Wanting to get into FTA

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baddude

Well-Known SatelliteGuys Member
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Oct 2, 2005
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Have a 36in dish setup on a motor. Should be able to hit all Sats on both arcs. EA and WA. Have a Invacom Quad Polar LNB. What is the best receiver to get and should I use a diff lnb. Wanting the best setup here and something that isn't really hard to setup. I am a dish network installer so I know a little about this but don't know much about the other Sats and bands up there. Thanks to all input here.
 
Your setup should work well for Ku-band! Besides PC-based cards or USB devices, popular receivers here include the microHD, X2, and the AZ Box. The new Amiko Nano also looks good. Openbox models s9 or later are also pretty good, but no support and tons of clones that sometimes brick up. The biggest thing is to look for DVB-S2 and 8PSK capable pieces of hardware to view most of what's up there :)

It's Sunday, so tons of football feeds up right now on Ku-band!
 
What you have sounds like a pretty good start. :up
And your experiences as installer will be helpful. (Especially Ka for DirecTV).
But setting up a motor/receiver are still challenging.
Tolerances (plumb mast, for instance) are critical.
Ku FTA birds are 2 degrees apart, not the 9 you are used to.
.
Don't kill yourself trying to make your first motor install on a ladder/roof.
Start out with a wall or pole mount close to the ground, and set up the receiver/monitor beside it.
Also, don't try to use any computerized solution on your first; too many extra variables.
Start out with a stand-alone receiver.
Once you get the hang of it, I have no doubt you'll be able to put one anywhere. ;) :up
.
?edit: around here somewhere, we have a guide to help you.
?.
 
I have the dish and motor on a plumb pole mount. Took my Sat Buddy meter and set the dish up and I can hit a lot of the Sats according to my meter. Only have a coolsat rcvr so it don't do well with motor or blind scans. That why I wanted to know which rcvr was the best to get to use with this setup.
 
What you have sounds like a pretty good start. :up And your experiences as installer will be helpful. (Especially Ka for DirecTV). But setting up a motor/receiver are still challenging. Tolerances (plumb mast, for instance) are critical. Ku FTA birds are 2 degrees apart, not the 9 you are used to. . Don't kill yourself trying to make your first motor install on a ladder/roof. Start out with a wall or pole mount close to the ground, and set up the receiver/monitor beside it. Also, don't try to use any computerized solution on your first; too many extra variables. Start out with a stand-alone receiver. Once you get the hang of it, I have no doubt you'll be able to put one anywhere. ;) :up . ?edit: around here somewhere, we have a guide to help you. ?.

You said Ka for DirecTV. What is available there.
 
I think it's the 7000 model. I hooked it up to the motor but didn't work well. Don't think it have stock firmware on it tho.
 
I don't know much about the CS 7000, but I am pretty sure it is a different animal than the CS4, 5 and 6K models. Don't ever remember hearing that it had motor control issues, but it may, especially with firmware that didn't have motor control as a priority.. Were you using USALs or Diseqc to move?

Any of the STBs mentioned in post #2 would serve you, they are all DVB-S2 capable and will control your motor.
 
I don't know much about the CS 7000, but I am pretty sure it is a different animal than the CS4, 5 and 6K models. Don't ever remember hearing that it had motor control issues, but it may, especially with firmware that didn't have motor control as a priority.. Were you using USALs or Diseqc to move? Any of the STBs mentioned in post #2 would serve you, they are all DVB-S2 capable and will control your motor.

I just hooked this thing back up. Going to play with it a but. 7000 isn't much diff than the 6000. Only diff I know of is pvr controls. Can hook a external hd to it for recording. What is best. Usals or Diseqc?
 
USALS is the way to go, no question. I have the CS7000 and it is so nice for dish orientation due to its large orange tuning bar you can see even in bright sunlight. I will never get rid of my CS7000 for this reason but I prefer to use my Openbox S9 or microHD for actual watching of TV. I also used the CS7000 without problems with my DG-2100 motor before I changed over to the S9.
 
This lnb has C and L outputs on it. What should I set my lnb setting to on the rcvr for each.
 
Use the L(inear) output. Local oscillator frequency is 10750 MHz. Receive output of LNB for L port is 11700~12200 MHz The C(ircular) output is only for receiving from the subscription satellites. Spec sheet attached.
 

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Can't edit above post for some reason. I wanted to clarify that receive frequency range of L port is 11700~12200 MHz and C port is 12200~12700 MHz, but LO output is 950~1450 MHz for each as shown on attached sheet.
 
Ok still working with it. Took my sat buddy to the dish. I can hit all circular Sats. Directv dish and bell. So I assume I have it setup correctly as I'm hitting both arcs.
 
Thanks. What should I set the lnb as in rcvr setting. Set it as universal, single or ocs
 
Circular satellites have larger signal output. They are easier to receive. FTA satellites have weaker signals. But you must be pretty much on the arc if you are receiving multiple circular satellites. When you say "both arcs", I assume you mean the arc to your west and the other half to your east? Use a Single setting.
 
Thanks. What should I set the lnb as in rcvr setting. Set it as universal, single or ocs

Set it as standard. lo frequency 10750. If my memory serves me correctly, the ocs setting is for dishpro lnbs. Also when you have a motorized dish you have to set it up on your true south satellite (the orbital location closest to your longitude). On linear satellites you have be sure that your lnb is set at zero skew at true south. As stated earlier the circular satellites are much stronger so you can pick them up with a poorly aimed dish, but linear signals are not so forgiving.
 
Receiver? I'd go with a Geosat Pro Micro HD if I were you as that one has been around long enough that "most" of the bugs have been found and fixed. While the X2, Nano and several others are cheaper, they haven't been around long enough to be what I call "reliable" equipment. Example, I got a new X2 receiver a couple of weeks ago and have yet to get the Diseq1.2 function to move my dish. That seller has stated that he's going to have the factory send me another one but I haven't heard anything from him in a week now. So IMHO you're better off with a proven receiver than a new one that's too new to know.

That Geosat Pro Micro HD can be found on fleabay for around $100 shipped.
 
Does anyone have a current channel list that I can load onto my coolsat. This might make it easier for me. I can't get it to lock onto anything from the rcvr. But I went out to dish with my sat buddy and tuned the motor to sat 97w and then did blind scan and I got like 500 chains but a lot are double. Load a chan list to this rcvr may make it easier for me. If u have one plz post it. Thanks
 
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