Can't find tp Freq 11842

[Dr. Pepper 6044]

Hello,

I have tried off and on without success, but on Friday, I found G19. I had most channels I want except Life&Health. Some others that I have no interest in weren't there though. I thought... 'good, maybe I can use this now'.

OOPS! My success was short lived. I left it on this am and installed some hardware on a friend's computer. Came back and found the channel still playing. When I changed the channel, I had only 2 readable channels, none of which were on 11842.

It just seems G19 is unreliable here. I always can find SES1, but there is not much I want to see on there.

I tried to post pictures on here before, but they didn't go. I'll try again with this post.

Thanks for your sympanthies.

Bill

 

[DJdish]

Hello,

When I changed the channel, I had only 2 readable channels, none of which were on 11842.

It just seems G19 is unreliable here. I always can find SES1, but there is not much I want to see on there.
Bill

That´s too bad it´s not working ok for you.

I am south of the border and have no problems with G 19 reception, and I have found no issues with tp 11842 since it became the home for the adventists channels this year. (I particularly watch Amazing Facts TV).

SES 1 @ 101w´s footprint is now not available where I am, it used to be when the bird was AMC 4. (i.e. no Bio and History Chs for me).

 

[Dr. Pepper 6044]

Hi,

I had family over yesterday and didn't do anything with the dish. Got up this am and turned it on and the programming is back. One channel with 70 signal quality. Others not so high. Nothing was done to the dish, etc. Who knows??

 

[Stargazer]

I went to do a service call up in Ohio and got their 3ABN channels in which is off of 11842 without a problem once I installed a new receiver. Picked up around 61% quality. Rotating the lnb got the channels in.

 

[T4Runner]

1/16 of an inch East or West can mean channels or nothing on 11842 ...

 

[Dr. Pepper 6044]

Hi,

DJDish, Sorry about the SES1 thing. And yes to Stargazer and T4Runner, It seems G19 and particularly 11842 is available consistently for many others.

During the past few hours, I have been trying and as the heat has changed a lot over the past few days (mid 60's to mid 90's), I remember Brian's suggestion to exchange lnbf to see if it is reacting to the heat. I re-installed the large input lnbf from WS International - NOTHING at all. I wasted a lot of time and money on them. Don't ever buy anything from them! (although they have a slightly larger dish at a lower price) The last newer lnbf from Glorystar did give me most channels, including the ones on 11842. Many of the others are not there.

T4Runner: Yes, I understand how sensitive east/west rotation is. And 1/16 inch here represents miles of distance relative to the satellite up there. These dishes don't lend themselves to that sensitive adjustment. If I loosen the rotational bolts, including the long one through the top over the mount post enough to easily pan east/west, then re-tighten them, the elevation pulls up. I either have something from G19 or nothing. The concept of finding the satellite and then tweaking has always worked for me on AMC4, but never on G19. When I pan and hit on G19, I stop at that point, and any motion at all loses the signal. The current position gives me 65 Quality on some channels and most that I get are 50 or above. Very slight elevation or rotational movement only degrades the signal quality. I may turn the receiver back on in the am when the temperature has dropped and get nothing on 11842 and some on other tp's. Is the dish warping? I don't know, but don't think so. It is new with side braces. I have posted some pictures recently and you can see the sky is clear, the house protects the dish from wind, etc. The house also protects from TI from the direction of the Air base 45 miles away.

A dedicated meter may be of help here and other dishes I want to get working in the area. The church may be willing to foot the bill for one. Stargazer seems happy with the new First Strike. Brian recommends the Super Buddy. First Strike is so new, there may not be many on the used market, and if so at this early date, there must be a reason. Super Buddys are available for about half the new price.

Thanks for all your interest and willingness to comment.

Bill

 

[Stargazer]

I have two lnb's and have noticed a difference between one and the other when it came to signal strength. Tightening and loosening the bolts makes a big difference on the signal. I keep the meter connected until I am done tightening and try to figure out how to compensate.

The First Strike Meter locks on quickly and is great for finding these channels. Maybe you could find a local retailer / installer that would let you pay a deposit to borrow their meter or maybe I could do something like that with you so that you would not be out the cost of a meter just to set this one up.

I did not plan on doing a whole lot of these installs as the demand is just not there in my area but figured if I did around 3 service calls then it would pay for itself and it paid for itself in the first service call that I did since I was able to sell a receiver and make a profit off of it as well. I figured if I broke even then that would be good enough for me as I thought it would be cool to have one of these meters and it is great.

