AMIKO Trouble finding Satellites

[Captain Midnight]

I'm going to go look at a C-Band dish tomorrow that I am hoping is in good condition for re-planting.
I'm happy with the Ku band performance so far. I've found plenty of satellites with an array of channels. Any particular Ku birds known for wild feeds? I've noticed 91w is often carrying sports or even concerts live.

 

[Captain Midnight]

Okay, I have a small issue with my Amiko not wanting to scan TPs from Intelsat 14 @ 45w.

I was looking on LyngSat and saw 45w had a fairly high EIRP for my area, so I sent the dish to the bird with USALS and entered TP 11605H / SR1000. I get a strong 94% / 90% (signal / quality) reading and when I blind scan just that TP, it shows the China Radio Int'l feeds loading in.

But when I am back on the main Installation menu with a signal still coming in on the TP, I'll run a blind scan and the receiver shows "No Program Found". The radio channels do show up in my radio channel list and tune in, but shouldn't they also scan in when blind scanning from the main menu, so that I might find other active TPs?

 

[KE4EST]

Captain Midnight are you using a universal LNBF?

 

[Captain Midnight]

Captain Midnight are you using a universal LNBF?

I have a standard LO 10750MHz LNBF

 

[Brct203]

Okay, I have a small issue with my Amiko not wanting to scan TPs from Intelsat 14 @ 45w.

I was looking on LyngSat and saw 45w had a fairly high EIRP for my area, so I sent the dish to the bird with USALS and entered TP 11605H / SR1000. I get a strong 94% / 90% (signal / quality) reading and when I blind scan just that TP, it shows the China Radio Int'l feeds loading in.

But when I am back on the main Installation menu with a signal still coming in on the TP, I'll run a blind scan and the receiver shows "No Program Found". The radio channels do show up in my radio channel list and tune in, but shouldn't they also scan in when blind scanning from the main menu, so that I might find other active TPs?

those low SR (990 in this case, not 1000) are a bit tough on any receiver. I get good signal on that TP too, but it's the initial lock that's not so easy. Think of it this way: you're trying to catch a signal that's about 1 MHz wide, with a tuner that works in 1 MHz increments. Add to this the possible inaccuracy of the LNBF local oscillator, and it's very easy to miss it. When dealing with low bitrate transponders it's usually a good idea to try in creasing or decreasing the frequency by 1 MHz steps and see which locks the fastest. On my Amiko, even when locked, it still sometimes drops for a second or 2 (loses the lock and locks again). I think that signal is outside of the guaranteed specs for those receivers. My Edision Mio4K has not locked at all on that transponder so far.

I have a standard LO 10750MHz LNBF

now i'm confused... you should not be able to tune that frequency at all with a Standard 10750 LNBF...

 

[Captain Midnight]

those low SR (990 in this case, not 1000) are a bit tough on any receiver. I get good signal on that TP too, but it's the initial lock that's not so easy. Think of it this way: you're trying to catch a signal that's about 1 MHz wide, with a tuner that works in 1 MHz increments. Add to this the possible inaccuracy of the LNBF local oscillator, and it's very easy to miss it. When dealing with low bitrate transponders it's usually a good idea to try in creasing or decreasing the frequency by 1 MHz steps and see which locks the fastest. On my Amiko, even when locked, it still sometimes drops for a second or 2 (loses the lock and locks again). I think that signal is outside of the guaranteed specs for those receivers. My Edision Mio4K has not locked at all on that transponder so far.



now i'm confused... you should not be able to tune that frequency at all with a Standard 10750 LNBF...

I noticed I couldn't enter the 990 sr into the Amiko either, so I tried 1000 and it worked.

 

[Captain Midnight]

I'm using an Eagle Aspen 270 with a 75cm Channel Master dish on a Stab HH-120. Just to clear up any equipment questions.

 

[Titanium]

Some receivers allow IF tuning below 950MHz. I have several tuners that will tune IF 450MHz. This reported blind scan missing the TP might make sense if the blind scan IF range is locked in the SOC to 950-1450MHz (or 2150MHz) in standard type with single LO 10750, but with direct input allows tuning below 950MHz.

 

[Captain Midnight]

Some receivers allow IF tuning below 950MHz. I have several tuners that will tune IF 450MHz. This reported blind scan missing the TP might make sense if the blind scan IF range is locked in the SOC to 950-1450MHz (or 2150MHz) in standard type with single LO 10750, but with direct input allows tuning below 950MHz.

