Using SV 8000 HD, SG2100 motor and 30" dish I am unable to lock on any satellite but Echostar 7 at 119 W. I am at longitude 84 W and latitude 34 N. I need help badly since I am almost bald from pulling my hair.
Can lock Echostar 7 only
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lnb type?
are you using a dish network lnb or is it a standard or universal ku lnb? the dish network lnb's won't work for some of the other sats. Again what lnb are you using?
are you using a dish network lnb or is it a standard or universal ku lnb? the dish network lnb's won't work for some of the other sats. Again what lnb are you using?
I can get Echostar 7 with USALS "go to sat position" from any other position and I stepped through the accessible (no obstacle) horizon but find no other Q signal.
What specific Sat are you aiming for?
If you are trying to setup for FTA Sats, you need to connect to the "L" (linear) port on the LNB AND In the Reciever Setup Menu, set the LNB Freq (L.O.) to Standard and LNB Freq to 10750. Then make sure you have a known Active Transponder selected in the Setup Menu.
If you are trying to setup for FTA Sats, you need to connect to the "L" (linear) port on the LNB AND In the Reciever Setup Menu, set the LNB Freq (L.O.) to Standard and LNB Freq to 10750. Then make sure you have a known Active Transponder selected in the Setup Menu.
In addition to what Lak said, you don't say whether you are using a switch to switch between DBS (circular 11250 LO) sats on the "C" port of the lnbf, and regular (linear 10750 LO) sats on the "L" ports of the LNB. If you are, then you need to set up the diseqC or 22KHz settings for each sat to give the appropriate switch position.
However, since you said that you're only seeing one sat and also because you haven't seen any sat but 119, I'm guessing that you are WAY off on your alignment, and you've never said what procedure you used to align the dish. Since your location is listed as "Georgia", I assume that you're longitude is somewhere around 83 deg plus or minus a couple degrees.
To align your dish, you need to first find your due south satellite. Since you haven't found that sat, then it's a pretty good bet that you're not aligned.
I would go to AMC9 on your receiver. Tell the dish to go there via USALS. Go to the transponder scan section of your receiver (I'm not familiar with that receiver), and pull up the 11.775 H / 4232 transponder. If that transponder isn't listed, then there is probably a transponder edit page where you can create that transponder. When on that transponder in the transponder scan section, look for quality readings.
I assume that you have set the LATITUDE scale on your motor to your latitude PLUS 0.6 degrees (your instructions probably say just to use your latitude). Make sure that this is set on the LATITUDE scale not the ELEVATION scale. The elevation scale should be 90 deg minus the setting on the LATITUDE side.
Your dish should be aiming pretty close to true south, not magnetic south. There are magnetic deviation calculators around that can tell you the difference between true south and magnetic south at your location, or there are charts that can tell you what time of day the sun will be at true south. If it's not aimed south, correct this by rotating the whole mount on the pole.
Now, while watching for S/Q raise and lower the dish via the dish elevation until you see a signal. Adjust for the peak signal with the dish elevation like this, and also by rotating the whole mount on the pole very slightly.
Until you have done the above, don't bother trying to find other sats such as the Echo-7 you were looking for. Once you've done the above, go to extreme western sats, find a signal, and adjust for peak reading by very slightly rotating the whole mount on the pole. This is the same as you just did, but is a more accurate adjustment. At this point, you should be done. Do NOT try to change motor or dish elevation while aimed at anything but your south satellite.
However, since you said that you're only seeing one sat and also because you haven't seen any sat but 119, I'm guessing that you are WAY off on your alignment, and you've never said what procedure you used to align the dish. Since your location is listed as "Georgia", I assume that you're longitude is somewhere around 83 deg plus or minus a couple degrees.
To align your dish, you need to first find your due south satellite. Since you haven't found that sat, then it's a pretty good bet that you're not aligned.
I would go to AMC9 on your receiver. Tell the dish to go there via USALS. Go to the transponder scan section of your receiver (I'm not familiar with that receiver), and pull up the 11.775 H / 4232 transponder. If that transponder isn't listed, then there is probably a transponder edit page where you can create that transponder. When on that transponder in the transponder scan section, look for quality readings.
I assume that you have set the LATITUDE scale on your motor to your latitude PLUS 0.6 degrees (your instructions probably say just to use your latitude). Make sure that this is set on the LATITUDE scale not the ELEVATION scale. The elevation scale should be 90 deg minus the setting on the LATITUDE side.
Your dish should be aiming pretty close to true south, not magnetic south. There are magnetic deviation calculators around that can tell you the difference between true south and magnetic south at your location, or there are charts that can tell you what time of day the sun will be at true south. If it's not aimed south, correct this by rotating the whole mount on the pole.
