Problem with Captiveworks CW-600S

[Mansour]

Problem with Captiveworkds CW-600S

Hi:

I have Captiveworks cw-600S with universal LNB and would like to receive Telestar 5. On the screen that shows both strength and quality (using green key on the remote), the signal strength is about 68 to 70 but no matter what direction I point the quality is 0 - I have a good view and tried the Azimuth 196 degrees SW and elevation of 40 degrees for Chicago, IL. When I click on the blue key to scan, no channels come. The other thing is that when I use the multi satellite scanning, there are some details for each satellite that I do not know what they should be for 33 Ku-Telestar 5 (97W) before start of scanning. I would appreciate if someone could let me know of the details for the 33 Ku-Telestar 5 (97W) and if something I should do for the signal quality to exist. One more thing, can this be the problem with the time-zone? I am at GMT-6:00 but when I set it, the clock is wrong as the original time for the GMT is not correct. Any help will be highly appreciated. One more question, is about the LNB. As I said I have universal LNB by fortecstar. When it is installed, should the cable connector be vertical or horizontal or in between? I could not figure it out from any manuals I have.

Thank you.

Best regards,
Mansour

 

[Mr Tony]

Welcome
I split this off from the review

The LNB should be down (so the connector points down)
Make sure you are on a live transponder. Use one of these two
12152 freq
H polarity
20000 symbol rate

12177
V
23000

Both of those are strong. If you are using a Universal, make sure on the menu setup, the LNB is set for Universal with a LO frequency of 9750-10600

 

[Mr Tony]

your numbers are right(elevation and azimuth) ...when you move the dish...go S L O W
1/4" can make a HUGE difference

 

[Tron]

One more question, is about the LNB. As I said I have universal LNB by fortecstar. When it is installed, should the cable connector be vertical or horizontal or in between? I could not figure it out from any manuals I have.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Mansour

Assuming you do NOT have a motor installed (the dish is just fixed on a pole), you may have to skew your LNB right or left of straight up and down to receive a signal. Your F-connector will be generally facing down, but you may need to turn the LNB a bit right or left. That is what 'skew' is.

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/LNBF-Installation.htm

From Chicago, as shown here:

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/Satellite-Heading-Calculator.htm

Your skew would be a positive 10 degrees for 97w, so rotate your LNB 10 degrees counter-clockwise from straight up and down.

 

[Mansour]

Hi:

Thank you all for you replies. I am going to try them this weekend. I went throught the menu for multiple satellite search again and found the following entries about the Telestar 5. Please let me know if they are correct or what they should be:

LNB Frequency = Universal
DISEqC type = None
LNB Power = 13V/18V
22khz = Auto
0/12V = Off
Transponder = 12152/H or 12177 (this is mentioned by Iceberg)
Network Search = off

As you see, there is no symbol rate to fill !?

Thank you again in advance.

Best regards,
Mansour

 

[Mr Tony]

in the setup, you will see a transponder list at the bottom. Scroll down there and hilite the first one. It will allow you change the info. I'm not near mine right now so I dont remember which button to change it (green, red, blue, yellow)

Here is the info
12152 freq
H polarity
20000 symbol rate

12177
V
23000

 

[Mansour]

Hi All:

Thank you for all the help:up . After lots of trials and errors, I finally found a spot that gave me some quality fluctuating between 0 and 20, but still not good enough to get any channels through scanning. I have found a better place that I am going to try this weekend - it should have much better line of sight. It is further away from the house and wonder if the attenuation over the wire (60') might me a problem!? The main problem I have is that the south side of my place is an array of like 50 years old trees so I have to go further away from the towards the north or have a tower for the antenna.

Here are some other questions I have based on some setups that I do not know what I need to have:

- Is there any threshold for the signal quality that I should have to be able to get any channels? Can this threshold be lowered?

