Newbie needs help....

[oleleho]

Another photos showing my dish position as compared to my neighbour's. It seemed my dish it's not as tilted up as their's.

 

[oleleho]

All the signal intensity reading indicates is that power is being sent from your receiver and reaching your LNB. It is affected very little by the signal being received. It does vary slightly as you tune across a signal, but basically you need to watch the quality reading to know how much signal you are receiving. At this point, in this thread, I don't think you have ever received a signal since I believe your signal quality has always been 0~5%.

It never moved from zero, let alone 5%

 

[SatelliteAV]

Here is an estimated measurement from the dish edge to the end of the LNBF arm on a GEOSATpro 90cm. Your dish should be similar.

To determine if the dish is clearing any buildings or trees, sight up the bottom of the LNBF arm. If the arm clears the objects you will have a clear line of sight as the satellite angle is actually about 6 degrees higher than the arm is aimed.

 

[FaT Air]

Signal=Level of signal from the LNB. Quality= Level of signal from the satellite.

Remove the LNB coax from the receiver. Turn it back on and check the Signal level. If still 85%, I suspect the receiver is defective.
Most boxes** show some low value [0 to 20] with no LNB connected. A medium value with LNB connected[30 to 40] and a higher value [70 to 90] when a satellite transponder is locked and also producing a Quality reading.
Reasoning - if the outboard signal meter is receiving signal, the FTA should have blind scanned in something. Scroll thru all transponders in the receivers list, do any show Quality??
**although, I'm not familiar with your particular brand/model

One thing about that type of meter, they seldom 'peak' on the satellite you're looking for. Mainly they just peak on the strongest satellite in the general vicinity of the one you're looking for. (could also be a DSS satellite - 12200 to 12750 or anything in the LNBF's bandwidth)

Parabola calculator 2.0 with some measurements can calculate the focal point location**, gain, and offset. (Been fairly accurate for me) Click on WIFI Calculations for an offset dish.
**distance from the top and bottom lip of the dish.

 

[Conky]

the gain on that squealer meter is set way too high. at that level it will make noise all the time.
tape a piece of string to the bottom of the dish. measure 15 1/8" from the edge of the dish and mark it
tape a piece of string to the top of the dish. measure 33 3/4" from the edge of the dish and mark it
knot the two strings together where the marks meet , pull outwards from the dish and thats where the lnb should be

 

[catamount]

I'll add a few more thoughts, as I use a Viewsat for dish pointing. I didn't check back, but make sure your cable is good. I've spent a half hour or more with signal at 65-80 and never get quality because of bad cable. Has happened probably four or five times.

If you find yourself getting frustrated, try Conky's recommendation. If you have a spare circular lnb, use it to find 91 nimiq.
Personally, I'd just hold it in my hand and go to the left side of the dish (facing it) and move it around till you get quality. This would verify good cable and receiver. You would probably have to break the plastic off to fit your holder.

As for elevation, your pics look like the dish is too low, but hard to tell. Personally, I'd start 15 degrees higher on your elevation scale and work your way down. It only takes a few extra minutes. If you could get your tv and receiver on the patio to watch for quality, it would be easier.

My elevation scale was worn off my dish when I got it. I just loosen everything. With the platinum, I don't have to sit and wait for signal to lock. I can drop 2 degrees per second and if I go by the satellite, it will blip quality for a split second. But, I have to be watching TV closely.

If you go the circular lnb route and find 91 nimiq, you could then try for 101 directv. My viewsat will lock quality on this, but not sure about the 7000.

Catamount

 

[oleleho]

the gain on that squealer meter is set way too high. at that level it will make noise all the time.
tape a piece of string to the bottom of the dish. measure 15 1/8" from the edge of the dish and mark it
tape a piece of string to the top of the dish. measure 33 3/4" from the edge of the dish and mark it
knot the two strings together where the marks meet , pull outwards from the dish and thats where the lnb should be

I took two level position of the meters, the lowest and the highest, just to show I got high "Signal" level, but then I lowered it down.

Thanks for the string tip to apply SatelliteAV's suggestion to measure the LNBF arm.

 

[oleleho]

I'll add a few more thoughts, as I use a Viewsat for dish pointing. I didn't check back, but make sure your cable is good. I've spent a half hour or more with signal at 65-80 and never get quality because of bad cable. Has happened probably four or five times.

If you find yourself getting frustrated, try Conky's recommendation. If you have a spare circular lnb, use it to find 91 nimiq.
Personally, I'd just hold it in my hand and go to the left side of the dish (facing it) and move it around till you get quality. This would verify good cable and receiver. You would probably have to break the plastic off to fit your holder.

