New to DVB dream and already lost

[avg1joe]

I just finished setting up a computer with a twinhan 1020a, ads tech instant hdtv pci, and installed dvb dream. I previously had a visionsat hooked up to my winegard and sg2100. I disconnected the visionsat and hooked dish and motor up to the computer. This is my first foray into satellite on the pc.

My true south is amc 6. Diseq type none. Port 1-amc 6. What should my LOF settings be? Currently set to Ku-circular. Lo 10750000.

I'm totally lost in the positioner settings box. Not sure what should be checked and which buttons to press. I've messed whith it a bit and have gotten the dish to move to 97w but haven't gotten any signal or channels on either 72w or 97w.

What does the recalculate positions button do under positioner-other? I pushed it without thinking about it. Do I need to reset the motor now?

 

[brentb636]

If I were you, I'd hook up that Visionsat again, and let IT run the motor. Then put your PCI card on a 2d port of a dual output lnbf, and get familiar with the PCI world. LATER, if you must, once you know how to set up all the software stuff, and you're comfortable with DVBdream, THEN try using a motor.
I have two motorized dishes , each driven by a REAL stb , and each with a PCI DVB card hanging onto the lnbf of each. There's not much on Ku band FTA that I can't see. My attempts to drive the motor using DVBdream were frustrating. With no signal indicator, you're left hanging on hope that you're pointed at something. Not a nice place to be hanging.

 

[rapidawn]

With no signal indicator, you're left hanging on hope that you're pointed at something. Not a nice place to be hanging.

YES! for any newbie to satellite like me, it's best to set up a dish with a set-top-box. I also found it very difficult and frustrating setting up the motor using DVBdream. 90% of the time, either nudging or driving the motor East/West would cause the app to completely hang. Also, from what I've read on the DD forum, USALS does not work correctly (have yet to use it on DD.)

Assuming you've already setup the satellites under the "Diseqc" menu and you have your STB (Visionsat) handy with you, here's my quick & dirty motor setup under DVBDream:

*Under the DVBDream "Preferences" -> General, make sure "Tune to last channel at startup" is unchecked.

1) Under "Options", click Positioner.

2) Click the Positioner Options tab, and check the Enable Positioner box.

*If you plan on setting recording timers, definitely uncheck the Confirm Motor Driving box.

3) With the satellite coax cable connected to the DVB Set-Top-Box (Visionsat), using the STB, move the dish to the satellite you wish to save under DVBdream.

4) Turn off the STB, unhook the satellite coax and connect the cable to your computer satellite tuner.

5) "Quick Scan" a strong tp for that satellite and save. Select a channel from that tp.

6) Inside the Positioner dialog box, click the Positioner Console tab, select that satellite under the drop-down menu.

7) Under Motor memory, enter the position number (out of 59), and hit the "Store" button. For your first satellite, use 1. (For the second satellite you wish to store in memory, use 2...and so on...)

8) Next, hit the "Modify" button and then hit the "Send" button. Position saved.





Exit DVBDream, unhook the coax cable and repeat steps #3-#8 for the next satellite position.

using the above, the dish should automatically move to the position stored when changing channels from sat to sat - at least on my simple motorized dish setup. hope this helps

 

[brentb636]

As an alternative to step 4, you could cable your PCI card from the Loop connector of the Visionsat. When you wanted to use the PCI Card, put the Visionsat into Standby mode ( off at the remote control), and the PCI card then will have full use of the motor and lnbf.

Rapidawn,
Good explanation. I wouldn't have the patience to go into that much detail.

 

[rapidawn]

I wouldn't have the patience to go into that much detail.

I'm bored. I recently grabbed a C-band dish, pole mount, actuator for cheap. But they're just laying near my patio for now and have been trying to read up on installation thru different sources, including this forum. I've been procrastinating -- the entire thing seems more complicated than setting up the smaller, less heavy Ku dish. Attempting to set up my 31" dish to track the arc correctly sparked off a yelling match between father and myself. Very frustrating.

As an alternative to step 4, you could cable your PCI card from the Loop connector of the Visionsat. When you wanted to use the PCI Card, put the Visionsat into Standby mode ( off at the remote control), and the PCI card then will have full use of the motor and lnbf.

I did not know you can still control the motor that way while the STB is in standby mode. will try that later when I get the chance...thanks!

 

[avg1joe]

With no signal indicator, you're left hanging on hope that you're pointed at something.

In the positioner box there appeared to be signal and quality bars. Are you saying they don't work or are too insensitive to be useful?

Is there software for pci cards that you can use for aiming or is this normal in the world of pc dvb?

 

[brentb636]

No software that I know of, that can be used for aiming. Normal PCI behavior . It IS possible to run a motor from a PCI card, depending upon software used, but it's not as obvious as using an stb.

 

[avg1joe]

Thanks for the help guys (especially rapidawn). I'm making some progress with the visionsat and the pci together using your advice.

I'm beginning to be able to scan in some channels. My goal was to get all my usual stuff on 123w, add the hd stuff on 125w and the 4:2:2 on 103w. I've been able to scan channels on each of these birds but have yet to pick up the nbc's and the hd pbs's. Is there a trick to this that I'm overlooking? Does it have to do with the modulation settings?

 

[gillham]

Try using thmover from here: Downloads | DVBApps

I find it is able to move the dish reliably, but you have to go through and setup the DiSEqC positions.

 

[starman345]

Is there software for pci cards that you can use for aiming or is this normal in the world of pc dvb?

Search Fast Satfinder, it works pretty well, its not free but I think the trial is for 30 days. As a plus they supply ini files that are up to date even with dvb-s2. There are a few others, search Progfinder, that is another although I don't care for that one.
I'm not sure what you are doing, do you need these programs to align your dish or just for playing around? It seems to me if you were using your stb's before, your dish is already aligned? You could just transfer the position numbers stored in your motor to the dvbdream software?

 

[Sadie]

You could just transfer the position numbers stored in your motor to the dvbdream software?

This is exactly what I do between various programs, in my case I do not have a STB so I use MyTheatre, to find and set up the positioner since it's always worked well for me.
As you say the motor position information is stored in memory in the motor all that is necessary is to tell it to go to a position number and it will return to the satellite position for the corresponding number that has already been stored in it's memory.

 

[avg1joe]

It seems like this computer knows what channels I want the most and has decided not to scan those in.

I can't seem to pick up anything on 103w, I can only lock channels from tp 12179v on 125w and I can't lock retrojams on 123w. I'm able to get solid signals on my target tps with the visionsat though.

 

[rapidawn]

It seems like this computer knows what channels I want the most and has decided not to scan those in.

I can't seem to pick up anything on 103w, I can only lock channels from tp 12179v on 125w and I can't lock retrojams on 123w. I'm able to get solid signals on my target tps with the visionsat though.

Remember, if you are using the STB loop out and your STB is tuned to a channel on V polarity, you'll only be able to tune and scan in channels on V polarity with your PC tuner. Depending on your PC tuner, you can put the STB in standby mode (like brent suggested above) & you wll be able to tune and scan in channels of both V and H polarities on your PC.

but for now, make sure the sat coax is directly connected to your PC and parked on 103w.

Were you able to scan in the NBC channels on your STB?
For NBC (DVB-S) on AMC 1, 103w
11840 H 26670
11880 H 26670
Make sure you either have the Elecard or Etymonix codec installed (4:2:2 video)


**If you have a DVB-S2 card, there are NBC DVB-S2 channels on that sat too -- MPEG4HD, Universal Sports MPEG2 4:2:0