Back to the Basics - Please Help!

[voomvoom]

Fred, I don't know what the 26 positions are, as I've never used the 1.2, I always use the USALS. They may something on the other side of the world for all I know. Iceberg or PSB can probably tell us. And I need to learn how to use the Channel Master tool also, something else I've never tried. If we would learn how to use the Channel Master tool, we could look and see, I guess?

Al

 

[linuxman]

I think you make an excellent point.

We'll learn together.

I've never flashed a Satellite Receiver until today. I've flash hundreds of PC Bios' and I have held my breath on every one of them. I almost passed out today hoping nothhing would go wrong. I am sure glad I did. This Pansat is acting like I thought they should.

Fred

 

[voomvoom]

I used an SD card when I 1st got the Pansat and gave it a factory update. For some reason it was easy. I have since done a factory reset and it went back to it's original settings. I tried to use the SD card with/for arranging the channels on the PC and back, but couldn't get it to work. I could get the channels on the SD card and into the PC, and it took awhile, but I finally got it to rearrange things as I wanted, and then I couldn't get it to load back onto the SD card. I gave up at the time and haven't fooled with it since. That was probably more than a year ago. My biggest reason for not doing anything with the serial cable is not wanting to take the Pansat out of the rack it sets in. Everytime I think about it, I look at it and look at it, and then, to heck with that. My PC is not in the same room.

Al

 

[linuxman]

Al, I used the SD card, and it was pretty easy.

I think the channel loading should be just as easy. Probably not for someone who doesn't use the PC at the file level, because that is what you are actually doing inside the Pansat. Just selecting a file and having it loaded. The hard part is navigating the file hierarchy.

Fred

 

[linuxman]

I am having a problem with skew/polarity which I indicated in the G-15 Confused thread.

I have the Co-Rotor II lined up using the template that it came with which puts the KU LNB at about 11:00 and the C-Band LNB about 5:00.

Is that the proper place for the Co-Rotor II to be positioned?

Thanks,

Fred

 

[voomvoom]

Fred, thats probably right. I walked out and looked at my closest BUD and it looks more like ku 10:30 - C 4:30, but mine doesn't lock in place. The servo motor could be off. One time after I replaced a servo motor, it only got one polarity on every other sat and both on every other sat. Long story short, I found the servo motor probe was to one side and I had to center it to get it to work right. There's a lot of play on those probes, seems like the travel was like 190 - 200 degrees.

Al

 

[linuxman]

Hey Al,

Well after looking at a few other satellites and channels already programmed in, I have come to the conclusion that my C-Band side and the polarity is working fine. I put my new LNB on today and am getting G4 at 99% quality right now, so the Co-Rotor can't be too far off.

At this point, I am ready to finish tweaking, get the satellites all programmed in as far as position, get the signals on each sat fine tuned, delete all the channels I have scanned in, and start scanning each satellite for real.

Then edit the channels with Channel Master, and start enjoying.

Thanks for taking a look. It is very hard to tell, just by looking at my dish because it is on the roof, and to work on it, I have to take the actuator arm loose, and swing it East onto the roof to do anything with it. Then the N/S rib is on an angle and I have to cock my head sideways to judge the positions of the LNB's. I know when I put the new C-Band LNB on today, It was almost vertical with the dish swung over like that, so it may be more of a 10:30 than an 11:00.

Fred

 

[linuxman]

Allright,

Tomorrow afternoon I am going back on the roof, and set the feedhorn so that the KU LNB is at 10:30 and the C-Band is at 4:30.

It doesn't make sense. This afternoon it was cloudy, and I was getting pretty decent reception across the arc.

Tonight it is crystal clear, wind is calm, and I get significantly lower quality signals. Something is still not quite right.

I'll find it, one way or another.

Thanks, Fred

 

[linuxman]

I got on the roof today and began tweaking the Focal length, and the F/D ratio, made sure the feed-horn was centered, and put the Ku LNB at 10:30, and the C-Band LNB at 4:30.

Right now at least the Ku seems to be booming. I am not satisfied with the C-Band LNB I bought and put on from here locally. It is an Astrotel PMJ-LNB-C 17 degree unit, and it doesn't seem to be performing very well.

I was all set to purchase a DMSI ASC-211 per PSB's recommendation here.
I got Ricks Satellite from DMSI's website because they are here in Missouri, and called them to place an order. Rick told me that DMSI didn't sell that model any longer, and he hadn't gotten the BSC model in yet. What he did have in stock was a Chaparral 20K - 11-7100-1 C-Band LNB. He said in his field experience of several this Chaparral which is rated at 20K outperforms most of the 17K LNB's on the market including the ASC-211, until you get into the Norsat's and other much more expensive LNBs. I know the L.O. specs are + or - 2.5Mhz but I am taking him at his word and going to give it a shot. He gave me a money back guarantee, that I would be completely satisfied. He said this LNB works great with 4DTV and DVB Digital signals, even though Motorola recommends a 17K or lower LNB. I know this goes against the grain about what everyone here says that you should have a L.O. stability of 500K. I don't have $150.00 to spend on an LNB right now, and I am getting this one shipped in for less than $50.00.

