Signal problems with my new Captiveworks system

[quicksand2006]

I set up my new system: Captiveworks 600 , Fortec Star 90 dish, stab 90 rotor, invacom quad lnb......I used a satellite finder meter to locate my southmost satellite....located AMC 3......zip is 60440 so its my southmost satellite. The satellite has good signal off of the tester....dialed the tester all the way down and tweaked the dish.....looking good.....but my captiveworks shows zero for quality and 75 for signal.....what did I do wrong...or could i have a hardware issue....i tried bypassing the motor, no difference...then i tried bypassing the diseqc switch .....came right off of the lnb which is an invacom quad.....still same results....all cable is brand new rg6.......any suggestions.....? This is my first FTA setup.....just getting into the hobby....so I am a newbie and probably missed something.....


I also tried changing the settings in the setup section. Tried USALS and Disqc setups and also made sure my lnb was selected manually....still no change at all on the quality bar of my captiveworks system. Test meter shows good signal off of the dish so not sure where to go now....the vendor gosatellite.net wasnt sure what the problem was......talked with them for over 2 hours troubleshooting.....they recommended contacting a local installer and suggested that I have a dish pointing issue.....which would seem right given the zero for quality.....but I really think i have the dish pointed properly and took the time to plum everything properly.....can my portable satellite meter be incorrect?

 

[PSB]

Welcome top the SatelliteGuys.US FTA forum!

If you are hooked to a linear output (should be for AMC-3) then make sure your L.O. is set to 10750

Then do a blind scan, let the receiver do the work for you!

also IA-8 is slightly closer to true south, not that it matters with USALS

 

[quicksand2006]

ok tried setting l.o. to 10750....progress.....saw my quality meter register for the first time.......i guess i just dont know what I am doing yet.....did a scan and found one channel....no audio and no video just a blank screen.....am i on the right track or am i completely lost? I wish Captiveworks had a better manual to explain how to setup and receive satellites.

 

[quicksand2006]

tried to change the l.o. for other satellites listed in the captiveworks menu.....no luck....amc 3 is the only satellite where I have found any type of signal. Anyone have any primer or guide that I could read off of the web that may better explain how to go about setting up this fta system......beginning to lose patience......

 

[PSB]

Remove the motor and all switches and just manually point the dish for now! Thats the way I and most of here started. Walk before you run, half the fun is the set up any way.

Just use one linear output for now from the LNBF and make sure the L.O. is set to 10750 for EVERY satellite you are going for. Enter a LIVE channel or TP. from the satellite then watch the signal meter screen for signal QUALITY only.

When you get some quality do a blind scan. If you think you are close to a satellite do a blind scan, let us know what channels you find and we can tell you where you are!

 

[PSB]

               Bolingbrook, IL 60440
     Latitude 41° 41.856'N Longitude 88° 5.238'W

              Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
-----------------------------------------------------
            Telstar 12   15.0W 101.4 104.5  3.9 -47.0
                      