- What is the USALS and do I need to set it up? It asks for the following:

Longitude Angle
Longitude Direction
Latitude Angle
Latitude Direction
Rotating Speed

What is Update via Saco Dx and do I need to set it up? It asks for the following:

Band currently set as All
Source currently set as All
Channel Type currently set as All
Only Transponder currently set as N
Del Exist Data currently set as Yes

What is OSD and do I need to set it up? It asks for the following:

OSD Transparency currently set as 8
TXT Transparency currently set as 8
Need Help currently set as Yes
Time Out currently set as 3 sec
TV System currently set as NTSC


What is System and do I need to set it up? It asks for the following:

Menu Language currently set as English
Audio 1 Language currently set as English
Audio 2 Language currently set as English
Change Channel Option currently set as 52
Multi Plc Loop currently set as On
Epg Style currently set as Normal


Thank you again for all the great help.
Best regards,
Mansour

 

[Mr Tony]

USALS is used for a motor. You aim the dish at your true south and put in your info (latitude & longitude) and when you switch satellites the dish moves automatically to the new satellite you have set up. I tried it and couldn’t get it to work right on my Captiveworks. I used the auto find and 1.2 settings (manual tune)

Update via satcodx don’t need. Basically you can update the transponder list via satcodx (which is like Lyngsat).

OSD is the on screen display. Just some settings for how bright the on screen display is (if you hit info or something) and for how long

System looks fine. Unless you speak a different language the menus would be in English. If you switch to Espanol, Francais, etc the menus would be in those languages

 

[Mansour]

Hi IceBerg:

Thanks:clap . So it seems that I should be set for the weekend. Do you have any thoughts on the Quality threshold or long cable between LNB and the receiver and if it is ok to be around 50’? By the way, is there any point getting a larger satellite dish or is there any signal booster I can use?

Best regards,
Mansour

 

[Mr Tony]

50 feet is fine. Mine runs about 100 feet form the receiver to the motor with no issues

boosters actually hurt the signal.

A larger dish helps bring in the weaker signals. I've used a 30" for about 2 years now with minimal issues

 

[Mansour]

Hi Iceberg and All:

Thanks for all the help :clap . It worked :up :up :up . I could scan and find all the channels. I had to move the monitor next to the antenna and then move the antenna gradually to have the quality I wanted. One mistake I had was that I mistook the elevation angle with the angle of the dish tilted from vertical as it should be the angle of the LNB arm. Correct? As even when the dish’s top-down diameter is vertical to the ground, i.e. its center is pointing horizontally, the LNB arm is not horizontal and it is rather about 20 degrees – the meter at the back also shows something like 20 degrees. So from that point I need to tilt it like 20 more degrees to have the total of 40 degrees, not 40 degrees. Another problem I had was that I was using the signal meter, I got a region of that elevation that was all good. Then I thought that this could not be and there should be more than one satellite in that range. That is how I realized that I needed the monitor visible as I was moving the satellite.

Now the problem I have is to have a stand that can hold the satellite at about 6 feet. As you know to have clearance from the trees, I have come far away from the house. Also, my preference is not to dig the ground because of village permits, buried electrical powers, water/gas pipes, etc. Also, I want something that does not have any dangers as the neighbors might accidentally roam in my back yard and get hurt. My preference is something that I can build it myself. Thank you again.

One last question, can the satellite signal pass through the roof of a wooded shed or siding?

Best regards,
Mansour

 

[Mr Tony]

nope. wont pass through..

remember the "look" angle (what the dish actually is aimed at) is 22 degrees above where the arm is...so it might look like its aimed through something but it is actually above it

 

[global0]

the 50' distance is fine. I have seen cases where the distance was about 350'-400' and there weren't any issues. Just make sure that you are pointing your dish correctly and hit the right transponder on T5. A good one is 12146 ( my signal streangth goes to 96% with almost 85% quality on my CW600s).

 

[Mansour]

Hi:

Thank you all. I have a large garage window that has the clearance but I cannot install the antenna outside but can put it inside the garage. Can the signal pass a regular window glass? Thank you.

Mansour

 

[PSB]

Depends how much lead it has in the glass, try it and if it does not work replace the glass with "Perspex" (plastic glass)

 

[Mansour]

Hello:

I tried the window, and as you all hinted, it did not work. So I installed it outdoors and everything is ok now. :up

I have a few questions:

- How do I protect the receiver against surge or lightening?
- How can I see multiple channels at the same time?
- What is the serial port for?

Thank you.

Mansour

 

[PSB]

1/ Ground your system to local and NEC code! use cable / satellite surge protector.

http://dbsinstall.com/whatis/Whatisgood-5.htm

2/ With the Traxis 3500 you can see Multi screens at the same time!

3/ LEGAL software updates

 

[Mansour]

Hi PSB:

What needs to be grounded? Is it both dish and the coaxial shield? Is this all needed for protection?

Thank you.

 

[PSB]

As above the dish and the cable MUST be grounded to local and NEC code!