newbie looking for help setting up fta

[checkerboardblue]

I am very new to FTA. I just heard about it a couple of weeks ago.I got a system and followed all the directions and I have no channels when I scan.My system consists of a Traxis Debs2500 receiver with DiseQc 1.2 I have a spitfire ku band LNBF My dish is about 3.5 ft in diameter (1 Meter) and I have a micro royal H2H motor with DiseQc function. I live in Saint John New Brunswick Canada I set my dish at 45* and the declination at 28* I'm not sure where true south is but I can use the motor to find a satellite. when I get the best level I can find on a satellite I can't get any Quality. What do I need to do to get the Quality levels up?I really would like to get this system up and running.FTA sounds like it would be a lot of fun and any help would be really appreciated
thanks. checkerboardblue

 

[ken2400]

OK I got tire of writing like a broken record so I changed my avatar. I don't thank anyone uses it so far?
So I will just say look my avatar and get a SF-95 on E-bay for like $10 with S&H. It's worth it.

Good luck with your install.

I am very new to FTA. I just heard about it a couple of weeks ago.I got a system and followed all the directions and I have no channels when I scan.My system consists of a Traxis Debs2500 receiver with DiseQc 1.2 I have a spitfire ku band LNBF My dish is about 3.5 ft in diameter (1 Meter) and I have a micro royal H2H motor with DiseQc function. I live in Saint John New Brunswick Canada I set my dish at 45* and the declination at 28* I'm not sure where true south is but I can use the motor to find a satellite. when I get the best level I can find on a satellite I can't get any Quality. What do I need to do to get the Quality levels up?I really would like to get this system up and running.FTA sounds like it would be a lot of fun and any help would be really appreciated
thanks. checkerboardblue

 

[123tim]

Ken's right. The SF-95 is really worth it.
You're probably picking up a signal from an adjacent satellite if you're not getting any quality.
Others can probably help you a lot better than I can, but keep trying! It took me a long time to hit a quality signal. Once you find it, You'll realize how sensitive your dish is. It helps to use a strong transponder to lock in your signal. Others could better help you with that too.
Might have better luck to try to align without the motor first.
I know that this doesn't help much, but maybe you'll get lucky while you wait for a better answer.
Good Luck!

 

[Katrinasucks]

Latitude 45° 2.000'N Longitude 65° 55.000'W

Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m) El Skew
------------------------------------------------------------
*** Of Particular Interest ***

EchoStar 3 61.5W 173.8 193.2 37.9 -4.4
EchoStar 6 110.0W 233.9 253.2 22.5 34.8
EchoStar 8 110.0W 233.9 253.2 22.5 34.8
EchoStar 7 119.0W 242.0 261.4 16.8 38.6
EchoStar 5 119.0W 242.0 261.4 16.8 38.6
EchoStar 9/Telstar 13 121.0W 243.7 263.1 15.5 39.3
EchoStar 1 148.0W 264.4 283.8 -3.1 44.7
EchoStar 2 148.0W 264.4 283.8 -3.1 44.7
EchoStar 4 157.0W 90.8 110.2 -9.3 45.0

DirecTV 3 81.8W 201.9 221.3 35.8 15.3
DirecTV 2 100.8W 224.6 244.0 27.7 29.7
DirecTV 1R 100.8W 224.6 244.0 27.7 29.7
DirecTV 1 101.0W 224.8 244.2 27.6 29.9
DirecTV 4S 101.2W 225.0 244.4 27.5 30.0
DirecTV 6 109.8W 233.7 253.1 22.6 34.7
DirecTV 5 119.0W 242.0 261.4 16.8 38.6