          Intelsat 901   18.0W 103.5 106.6  6.1 -46.5
                      
                 NSS 7   22.0W 106.4 109.5  9.0 -45.7
                      
          Intelsat 905   24.5W 108.3 111.3 10.9 -45.2
                      
          Intelsat 907   27.5W 110.6 113.6 13.0 -44.4
                      
         Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 112.5 115.5 14.8 -43.6
                      
          Intelsat 801   31.5W 113.7 116.7 15.9 -43.1
                      
          Intelsat 903   34.5W 116.1 119.2 18.0 -42.1
                      
           AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 118.7 121.7 20.1 -40.9
                      
               NSS 806   40.5W 121.3 124.3 22.2 -39.6
                      
             Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 123.6 126.6 23.9 -38.5
                      
                Pas 1R   45.0W 125.4 128.5 25.2 -37.5
                      
          Intelsat 705   50.0W 130.3 133.4 28.3 -34.7
                      
          Intelsat 707   53.0W 133.4 136.5 30.1 -32.8
                      
          Intelsat 805   55.5W 136.1 139.2 31.6 -31.2
                      
                 Pas 9   58.0W 138.9 142.0 33.0 -29.4
                      
              Amazonas   61.0W 142.4 145.5 34.5 -27.1
                      
            EchoStar 3   61.5W 143.0 146.1 34.8 -26.7
                      
             Rainbow 1   61.5W 143.0 146.1 34.8 -26.7
                      
      Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 144.9 147.9 35.5 -25.5
                      
          Brasilsat B2   65.0W 147.3 150.4 36.4 -23.8
                      
          Brasilsat B1   70.0W 153.8 156.9 38.4 -19.2
                      
              Nahuel 1   71.8W 156.3 159.3 39.0 -17.5
                      
             DirecTV 1   72.5W 157.2 160.3 39.3 -16.8
                      
                 AMC 6   72.0W 156.6 159.6 39.1 -17.3
                      
                 SBS 6   74.0W 159.3 162.4 39.7 -15.3
                      
            Echostar 4   77.0W 163.6 166.6 40.5 -12.2
                      
                 AMC 5   79.0W 166.5 169.5 40.9 -10.1
                      
               Nimiq 2   82.0W 170.9 173.9 41.4  -6.8
                      
                 AMC-9   83.0W 172.4 175.4 41.5  -5.7
                      
          Brasilsat B3   84.0W 173.9 176.9 41.6  -4.6
                      
              AMC 2/16   85.0W 175.4 178.4 41.7  -3.5
                      
                 AMC 3   87.0W 178.4 181.4 41.8  -1.2
                      
                  IA-8   89.0W 181.4 184.4 41.8   1.0
                      
             Galaxy 11   91.0W 184.4 187.4 41.7   3.3
                      
             Nimiq 1/3   91.0W 184.4 187.4 41.7   3.3
                      
          Brasilsat B4   92.0W 185.9 188.9 41.7   4.4
                      
             Telstar 6   93.0W 187.4 190.4 41.6   5.5
                      
             Galaxy 3C   95.0W 190.3 193.4 41.3   7.7
                      
             Telstar 5   97.0W 193.3 196.3 41.0   9.9
                      
             Galaxy 4R   99.0W 196.2 199.2 40.6  12.0
                      
       DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 199.0 202.1 40.1  14.1
                      
                 AMC 4  101.0W 199.0 202.1 40.1  14.1
                      
            Spaceway 1  102.0W 200.4 203.5 39.8  15.1
                      
                 AMC 1  103.0W 201.8 204.9 39.5  16.1
                      
                AMC 15  105.0W 204.6 207.6 38.8  18.1
                      
           Anik F1/F1R  107.3W 207.6 210.7 38.0  20.3
                      
           DirecTV 6/5  109.5W 210.5 213.6 37.1  22.3
                      
            EchoStar 6  110.0W 211.2 214.2 36.9  22.7
                      
            EchoStar 8  110.0W 211.2 214.2 36.9  22.7
                      
               Anik F2  111.1W 212.6 215.6 36.4  23.7
                      
         Solidaridad 2  113.0W 214.9 218.0 35.6  25.3
                      
              SatMex 5  116.8W 219.5 222.5 33.7  28.3
                      
             DirecTV 5  119.0W 222.0 225.0 32.5  30.0
                      
            EchoStar 7  119.0W 222.0 225.0 32.5  30.0
                      
 EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 224.2 227.3 31.4  31.4
                      
            Galaxy 10R  123.0W 226.4 229.4 30.2  32.7
                      
             Galaxy 12  125.0W 228.5 231.5 29.1  34.0
                      
         Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 230.5 233.5 27.8  35.2
                      
  Telstar 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 232.5 235.5 26.6  36.3
                      
                AMC 11  131.0W 234.4 237.5 25.3  37.4
                      
             Galaxy 1R  133.0W 236.3 239.3 24.0  38.4
                      
                AMC 10  135.0W 238.1 241.1 22.6  39.3
                      
                 AMC 7  137.0W 239.9 242.9 21.3  40.2
                      
                 AMC 8  139.0W 241.6 244.7 19.9  41.1
                      
            EchoStar 1  148.0W 248.9 252.0 13.5  44.2
                      
            EchoStar 2  148.0W 248.9 252.0 13.5  44.2

   Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. Lutus

 

