Please Help with LNB / Feed Assembly / DMX241 or Original? - On the roof now...

[FaT Air]

Taking off the actuator, and letting it "flop over" is to make it "In reach"to adjust the feed. Only need to do if the feed needs adjusting and that's the only way to get the feed "within reach". If you can, Put the jack on the east side, fully retracted, with the dish as low as possible, adjusting the mounting of the actuator to the pole/mount side so it can still easily move the dish up. Maybe it will be within reach without unbolting it. ( this is one of the reasons to put the dish at ground level if at all possible, easier to work on) A small platform is a good idea, if possible. The first thing to check is the depth with the string. and do the numbers, and calculate the focal length. Then, as long as you have the string handy, is to to string it up down and left to right at the same time to see if the strings touch at the center. If they don't touch, or are more than a 1/4 inch from touching, Kinda bad news. That's whats called a "warped dish" and needs to be addressed.
Tell the wife that there is a "learning curve" for a BUD. just as there's the same "learning curve" to align a motorized Ku. It's the same result, ( a whole lotta channels to enjoy)but a whole new set of terminology and descriptions involved. Don't get too impatient and loose faith. You'll get it.

 

[signal.quest]

Here are the pics of the actuator arm and mount. I also included a pic of the LNB from the other side.

 

[FaT Air]

How did the measurements with the string come out??
On the actuator, cant tell how much its extended because of the accordion boot. Looks to be a big tube super, most were 24 around here. The length of the outer tube will give you a clue to it being a 24 or 18 inch actuator. The boot should be removed anyway, all the tears in it just holds in water and dirt. Would be better to just leave it off and shoot it with some spray grease.

 

[signal.quest]

I have not a chance to do the string tests, yet. My traxis 3500 remote stopped working. So I can't do blindscans w/o getting to the menu. I have now started using my Linux box and PROF 7500 to see what it scans. Maybe my traxis was the problem the whole time. Still trying to see what the PROF is able to tune...

 

[signal.quest]

Can you please tell me what transponder on 72W is hottest? And it's details please.

 

[FaT Air]

3935 V 2623 - 3995 V 2220 are both active. First one may be S2, second is DVB-S according to lyngsat. I cant tell anymore 'cause of a lack of info displayed on an Openbox.

 

[signal.quest]

Actuator is flipped to the east side and now I can adjust the LNB w/o killing myself! I might have a western limit problem - too early to tell. I cannot reach both sides of the dish to do the string test. I can however adjust LNB and play with the FD now. I wish I could get my remote working on the Traxis. I don't know if it is a bad remote or the receiver...

 

[FaT Air]

How's it working with the Linux box and PROF 7500?

 

[signal.quest]

Not too good... The prof doesn't power my cheap meter. So, the only way to power the meter is my looping it through the Traxis. The traxis is stuck on one polarity - not sure which one.... I spent the past 3 hours returning the rented scaffolding. I am going to have to get another cheap receiver to tune... I am pretty disappointed.

 

[signal.quest]

I'm back at it. I have some vacation to use so I have a chance to get my BUD working... I got a my Traxis working and am beginning to see what I can scan in. I don't know if I am alligned on the ARC, yet or if everything else is working. I did scan in one TP on 55.5W at 3676 V (named EADCON). In process of seeing what else I can get...

 

[signal.quest]

Scanned in another channel - TVBB 1 3631 V - I think is at 61W. I don't know if it is normal to only get 1 TP on each of these SATs...

 

[signal.quest]

Not sure what SAT, but a bunch of ION and QUBO stations. 4020 V...

 

[signal.quest]

I could not scan in anything else on my sweep from EAST to WEST... My Channel Master meter seemed like it was picking up sats, but blind scanning returned nothing. Because of hearing the meter during the sweep I think I am on the ARC, I think something else is BIG is wrong. Any ideas? Thanks...