I see. That's an interesting circumstance. So might that satellite TP work or scan with a universal LNB more reliably? The signal is plenty strong with my standard LNB.

 

[Brct203]

I see. That's an interesting circumstance. So might that satellite TP work or scan with a universal LNB more reliably? The signal is plenty strong with my standard LNB.

it might but because that TP is so narrow, maybe it won't. My Amiko does not detect it despite using a universal LNBF

 

[Captain Midnight]

it might but because that TP is so narrow, maybe it won't. My Amiko does not detect it despite using a universal LNBF

Could be. I'm okay with that, but I was just hoping to scan in other active TPs if any other feeds pop up. But there might not even be any other active TPs on 45w Ku-wise...

 

[Brct203]

Could be. I'm okay with that, but I was just hoping to scan in other active TPs if any other feeds pop up. But there might not even be any other active TPs on 45w Ku-wise...

There's not much but I can get only the US/Europe/Africa beam that is in lower Ku. In your location you might have CNN Chile feeds in upper Ku, but that would be a weaker signal than the other beam, if the map on SatBeams is correct (you're really on the edge of it)

There used to be a TV channel in lower Ku but it went away about 2 years ago. It was from Western Sahara. I have not seen much activity on that bird in Ku, and I get only very marginal reception in C-band as i'm outside the footprint

 

[Captain Midnight]

There's not much but I can get only the US/Europe/Africa beam that is in lower Ku. In your location you might have CNN Chile feeds in upper Ku, but that would be a weaker signal than the other beam, if the map on SatBeams is correct (you're really on the edge of it)

There used to be a TV channel in lower Ku but it went away about 2 years ago. It was from Western Sahara. I have not seen much activity on that bird in Ku, and I get only very marginal reception in C-band as i'm outside the footprint

Do you mind checking for TP info for the CNN Chile feed for me? My dish is on my roof without any LOS obstructions, so I might be able to find a weak signal. Don't know if it will lock on this 75cm though. But I like to try.

 

[Brct203]

Do you mind checking for TP info for the CNN Chile feed for me? My dish is on my roof without any LOS obstructions, so I might be able to find a weak signal. Don't know if it will lock on this 75cm though. But I like to try.

according to PortalEDS, it might be on 11936 V 1600, but i see it's an 8psk with a FEC of 5/6. In other words, not easy at all (you need a strong, clean signal to be able to lock on it)

Intelsat 14, Echostar 23 (45.0º W) :. EDS Blog

(the site is in Portuguese and Spanish, but easy enough to understand the technical details)

 

[Captain Midnight]

Okay, I am now having major trouble with my HH-120 and my receiver. Not sure which is the problem, but I unhooked my Ku coax to test my C-Band dish for a few days. Now, I plugged the Ku back in and went scanning for feeds, and the motor can't decide where the dish goes. I scanned 105w, 113w, and 116.8w fine and found a couple of spanish Canal channels ITC on 116.8. But after the point, the box got laggy and the motor just sweeps around, looking for the satellite for awhile before stopping in the wrong spot. Before I knew anything was bad off, I scanned 101w and the NewsSource and FL Mux from 87w came in. But I couldn't get a stable signal. The dish sweeps back and forth, and I'll only get a signal for a second or 2 on each satellite... Thoughts?

 

[907TECH]

It sounds like you are not tracking correctly. My experience is with larger 12 foot C band stuff, I had a procedure for accurately adjusting the dish to track the entire arc perfectly. The pole needs to be plumb, the declination correct, mount pointed exactly due south. Adjust on satellite nearest due south moving the polar mount on it's axis. Tighten down. Go to extreme far end of arc loosen mount pinch bolts on the pole and peak using motor drive and moving the entire mount on the pole. Tighten, to back to southern bird adjust again, split the error each time you adjust then you are tracking.

 

[Captain Midnight]

It's setup properly. Was getting every Ku FTA signal from 87-125w and even a Chinese radio signal on 45w. But now the motor will not stop on the programmed satellites saved in USALS or the few I used Diseqc positioning mode. Motor just moves back and forth almost randomly. It'll initially go in the right direction, and it'll hit the satellite but keep going.

 

[Captain Midnight]

I'm wondering if there is a way to diagnose which component is giving me fits. I'm thinking it could be the motor, but I really hope not...

 

[primestar31]

Check in the receivers motor settings screen, to make sure you have your sites coordinates still entered properly there.

 

[Captain Midnight]

I'll double check. I was just testing a c-band stationary. Hopefully this stab is ok.