It will be here tomorrow, and I will soon find out. The Astrotel will go back tomorrow, if the Chaparral works out, and I will let you all know how the test goes.

Thanks,

Fred

 

[voomvoom]

Fred, I like Rick, I bought a Coolsat from him. Have you seen this website of his:
http://gofastmotorsports.com/

Al

 

[tdti1]

Eagle Aspen is a good lnb for the low cost ones on the market.

 

[linuxman]

Hey Al,

Yes, I spent a good bit of time on that website today. He is into a lot of things, and seemed like a real nice guy, and gave me excellent pre-sales support for a $45.00 item.

Fred

 

[linuxman]

Hi tdti1,

I bought a new Eagle Aspen KU LNB when I bought the Co-Roter II Plus and have been very happy with it. The place where I bought that LNB told me when I tried to buy a C-Band Eagle Aspen that they were no longer being made, and he only had 4 KU Eagle Aspens left.

That's how I ended up with the Astrotel.

Thanks,

Fred

 

[linuxman]

Now I have a question!

I have discovered a phenomon that I don't know whether is possible or not.

On Galaxy 11, my TS sat. I have two different positions now. One for KU and one for C-Band. They are about 2 - 3 clicks apart on the Vbox II but by fine tuning it this way, my C-band quality signal is much better, and the KU is booming. Both polarities are running about the same strength on both C and KU.

Is it possible to have KU or C-Band to need to have two different positions in order to get the best signal on the same satellite?

Fred

 

[bidaw]

If that works for you, I'd go for it! It's all about the signal baby!

 

[linuxman]

Thanks Bidaw for responding so quickly.

I thought it might be indicative of something screwy in my setup, but with KU being so picky, if the dish setup was incorrect, I don't think I would be picking up KU at all.

Fred

 

[tdti1]

Your feed may be off centre a bit, or the dish may have a warp or polar axis is off, you should have the C-band and Ku-band position in the same location if its the same satellite.

 

[linuxman]

Hi again tdti1,

I checked the dish position yesterday, and it was pretty darn close to being centered.

I think I have figured out what is happening. When I first starting lining things up with the KU side on the Pansat, I started at the center sat. I pulled in some KU TP's doing a blind scan that I think may belong to another sat at the same location. I have a few that show a welcome to a name brand provider. I even have a channel that starts out saying "Thank you for" with Sept. 10th being the day it starts.

I'll try and move the KU side to where I get the best signal on the C-Band side today and see if I get a different set of TP's.

I don't have to have separate positions on any other sats to get both C and K. So we'll see.

Thanks,

Fred

 

[linuxman]

Hi All,

For those of you still interested in this thread, I got the Chaparral LNB in, installed it, put a new connector on at the dish just to be safe. Re-measured all the distances etc. just to validate that the dish is centered and the focal distance is correct. Came back down, already had the WB East on Galaxy 11 selected because I have been getting such crappy quality there. 15 on the Pansat meter.

Plugged everything back in, turned on the Pansat, and had 95 quality on that channel for about 30 seconds, then back to the 15. The KU is doing a good job on this setup, with nice quality readings etc., just have never been able to get the C-Band to match. Called Ricks Satellite up, told him the situation, he suggested switching some things out.

I started with the DiSEqC switch becaue for me that is the easiest. If you remember back somewhere, I suspected a problem with that switch because the KU wasn't coming in properly. I changed the KU to port 4 at that time. Everything has been working since then, so I didn't think anything more about it. Just kept trying to fine tune everything. I unplugged everything again, and switched the C to port 3. Plugged it all back in, and turned on the Pansat, went into the install satellite menu, and changed G-11 to port 3. Saved it, and as soon as I saved it, the Pansat rebooted itself, and would come on, then reboot again. I quickly unplugged everything again, and called Rick back. He is next day air Saturday delivering me one.

The moral to this story is that a DiSEqC switch can be bad from the factory, and can go bad. :river

I just wish I had thought to have him send me an extra one yesterday with the LNB.

Fred

 

[Mike045]

The moral to this story is that a DiSEqC switch can be bad from the factory, and can go bad.

That has been the case for me. I have been struggling to get C, Ku linear and Ku circular to feed my PCI card via a DiSEcQ switch; the signal from Ku circular was coming OK (port 0) but the C and Ku linear feeds were sporadic. I changed my DiSEcQ switch and all is working OK now.

Mike