Aligning with a DVB card. (end of my wits)

[wizard101]

Location 45.3, -75.8
PC DBS Card Skystar 2
Dish Winegard 1m dish
Motor Stab HH-100
I need help. I have been struggling with the alignment of this dish for several weeks. Set the dish due south, choose the closet sat. to my position and attempted to align the dish. Using the small (dial indication sat finder) I was able to optimize the position for a peek signal. My problem is like others in this forum; I am not certain which satellite I am on.
Because of this the skysat2 does not pick up a signal. I need some way of identifying one satellite and transponder as a reference, then I’m sure I can fudge the others.
Guys I am at my wits end, and see my only option to buy a birddog meter to get this done before it snows. HELP

 

[lumpkin666]

If I'm understanding your issue, I'd probably take the most likely guesses for which sat you're aimed at, then go here:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/85225-i-need-strong-transponder-aim-my-dish.html

Put in the strong transponder data for each of the sats that you figure you're close to, and scan them. Once you get a channel from your scanning, refer back to lyngsat to see what satellite that channel is listed on.

 

[Anole]

As I've told many others who insist on starting out with a PCI card (or USB box), there are about 100 variables, all of which you have to get right, before you get your first picture.

Now , add a motor, and that doubles the size of the problem.

Unless you have previous experience with FTA in general, the LNBs, frequencies, etc, then you have a giant learning task ahead.

Unless you have extensive experience, knowledge, and success with the software for running such a card, your probability of mental anguish is very high.


The way I like to approach a large problem, is to break it down into manageable pieces.

1). Tell us about your LNB. Brand, model number, link to a page with it.
From that info, we can help you get the LO (local oscillator) frequency you'll need to insert into the receiver software.

2). What software are you using?
Maybe we have someone who has experience using that software and can help you.
Is there a manual, a guide, or a FAQ for that software?
Some software will still need extensive help from someone who has used it, to get you going the first time.
Depends on your FTA experience.

3) some receiver software does not run a motor by itself.
It relies on an add-on or a plug-in. That will have separate documentation.
You'd be well advised to begin without the complication of the motor.
Both mechanically and electrically.

4) if you had or could even borrow, an FTA receiver with blind scan, setting up the dish would be a lot easier.
While this is not mandatory, it would reduce the hair-pulling considerably.


I'm sure others will chime in with additional thoughts and wisdom, and I'll wait to see what you have to say before typing more.

 

[vfrjim]

After owning a 1m Winegard (DS-3100) and a Stab 100 (and 120) I would tell you that even with a DVB receiver that it is Hit or Miss that it can move the dish reliably. I actually gave up and it is a fixed dish for me on G-10R. The Winegard is a VERY heavy dish in comparison to other dishes and would not always move when I had it in a West direction and wanted to go east. I would have to go out on a ladder and lift it manually till the weight of the dish balanced on the motor. Heck, I still have a Stab 100 collecting dust.

I now use a GeosatPro 90cm and a SG2100 and it works flawlessly.


I only can imagine to get this working correctly with a DVB card, it probably would be hell.

Jim

 

[digiblur]

Aligning via a DVB card is near impossible. To be honest with you I wouldn't want to do it with a simple 18 inch dish pointed at 119 even with my experience of eyeballing the angles and what not.

It's pretty much.. move dish. Hit tune. No lock? Repeat until you get a good lock. It's not like a set top box where you can see the signal strength in real time all the time.

 

[Anole]

finding your way in the dark (sky)

....hrmmm.... about 12 miles south-west of Ottawa, eh?
maps.google.com is a heck of a resource.

I was just thinking...
The circular DBS satellites are very strong, and spaced far apart in the sky.
If you were to put a circular LNB on the dish, and search the sky with your meter, you could get those birds as major signposts.
Those hot satellites should just about blow up your meter!

There are only a few, and you'd probably get your Skystar to lock onto one, at least sufficiently to aim the dish.
If it were a BEV or Dish satellite, it would even have an unencrypted channel to confirm your aiming.

Once you knew where those were, you could then try sweeping between them to find your FTA satellites.

 

[colbec]

Many of the circular sats, both Ku and C are at extreme ends of the arc for us here on longitude 75, and might not be a lot of help. Another problem on this long is that one due south sat SBS6 does not have a lot on it to work with. Good due south sats would be AMC6 or AMC5 for me even though they are not as due south.

The major probs added with a DVB are that 1. you may be working with an out of date set of data that came with your card and software or satellites completely missing or misnamed since this card is marketed mainly in Europe, and 2. if you try to blind scan then you need to know something in advance about the expected likely values for the channels.

My suggestion, having been through this process from roughly the same point on the earth's surface, would be to use a very good sighting compass and learn to use it well. Get to the point where you can have absolute confidence in where your dish is pointed in the sky regardless of what your receiver thinks. I use 13 degrees offset for magnetic versus true here and it serves very well.

 

[wizard101]

The LNB is Invacom LNB Quadpolar QPH-031
I have used www.dishpointer.com in conjunction with a compass to perform the alignment. I agree the 13 degree offset seems correct for my latitude.
Yes, the dish is heavy, worse yet there is “slop” in the StabHH100. This equates to about 2” of LNB movement in the wind. I realize this is making a bad situation worse. I returning it for a SG2100 and hoping for better results(any comments?)

Based on your experiences I am going to give up on the DVB card for now. Rather then spend $450 on a birddog, I’m going to buy receiver. Any comments on the Pansat9200HD. The Goal is HD with DVB-S2. As I understand I will need the 8psk card for a complete solution, but this is another topic.

 

[colbec]

Sounds like your present motor is no help at all. Since you will be dismantling to return the motor why not put the dish back up with no motor, then pointed at a specific satellite and see if you can get channels manually with the SS2?

FWIW I have been able to get HD signal from AMC3 (PBS) with my SS2 at this location.

 

[wizard101]

Thanks Colbec, I'll give it a shot as I will be on the roof anyway, any thouughts on the Pansat9200HD?

 

[vfrjim]

Not that this will solve your problem but how about purchasing a SG2100 and a 90cm Geosatpro, 100% reliable for me with the QPH-031. The you can mount your 1m on your favorite sat at a fixed location.

 

[colbec]

any thouughts on the Pansat9200HD

No idea I am afraid, I have a Coolsat 6000 which has been great for stuff like alignment of dish, moving dish via motor, blind scanning and SD reception, but useless of course for HD; if I tune those channels I get an undecipherable pic and maybe some audio.