Really don't know what's wrong

[FaT Air]

I think you are very close with the focal legnth - more later on this -
Some LNB's like to have 18 to 24 volts powering them, Seems many 80'sand 90's vintage ones are really sensitive to this.
Here's how we will check, While you're on G12 with the analog and digital signal. What is the analog picture like, Lots of sparkles, few or None? If there is a signal meter on the analog, make note of a reading. And on The Pansat, Note the Q reading. (also- do you get a good lock- good solid picture, pixillated or freezes?

Now switch the coax/s to the inputs of the FTA and Uniden, and see if there is a discernible improvement in the analog picture. and on the Pansat, did Q improve?
If your LNB is voltage sensitive, we should have gotten a marked improvement.

(Let's see- 120*120/16*24.12=37.31-- inches. Your very close. To be closer, check how much of the feed is sticking out past the front of the scalar. The 37.13 inches should be 1/4 inch inside the throat of the feed. I'm sure this is fine, but I have to ask, Is the ribbed side of the scalar towards the dish?
Both of my Pansats Q and S reading would jump all over the place while I adjusted the polarotor (servo) skew. Would usually have to wait a few seconds for it to stabilize.Longer with the 9200.

 

[shankle]

Hi FaT Air. Thank you for your time and patience.

Here are the answers to your questions:

The analog picture is a little bit of grainy.
There is no signal meter on the Uniden sq530.

From the Pansat there is a solid picture that breaks up from time to time.
Q - 13 to 30 jumping back and forth.

After switching the coax any change was so little I couldn't see it.

On the button hook, the plastic funnel is cloudy and that makes it hard to
see the feedhorn.
The ribbed side of the scalar is towards the dish.

The signal and mostly the Q jump around quite a bit even after waiting
awhile.

 

[FaT Air]

The signal and mostly the Q jump around quite a bit even after waiting
awhile.

The Q reading should be steady, or a little change, over time. Unless the wind is blowing the dish around, that is. Being that the Signal also jumps around, and this is basically the integrety of connection to the LNB, Makes me think there may be a bad connection somewhere. Maybe corrosion.
If it's a problem connection, sometimes you can wiggle the wires, here and there, and when you find where the wigglin' causes an improvement, or degradation, usually is pretty close to the problem.
Or, I can't remember if this is the feed/lnb combo that was installed earlier, when you had a Q of around 70 - http://www.satelliteguys.us/c-band-...ally-dont-know-whats-wrong-3.html#post2266339 Maybe changing back to that feed and lNB combo. is the answer. as it also could be a bad LNB.

 

[shankle]

Hi FaT Air,
I think tomorrow I will try looking for bad connections.
I have two kinds of connectors on this system:
1: the kind that screws on
2: one that pushes on

I wonder if that might cause a bad connection.
All these cables and goodies are about 10 years old.

The tests I ran today were with the new Chaparral Corotor ll Plus.

 

[FaT Air]

The kind that push onto the F connector - - - - - - - - -YUK!
Use screw on only, crimp style, or better yet, compression, on all LNB wiring. Push on, only temporary on the TV out of the receiver, to the TV(Tune-up/alignment or troubleshooting). Unless you switch out the TV a lot.
Check coax also for "dried out" cracked outer jacket. You will know it when it's bad, trying to bend it, the jacket cracks and may even flake off completely. Try to twist the coax at a connector, while its firmly screwed onto an F connector. If it can be twisted within the connector, It's not a good electrical connection.

 

[shankle]

Hi FaT Air,
Another bad day I'm afraid.
I have a few of those push on connectors. They will be replaced with the proper kind. I could find no bad connections. However, I did not know to look for being able to twist them in the connections. I will check all connections for that and fix.

6-10 o'clock - temperature 70d and damp - outside with 50' cable
I no sooner sent you a message yesterday telling you that C-band Digital CAS was coming in decent, when it broke up and shortly after that I couldn't get it at all. This morning I installed a 30 year old Chaparral and lnb thinking maybe this would point to something. It was a waste of time. I got nothing. Reinstalled the Chaparral Corotor ll Plus and still got nothing. Makes one wonder if this dish is not temperature controled. The fittings outside are exposed to the elements and I have not covered them as I
am not finished adjusting the dish.
Here are some of my observations while doing that:
1st I put the scalar ring on the feedhorn at the proper point. Then in order to get the correct FL it is necessary to almost pull the plastic funnel off the pole. This caused considerable wobble and I was unable to get signal because of it. So I pushed the funnel back on the pole enough to get a better fit. This stopped the wobble but now I had to take off the feedhorn cover to allow for adjusting the FL. This also was unsuccessful. There is an lot of play in doing the feedhorn this way and makes adjusting the skew and FL very difficult.
2 o'clock - temperature 95d outside
In the house. CAS is coming in very nice. C-band digital breaks up but clear when you can see it.
Have NO idea what's going on......

Here is an idea I would like your comments on:
I had another 10' dish that was unusable because of a wornout polar mount.
It had metal bars holding the scalar ring. I think this dish was shallower than
the one I have now. Could these bars be used on this dish or would the FL
make it impossible? The way the present dish expands and contracts I
wonder what effect that would have on them?