As for elevation, your pics look like the dish is too low, but hard to tell. Personally, I'd start 15 degrees higher on your elevation scale and work your way down. It only takes a few extra minutes. If you could get your tv and receiver on the patio to watch for quality, it would be easier.

My elevation scale was worn off my dish when I got it. I just loosen everything. With the platinum, I don't have to sit and wait for signal to lock. I can drop 2 degrees per second and if I go by the satellite, it will blip quality for a split second. But, I have to be watching TV closely.

If you go the circular lnb route and find 91 nimiq, you could then try for 101 directv. My viewsat will lock quality on this, but not sure about the 7000.

Catamount

I've double checked my coax cables and it seemed they were all good. I'll triple check tomorrow. Also I placed my TV and receiver by the window so I can check the screen while I was moving the dish. For that I didn't see any increase of the Q even for a split percent.

Platinum is the version name of your viewsat?

After I measure my LNBF arm and see if I can aim Galaxy 25 (97W) and AMC 4 (101W) as per his SatelliteAV's attachment, then I'll try Conky's suggestion to check with circular LNBF.

 

[catamount]

Yes, Platinum was their first model. It doesn't have blind scan so I just use it to point.
Good luck. The TV and receiver should help make it easier

 

[oleleho]

Eureka! Thanks, Conky, SatelliteAV, and all of you guys. Using the circular LNBF taken from my small dish is really working!
Now, as you"ll see from the photos I'm sending shortly, I got strong signal (Q this time, 61%) from Echo Start satellite (110W). Then I got over 300 channels, all with $ signs. Then I thought I should move my dish horizontally to find the 97W. However, I didn't get any Q, so I move it back to the previous same position.
ctud
Then I browse the satellites, there were some of them with good Q. Then I looked for my target and thank God the target was with good Q. Before executed the searching, the Q was around 21. When it started searching the Q was 61% again, especially at certain TP 12090 (?), like when I was aiming Echo Star.

Now I have another bunch of 300 plus channels mostly with $ signs again. Those without signs belonged to DISH provider.

What I am thinking now is to remove the table and see if I can still find the signal Quality. And maybe change my LNBF. Oh yes, this circular LNBF is exactly at the focal point set by strings recommended by SatelliteAV and FatAir.

BTW, I looked up from the bottom of the arm to the LNBF and found it was above the condo top roof.

Still some works need to be done.

 

[oleleho]

What I am thinking now is to remove the table and see if I can still find the signal Quality. And maybe change my LNBF. Oh yes, this circular LNBF is exactly at the focal point set by strings recommended by SatelliteAV and FatAir.

Sorry it was Conky who suggested using taped strings. But I did what FatAir suggested me to do. The S percentage really dropped when I removed the coax from the receiver. Good Lord the receiver is working

 

[FaT Air]

The dss satellite is way more powerful than 97W so will be harder to 'hit'. Also, the circular LNBF probably won't see 97W at all. (I think you didn't change the L.O. for the circular LNBF, and that's why it says 12090, but the actual frequency is 500 Mhz higher) Small movements of the dish will most likely be required. Think you're getting there.

 

[oleleho]

The dss satellite is way more powerful than 97W so will be harder to 'hit'. Also, the circular LNBF probably won't see 97W at all. (I think you didn't change the L.O. for the circular LNBF, and that's why it says 12090, but the actual frequency is 500 Mhz higher) Small movements of the dish will most likely be required. Think you're getting there.

It did find Galaxy 97W, my friend at TP12090, but then the channels I got were all with $ sign. Does this mean this LNBF is circular as well as linear? If yes I don't need to buy a better linear one than what I have now. The only problem is then how to make those $ signs disappear. BTW I also got some unnamed channels.

 

[johann12]

Glad you got some signal and that you know that the coax and receiver is good.
Like FaT Air said, those DSS signals are stronger.
What I would do is, leave your LNBF somewhat loose aim at the satellite and point your LNBF higher and lower at your dish and see if Q is coming up, this is to find the sweet spot on your dish. Mark that spot on your dish with an pencil for further reference.
It is a good idea to get a new LNBF and see what happen. First when I started I bought a new LNBF and holder at Ebay for less than $15 shipped.
First when I started out I used a dish network dish, I found out that I had to extend the Arm by about 1 1/2 inches and I had to mound the linear LNBF on the holder 2/3 back, also the LNBF had to aim about 2/3 up ( 1/3 down from top edge of dish). I wonder if this is the problem with your current Linear LNBF, maybe you have to extend the arm a little bit to get the focal point right for the linear LNBF.

