trouble finding signal quality

[oceanplexian]

Just a few days ago I got a shiny new Pansat 3500sd in the mail, along with a 100cm dish, and a standard digital lnbf. I'm pretty sure I have the setup ok, as I aligned it to a few different sats (echostar 3, galaxy 11, ect.) that I could get in my area, and even hooked up the signal finder and fine-tuned it.

The problem though is that while I get 80-85% signal reading on the reciever, the quality level is at 0. I know other people have asked the same question, and that the problem could be a number of things, but any suggestions would be really helpful.

thanks,
oceanplexian

 

[Mr Tony]

well we need a little more info

We know the receiver model and dish size, but what LNB did you get and is a motor involved?

Where ya located (zip would be great) so we can make sure you have the righ angles

what have you tried so far?

 

[oceanplexian]

zip is 03101
the LNB says Digital LNBF on the box and the company is microelectronics technology, and it is just a single lnb
No Motor


So far, I've tried everything, including the blind scan, which always gives me "0 Transponders Found" when I scan.

I've been finding the location of the sats by using one of those online calculators, finding the location with a compass, adding 15 degrees, and then rotating the dish to that and fine tuning with an analog signal meter.

Also, I checked my lnb, and rotated it for the polarity, but that only increased the signal level, not quality.

So far, none of the sats I've pointed to have worked, and I'm sure everything is plugged into the right place.

Any ideas?

 

[sksatellite]

Don't know much about you, but you may manually enter the satellite and TP information into your receiver, and see if you can get any signal quality reading. If you can get T5 at your location, enter one of the weak or strong TP info, then starting from there.

 

[Mr Tony]

OK...your location is at 42.99N 71.46W

Does the box (or the LNB) say something like "LO 10750" or "LO 9750/10600"? That makes a difference in the setup menus

For IA5 your parameters are
elevation-34
azimuth-230 (this includes the 15 degree magnetic)
skew is +25 (LNB turned counterclockwise when you stand in front of the dish)

Another option (and this is a real close satellite) is SBS6 at 74 degrees west
parameters are
40 elevation
198 azimuth
+2 skew

There is a really strong transponder there (Ohio News Network). See if there is a frequency stored as
11742 frequency (may be 11741)
H polarity
6616 symbol rate

 

[voomvoom]

There's also a strong transponder on AMC6 @ 72.0w that's on 24/7. Lyngsat list it as the Gospel Broadcasting Network promo.
12143
Vertcal
2573

Al

 

[oceanplexian]

lnb

Well, the LNB says on the sticker on it

"High Band Single LNBF High Frequency 11.7-12.75Ghz L.O. Frequency:10.75Ghz"

My dish is a Fortec Star 1m, and like I said before, I'm using a Pansat 3500.

Still no luck, when I got SBS 6 in view (even picking it up on my analog signal meter), although the "Level" under antenna setup was 84%, I have 0% quality.

I then proceed to do a blind scan, and it says 0 transponders found.


I'm stumped...

 

[oceanplexian]

UPDATE: thumbnail pic

Here's a pic of my setup. Perhaps the window is the problem? I've tried putting it outside, but I didn't see any difference.

 

[PSB]

Please use thumbnails when posting your pictures for our members still using dial up, THANKS!

Some signals will not pass through glass, I would find and store your satellite outside THEN think about behind glass, here is some interesting reading about satellite through glass.................

http://www.selkirkshire.demon.co.uk/analoguesat/paintingdishes.html

http://www.allegiantinc.com/

 

[PSB]

To post thumbnails.....

Click on Go Advanced....

Then Manage Attachments.....

You will be able to add your pictures there, THANKS again for understanding

 

[PSB]

At an elevation of 35º you can see by the below picture you will be missing half the signal on your dish, I would put the dish as low as it can go, even inverted (upside down) may be the way to go as in the above link!




Here are ALL the angles to the satellites from your location......

                     Manchester, NH 03101
         Latitude 42° 59.574'N Longitude 71° 27.798'W

                       Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
--------------------------------------------------------------
                               
                       Amos 1/2    4.0W 105.8 122.2  7.7 -44.7
                               
                Atlantic Bird 3    5.0W 106.5 122.9  8.4 -44.5
                               
                Nilesat 101/102    7.0W 108.0 124.4  9.8 -44.1
                               
     Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2    8.0W 108.8 125.2 10.5 -43.8
                               