 

[T4Runner]

Hi,

DJDish, Sorry about the SES1 thing. And yes to Stargazer and T4Runner, It seems G19 and particularly 11842 is available consistently for many others.

During the past few hours, I have been trying and as the heat has changed a lot over the past few days (mid 60's to mid 90's), I remember Brian's suggestion to exchange lnbf to see if it is reacting to the heat. I re-installed the large input lnbf from WS International - NOTHING at all. I wasted a lot of time and money on them. Don't ever buy anything from them! (although they have a slightly larger dish at a lower price) The last newer lnbf from Glorystar did give me most channels, including the ones on 11842. Many of the others are not there.

T4Runner: Yes, I understand how sensitive east/west rotation is. And 1/16 inch here represents miles of distance relative to the satellite up there. These dishes don't lend themselves to that sensitive adjustment. If I loosen the rotational bolts, including the long one through the top over the mount post enough to easily pan east/west, then re-tighten them, the elevation pulls up. I either have something from G19 or nothing. The concept of finding the satellite and then tweaking has always worked for me on AMC4, but never on G19. When I pan and hit on G19, I stop at that point, and any motion at all loses the signal. The current position gives me 65 Quality on some channels and most that I get are 50 or above. Very slight elevation or rotational movement only degrades the signal quality. I may turn the receiver back on in the am when the temperature has dropped and get nothing on 11842 and some on other tp's. Is the dish warping? I don't know, but don't think so. It is new with side braces. I have posted some pictures recently and you can see the sky is clear, the house protects the dish from wind, etc. The house also protects from TI from the direction of the Air base 45 miles away.

A dedicated meter may be of help here and other dishes I want to get working in the area. The church may be willing to foot the bill for one. Stargazer seems happy with the new First Strike. Brian recommends the Super Buddy. First Strike is so new, there may not be many on the used market, and if so at this early date, there must be a reason. Super Buddys are available for about half the new price.

Thanks for all your interest and willingness to comment.

Bill

Concerning dish adjustment: Yes, you remind me I have three different size Channel Master dishes and they all have me spoiled with their dish elevation adjustment system. A bolt that you can put a ratchet wrench on and make small peaking adjustments so easy compared to all these 'other' dishes.

Once you have found a satellite and adjusted it to the peak on a channel master, you never want to touch another brand...

 

[Dr. Pepper 6044]

Hi Stargazer and T4Runner.

I'm glad Gazer's investment has returned. Thanks for your offer. I think maybe we will buy one. I am involved with other dishes also.

Runner,, I know what you mean about dish adjustment with the right tools. They cost though. The dishes we are dealing with don't cost that much. I talked with Brian about having that type of adjustment and of course, it would be very expensive. I would like to have a way to attach a long crowbar or half inch breaker bar to the dish mount to do small movements.

Thanks again. I'll post if my signal is still there in the am.

Bill

 

[rv1pop]

I did a repoint and was having unexpected trouble. I marked all movable points to where it was, then threw it way off and came in again. I got everything great. I looked at my old marks then and ALL of them were off! I must have been on a side lobe, which I did not expect to see on a parabolic, but the re aim says I was. The elevation and azmuth were off further than I expected. I am actually wondering if the original AMC4 was on the side lobe --- therefore the tweaking to get it on G19 went to the side lobe, and the mass move off and back found the main signal. COMMENTS anyone?
POP

 

[Dr. Pepper 6044]

Good Morning,

I turned on and have all channels I want. Many 'no signals'.

I vaguely understand rv1pop's comment/question about side lobe of the signal beam. Have no explanation.

bill

 

[T4Runner]

I did a repoint and was having unexpected trouble. I marked all movable points to where it was, then threw it way off and came in again. I got everything great. I looked at my old marks then and ALL of them were off! I must have been on a side lobe, which I did not expect to see on a parabolic, but the re aim says I was. The elevation and azmuth were off further than I expected. I am actually wondering if the original AMC4 was on the side lobe --- therefore the tweaking to get it on G19 went to the side lobe, and the mass move off and back found the main signal. COMMENTS anyone?
POP

Very interesting. I had not thought of the old AMC-4 sitting there possible causing a conflict. Your side lobe idea would certainly explain the on again off again signal many are experiencing.

All I know is some receivers lock the 11842 frequency better than others. But there are things about each receiver I would change. I do not like to give up on or walk away from any difficult dish installation; but a few have been hair pulling.

If you add the conflict of a powerful satellite like Directv to the equation, only a very good satellite meter is going to cut through the fog. What meter were you using Pop? I'm now using a Superbuddy 29 and have my Birdog 4.0 plus up for sale soon.

I am wondering if grounding is a solution/problem with many of these situations?

