Weak Signal lately on AMC-1 103W?

[jsattv]

In the last 4 days or so I have been receiving only a 10 to 12% Q signal on the Pentagon Channel - 12100 (AMC-1) on 103.0W. It's also dropping right out or pixellizing at times. Even ONN on 74.0W (which I had previously thought was a lot harder to get than AMC-1), - is coming in a lot stronger here in Winnipeg. Is anyone else having problems with AMC-1 Pentagon Channel on 12100?

 

[voomvoom]

I'm getting a 59-61% on my Pansat 3500s receiver. Don't know if that's lower than normal, cause I don't often pay attention to signal strength, unless someone ask. But, it's more than enough signal for my location in mid-Georgia.

Al

 

[jsattv]

Thanks voomvoom, from looking up the LyngSat Footprint for AMC-1, I'm about in the range between 38 to 39 range re Canada? If you are in Georgia, looks like your in around 39 - 40? Wonder if my being in the 38 to 39 range is part of the problem?

 

[turbosat]

Tracking ?? Im in central AL getting 73/73 on an Ultra. Pentagon ch has always been one of the strongest ones on mine. Im using a 5'dish though, prob helps.

 

[Mr Tony]

AMC1 has an oddball skew (its 25 degrees OPPOSITE the normal) so it can be tricky to get. Pentagon I get at 69 on the Coolsat (63 is threshold)

ONN was (as of Friday) back to max signal power.

 

[jsattv]

AMC1 has an oddball skew (its 25 degrees OPPOSITE the normal) so it can be tricky to get. Pentagon I get at 69 on the Coolsat (63 is threshold)

ONN was (as of Friday) back to max signal power.

Thanks for the info. IceBerg, with my 1 meter dish & motor I think there is nothing I can do about the Skew for AMC1?? So I guess its back up on the roof - likely this time with the TV and Receiver to try and bring it in better, since I noticed ONN was not so good as well yesterday??

Also as of today 11966 on 97.0W (Russia Today), was at max 48 - 50% Q, so it hasn't changed much.

 

[Mr Tony]

ONN is wacky and fluxuates greatly

Sadly the only ways to get it better are fixed dish at AMC1 or if you have a big dish, you can skew it with the receiver (big dishes use a polorotor for skewing which can be done inside on the receiver)

 

[VinceT3]

I've been aligning my dish and i was seeing roughly 70% qual.. one or two TP's in the upper 80's lower 90's..

 

[jsattv]

ONN is wacky and fluxuates greatly

Sadly the only ways to get it better are fixed dish at AMC1 or if you have a big dish, you can skew it with the receiver (big dishes use a polorotor for skewing which can be done inside on the receiver)

Thanks, for the reply IceBerg. Then for receiving AMC1, how big a dish do you mean? That is, - bigger than 1 meter, or 1.2 meter, or a 7 to 10 foot dish? And what is a polorotor?

 

[Mr Tony]

no. All I meant was a fixed dish at AMC1 so you can manually skew the LNBF. I use to have a 30" dish fixed at AMC1

What I meant with the bigger dishes (C-Band) is most of them use a LNB. The older LNB's only had one "notch" for polarity so the analog box would have to change polarity. The polorotor is what moves the skew "notch" in the LNB. Since that can be controlled from the receiver it can be adjusted on each satellite for optimum signal.

On my 6 foot dish I use a LNB for AMC1 (C-band). The notch I manually set (sticking a screwdriver into it and moving the notch) and I only get H polarity on that one. If I wanted vertical, I would manually skew the notch 90 degrees

 

[Mr Tony]

Here are a couple pictures to illustrate

1st is the inside of the LNB. Note the one notch for skew. LNBF's have another one at 90 degrees off that. That notch turns depending on the skew of a channel
2nd is the LNB. Note the 3 wires and the black box. The 3 wires get hooked to the receiver and the box sends a signal and that little black box turns the notch inside to the right skew