Remember FTA signals are weaker and to adjust the dish you have to move it very little at a time.

 

[oleleho]

 

[oleleho]

Glad you got some signal and that you know that the coax and receiver is good.
Like FaT Air said, those DSS signals are stronger.
What I would do is, leave your LNBF somewhat loose aim at the satellite and point your LNBF higher and lower at your dish and see if Q is coming up, this is to find the sweet spot on your dish. Mark that spot on your dish with an pencil for further reference.
It is a good idea to get a new LNBF and see what happen. First when I started I bought a new LNBF and holder at Ebay for less than $15 shipped.
First when I started out I used a dish network dish, I found out that I had to extend the Arm by about 1 1/2 inches and I had to mound the linear LNBF on the holder 2/3 back, also the LNBF had to aim about 2/3 up ( 1/3 down from top edge of dish). I wonder if this is the problem with your current Linear LNBF, maybe you have to extend the arm a little bit to get the focal point right for the linear LNBF.

Remember FTA signals are weaker and to adjust the dish you have to move it very little at a time.

You could be right, my friend. See the photo I just uploaded showing the short position of the (Seesat) linear LNBF. Another (circular?) LNBF of mine was exactly in the right position (also see the photo). Should I prepare some extension to place the LNBF rightly then before I buy the new and better one?

 

[SatelliteAV]

The measurements provided are for the center of the hole that the LNBF clamp attaches to, not to the center of the LNBF. This tells me that the arm is not placing the LNBF in the proper position. I beleive that the LNBF is sitting to high and not aimed at the correct sweet spot of the reflector. This will decrease the amount of signal reflected into the LNBF and also change the elevation angle of the dish.Too bad that you were sold a butchered dish!

Please reference this satellite position calculation taken from our website www.GeoSatFinder.com.
http://geosatfinder.com/Reports/Sat...5,213,211,210,200,182,209,181,189,190,247,227

If you were really on the 110w satellite during the previous scan, the dish will need to be panned east 15 degrees and raised 5.5 degrees to receive satellite 97w. Swap the circular LNBF back to the linear and set the rotation (SKEW) +17 (similar to the last set of photos). I would set the transponder frequency to 12152, Polarity to Horizontal and Symbol Rate to 20000. This transponder is unique to 97w andyou will not get a false reading from any other satellite with this correct LNBF SKEW setting.

Also be careful on the advice.... Too many cooks can easily spoil the soup!

 

[johann12]

It did find Galaxy 97W, my friend at TP12090, but then the channels I got were all with $ sign. Does this mean this LNBF is circular as well as linear? If yes I don't need to buy a better linear one than what I have now. The only problem is then how to make those $ signs disappear. BTW I also got some unnamed channels.

TP 12090 is indeed a 97w transponder. And yes it has free and encrypted channels there. I only see 1 encrypted and about 15 free channels on this transponder.
You may have to change your settings inside the menu to '' FTA only '' when scanning for them not to show up, but I would not do this.
I am confused right now, what receiver you are using. I thought that you are using a S9 as this post started out with an S9. Are you still using the S9 at this moment?
$ channels can be deleted, but at this moment I would leave them and I would set the receiver to scan '' all ''.
Some channels are embedded as $ while they are actually free FTA channels, this is a poor-man '' encryption'' to make your receiver think that it is a encrypted channel and when the receiver is set to scan ''FTA only'' it would just skip those channels and would not store it in the channel list. Also some formats that your receiver is not able to handle may show up as encrypted.
I usually scan ''all '' and then delete 1 channel at a time and keep the ones I want. Yes it is time consuming but for me it is well worth it.
Since you have $ channels on 97w try to adjust the dish/LNBF to get a better signal.

 

[SatelliteAV]

The op scanned 300+ $ scrambled channels. He was NOT on 97w. He scanned a subscription satellite with a circular LNBF, but set an incorrect LO for the circular LNBF.

12090 + 500mhz = 12590 (a DBS frequency).

 

[johann12]

The op scanned 300+ $ scrambled channels. He was NOT on 97w. He scanned a subscription satellite with a circular LNBF, but set an incorrect LO for the circular LNBF.

Yes I seen the post about the 300 channels the OP scanned in.

But on post #113 he pointed out that he was on 97w 12090. Maybe I had it wrong in thinking that he actually was on 97w 12090.
But thank you for pointing that out.
We just do not want to get the OP or members confused any more than necessary.