                     Express A3   11.0W 111.1 127.5 12.6 -43.0
                               
                     Telstar 12   15.0W 114.3 130.7 15.5 -41.8
                               
                   Intelsat 901   18.0W 116.8 133.2 17.5 -40.8
                               
                          NSS 7   22.0W 120.2 136.6 20.2 -39.2
                               
                   Intelsat 905   24.5W 122.5 138.8 21.9 -38.1
                               
                   Intelsat 907   27.5W 125.3 141.6 23.8 -36.7
                               
                  Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 127.7 144.0 25.4 -35.4
                               
                   Intelsat 801   31.5W 129.1 145.5 26.3 -34.6
                               
                   Intelsat 903   34.5W 132.2 148.5 28.1 -32.8
                               
                    AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 135.4 151.7 29.8 -30.9
                               
                        NSS 806   40.5W 138.7 155.0 31.4 -28.9
                               
                      Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 141.5 157.9 32.7 -27.1
                               
                         Pas 1R   45.0W 143.9 160.2 33.7 -25.5
                               
                   Intelsat 705   50.0W 150.0 166.4 35.9 -21.4
                               
                   Intelsat 707   53.0W 153.9 170.3 37.0 -18.8
                               
                   Intelsat 805   55.5W 157.2 173.6 37.8 -16.4
                               
                          Pas 9   58.0W 160.7 177.0 38.5 -14.0
                               
                       Amazonas   61.0W 164.8 181.2 39.3 -11.0
                               
                     EchoStar 3   61.5W 165.6 181.9 39.4 -10.5
                               
                      Rainbow 1   61.5W 165.6 181.9 39.4 -10.5
                               
               Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 167.7 184.1 39.7  -9.0
                               
                   Brasilsat B2   65.0W 170.6 186.9 40.0  -6.9
                               
                   Brasilsat B1   70.0W 177.9 194.2 40.4  -1.6
                               
                       Nahuel 1   71.8W 180.5 196.9 40.4   0.4
                               
                      DirecTV 1   72.5W 181.5 197.9 40.4   1.1
                               
                          AMC 6   72.0W 180.8 197.1 40.4   0.6
                               
                          SBS 6   74.0W 183.7 200.1 40.3   2.7
                               
                     Echostar 4   77.0W 188.1 204.5 40.1   5.9
                               
                          AMC 5   79.0W 191.0 207.3 39.8   8.0
                               
                      Nimiq 2/3   82.0W 195.3 211.6 39.3  11.1
                               
                          AMC-9   83.0W 196.7 213.0 39.0  12.1
                               
                   Brasilsat B3   84.0W 198.1 214.4 38.8  13.1
                               
                          AMC 2   85.0W 199.4 215.8 38.5  14.1
                               
                          AMC 3   87.0W 202.2 218.5 38.0  16.0
                               
                           IA-8   89.0W 204.9 221.2 37.3  17.9
                               
                      Galaxy 11   91.0W 207.5 223.9 36.6  19.7
                               
                     Nimiq 1/4i   91.0W 207.5 223.9 36.6  19.7
                               
                   Brasilsat B4   92.0W 208.8 225.1 36.2  20.6
                               
                      Telstar 6   93.0W 210.1 226.4 35.8  21.5
                               
                      Galaxy 3C   95.0W 212.6 228.9 35.0  23.2
                               
                      Telstar 5   97.0W 215.0 231.4 34.1  24.8
                               
                      Galaxy 4R   99.0W 217.4 233.8 33.2  26.4
                               
                     Spaceway 2   99.2W 217.6 234.0 33.1  26.5
                               
                DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 219.7 236.1 32.2  27.9
                               
                          AMC 4  101.0W 219.7 236.1 32.2  27.9
                               
                     Spaceway 1  103.0W 222.0 238.3 31.1  29.3
                               
                          AMC 1  103.0W 222.0 238.3 31.1  29.3
                               
                         AMC 15  105.0W 224.2 240.5 30.0  30.7
                               
                      Anik F1/R  107.3W 226.6 243.0 28.7  32.1
                               
                      DirecTV 5  109.5W 228.9 245.3 27.5  33.5
                               
                EchoStar 6/8/10  110.0W 229.4 245.8 27.2  33.8
                               
                        Anik F2  111.1W 230.5 246.9 26.5  34.4
                               
                  Solidaridad 2  113.0W 232.4 248.8 25.3  35.4
                               
                       SatMex 5  116.8W 236.0 252.4 22.9  37.3
                               
                     DirecTV 7s  119.0W 238.0 254.4 21.5  38.4
                               
                     EchoStar 7  119.0W 238.0 254.4 21.5  38.4
                               
          EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 239.8 256.2 20.2  39.2
                               
                     Galaxy 10R  123.0W 241.6 257.9 18.8  40.0
                               
                      Galaxy 14  125.0W 243.3 259.6 17.5  40.8
                               
                  Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 244.9 261.3 16.1  41.5
                               
 Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 246.5 262.9 14.7  42.1
                               
                         AMC 11  131.0W 248.1 264.5 13.3  42.8
                               
                   Galaxy 1R/15  133.0W 249.7 266.1 11.9  43.3
                               
                         AMC 10  135.0W 251.3 267.6 10.5  43.8
                               
                          AMC 7  137.0W 252.8 269.1  9.0  44.3
                               
                          AMC 8  139.0W 254.3 270.6  7.6  44.7
                               
                   EchoStar 1/2  148.0W 260.7 277.1  1.1  46.2

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

 

