Old guy, new hobby

[Remy]

Hello Folks! My name is Remy and I just joined. Am living in South Florida and recently started cruising the Free-To-Air channels with a 36inch antenna, HH90 STAB, Viewsat Ultralite and Invacom Quad LNB. Don’t quite know what I’m doing and also don’t know my way around these forums but have plenty of time to read and heed. My first goal is to find my southernmost satellite (have found many others) which is Nimiq 4, 82W which will help get my STAB 90 on track but have failed to learn what LNB connectors go to the DiSecQ box. So I connected all four of them and one to the receiver from the DiSecQ box. Maybe that’s not right so I must find which forum deals with that! Fun! I have been in Ham Radio and hold a General License yet this is really a challenge. Hope you are all doing well out there and hope everyone is finding a good way to deal with our present economic and political situations. I am glad to settle down here in a quiet place and sort of fend off from the times. Look forward to learning this new hobby and meeting new buddies.

 

[Ramy]

Isn't Nimiq 4 a sat from Canada? Oh Iceberg where are you?

 

[LER]

Moved to FTA section where you are more likely to get help

 

[Lak7]

...LNB connectors go to the DiSecQ box...

Power off receiver first using the switch on back of receiver.
LNB "L"port to DiSEqC Port 1
LNB "C"port to DiSEqC Port 2
Power up receiver
In the Receiver's Antenna Setup menu find Nimiq @ 82 west
LNB Type: Standard or Single
LNB Freq: 11250
Transponder: 12224
DiSEqC Port: 2
Motor: USALS, enter your correct Latitude and Longitude, make sure they are North and West.

Take receiver and small TV to the Dish for fine tuning

For Linear Sats (non-Nimiq or Echostar)
LNB Type: Standard or Single
LNB Freq: 10750
Transponder: know Hot TP for that particular Sat
DiSEqC Port: 1

 

[delta_charlie]

---cut---My first goal is to find my southernmost satellite (have found many others) which is Nimiq 4, 82W which will help get my STAB 90 on track but have failed to learn what LNB connectors go to the DiSecQ box. So I connected all four of them and one to the receiver from the DiSecQ box. Maybe that’s not right so I must find which forum deals with that! ---cut---

First welcome to the group. Nimiq 4 is a circular bird and I believe the footprint was recently changed so it may be too week to get from south Florida. Looks like you may be trying to set up a motor - please confirm.

You may have to use AMC9 or AMC5 instead. Both are linear and would require hooking up the receiver to one of the L ports on the LNB.

Let us know what you are working on.

DC
---edit-- After rereading the original post he has a STAB 90 motor.
It might be less confusing to simply hook the receiver direct to the motor then just one coax cable from the motor to one of the L ports on the LNB.

 

[Remy]

Thank you Ramy! Yes it's Canadian but I was following the STAB Motor Handbook which says to line the motor with the southernmost satellite. I guess that makes it the top and middle of the arc. Another reply says it might be too weak a footprint or perhaps my connections need to simplfy for it being just linear (one connection to the L on the LNB will go to the number One on the switch only). Right now I have major rain, so will postpone for tomorrow, Many Thanks, -Remy

 

[Lak7]

I forgot about the new Footprint for that Nimiq Sat.
I would go for 83 or 79, both are linear.
To keep it really simple, don't even use the switch, ass it later, if necessary.

 

[Remy]

That sounds better, Thanks! I will go out and try it soonest the major rain and storm stop (tomorrow will be best) and it sounds simpler to go with the one connection. Handbook said to try the southernmost satellite which I am guessing will make for the top and the middle of the arc. I am guessing that it doesn't matter if it is Canadian as long as I can get any kind of signal from it to form my basis for the motor memory. Again, thanks for the advice. -Remy

 

[1ADAM12]

To keep it really simple, don't even use the switch, ass it later, if necessary.

I've never tried that but I'm sure it will work.

 

[Mr Tony]

As noted above, 82 doesnt work in Florida so you'd have to use 83.

There are 2 data transponders that are very strong
12140 V 30000
12160 H 30000

I would use one of those to dial in 83 first.

 

[zamar23]

Hi Remy,

Nimiq 4 would be your best (or easiest) bet, if you can catch it in Florida - that's what the guys are saying. Don't forget to hook the coax to Invacom's C-port for Nimiq 4, and look here at the sat's signal coverage map and min dish size required to receive its signal. Also keep in mind, Nimiq 4 due to mostly 8psk modulated HD content requires a higher end receiver to watch any clear channels like BEV ads, but most of them are encrypted.

 

[Mr Tony]

except that Nimiq2/4 DOESNT reach Florida as a few folks mentioned. It barely gets to the mason-dixon line.

You can go by what a supposed coverage shows you, but I'd rather go with real tests

http://www.satelliteguys.us/canadian-satellite-services/166004-nimiq-4-contour-map-first-take.html
http://www.satelliteguys.us/canadian-satellite-services/150762-nimiq-4-strength.html

 

[Remy]

No wonder I couldn't snag Nimiq4. Thanks for the hot tp's. Will try them in the morning between thunderstorms. I'm guessing that in setting up the motor I will be off one degree for the middle and top of the arc. Hopefully the STAB HH90 will still be able to find the other birds using the USALS mode. Thanks again, Remy

 

[Mr Tony]

with the USALS mode the best thing to do is setup the USALS (lat/long) and have the motor move 1 degree west of your location. Then aim the dish at AMC9. That USALS moving the dish a degree at the beginning will come in handy

 

[Tron]

When you find AMC-9, scanning the transponder at frequency 11735, horizontal polarity, symbol rate 4444 (11735 H 4444) will make you happy. That's RTV, Retro TV... They show classic TV series.

 

[zamar23]

Remy,

Besides aiming at a due south sat, do you know what other techniques then to use to correctly install your dish on the Arc to receive any KU-band sats which broadcast to NA?

 

[turbosat]

Remy once you get the angles set correctly, then you'll need to set up each satellite to use the USALS program, then it will find each one. I found it easier to use the buttons on the motor, to move the dish east and west, when I was first setting up my motor. But, I was using a receiver that already had some channels on each satellite stored in it, so that method might be a bit slower for you (I would work east and west from the first satellite you locate, one at a time, and run a blind scan on each one, to be sure you're aimed at it).
Welcome to the Forum!!!!