No signal quality

[g9s8r]

First off, let me apologize for posting such a simple question. I did a search and really got tired of trying to read through post after post.

So, quick rundown. I have an older Humax VA-3210 receiver and the dish I have no idea the manufacturer. Worked fine. The arm that protrudes from the back of the dish that holds the LNB rusted and broke off. Replaced the whole dish with a winegard 31" (76cm) dish. I was told that it is the correct dish for my setup. I am reusing the old LNB though.

I get a get signal level (roughly 70) but a big 0 for quality. I would assume the dish has nothing to do with being incompatible. I know NOTHING about satellites. So, I am assuming that either the LNB has gone bad or, it has something to do with not having it lined up properly.

How does it pick up a strong signal but give you zero quality. I dont understand these things but... oh well... as long as I find a resolution for my G-ma I am fine with not knowing.

Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.
---Joe

 

[brentb636]

The signal strength only shows that you are electrically connected to your lnb. You could put the lnb in a trash can, connected to the receiver, and you'd get signal strength. You are probably not aimed correctly.
The Quality number is directly proportional to the reception of the particular transponder frequency on your setup screen. To adjust the aim of your dish, make sure you have an ACTIVE transponder, or you'll never get quality. How about some more details about what you are trying to get ?



Brent

 

[g9s8r]

The signal strength only shows that you are electrically connected to your lnb. You could put the lnb in a trash can, connected to the receiver, and you'd get signal strength. You are probably not aimed correctly.
The Quality number is directly proportional to the reception of the particular transponder frequency on your setup screen. To adjust the aim of your dish, make sure you have an ACTIVE transponder, or you'll never get quality. How about some more details about what you are trying to get ?



Brent

Thank you for your response Brent. Well, my grandmother was getting some FTA Korean channels. I believe she received about 3-5 channels before the dish eroded. Basically, I just bought a new dish and put it where the old one was. Used the same base as well. I guess I will just have to have someone fine tune it or mess with it some more.

The only thing I know of her setup is that the receiver is Humax VA-3210. She has a KISB card in it??

As you can see, I am not a satellite person. My grandmother is 86 years old and doesn't have the money or knowledge of the English language to take care of this herself. My mother isn't welt kept and has no recollection as to where or who she originally purchased her package from and had it installed, other than it was someplace out of San Jose, CA.

Any recommendations about tuning?? I assumed that once assembled, its just a matter of longitude and latitude. (which by the way, I have no way of measuring that. Without electronic devices or purchasing anything, is there a way??) There is no way the dish itself is to blame, right? The dish is just basically the deflector right. Just a matter of size and correct LNB for the receiver right? So, since the LNB and the receiver are the same as when it was working....it can only be tuning. Correct??

 

[brentb636]

Thank you for your response Brent. Well, my grandmother was getting some FTA Korean channels. I believe she received about 3-5 channels before the dish eroded. Basically, I just bought a new dish and put it where the old one was. Used the same base as well. I guess I will just have to have someone fine tune it or mess with it some more.

The only thing I know of her setup is that the receiver is Humax VA-3210. She has a KISB card in it??

As you can see, I am not a satellite person. My grandmother is 86 years old and doesn't have the money or knowledge of the English language to take care of this herself. My mother isn't welt kept and has no recollection as to where or who she originally purchased her package from and had it installed, other than it was someplace out of San Jose, CA.

Any recommendations about tuning?? I assumed that once assembled, its just a matter of longitude and latitude. (which by the way, I have no way of measuring that. Without electronic devices or purchasing anything, is there a way??) There is no way the dish itself is to blame, right? The dish is just basically the deflector right. Just a matter of size and correct LNB for the receiver right? So, since the LNB and the receiver are the same as when it was working....it can only be tuning. Correct??

I believe you ARE correct. It's a aiming thing , hopefully, at this point. The satellite is Galaxy 25, 97W . Here's a thread about someone else trying to get the channels.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/81185-korean-programming.html .

If you can give us your latitude and longitude, we may be able to help you set this dish up yourself. A sat calculator can supply the dish elevation angle, and azimuth settings.


Brent

 

[concord]

Did you mark the location of the original dish using a compass or at least mark the pole? Record the elevation of the original dish?

If not, then there appears to be two satellites with Korean programming, G25 (KISB) [97w] and AMC4 (TanTv) [101w], see Galaxy 25 at 97.0°W - LyngSat (11999 H
tp 16), AMC 4 at 101.0°W - LyngSat (11860 H tp 8), respectively. Do you know which channels she watches? Once you know which sat, use your zip code to help point the dish (GeoSatFinder - Satellite Finder Calculator - Satellite AV). Don't forget to skew the LNB accordingly.