 

[FaT Air]

There's a lot more than one TP on 55.5W or 61W. Getting something, but not all, east and west (ION and QUBO is on 103W) of your location, I wonder if you can see RBTI on 72W(close to your true south) 3995 V 2220, Scanned in as CARIBBEAN NETWORK.
If the meter is swinging the needle and beeping when it goes across a sat, what else is there, other than a bad piece of coax or the receiver?
BTW: did you tried adjusting the skew when you're over at 55.5W?

 

[signal.quest]

Here are some things I can try: 1 - Re-crimp the receiver side of the coax (the LNB side is factory), 2 - Replace the entire coax from the LNB to the receiver, 3 - Adjust the focal depth, 4 - adjust the skew (can't reach LNB while pointed), 5 - replace DMX w/ old Chaparral corotor and cal amp (requires using an old analog box for polarization). What do you think? Go in that order?

 

[FaT Air]

Have you tried without the meter inline? If I remember, with my analog meter is inline, I get Q's of around 50, take it out and it's 70+(Pansat3500). Another odd thing is that all you've been able to get are H pol, but that may be just luck, the strongest tp's that you've been able to hit.
STEP #1&2- I'd at least check/replace the coax connector at the receiver. It's odd that the meter is responding but the receiver doesn't see much. (unless, the meter sucks out the signal, as above, or the receiver is deaf)
STEP #3-Focal length- String and measurements/calculations is the only way to know how close you are. But if the dish was in service as it's assembled now, I would think the focal length is close, close enough to get more than what you've been able to get. And if you do string it to check focal length, might as well string another 90 degrees to the first to check for warp.
Step#4- Skew- To check the skew, you're going to have to take a reading, move dish down far enough to adjust, then move it back and compare readings. Basically the same adjusting the focal length.
If the feed were bad, I'd think the meter wouldn't show responses, or just very small responses.
I'd love to put my Pansat 3500 on it, to (dis)prove it's the receiver. I still have reservations. You did do a bud alignment, elevation on southern sat. then azimuth as you move away from south?? It is possible to do without a receiver.(C band anyway) I just did one with nothing but an analog meter, later, we checked Q on the southern sat and 55.5w, Each had Q in the 70's. Got too late to check any further myself. But they did tell me later that g17 doesn't fade out when it snows anymore.

 

[signal.quest]

I don't know if I am alligned properly. I assumed that I was because I was hearing the meter as I swept EAST to WEST. I am at 74W, should I use 72W or 75W as my true south? Should I use the exact Apex to allign to my south or a guesstimate of a little off to the east for 75 or west for 72? Would not being aligned on the arc cause me to get just one Vert TP on 55.5, 61 and 103?

 

[FaT Air]

A guesstimate is good, fudging a little east or west is ok. set elevation. Either 72 or 75 should be close enough. If you use just the meter, who knows what sat its detecting? Doesn't really matter. Then move the dish with the actuator east or west, and adjust the azimuth only as you move away from center. Then after getting to the end , go back and recheck elevation at the center. shouldn't change much at all. If there's a big change, the declination is off.(Usually)

 

[signal.quest]

I just went back to the ION channels on 103 and visually inspected the dish. It appears to be just west of the APEX - so obviously I was not near 72 or 75 on the APEX - I need to go back up and adjust for 75. I think if I keep the actuator where it is and try to tune in 75 it might be good.

 

[FaT Air]

Don't know about the flopping down. That's what I let mine do to lower the feed so I can reach it without a ladder. The biggest difference in mounts is the actuator attach point to the pole or mount. Mine is on pole, your's is on the mount. No difference in operation, Is your true south 90 degrees away from the roof? can see that would make things tricky. I think once you get it tracking properly, one could put it on the eastern or westernmost sat, note the Q, then spin the mount on the pole(azimuth) to place the feed over the roof, do required adjustments, then spin it back around to the same sat and peak Q. Should then be back on the arc. I used this technique on a few BITD.