Radar's Reception Research Reflections

[AcWxRadar]

I was researching some of my satellites and TPs this morning to ensure that I was receiving all the TPs that I could find listed on such sites as Lyngsat and Satbeams and here on our forum with "THE LIST".

Reflecting on the subject matter of some recent threads that I have read and posted to and some recent requests for information, I was curious if I could come up with an interesting and informative "post" and how that would look as a finished product.

I am just going to dabble here with one satellite and ask you all for your impressions. I begin with 30.0°W Hispasat 1C/1D. No specific reason to begin with this satellite other than it is my furthest eastern satellite that I can achieve and the one that I happened to be experimenting with at the time.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

EIRP Charts for 30.0°W

Attached are the EIRP charts for Hispasat 30.0°W 1D America's Beam. The chart for Hispasat 1C and 1D are virtually identical, so I won't post both in this case.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

Hispasat 30.0°W 1C/1D Transponders set 1 of 3

Here I will list the TPs that I am currently aware of from Hispasat. I will display the settings and signal/quality level indications from my AZBox Premium receiver as a screen shot from each individual TP. Some TPs show no quality levels. A few of these are feed TPs and not active at the time that the screen shots were taken. Some others I do not have an explanation for.

These readings were taken using a 1.2 M GeoSAT Pro antenna, an Invacom QPH-031 LNBF and the AZBox Premium in the area just 40 miles NW of Omaha, NE USA.

There are 21 TPs that I know of that are deemed as "Americas Beam" and these are what I will display (three posts).

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

Hispasat 30.0°W 1C/1D Transponders set 2 of 3

Here is the second set of TPs from Hispasat 1C/1D.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

Hispasat 1C/1D Transponders set 3 of 3

Here is the last set of TPs from Hispasat 1C/1D at 30.0°W.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

FTA TV channels from Hispasat 1C/1D at 30.0°W

Here are the TV channels as screen shots from the AZBox Premium that I have been able to detect and receive.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

FTA RADIO channels from Hispasat 1C/!d at 30.0°W

Here are the RADIO channels as screen shots from the AZBox Premium that I have been able to detect and receive.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

My personal antenna settings for Hispasat 1C/1D at 30.0°W

These are the settings that I have configured for this satellite for my specific equipment using the AZBox Premium.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

RADAR's personal settings on AZBox

This is a screen shot of my own personal antenna and LNBF settings for Hispasat.

Your settings may not be identical depending upon your switch, motor and LNBF used. I included the screen shot here simply so that you can see how the menu structure appears on the AZBox.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

Finale~

Well, that is about all that I can think of to post here on this subject.

I could include some screen shots of some of the videos, but that really is useless to anyone unless it is a really neat shot and then it is just for fun and discussion.

Please tell me your opinion. Do you think that if I were to compile a set of posts nearly akin to this, one for every satellite that I can receive, would it be helpful to the forum? Would it be informative enough to everyone to make it worth my time and the time of others in different locations to do this?

Today, I am just doing this for fun and experimentation. The entire process required about four hours of my time, so it isn't a quick thing. However, I was going through all the steps for my own purposes anyway, so I thought that I might as well log it and take these screen shots as I went along for your benefit as well as mine and then share the information.

If it is just "neat", I probably won't repeat it, but if there is at least one person here that really finds it exceptionally helpful, I may repeat it again for another satellite and maybe for all the sats that I can receive.

And, if it is important for any others, maybe someone else will join in and do the same for the satellites that I cannot receive.

What do you all think?

I guess the downfall of this is that much of the information applies only to me, to my specific location and my specific equipment. But, it still might be helpful in some ways.

RADAR

 

[tonydix]

Radar I think this is a great idea. It looks very helpful. This particular sattellite is not visible to me but I urge you to continue the work westwards. When you get to a satellite I can see comparison of our results would be most interesting. Well done keep up the good work

Tony

 

[chapelrun]

RADAR,

How does what you get compare to what is in "The List!" are you getting all that are in the list or more or the same.