[quicksand2006]

i actually did go ahead and disconnect everything and I re aimed the dish to amc3 using the Linear side of the invacom....so cable goes directly from invacom lnb to the captiveworks receiver......but after even that.......i still have poor signal quality on my unit.....i set the l.o. 10750, my signal quality was at 65 and I did a scan......found only one signal that was active.....looking at lynsat amc3 info.....there should be quite a bit more than one signal found on that satellite......not sure where to go next.....signal quality on the scan was at 65-67 and signal strength was at 89 so i am pretty sure I am locked onto amc3

 

[PSB]

I would just move on to another satellite Any satellite will work when setting up the motor when using USLAS anyway. But I would just have fun finding a few satellites for now, move the dish a fraction to the left or right and do another blind scan, you should find a few adjacent satellites at the same elevation.

 

[quicksand2006]

ok...i will give that a try tomorrow......i am sure by tomorrow night i will have more questions after moving the dish!!! Thanks...

 

[Mr Tony]

Pete
The Captiveworks doesnt do blind scan...it has a boatload of transponders stored in it but no true blind scan

 

[PSB]

Pete
The Captiveworks doesnt do blind scan...it has a boatload of transponders stored in it but no true blind scan

Problem!

 

[global0]

CW does not have a good blind scan as iceberg has mentioned already. its a database search and not a real blind scan.
Its signal meter and quality is not reliable either or I don't trust it anyway. I was on the roof with an anlyzer when I setup my dish+motor and moved the dish from east t owest and verfiied that it was tracking fine, while the CW signal meter was stuck on 67% with no quality. Don't use that as your measure. It wasted many of my hours.

 

[quicksand2006]

That might be my first problem.......trusting the meter in the captiveworks receiver!!! O.k. I am getting ready to move my dish at a different satellite and I am going to take everyone's advice and bypass the rotor for now........here is my question: The stab website gave me a dish elevation of 38.5 for use with my hh90...this is the dish elevation and not the rotor elevation......when I move my dish to a new satellite is it just easier to put a protractor on the back of the dish and manually set my dish elevation to my new satellite?

 

[quicksand2006]

Also anyone have any suggestions on a good analyzer for pointing the dish....I bought a basic Triplett SatAlign analog meter for testing.....would I be better off with a better tester?......dont mind spending a little $$$ if this will help me out and help me to enjoy this hobby a little more.

 

[quicksand2006]

Continuing the thought on the protractor.....could I put the protractor on the back of the dish and use that to calculate for dish elevation? For example if AMC 3 87.0W 178.4 181.4 41.8 at my location and my dish is a fortec star 90 with an offset angle of 24.62 then can't I take 41.8 - 24.62 = 17.18 and set that value with a protractor on my dish.....would this work for dish elevation?

 

[global0]

the protractor approach will work fine, you are on the right track. I Also found this little SW useful: "http://www.al-soft.com/". He has a bunch of differnt tools there. Just browse to almost the bottom of the page and download the "Satellite Antenna Alignment" utility. It is a donate ware per the author.

 

[quicksand2006]

ok...I finally found a satellite......I was trying to find AMC 3 but apparently since I couldnt find that one I rotated the dish to the west slightly and found Galaxy 3C.....at least I think I did.....the receiver found 5 channels listed as Roberts Communication.....just a graphic of the channel name on the channel...no audio...that is all I have been able to find......I guess I will keep trying.......

 

[PSB]

If you think you are on G3C you should be getting the CCTV channels, VERY strong!

http://www.lyngsat.com/g3c.html

 

[quicksand2006]

Nope...guess I still am confused......

 

[Mr Tony]

Roberts Communication I think is G3...thats the Racing Network feeds (they're scrambled but those screens are not)