Newbie to FTA, please help!!! (Diseqc questions)

[Cyberkidd]

I work for a university television station that has two FTA dishes on the roof. A 10 ft. Mesh Dish and a 6 ft. Sadoun SD180PM. We JUST installed the 6 ft recently and can track the arch very nicely. We are using a GBOX V3000 to control it and a Traxis DBS3800 to receive the signal. Can anyone assist me on how to get the Traxis to move the GBOX? I am new to Diseqc. Both of these items are 1.2 compatible. Also what does the 22k switch mean?

Thank you so much!
Mike Adams

 

[SATisfied]

I work for a university television station that has two FTA dishes on the roof. A 10 ft. Mesh Dish and a 6 ft. Sadoun SD180PM. We JUST installed the 6 ft recently and can track the arch very nicely. We are using a GBOX V3000 to control it and a Traxis DBS3800 to receive the signal. Can anyone assist me on how to get the Traxis to move the GBOX? I am new to Diseqc. Both of these items are 1.2 compatible. Also what does the 22k switch mean?

Thank you so much!
Mike Adams

I can't help you with the GBox, but the 22k switch is only used with universal lnb's. If you are using a linear lnb, then you won't need to activate the 22khz switch.

 

[guacharaca]

I also have no answer to your first question but I suspect that you need the Gbox because your receiver does not have the ability to control the motor on your dish. Getting your receiver to communicate with the Gbox is better answered by a Gbox owner.

22khz switch is just a two port switch similar to a diseqc switch except it uses a 22khz tone to switch between the ports. It is popular for universal lnbs on 118.9W.
It can also be used to switch linear or circular lnbs and can be combined with diseqc switches for multiple applications with multiple lnbs. I have used them to combine two 4-port diseqc switches allowing me to have 8 birds connected to the receiver. I suppose one could connect two 8 port diseqc switches with a 22khz switch allowing one to receive 16 birds on one receiver.
The Ecoda, a popular brand of 22khz switch, can actually be used in-line before or after a diseqc switch while others will only function on one side of the diseqc switch. Some lnbs have a 22khz switch built into them.

 

[Mr Tony]

I work for a university television station that has two FTA dishes on the roof. A 10 ft. Mesh Dish and a 6 ft. Sadoun SD180PM. We JUST installed the 6 ft recently and can track the arch very nicely. We are using a GBOX V3000 to control it and a Traxis DBS3800 to receive the signal. Can anyone assist me on how to get the Traxis to move the GBOX? I am new to Diseqc. Both of these items are 1.2 compatible. Also what does the 22k switch mean?

Thank you so much!
Mike Adams

I'm confused. How is the dish being moved right now?

The G-Box allows you to use the Traxis to move the dish but the dish still needs an actuator to move the actual dish

 

[Cyberkidd]

I have a GeoSatPro CK1. I have been looking for any info on this. What type of LNB is this? Universal?

 

[Cyberkidd]

The dish does have an actuator, but I didn't know if anyone has ever been able to get the Traxis to send a signal to a Gbox to move the Dish as you change the channels from one bird to another.

 

[Mr Tony]

The Geosat C/K1 is a combination C-Band/KU Band LNB
Its standard (5150 for C-Band 10750 for KU)

 

[Mr Tony]

The dish does have an actuator, but I didn't know if anyone has ever been able to get the Traxis to send a signal to a Gbox to move the Dish as you change the channels from one bird to another.

Ok. You have to set up the traxis to move the dish. I dont have one to know the exact menu but you would set up each satellite you want to receive on the Traxis via Diseqc 1.2
The G-Box is what allows the actuator to move the dish

 

[Cyberkidd]

Thanks for the info! The LNB settings helped, I just am still learning about satellites. Just when you think you know something...you don't. I have coax running from both of the ports on the LNB and they are connected to a 2 x 1 Diseqc switch. (ANTSWT1) I have the output going directly to my Gbox and then to my receiver. I am having a problem with being able to do a blind search on both KU and C band at the same time.

 

[Cyberkidd]

also, what should my LNB be skewed to? (do I need to pick a bird to skew to, or is there a universal skewing setting to use?)

 

[Mr Tony]

skew depends on two things...if the dish is fixed or motorized and if fixed where you are in the world and what satellite you want to get

If motorized, skew would be zero for your true south satellite (same sat as your longitude)
If fixed, you can check here at thelist
Satellite Angle Calculator - SatelliteGuys.US

 

[Cyberkidd]

yeah our dish is motorized. but if the skew needs to be changed depending on the bird that we want to move it to, then I need to find out which position for it to be in. I have heard skew being referenced in measurements of time (3 o clock for the arrow to be turned towards the imaginary "3". Am I making this more difficult than I need to?

 

[Jim S.]

Yes you are. Set the skew at 0. The motor tilts the dish.

 

[Cyberkidd]

ok going to check that now. Thank you.

 

[Cyberkidd]

ok. zero is where the mount arrow and lnb arrow meet?

 

[Jim S.]

Yes.

 

[Cyberkidd]

Ok. Jim, I installed the dish and I just "met" the two arrows. I came down the check the reception and i had less than I had before. But I think I mounted the LNB incorrectly. Here is the bundle we got from Sadoun ( MKit-3 FTA- C/KU Choice Set ). I may take some pictures in case I am doing something wrong.

 

[Jim S.]

I never installed a C-band dish, nor a prime-focus dish. But I'm assuming that as long as it's on a polar mount, the skew will be correct for any satellite you point at (except AMC-1-Ku.) Someone else will have to help you as to verifying that you have the correct focal depth.

 

[Cyberkidd]

here are some pics of the install. I just wanted to give you guys a feel for what I am working with and to see if I made any mistakes in installation.

 

[Tron]

Same dish (although on a polar mount) as my PortaBUD on 87W ... The placement of the LNB legs is the same as on mine, but I don't have the same LNBF so I can't comment on that. I use the Eagle Aspen B1SAT stacked C-Band only LNBF on mine.