*** All Satellites 61W - 160W ***

EchoStar 3 61.5W 173.8 193.2 37.9 -4.4
Rainbow 1 61.5W 173.8 193.2 37.9 -4.4
Brasilsat A2 (incl. 5.8 deg) 63.0W 175.9 195.3 38.1 -2.9
Brasilsat B2 65.0W 178.7 198.1 38.1 -0.9
Brasilsat B1 70.0W 185.8 205.2 38.0 4.1
Nahuel 1 71.8W 188.3 207.7 37.8 5.8
AMC 6 72.0W 188.6 208.0 37.8 6.0
Galaxy 12 74.0W 191.4 210.7 37.5 8.0
SBS 6 74.0W 191.4 210.7 37.5 8.0
GOES 12 75.0W 192.7 212.1 37.3 9.0
AMC 5 79.0W 198.2 217.6 36.5 12.7
DirecTV 3 81.8W 201.9 221.3 35.8 15.3
Nimiq 2 82.0W 202.2 221.6 35.7 15.5
Brasilsat B3 84.0W 204.8 224.2 35.1 17.2
XM Roll 85.0W 206.1 225.4 34.8 18.1
AMC 9 85.0W 206.1 225.4 34.8 18.1
AMC 3 87.0W 208.6 228.0 34.1 19.8
Galaxy 9 91.0W 213.5 232.9 32.5 22.9
Galaxy 11 91.0W 213.5 232.9 32.5 22.9
Nimiq 1 91.0W 213.5 232.9 32.5 22.9
Brasilsat B4 92.0W 214.7 234.1 32.0 23.7
Telstar 6 93.0W 215.9 235.3 31.6 24.5
Galaxy 8I (incl. 1.0 deg) 95.0W 218.2 237.6 30.7 25.9
Galaxy 3C 95.0W 218.2 237.6 30.7 25.9
Telstar 5 97.0W 220.4 239.8 29.7 27.3
Inmarsat 2 f2 (incl. 1.7 deg) 98.0W 221.5 240.9 29.2 27.9
Galaxy 4R 99.0W 222.6 242.0 28.7 28.6
DirecTV 2 100.8W 224.6 244.0 27.7 29.7
DirecTV 1R 100.8W 224.6 244.0 27.7 29.7
AMC 4 101.0W 224.8 244.2 27.6 29.9
DirecTV 1 101.0W 224.8 244.2 27.6 29.9
AMSC 1 101.1W 224.9 244.3 27.6 29.9
DirecTV 4S 101.2W 225.0 244.4 27.5 30.0
AMC 1 103.0W 226.9 246.3 26.5 31.1
Solidaridad 1 (incl. 2.8 deg) 103.5W 227.4 246.8 26.3 31.3
AMC 2 105.0W 228.9 248.3 25.4 32.2
G-Star 3 (incl. 11.5 deg) 105.0W 228.9 248.3 25.4 32.2
G-Star 1 (incl. 6.0 deg) 105.0W 228.9 248.3 25.4 32.2
MSAT 1 106.5W 230.4 249.8 24.6 33.0
Anik F1 107.3W 231.2 250.6 24.1 33.4
Anik E1 109.2W 233.1 252.5 23.0 34.4
DirecTV 6 109.8W 233.7 253.1 22.6 34.7
EchoStar 6 110.0W 233.9 253.2 22.5 34.8
EchoStar 8 110.0W 233.9 253.2 22.5 34.8
Anik E2R 111.1W 234.9 254.3 21.8 35.3
Solidaridad 2 113.0W 236.7 256.1 20.6 36.2
Morelos 2 (incl. 4.4 deg) 114.9W 238.4 257.8 19.4 37.0
XM Rock 115.0W 238.5 257.9 19.4 37.0
SatMex 5 116.8W 240.1 259.5 18.2 37.8
Anik E2 118.7W 241.7 261.1 17.0 38.5
DirecTV 5 119.0W 242.0 261.4 16.8 38.6
EchoStar 7 119.0W 242.0 261.4 16.8 38.6
EchoStar 5 119.0W 242.0 261.4 16.8 38.6
EchoStar 9/Telstar 13 121.0W 243.7 263.1 15.5 39.3
Galaxy 10R 123.0W 245.4 264.8 14.1 40.0
Galaxy 5 125.0W 247.0 266.4 12.8 40.6
Galaxy 12 125.0W 247.0 266.4 12.8 40.6
Galaxy 13 127.0W 248.7 268.0 11.5 41.2
Telstar 7 129.0W 250.2 269.6 10.1 41.7
Satcom C3 131.0W 251.8 271.2 8.7 42.2
Galaxy 1R 133.0W 253.3 272.7 7.3 42.6
Satcom C4 135.0W 254.9 274.3 6.0 43.0
GOES 10 135.5W 255.2 274.6 5.6 43.1
AMC 7 137.0W 256.4 275.8 4.6 43.4
AMC 8 139.0W 257.9 277.2 3.2 43.7
Inmarsat 2 f3 (incl. 1.9 deg) 142.0W 260.1 279.4 1.1 44.1
EchoStar 1 148.0W 264.4 283.8 -3.1 44.7
EchoStar 2 148.0W 264.4 283.8 -3.1 44.7
TDRS 9 (incl. 7.4 deg) 151.0W 266.5 285.9 -5.2 44.9
TDRS 10 (incl. 6.2 deg) 151.0W 266.5 285.9 -5.2 44.9
EchoStar 4 157.0W 90.8 110.2 -9.3 45.0

