 1 degree from due south . Then , with someone watching the TV , rotated the dish / mount assembly ( by hand ) east & west to find picture & then tweek it .

The receiver has auto peak , hit it then re-tweeked the dish / mount . Repeated this process until I had that sat as good as it was going to get .

Then started hunting analog channels on sats to the east and to the west , tweeking as I went .

I was lucky , my scrounged dish was OK for elevation and declination .

If yours in not OK , get an angle finder / inclinometer at harbor freight -> ~ $ 7.00 .

Go back to the position with the mount being level ( or perpendicular , depending where you put the level ) .

Look up your polar elevation on the internet . It will be very close to your latatude . Set the polar angle with the angle finder . This is where the dish piviots , if I remember correctly ?

Now look up your total or dish angle on the internet . Put the angle finder on the part of the mount that attaches directly to the dish . In my case it should be around 50 degrees , for due south . Adjust the declination untill you get there .

Once you get picture , tweek the polar elevation as necessary . If set correctly for declination , I do not think you will have to mess with that angle ?

Best of luck ,

Wyr

 

[rjc3895]

Thanks for the advice. Tonight I pulled in a couple of analog channels. So far so good. I have a lot of sparkles. So I know I need to fine tune it a bit, but it's a start.

 

[WyrTwister]

Thanks for the advice. Tonight I pulled in a couple of analog channels. So far so good. I have a lot of sparkles. So I know I need to fine tune it a bit, but it's a start.

Glad to hear you got picture .

Yes , you need to do some tweeking . I think you said you have a 10' dish ? When you get it set up , you should get fantastic analog on every analog channel that you can receive ( if you have no trees , etc. in the way ) except for Dr. Scott . His tapes are somewhat worn .

Check and make sure all your coax and coax connectors are good .

Wyr