PBS on weak transponders on AMC3?

[cracklincrotch]

I've been having trouble getting a good signal from any transponder that carries PBS on AMC3. Video stutters a lot, and occasionally so does the audio. I have no problems receiving the MTA channels on AMC3 at all. Tweaking my T90 higher, lower, left, right and adjusting skew only make things worse (and on everything else too)

Anything I might try or might this just be a couple of weaker transponders? I've read that PBS is moving to 125W which is supposed to improve things anyway. But not today.

 

[qwert1515]

I know that the HD channel is on a weaker transponder (The SD channels transponders signal seem average), I hope it does not move to 125 because that would mean C-Band only

 

[cracklincrotch]

There's a new sat going there, AMC-21. Will be a Ku sat to be launched in Q3 2008.

My Viewsat Xtreme can't pick up any of the PBS transponders. My DVB card will at least grab them and I can see a picture. MyTheatre reports a Q of 33% on the PBS transponders.

 

[qwert1515]

There's a new sat going there, AMC-21. Will be a Ku sat to be launched in Q3 2008.

Then I won't mind the move as much

How large is the T90? (90 cm?) if so since you are aligning for multiple satellites you might not be able to get enough gain on that satellite.

Have you tried aligning the dish to that satellite only?

 

[lumpkin666]

Then I won't mind the move as much

How large is the T90? (90 cm?) if so since you are aligning for multiple satellites you might not be able to get enough gain on that satellite.

Have you tried aligning the dish to that satellite only?

Actually, its 97cm by 109cm... the "90" in T90 comes from the concept that each lnb on the bar sees the dish as a 90cm dish due to it's shape and reflector positioning - regardless of where the lnb is positioned.

 

[qwert1515]

Thanks Lumpkin666 for that information.

Then the size of the T90 should not be a problem.

 

[BarneyBean]

My Viewsat Extreme picks them up well with a Primestar Dish on an SG 2100 motor.

 

[qwert1515]

Tweaking my T90 higher, lower, left, right and adjusting skew only make things worse (and on everything else too)

It sounds like you have played around with all the variables. Do you have a clear view to the satellite? What is the range of satellites your aiming at?

 

[Mr Tony]

My T90 picks up the PBS stuff just fine on 87...its 6 degrees off my centre LNB

and the HD feed is as strong as the main mux (12180 being the main mux)

 

[cracklincrotch]

The bottom end of my T90 I have 82W for my BEV sub, and at the top end I've got G10R. N2 and G10R work fine and so does everything in between, except AMC3. Which is why I was wondering if there was anything else I could do (short of adding another dish, which would bring quick but painful death courtesy the wife)

I suppose an amp of any sort wouldn't work if I can't pull in a good signal to begin with. There might be 15' of RG6 between the receivers and the LNB, including an 8x1 switch. Removing the switch made not difference to Q either.

 

[updatelee]

Actually, its 97cm by 109cm... the "90" in T90 comes from the concept that each lnb on the bar sees the dish as a 90cm dish due to it's shape and reflector positioning - regardless of where the lnb is positioned.

thats not what I found at all....

try a 30" dish in the center and an 18" on the outer arc.

want mine ? its forsale, sitting on the side of the house collecting snow.

 

[Mr Tony]

thats not what I found at all....

try a 30" dish in the center and an 18" on the outer arc.

no way....My T90 I get the same results on the ends as I do in the middle. I have 72 on one end and 111 on the other.

Old SC dish (37x27) had +10.0 ebno on F2...T90 its +9.9 ebno
On 72 I blast the meter on the NBC feeds thingy....T90 same thing..

I have a 30" motorized and can get 85-90 on CBS News on T6 and on the T90 its maxed out (T6 is my centre LNB on the T90)

 

[Sadie]

Here in Nova Scotia I could only occasionally get PBS on AMC3 with a 30" dish, I had to go to a 40" dish to get a reliable signal, its still not strong but is OK except in heavy rain.

HD is about the same strength as the feeds.

 

[cracklincrotch]

I'm in Dartmouth so maybe that's the trouble. I'm still thinking that it's something I could rectify by adjusting the dish.

I might try setting it so it's my center LNB and seeing if there's any improvement. If there is, I still won't know what to do about it because I'd end up needing another dish to get G10R. My wife isn't going to like that unless I could hide a 40" from her. Anybody think that's possible?

 

[Tron]

My wife isn't going to like that unless I could hide a 40" from her. Anybody think that's possible?

Hmmmm... Well, you could silk screen a background onto the reflector for camoflage, but that won't work if she looks at it too carefully

Or you could pretend ignorance when she asks about it.

"Big dish? What big dish?"

 

[cracklincrotch]

Well, that did determine where I put the T90. I put it at ground level where the vertical siding under my front window is white making it much less conspicuous.

Which brings me to another question I was going to ask. If I were to paint a dish, is there a particular type of paint that should be used? I've thought that I should use a gloss paint to help snow slide off it better. But I've only ever seen flat paint on a dish up until I got my T90.

 

[updatelee]

I wish I could say the same, the performance is far from stellar with mine.

 

[Tron]

You should avoid glossy paint, since this may reflect direct sunlight at the LNBF(S) and cause heat damage.

 

[Anole]

There are two things that haven't been mentioned:

- change out the LNB/cable for that location

- I guess you assembled the T90 correctly, since pretty much everything else works.
UpdateLee: have you found those threads? Could this be your problem? What's your location?

 

[cracklincrotch]

That's a good point. I haven't swapped the LNB, or cable. Though, I used to have that LNB aimed at G25 and it worked fine there, using the same cable. But the signal was better at G25 too. I'm going to swap them anyway, just to make sure.

I do wonder though whether the T90 is aligned correctly. 82 is my lowest LNB that I use on my BEV sub. Now, if I put an LNB at AMC9 using a linear LNB, I might have poor results, pointing to a skew problem on the dish itself. That would explain why G10R works fine at the other end of the dish, and my BEV work fine. BEV being stronger , being DBS I wouldn't be as susceptible to problems.