Hope this gets you closer.

 

[g9s8r]

Thank you Concord.
I unfortunately did not. The dish was falling apart and I know that it may have gotten me close but wasn't correct. I do remember having to adjust it about 2 previous times because of a bad signal (shotty original installation). So, once the dish arm fell off the dish, I didn't even bother to think that I would have problems putting a new one up. (stupid me).

Well, I shall research the information you have provided me with and hopefully get her back up and running. By your information I see that KISB is actually something I can relate to as far as name. Thank you thank you.

 

[Tron]

Adjustments of azimuth (east to west) and elevation (up and down) are VERY precise on satellite dishes, so I would assume that your aim is probably off. You will want to make VERY slow movements left and right, up and down when peaking the dish. 1/8 of an inch makes the difference between no quality and a high quality signal. Also, as previously mentioned, remember to set your skew (twist the LNBF in the holder) to where it is supposed to be given your location.

 

[g9s8r]

OK. I give up. I purchased a new LNB from Sadoun, I think it was their universal KU LNB receiver, to go with the new 31" Winegard dish. No matter what I did, I could never get signal quality. I was thinking that it was a matter of tuning. I just paid a professional installer to come out and align my dish. Apparantly, his meter reads full strength straight off the dish to the box. So, that would leave me assuming that perhaps the STB isnt any good. Its an old HUMAX VA-3210. Would versions have anything to do with it not being able to decipher the signal? The installer said that perhaps that would be the case but suggested I look into another STB.

Any recommendations as to getting a receiver that will pick up Korean channels??? As far as I have been reading, its either KISB or TAN. What I have so far is a 31" winegard stationary dish with a sadoun universal KU LNB. So, something that can utilize what I have already.

Any help is appreciated since I have no idea what to do. Thanks.

 

[turbosat]

Right here's where Mr Sadoun should pop in and tell us all what kind of receiver handles that kind of card, hehe. Or you can try sending a PM to him maybe? I bet he knows!!
edit : By the way=do you know if your installer has you aligned to the correct satellite??

 

[Sadoun]

Hey g9s8r

If your installer got a positive id on the satellite using your dish and new UNIVERSAL LNBF, then it could be a matter of setting the correct parameters in the receiver.

In the antenna setup menu make sure your LNBF type is set to Universal or 9750/10600 (22KH ON )

Good luck

 

[rv1pop]

I hope your installer knew what he was doing... But if he did not have a test box (STB) with him then anything could happen. What area do you live in? It is possible there is some FTA'er close by that has an STB they could bring over to verify. If he was a typical Dish Network or Direct TV network installer - you probably got nothing! Those of us in the hobby side like to help, and there are a few here that finding the satellite and getting it tuned in is more important than watching TV. (You KNOW who YOU are!) I hope we can help you.
POP

 

[g9s8r]

Thanks POP. Well, I found him through FTAInstall.com. I really don't think there are too many people here that know FTA. I might even think you are right when you say that he may not be the best installer for the job. He definitely knew his stuff but...no...he did not have an STB to check. He just had his meter and zeroed in the dish to what I had told him. I dunno. I think I should just get a new STB box and start fresh. Any recommendations as to who I should go through? Should I start with Sadoun?

 

[Tron]

It just occurred to me that anyone who installs VSAT dishes locally (the kind you see on gas stations) should have the knowledge and equipment to install a FTA dish. They might charge a bit too much, though, considering they are commercial installers.

 

[Anole]

This is a Korean subscription channel and not FTA, from what you said . . . ?
@ 11998 H 20000 ?

The forum's search engine is down right now, but give a search in the FTA department by posts from SatelliteAV concerning the Visionsat IV-200 and subscription card capability.
I'd swear he recently discussed something like that . . .

edit: I guess I must have been thinking about this thread and TAN TV.

 

[g9s8r]

This is a Korean subscription channel and not FTA, from what you said . . . ?
@ 11998 H 20000 ?

The forum's search engine is down right now, but give a search in the FTA department by posts from SatelliteAV concerning the Visionsat IV-200 and subscription card capability.
I'd swear he recently discussed something like that . . .

edit: I guess I must have been thinking about this thread and TAN TV.

Hmmm... I would believe that you are correct. I have done quite a bit of reading and from what was said is that sometimes you can pick things up with the FTA and sometimes not. I very well may need to call the company and subscribe. However, I really didn't want to subscribe to a service I can not get. I am very clueless as to satellites and how they work (STB's also).

I just assumed that even if I have to subscribe, I would still be able to get signal, I just wouldn't be able to get service. I was assuming that my problem had something to do with the dish and lnb not set up properly.

I think I might actually be learning something. lol. :up