When all else fails I guess a new dish.......
But for someone as unexperienced as me, one wonders if I would not have
the same problems with a new one and be a lot poorer to boot.

 

[FaT Air]

Some things to consider, for the focal length, with the feed being attached to a plate in the center of the dish. It's impractical to assume that the plate is accurate with the parabolic shape. May be adding anywhere from a 1/4 to 1 inch to the actual focal length.
I'd check the Q by moving the feed in , in steps of around 1/4 inch, from the point where the feed becomes stable on the pole to find the focal legnth.
Since your cables and connectors seem to be ok, another cause which may cause the Q to jump around is the servo.
Is your feed skewed so that , when looking at the front of the dish, the polar axis is inline with the top and bottom, the servo should be 45 degrees CCW from the top. Also, is it quiet? If it is making noise, it could be the skew adjustment on the analog is trying to drive the servo past its limits, OR a bad servo, (dirty/worn out pot)- quick test is to watch your reading, disconnect one of the servo wires on the receiver, see if it is now stable.

 

[FaT Air]

PM

 

[shankle]

Hi FaT Air,
Thanks for staying with me FaT Air.
Thing are looking up again. Somehow the TV I was using out in the yard, got set to channal 3 instead of 4. Needless to say that's why the fiasco yesterday.

Here are my results today.
Went to G12 and got signal of about mid 70s and Q in the 30 to 40s.
"CAS" on analog was very clear. "CAS" on C-band digital was also very clear.
Could not get to Q any better. Went as close to my zenith were there was C-band digital (AMC 3). I could not get anything to come in. Signal was low 70s and Q zero. Tried Azmuth and Polar axis. Ran it West with the Uniden set on tp 16 and got what I guess was the PBS which should have been The Sheppards Chapel. Couldn't get anything on C-band digital. Gave up since I was getting dizzy from the heat. Going to give this a rest for 2 days while I recuperate and do some thinking.

When the dish is pointing west at G12 the feedhorn is positioned about half way between west and south. This is where I am getting the Q in the 30s on G12. To do what you advise it will be necessary for me to get some kind of clamp (vice grips) to hold the feedhorn while twisting it. Then loosen the clamp and move it 1/4 inch either way and start over again. On a ladder it is difficult to hold it and move it evenly.
I do not understand what you mean by the servo? Where is this servo? Please explain a little more.

To watch Q as I drive the dish E or W means I have to constantly turn on and off the Uniden. In other words when the Uniden is powered on the Uniden Info is on the TV. When the Uniden is turned off the Pansat 2800 info is displayed on the TV. I don't see any way of having the Uniden powered on with the Pansat Q info displayed on the TV,

Here is what I am able to get so far:
G12 - analog tp 5 CAS and C-band digital CAS - here I have a Q in the 30s.
Intelsat 9 (58d) Arirang and a lot of other things. Here I have a Q of Zero
but the TV reception is very good.
In the past I ran for years with a zero Q and got decent reception.

 

[FaT Air]

I think you have the feed where it is peaked then, got picture but no Q.

Here I have a Q of Zero but the TV reception is very good.
In the past I ran for years with a zero Q and got decent reception.

This is a problem! We need a sensitive meter. Needs to respond on weaker signals.
Your Q reading of 30 to 40 probably should be reading 90+.
The way it is, a weak signal won't register anything, as you said in quote.
I remember you saying something to that effect earlier. Why did I not pick up on it.
(2 de-merits on me!)
The only option I see is (1) Get 2800 repaired (Q meter) (2) a digital sat meter (3) Another receiver.
Site sponsor, another member, or (fl)ebay,

The servo is the blue plastic cube on the feed which adjusts the skew/polarity that the 3 little wires connect to, red+, black=ground, white=pulse.

Take whatever time it takes, you deserve a rest after all this work. BTW:
I'm not going to part with my Pansat 3500 as it controls skew via a servo or 13/18 v.
Wished that the 9200 had this feature.

 

[shankle]

See PM

 

[FaT Air]

re: servo control via the Pansat

PM attached pic.

 

[Long Hair]

PM attached pic.

This doesn't look right to me. On my pansat 3500 both the top terminals
are +5 volts, than on the bottom is signal and ground(looking at the back Left to Right)
I have red on top,than white and black on bottom

 

[FaT Air]

CORRECTION!

Yes - You are correct, another de-merit to Me! The image attached to post #132 is INCORRECT, Here is the correct image for servo connections to a 2700a

 

[shankle]

See PM

 

[shankle]

Another PM

 

[stanleyjohn]

Hey! hope you guys are making some progress! the suspense is killing me

 

[shankle]

LOL StanleyJohn,
It's killing me also.
Tomorrow, taking FaT Airs advice I am going to order a Pansat 3500sd.
The pansat 2800 was flaky from the beginning and we agree that is
some of my problem. I am getting very bad Q readings.
Wish me luck. I need it.

 

[stanleyjohn]

LOL StanleyJohn,
It's killing me also.
Tomorrow, taking FaT Airs advice I am going to order a Pansat 3500sd.
The pansat 2800 was flaky from the beginning and we agree that is
some of my problem. I am getting very bad Q readings.
Wish me luck. I need it.

:up Your love for this hobby is true!Keep going and success cant be far behind.

 

[shankle]

another PM