Now, while watching for S/Q raise and lower the dish via the dish elevation until you see a signal. Adjust for the peak signal with the dish elevation like this, and also by rotating the whole mount on the pole very slightly.
Until you have done the above, don't bother trying to find other sats such as the Echo-7 you were looking for. Once you've done the above, go to extreme western sats, find a signal, and adjust for peak reading by very slightly rotating the whole mount on the pole. This is the same as you just did, but is a more accurate adjustment. At this point, you should be done. Do NOT try to change motor or dish elevation while aimed at anything but your south satellite.
IN ADDITION
In addition to the previous posts just know that the different sats have different elevations, so you need to adjust the elevation on your dish depending on which one you're aiming it to.
In addition to the previous posts just know that the different sats have different elevations, so you need to adjust the elevation on your dish depending on which one you're aiming it to.
That would be true if he were using a fixed Az/El configuration, but his post indicated that he had an SG2100 motor, so if that is aligned properly, there is no need to touch any elevation adjustments.
Okay, I managed to find a few more sats: Galaxy 3, 4 and 12, AMC1, Echostar 7 & 8, and AM5. What was unexpected for me, a Newbie, that Echostar(s) gave me Q=100 whereas these other sats are barely noticeable. Only a blind scan into what looked like nothing revealed ultimately something but not great. It looks to me Echostar signals are many times stronger than other sats? My best find was AM5 with 250 channels but mostly non English.
Is there a sat I could get European stations? Intelsat 9 at 58 W could be one of them but that would require cutting a forest at my location.
Thanks for all the replies!
P.S. I believe my alignment is ok.
Is there a sat I could get European stations? Intelsat 9 at 58 W could be one of them but that would require cutting a forest at my location.
Thanks for all the replies!
P.S. I believe my alignment is ok.
There are 3 European news channels (Al Jazeerah English, RT English , and MHz Worldview) on 97W/Gal-19 among many other channels that give a perspective (actually more a 'slant') of what you are looking for...
200 Free to air unencripted channels and all languages; all on one satellite. You should use the RT channel as the one to get first as it is a strong Transponder:
12152, H, 20000, 3/4
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The circular polarized pay satellites, such as the Echostars, are much more powerful than the fixed service Ku-Band linear satellites such as AMC-5. That allows smaller subscriber dishes, and fewer complaints from customers about dish size. Echo 7, in particular, is an extremely powerful satellite. You probably still have to tweak dish aim a bit using a weaker, linear satellite.
Hi, the last time I scanned AMC5 (79W) I only found a couple of feeds. If you found 250 none English channels then I think you may be on G-17 at 97W.
If this is the case you either have the wrong Lat/Long entered into the receiver or your alignment is way off.
What channels do you show on TP 26 12152/H/2000 on AMC5?
Later, DC
Absolutely. As I suggested above, since he never found his true south sat, and is apparently just randomly trying to find satellites blindly, I think there is no doubt that he is WAY off alignment. I know that when you first see a signal, that it's hard for people not to abandon following the recommended alignment procedure, but it's really a waste of time to do that. I'd recommend that he wipes the receiver's memory clean and start from scratch and get the thing aligned properly, and THEN worry about channels. All this current discussion is going to produce is people telling him to put in known freqs that he's not going to find since he's not aimed at the right sats, and more confusion.
Hi BJ, I was simply trying to get the OP to verify he was on 97W by checking the TP I listed above. It is the TP that has RT and Al Jazeera on it.
Sorry if it added confusion.
Later, DC
Very accurate steps described here by B.J. You can't go wrong following the directions as detailed above.
I guess I was misunderstood when referring to “AM5” and I should have said “Intelsat AM5 97W”, that’s the identification I receive. I still believe my dish is reasonable well aligned (may be not perfect). I noticed some sats do not show an identification on my receiver? Granted, you guys know a lot more than me and I appreciate that. My experience is only a few weeks but I am learning. I know there are a few English speaking channels on AM5 97W but they aren’t European stations. Are there sats that carry European stations?
Sorry, I didn't mean YOU were adding confusion. I was agreeing with you that he was out of alignment. I meant that as long as the OP keeps trying to find channels and sats without first getting the thing aligned, all it will do is keep getting everyone confused. If he can start out by finding his closest south sat, I think everything will get straightened out quickly.
Assuming you're right about what sat he's on (although I think you meant G19), it does at least give him an idea of which direction he's out, and it looks like out on both azimuth and elevation/declination.
Oops! Didn't know that... Is Echo 7 to be replaced permanently, or moved? Trying to keep up with name changes and replacements seems to be getting harder and harder these days.
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