Just curious - - - - and say hi to Walrus

 

[hd fan]

I think it is a good idea since it will allow anyone to compare the signal levels between TP's and have an idea whether they can still fine tune their dish a bit more or whether it is properly skewed. Even if you do not have an azbox or do not live close to NE more likely TVE Mux will always be stronger than Colombian and Canal 11 Salta and Canal 21 will be the weakest (maybe both Canal 8 or TV libre , memory fails now). Also it shows that even the DVB-S2 Uruguayan is stronger than the Colombian and equal than the Cuban or TVE. Besides you could adjust polarity a bit more by knowing the ratio between the 12172H and 12173V signals (although it depends whether your system is properly skewed) Obviously we all know you have to adjust untill signal starts degrading but it is better if you have a practical example.

BTW it is funny but I think the Cuban Mux changed FEC from 3/4 to 2/3 sometime ago now (at least both my CS only locks it with 3/4) but your AZBox still shows 3/4. I wonder if it also tries an AUTO FEC internally to always lock no matter what (that does not make any sense but too late for my brain ,lol) Also screen 4 and 5 are acctually the same TP or same signal , the colombian mux I guess so you can delete one of them.

Extra info always helps if properly analized. Thanks for the compilation.

 

[AcWxRadar]

RADAR,

How does what you get compare to what is in "The List!" are you getting all that are in the list or more or the same.

Just curious - - - - and say hi to Walrus

If I counted correctly, I have 13 more channels than what is shown in "THE LIST". I have 56 TV and 50 radio (106 total) and I count 93 total in "THE LIST".

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

I think it is a good idea since it will allow anyone to compare the signal levels between TP's and have an idea whether they can still fine tune their dish a bit more or whether it is properly skewed. Even if you do not have an azbox or do not live close to NE more likely TVE Mux will always be stronger than Colombian and Canal 11 Salta and Canal 21 will be the weakest (maybe both Canal 8 or TV libre , memory fails now). Also it shows that even the DVB-S2 Uruguayan is stronger than the Colombian and equal than the Cuban or TVE. Besides you could adjust polarity a bit more by knowing the ratio between the 12172H and 12173V signals (although it depends whether your system is properly skewed) Obviously we all know you have to adjust untill signal starts degrading but it is better if you have a practical example.

BTW it is funny but I think the Cuban Mux changed FEC from 3/4 to 2/3 sometime ago now (at least both my CS only locks it with 3/4) but your AZBox still shows 3/4. I wonder if it also tries an AUTO FEC internally to always lock no matter what (that does not make any sense but too late for my brain ,lol) Also screen 4 and 5 are acctually the same TP or same signal , the colombian mux I guess so you can delete one of them.

Extra info always helps if properly analized. Thanks for the compilation.

HDFan,

Thank you.

I don't know about the FEC setting. I think the box will override your entry if it knows that you are wrong (but I wish it would display the change if so).

Which screens (4 and 5) were you referring to? Which post number was that in. I looked and didn't see it right off.

RADAR

 

[hd fan]

post number 3 , pictures 4 and 5 . 11936V SR 7500(picture 4) is the actual numbers for the colombian mux. picture 5 shows 11940V with the same parameters and same 53% Q. the signal is almost 8 mhz wide so on my CS8100 it locks up to 11939V. No lock with 11940V on my CS8100. On the cuban mux my CS 8100 will only lock it on 2/3 FEC and Auto. CS6000 does not have a FEC setting so it is by default on auto.

Off topic

I have also noticed that the Quality meter on the CS 8100 depends on the FEC setting. If FEC is 3/4 then if setting is Auto , Q meter will show the same value no matter if Auto or 3/4 is selected. But for any other value of FEC , everytime you select Auto the Q is lower than if you use the actual FEC value. That is why I always prefer to refer to Birdog readings if possible as they are consistent.