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

=======================
Sat with skew closest to zero is your TS

 

[123tim]

By the way, do you have a good compass? This page might not pertain to you but there is a good explanation of true south about halfway down the page.
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/HH-mount-installation.htm

 

[checkerboardblue]

Thanks.I'll check ebay for what I need then try to lock on to a satellite close to true south.I'm not shure how to read the satellite numbers but I think echostar3 is close.If I'm wrong please let me know,and I really appreciate the quick responses. Thanks again

 

[Katrinasucks]

Thanks.I'll check ebay for what I need then try to lock on to a satellite close to true south.I'm not shure how to read the satellite numbers but I think echostar3 is close.If I'm wrong please let me know,and I really appreciate the quick responses. Thanks again

Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m) El Skew
-----------------------------------------------------
EchoStar 3 61.5W 173.8 193.2 37.9 -4.4
Rainbow 1 61.5W 173.8 193.2 37.9 -4.4
Brasilsat A2 (incl. 5.8 deg) 63.0W 175.9 195.3 38.1 -2.9
Brasilsat B2 65.0W 178.7 198.1 38.1 -0.9
Brasilsat B1 70.0W 185.8 205.2 38.0 4.1
Nahuel 1 71.8W 188.3 207.7 37.8 5.8
AMC 6 72.0W 188.6 208.0 37.8 6.0

That one with the lowest skew number (B2) is your TS.

 

[123tim]

Checkerboardblue,

I am totally unqualified to be giving you this advice. I'm hoping that someone who knows something will feel free to jump in. Take all of this with a grain of salt.
1. I wouldn't try for an Echostar satellite. I don't think that there's anything except maybe NASA that's FTA on Echostar. I also think that they use circular polarization.
2. I think that Brasilsat B2 at 65.0W is your true south satellite. I got this from the list that Katrinasucks sent you. The skew for this satellite is closest to 0 at -0.9 degrees (skew is the number on the right hand column.) Skew is the direction and amount that the LNB is rotated on the arm of your antenna.
Try to familiarize yourself with this website. It's Lyngsat and has a lot of FTa channel information on it: http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/Canada.html
I'd personally try to pick up a single satellite by hand adjustment before using the motor. I'd look for a satellite on Lyngsat that you could pick up in Canada that has the most FTA channels on it. Might be more rewarding than Echostar.
Remember - Any of this information could be incorrect.
Good luck. Hope things go well for you.
Tim

 

[checkerboardblue]

I have a satellite finder on the way and I'll check lyngsat.com to see if I can get Brasilsat B2. I really have a lot to learn about skews and sat locations but you people are really a great help.I'm glad i found this website
Thanks.

 

[Mr Tony]

Brazilsat B2 is a C-band dish so you won't be able to get it with a small dish

Honestly the best one to try for is Amazonas at 61. There is a mux (group of channels) there. That might be the best option. The next closest is 72 (AMC6)

 

[Katrinasucks]

Brazilsat B2 is a C-band dish so you won't be able to get it with a small dish

HA! Thanks Ice... That right there is the difference between knowledge and experience. lol

 

[123tim]

Isn't that the truth!?

 

[Bonanza35]

I have been trying to find the right place to ask a question --- maybe here will work. I have done all the setting up - with Viewsat 2000Platinum, Fortec 36" Dish, and HH90 Motor -- Coolsat Universal LNB. I seem to be receiving a good enough signal -- both per receiver, and SatFinder --- however, "Blind Search" keeps coming back with "Failed" No channels catching. I am a newbie -- yep! So any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[PSB]

What satellite are you going for? What channels are you trying to get?

 

[mkm4]

Brazilsat B2 is a C-band dish so you won't be able to get it with a small dish)

The fact that you can only see it from brasil also makes it kind of pointless.

 

[Bonanza35]

Back again -- Right now -- I would be glad to get ANY satellite or channels -- just to prove to myself that it works. I attempted using the preprogrammed satellites on the Viewsat -- blind search on each -- using the USALS mode. However, I saw a suggestion that it would be better not to use the motor, until it is set and working right. So, will be attempting that, and a couple other settings I have read about --- today.
So far --- still showing blind search fails on all satellites

 

[PSB]

I see you asked the same questions in the Dishnetwork area?

Are you trying to get Dishnetwork FTA?????