ViewSat (DirecTv Dish) - New to FTA

[MPKidder]

Argggh, I hope I'm not overwhelming myself I got a (new) ViewSat Receiver and soon I will get a Ku dish (this is what I bought on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5873724198&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1 I hope it's a good dish!

Anyways, I have DirecTV (still have the service). I took off the cable from the DirecTV receiver and plugged it in the ViewSat (I know I won't get much but I wanted to test.) Well I didn't get ANYTHING! The satellites are preprogrammed and when I looked through them, the blue bar (I'm assuming it's a signal bar) was jumping up and down here and there. When I got to the EchoStar Satellites, the bar turned Yellow (orangey), I thought I found something, I did a channel scan (took a while) but no TV or Radio stations. What could be up? Thanks

 

[PSB]

Welcome to the SatelliteGuys.US FTA forum!

You will not get ANYTHING FTA on the DirecTV satellites, they do not use the MPEG2 format.

You would have to move your dish to one of the below to get a FEW FTA TV and radio channels until you get your KU dish

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=34131

If using a regular DirecTV LNB then you would also have to set the L.O. to 11250 in the antenna set up screen.

 

[MPKidder]

"Welcome to the SatelliteGuys" - THANKS! And thanks for the reply, I just wanted to make sure (my stuff was OK)...also, anyone know about the ViewSat, what color is good (blue or yellow) when it's looking at satellies? Also, how (or where) cna I find my true South (02125)? I have already for my lat., etc. I saved some info (I found on the web) of my area.

 

[PSB]

Your true south satellite is at the same location as your longitude, AMC 6 @ 72.0W would be close, if you have USALS any satellite at the top of the your arc will work. Just enter your Lat. and Long. in USALS. After entering a LIVE TP./Channel point the dish watching for signal Quality only.

                     Dorchester, MA 02125
          Latitude 42° 18.918'N Longitude 71° 3.714'W

                       Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
--------------------------------------------------------------
           Thor 2/3 Intelsat 10    1.0W 103.7 120.0  6.0 -45.9
                               
                       Amos 1/2    4.0W 105.9 122.1  8.1 -45.3
                               
                Atlantic Bird 3    5.0W 106.6 122.9  8.9 -45.1
                               
                Nilesat 101/102    7.0W 108.1 124.4 10.3 -44.6
                               
     Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2    8.0W 108.9 125.1 11.0 -44.4
                               