[digiblur]

Putting it upside down still doesn't change the fact of the elevation of the satellite though.

 

[Mr Tony]

no but in some cases (especially with low elevations) it does work. I did it with a dish for 148 since it was too low for the dish to go (elevation only went to 20 and I needed 16)

 

[PSB]

Putting it upside down still doesn't change the fact of the elevation of the satellite though.

And if you look at the diagram in the 2nd link I posted it means the dish can go closer to the window ensuring ALL of the dish is illuminated.

If its a real steep elevation its the only way it will work through a window.

Sometimes the glass has to be removed and replaced with plastic glass!

 

[oceanplexian]

well....still trouble.

I've tried lowering the angle, and realized it was a big mistake for me to have the dish too high. I've also learned about polarization, and tilted the lnb for each satellite I've tried aiming at. No luck. My chirping ultrasat 950-2400mhz seems to find the satellite just fine,and signal level is near 87% on the pansat installation screen (the highest I've seen yet)

Still though, no quality. Perhaps I'm in the wrong screen or something, in antenna setup, I've not seen quality go up even 1% after days of aiming and selecting satellites.
Maybe I need to have some super accurate less than a degree aiming or something, because I can't get that quality meter up, no matter how dead on I believe I've got the satellite.

I have a feeling I must've gotten something fundamentally wrong, like having something on the wrong way, though everything is plugged in right, and I'm using nice gold plated connectors for everything.

I think my LNB is set up right as the default standard 10750. I even flashed my reciever to the newest firmware just recently, but that's not the problem, as downgrading it to the lower one produces the same results....

Well, if there is anything I can look at, or give information on, just ask...I have a feeling I'll need to pay a professional installer ...because I just don't get it....

Well, thanks for the help, I certainly learned a lot from this thread so far, and if you have any more advice it's greatly appreciated.

 

[PSB]

Still indoors? Signal strength means nothing, not even worth mentioning or paying ANY attention to. Its only signal QUALITY that matters. If you are not getting quality it does not mean you are not on a satellite, maybe just a wrong setting. Thats why Blind Scan is a great help, move the dish a mm BLIND SCAN. Move it another mm Blind Scan. Sometimes its much faster that way!

Still think you should try outdoors or with the window open to start with.

 

[oceanplexian]

Well, I'm in an apartment, so no outdoors for me, although I've had the window open. Also, From where I am, I am up high on the third floor with a great view of the southern and western skies. So all should be ok.

A quick question about blind scan-

When I choose blind scan on the reciever, it wants me to pick a satellite. When I have no satellites programmed to be active, it says SAT-81. So, when I do a blind scan, is it scanning for any satellite I happen to be pointing it at?

 

[PSB]

The height you are at does not help, I install MANY systems at ground level, my own BUD is on the ground. With the satellites being so high in the sky 22,500miles a few feet or a mile makes no difference.

Most of the problems I have had with installations have not been whats been in front of the dish (obstacles) its whats above or overhanging the dish. In your case the whole roof, you will need to make sure you are as close to the window as you can be to ensure the whole dish is in use.

Does not matter what satellite you choose to blind scan, but would be best to use the name of the satellite you are looking for as some other satellites may be set for C band or for differing LNB's.....

C Band Freq. have 4 digits.
KU Band Freq. have 5 digits.

 

[oceanplexian]

This is incredible!! It picked up a signal!! SBS 6!! It picked up some channels-
Sure, it's all encrypted, and I can't watch anything...and my signal quality is 30% but I'm excited...It means my stuff isn't faulty......

The transponder is 12296 H

I've adjusted azimuth and altitude, and 30% is as high as it'll get...now I have to work on eliminating obstructions, putting it lower below the window, and getting rid of that metal bug catching screen.......
Can't find it on lyngsat....but whatever....I'm on my way to FTA TV!

 

[PSB]

Mark the elevation and the pole then you will always be able to get back to this satellite, try rotating the LNBF in its holder slightly to see if it give you any better signal quality (skew)
Screen will be blocking half the signal!