Signal tester

[loadmaster]

My tone signal indicator quite working on my Fortec Star. Can see the bars moving but no tone. It is a bummer trying to get a signal with while on the roof and somebody yelling from the monitor. Is there a signal gadget that I can connect to my extra port on my lbfn. If there is such an animal, any hints on what I want when I buy one. If there is not such a thing someone needs to invent one.

One other question,I am pointed at Galaxy 25 Ku. What is the quickest way to find out if any channels were added/deleted
Thanks

 

[Anole]

There are some $10..20 meters with light and tone.
However, since they do not respond to signal Quality, their use is more for finding a satellite than fine tuning one.
And of course, they're great if you are tuning up on a DBS satellite.

Then, there are some $200...500 meters, which are much like a little FTA receiver with small LCD built in.
With one of those, you can do a real job of adjusting the dish.

But what we often just do is drag a receiver and monitor out to the yard.
Kinda tough, if your dish is on the roof, of course.

 

[sidha]

My tone signal indicator quite working on my Fortec Star. Can see the bars moving but no tone. It is a bummer trying to get a signal with while on the roof and somebody yelling from the monitor. Is there a signal gadget that I can connect to my extra port on my lbfn. If there is such an animal, any hints on what I want when I buy one. If there is not such a thing someone needs to invent one.

One other question,I am pointed at Galaxy 25 Ku. What is the quickest way to find out if any channels were added/deleted
Thanks

Some Fortec models provide a user setting to switch on/off the audio tone for that function -- if you're unaware or haven't checked for that possibility. A re-flash of factory [updated] firmware is on the list too.

When doing work outside at the dish, to view quality on a monitor, I've used a diplexer system in reverse. Combining to send the modulated channel 3 output of the sat receiver up the sat antenna coax going out to the dish -- opposite to bringing OTA signals inside the house. Instead, separating a VHF channel to watch signal levels on a small battery powered TV at the dish. Or if audio is enough, using a portable radio that receives TV VHF band. One could send back non UHF remote control commands in a similar way, with a bit of creativity. Even the receiver audio with the beep could be easily multiplexed on the same sat antenna coax, to a speaker at the dish. That would be possible to accomplish through diplexers and a small amp and speaker powered by the existing 14/18 volts on the coax. Hmmm... I just invented something practical that could possibly be built right inside a DiSEqC switch. I think I'll add such a thing to my system, as audio in that range is easily sent along coax, very much like the 22K ultrasonic switching tone. Another expanding project in the works.

You may be thinking.... If I can use a radio outside to hear the quality level beeps, then why not use an FM audio transmitter at the sat receiver, and a standard portable FM radio, headset, ect, at the dish? I'd rather develop my idea for relaying quality levels to a 'talking' or visual device that remains at the dish. An invention like that would be very practical. Especially if it was made available in the menu of a receiver as a user option with no need to temporarily connect and reconnect cables or coax when distant adjustments to the dish/feed alignment are necessary [routine].

Amazing how we so easily get far away from just watching TV. FTA is such a toy.

-sidha

 

[B.J.]

Some Fortec models provide a user setting to switch on/off the audio tone for that function -- if you're unaware or haven't checked for that possibility. A re-flash of factory [updated] firmware is on the list too.

I'm curious which model Fortec has audio tone? I have 3 different models, and I don't think any of them produce a tone... just curious. My Coolsat gives a tone, but the tone doesn't change much as an indication of signal level, which kind of defeats the usefullness.

When doing work outside at the dish, to view quality on a monitor, I've used a diplexer system in reverse. Combining to send the modulated channel 3 output of the sat receiver up the sat antenna coax going out to the dish -- opposite to bringing OTA signals inside the house....

I haven't done that, but have run a long coax from the ch3/4 output of a receiver out to a TV. One problem with things like this is that you don't have any control over the receiver. I've tried using those IR remote extender things to bring the receiver's remote signal back to the receiver, but couldn't get that to work. I'm guessing that the light levels outdoors overwhelmed the IR repeater. I haven't tried using a UHF type of remote extender, and that might help with that issue.

One thing I have done recently, is to use my wireless networked laptop computer out at the dish. I tune one of my PCI computer card receivers to the sat of interest on a desktop computer in the house, that is running a VNC server, and then with a VNC program on the laptop, I can view the desktop computer screen on the laptop, and can control all the receive functions and view S/Q levels from the laptop out at the dish. The only problem is that it is hard to view the laptop's computer screen in bright sunlight, so I've set up one of those picnic table umbrellas out at the dish to shade the computer screen, and/or sometimes I back up my SUV to the dish, open up the rear hatch, and run the laptop in the SUV, where it's a bit better shaded.

 

[loadmaster]

signal

Maybe tone was not the right word. It is more of series of beeps that increase in speed as the signal gets stronger. With no signal, a beep and as the signal gets better, the beeps increase in speed. I can be on my roof, and with the reciever in my living room and the volume turned up I can hear the beeps with no problem. It is easy to adjust the ant. by yourself.

Thanks for the info, but as newbie to this stuff, some of your replies were way above my knowledge, but thanks anyway.

 

[loadmaster]

Tester

Just got off the phone with a Sadoun rep and he had never heard of a tone(beep) being used on the system. Something strange going on here, I have used this tone to zero in my dish for at least 10 times. Must be the FTA fairies.

 

[B.J.]

Just got off the phone with a Sadoun rep and he had never heard of a tone(beep) being used on the system. Something strange going on here, I have used this tone to zero in my dish for at least 10 times. Must be the FTA fairies.

What model receiver, and what firmware version? And in what window were you seeing the tone/beep, ie like the antenna setup screen or a transponder scan screen or what?

 

[sidha]

FYI:

"Another great feature of the receiver is the Signal Beep Sound. When turned on, this function beeps as you lock on to your satellite signal. It's an excellent and useful tool to use when you can not physically look at the monitor while aligning your satellite dish."

Fortec Star Dynamic Digital C and Ku Band Blind Search Satellite Receiver | Official North American Distributor

 

[B.J.]

FYI:

"Another great feature of the receiver is the Signal Beep Sound. When turned on, this function beeps as you lock on to your satellite signal. It's an excellent and useful tool to use when you can not physically look at the monitor while aligning your satellite dish."

Thanks. Neat.
I don't have the Dynamic, but I have one of the Mercury twins, which I used for about half a year before I got fed up with the numerous bugs. Just pulled it out of my scrap pile, and hooked it up, and sure enough, it has the beep function. I never noticed that feature before. That feature COULD make it worth using that receiver again, despite it's many problems.