                     Express A3   11.0W 111.2 127.4 13.2 -43.6
                               
                     Telstar 12   15.0W 114.4 130.6 16.0 -42.3
                               
                   Intelsat 901   18.0W 116.8 133.1 18.1 -41.3
                               
                          NSS 7   22.0W 120.3 136.5 20.9 -39.7
                               
                   Intelsat 905   24.5W 122.5 138.8 22.5 -38.6
                               
                   Intelsat 907   27.5W 125.3 141.5 24.5 -37.1
                               
                  Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 127.7 143.9 26.1 -35.8
                               
                   Intelsat 801   31.5W 129.2 145.4 27.0 -35.0
                               
                   Intelsat 903   34.5W 132.2 148.5 28.8 -33.2
                               
                    AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 135.4 151.7 30.6 -31.3
                               
                        NSS 806   40.5W 138.7 155.0 32.2 -29.2
                               
                      Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 141.6 157.9 33.5 -27.3
                               
                         Pas 1R   45.0W 144.0 160.2 34.5 -25.8
                               
                   Intelsat 705   50.0W 150.2 166.5 36.7 -21.5
                               
                   Intelsat 707   53.0W 154.2 170.4 37.8 -18.8
                               
                   Intelsat 805   55.5W 157.5 173.8 38.6 -16.4
                               
                          Pas 9   58.0W 161.0 177.2 39.4 -13.9
                               
                       Amazonas   61.0W 165.2 181.5 40.1 -10.9
                               
                     EchoStar 3   61.5W 166.0 182.2 40.2 -10.3
                               
                      Rainbow 1   61.5W 166.0 182.2 40.2 -10.3
                               
               Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 168.1 184.4 40.5  -8.8
                               
                   Brasilsat B2   65.0W 171.0 187.3 40.8  -6.6
                               
                   Brasilsat B1   70.0W 178.4 194.7 41.1  -1.2
                               
                       Nahuel 1   71.8W 181.1 197.3 41.1   0.8
                               
                      DirecTV 1   72.5W 182.1 198.4 41.1   1.6
                               
                          AMC 6   72.0W 181.4 197.6 41.1   1.0
                               
                          SBS 6   74.0W 184.4 200.6 41.1   3.2
                               
                     Echostar 4   77.0W 188.8 205.0 40.8   6.5
                               
                          AMC 5   79.0W 191.7 207.9 40.5   8.6
                               
                        Nimiq 2   82.0W 196.0 212.3 39.9  11.8
                               
                          AMC-9   83.0W 197.4 213.7 39.7  12.8
                               
                   Brasilsat B3   84.0W 198.8 215.1 39.4  13.8
                               
                          AMC 2   85.0W 200.2 216.5 39.1  14.8
                               
                          AMC 3   87.0W 203.0 219.2 38.5  16.8
                               
                           IA-8   89.0W 205.7 221.9 37.8  18.7
                               
                      Galaxy 11   91.0W 208.3 224.6 37.1  20.5
                               
                      Nimiq 1/3   91.0W 208.3 224.6 37.1  20.5
                               
                   Brasilsat B4   92.0W 209.6 225.9 36.7  21.4
                               
                      Telstar 6   93.0W 210.9 227.1 36.3  22.3
                               
                      Galaxy 3C   95.0W 213.4 229.6 35.4  24.0
                               
                      Telstar 5   97.0W 215.8 232.1 34.5  25.7
                               
                      Galaxy 4R   99.0W 218.2 234.5 33.5  27.2
                               
                     Spaceway 2   99.2W 218.5 234.7 33.4  27.4
                               
                DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 220.5 236.8 32.5  28.7
                               
                          AMC 4  101.0W 220.5 236.8 32.5  28.7
                               
                     Spaceway 1  102.0W 221.7 237.9 32.0  29.5
                               
                          AMC 1  103.0W 222.8 239.0 31.5  30.2
                               
                         AMC 15  105.0W 225.0 241.2 30.3  31.5
                               
                      Anik F1/R  107.3W 227.4 243.7 29.0  33.0
                               
                      DirecTV 5  109.5W 229.7 245.9 27.7  34.3
                               
                     EchoStar 6  110.0W 230.2 246.4 27.4  34.6
                               
                     EchoStar 8  110.0W 230.2 246.4 27.4  34.6
                               
                        Anik F2  111.1W 231.3 247.5 26.7  35.2
                               
                  Solidaridad 2  113.0W 233.2 249.4 25.5  36.3
                               
                       SatMex 5  116.8W 236.7 253.0 23.1  38.2
                               
                     DirecTV 7s  119.0W 238.7 255.0 21.6  39.2
                               
                     EchoStar 7  119.0W 238.7 255.0 21.6  39.2
                               
          EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 240.5 256.7 20.3  40.1
                               
                     Galaxy 10R  123.0W 242.2 258.4 18.9  40.9
                               
                      Galaxy 14  125.0W 243.9 260.1 17.5  41.6
                               
                  Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 245.5 261.8 16.1  42.3
                               
 Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 247.1 263.4 14.7  42.9
                               
                         AMC 11  131.0W 248.7 265.0 13.3  43.6
                               
                   Galaxy 1R/15  133.0W 250.3 266.5 11.8  44.1
                               
                         AMC 10  135.0W 251.8 268.0 10.4  44.6
                               
                          AMC 7  137.0W 253.3 269.5  9.0  45.1
                               
                          AMC 8  139.0W 254.7 271.0  7.5  45.5
                               
                     EchoStar 1  148.0W 261.1 277.4  0.9  46.9
                               
                     EchoStar 2  148.0W 261.1 277.4  0.9  46.9

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

 

[Mr Tony]

blue means nothing
yellow means a lock on a signal

its signal QUALITY you need, not just signal strength

 

[MPKidder]

31inch Dish (Boston)

(Follow UP: http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=59802)

Hi all. Well I got the (ku) dish. I think I will have a professional install it but I have been trying to do some tests for the past couple of days and I still can't get a signal. (I have the ViewSat receiver). I have been following instructions from http://sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/Satellite-Heading-Calculator.htm#NOTE I have been picking a satellite for example, adjust the elevation and skew the LNB according to the web site. (The main pole is straight.) I turn the receiver to the satellite I'm trying to find, and I move the dish SLOWLY (left to right) and it's not picking up anything. I did call an installer and he said that I should have at least a 36inch dish (not 31). The dish seems fine, I wonder in the LNB is not working right?!? Any help? Thanks!

 

[PSB]

Merged both threads!

Good idea to keep all your posts together. You will get more help that way and its easier to follow your progress.

The LNBF is always the first thing to get blamed and 99% of the time there nothing wrong with it.

The dish size is not the problem right now, some KU signals are VERY strong!

 

[MPKidder]

Hobby (Madness)

OK, maybe tomorrow I'll play around with this again. You would think it might be simple, put dish on straight pole, adjust elevation on dish, turn LNB according to chart, turn dish left to right (vide-versa) to find a signal. It seems much harder (hehe).

Here are some interesting definitions: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci838808,00.html

 

[ken2400]

A in-line SF-95 signal meter can help a LOT. The sponsors sell them and are well worth the $$$$.

(Follow UP: http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=59802)

Hi all. Well I got the (ku) dish. I think I will have a professional install it but I have been trying to do some tests for the past couple of days and I still can't get a signal. (I have the ViewSat receiver). I have been following instructions from http://sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/Satellite-Heading-Calculator.htm#NOTE I have been picking a satellite for example, adjust the elevation and skew the LNB according to the web site. (The main pole is straight.) I turn the receiver to the satellite I'm trying to find, and I move the dish SLOWLY (left to right) and it's not picking up anything. I did call an installer and he said that I should have at least a 36inch dish (not 31). The dish seems fine, I wonder in the LNB is not working right?!? Any help? Thanks!

 

[Mr Tony]

one thing to remember is KU is much harder to pick up than DBS.

You have to get ti in the vicinity, then move it 1/4" and WAIT 5 seconds for the receiver to acknowledge it...then repeat if need be

 

[MPKidder]

Galaxy 10R (Boston)

Hi. Yes, I just purchased a SIGNAL TESTER (Thanks), it should come towards the end of the week. I think my problem might be my neighborhood, I live on the second floor but I might have a pro install the dish on the third floor (it's a three floor house). I might be able to get Intelsat Americas 5 (elevation seems to be good). I'd like to get Galaxy 10R but the elevation is SO SMALL, it's like pointing the dish at my neighbor's house (not the sky). Does anyone from the Boston area get Galaxy 10R? Thanks

(I'll probably play around with the dish next weekend, whenever I get the tester.)

 

[Mr Tony]

the thing to remember is the dish is at a 22 degree offset. So the arm may look like its aimed at a tree, a house, etc but the signal comes in fine.

Here in MN, the elvation for Hispasat 1C (30 degrees west) is about 10 degrees and I can get it. Unless there is a huge obstruction, you should be able to get G10