36" X 38" Primestar problem

[PipeDream]

Finally got around to putting up a fixed Primestar dish and have it pointing at AMC 4. Focused in on the People's Network showing NASA with 98-99% Quality on my old Fortec Lifetime. Added TP's for KUIL Fox and WVGN NBC and could only get KUIL at 99% Quality. Later today I turned to KUIL and was now getting breakups/freezing at 99% Signal Quality. Now it is gone.

Checked downstairs where I have a motorized 30" dish and Fortec Ultra and KUIL is kicking at 99%. Didn't have any freezing earlier with this setup either.
NASA showing 70% Quality. Can't get WVGN here and that's why I put up the big ol' fixed Primestar dish...hoping to get it.

Odd looking LNB on the Primestar and the single coax from the Lifetime goes straight to a 22KHz switch and the H/V LNBs. Lifetime 22KHz setting must be "Off" for switch to work. Odd.

Anything look questionable about this setup or LNB?

 

[rkrenicki]

well, it sounds like you are using the 22khz switch to change polarities.. depending on which polarity is connected to which outlet, and what polarity you wish to watch, you would turn the 22khz on or off for H or V respectively..

Say you have the Vertical polarity to 0khz, and Horizontal to 22khz, then when you want to watch something on a V TP, then it would be off, and H would be on...

Besides that, I didnt know that Primestar used round dishes.. learn something new every day.. I thought they had all elipticals like the 75e or 84e

 

[PipeDream]

That's what I find odd. With the 22KHz switch turned "Off," I get both V and H polarities. With the setting "On," I only get one.

After sleeping on it, I'm thinking maybe it's the LNB. This thing has a thick black heavy plastic cap on it with 3 small holes in it (For the signals to pass, I guess). Not sure how old this dish/LNB is...or what it was used to get. Maybe this old LNB is freq. specific or just crappy.

 

[rkrenicki]

sounds to me like a bad 22k switch then.. if you get both V and H at the same time.. unless that is a voltage switch, and not a 22k..

The dish would have been used on the old Primestar service, this must have been for fringe areas, due to the increased size of the dish...

 

[PipeDream]

With Primestar LNB the 22KHz switches between H & V just fine on the "Off"
setting. With this LNB I receive a big list of channels when doing an "All" satellite scan. Quite a few free ones. Just not WVGN, and now, KUIL.

Quit raining today so I switched LNBs. Put on my old Fortecstar Universal LNB (No switch needed), changed settings (Universal 1 is only one that will work) and did an "All" scan. Only receive 3 channels total. KUIL, TV English, and TV Latin. No Peoples Network, Service 1, etc.

Geeze, what a mess!
With Primestar LNB, on Peoples Network, high 90% Signal Quality.
With Fortecstar LNB, on KUIL, high 90% Signal Quality.
And still, WVGN nowhere around my St. Louis location.

All I can think of now is wacked out LNBs.
Not one, but two.

 

[PipeDream]

After much trouble with that big Primestar dish, even attached my known good working standard lnb with even worse results, I'm dumping it. Not sure what is wrong with it, doesn't look warped or anything, maybe an unusal lnb focal point or something. Anyhow, put up a regular Primestar dish and all is well...well almost, still can't get WVGN, but everything else seems to be there.