 

[Dr. Pepper 6044]

Hi guys,

I returned and turned on my system. I still have about all I had this am. There is one channel 124 LiveHealth that is not on much. Most everything else I want is good 65 or so on quality.

The temperature was high 60's this morning, now 95 and the dish is in direct sunlight. At least today, temperature change is not a problem.

The cabling I am connected to into the house has a grounding line on it. I will make sure it is good.

T4, do you have an opinion of the Frist Strike meter? It is half or less the cost of a Super Buddy 29.

Bill

 

[T4Runner]

T4, do you have an opinion of the Frist Strike meter? It is half or less the cost of a Super Buddy 29.

Bill

Bill:
You're asking the wrong person about the first strike. "Opinion" is all it would be. I have read many good supporting comments about it, but know nothing except as you say.... the cost is sure much better.

I bought a used Super Buddy 29 for $400 on Craigslist. I'm certainly sold on it so far.

 

[Stargazer]

You can get a First Strike from HyperMegaSat on ebay for $225 (make an offer and that is the lowest he will go) with free shipping. Best price on a meter I have found. Being able to change the frequency (which I read you cannot do on some of the other meters) seems to be a great advantage.

 

[Dr. Pepper 6044]

Good Morning,

I have the most channels and the highest sq I've ever had here. I haven't touched the dish since I found G19 on Friday. Afraid to. I am tempted to try to tweak to get more as I should be able to. LifeHealth usually isn't available, but is running 30sq now.

To repeat, this dish is in a protected area. There has been no wind over 5mph. The temperature isn't as hot as it was a few weeks ago. Something is changing to cause me to sometimes have 3 channels with barely 45sq and sometimes have 30 channels with sq in the range of 30=75.

We spent a couple hours searching for G19 about 5 miles from here yesterday afternoon with no results.

We are going to poll the church board on Thursday evening for approval to buy a First Strike meter. The guy I worked with yesterday is an elder on the board. My wife is the treasurer. The man who's dish we worked on is head deacon. I am sure we can get a positive vote.

I'll keep you posted.

Bill

 

[Glorystar1]

Bill,

I would not recommend an investment in the FS1 meter. You will not likely to be able to identify the cause of your local interference with this meter and it is quite unlikely to change the results of repeated poor signal reports. I would again highly suggest that the signals from the dish be viewed with a quality spectrum analyzer. Based on the conversations that we have had online and offline, I am convinced that your local signal issues are not related to improper aiming and the FS1 meter will only be a tool to simplify the dish aiming.

The FS1 is equivalent to your receiver's signal meter, but conveniently battery powered. If you are going to be installing many systems and do not wish to be bothered with bringing the receiver and a small TV to the dish, then a meter would be a good investment. Otherwise, you will be spending money to replicate the resources similar to those that you already own and still not have a tool that will identify the cause of your signal reception issues.

What we can assume:
Not LNBF related - Same signal issues with multiple LNBFs tested.
Not dish hardware related - Same signal issues with multiple dishes from multiple manufacturers and verified surfaces with string tests.
Not receiver related - Same signal issues with multiple receivers tested.
Not temperature related - Issues remain through many temperature extremes.
Not coax or connector related - Bypassed existing cables with new direct connected cables.
Not a line of sight issue - Verified no trees or buildings blocking the satellite signal.
Possible local interference or adjacent satellite interference - Op shielded the LNBF with fabricated larger scaler/cone. A spectrum analyzer might point to interfering RF or the variable that is present when the reception is good or bad. Might try a larger dish with tighter beam pattern (1.2m or larger) as a test.
Grounding related - Unlikely, but make sure that the coax is only bonded to the home's common ground point.

 

[Wescopc]

I agree with Brian - a meter is handy and a great time saver - but you can peak a dish with the receiver and a small TV if you have the time. I would recommend a 4 foot dish, it is what I install for nursing homes hospitals, and churches.
Bob

 

[rv1pop]

The only meter I like, or maybe I should phrase that "the meter I prefer greatly" is the one built into the Mercury II. I have not yet gotten used to the meter in the Geosat's however if/when I do I am sure I will like it as well.... especially as It seems I can change transponders and see the real signal strength for each, very easily and quickly.

That being said, here is what I did on that last repoint:

I lowered the dish about 7 degrees on the magnetic inclinometer. Then I scanned back and forth in the direction I thought (thought I Knew!) it sould be. I then raised the dish and rescanned back and forth. I found a good signal and marked it.... was way off my first mark. I kept raising and scanning. I found a poor signal - it was near the original marks. I kept on raising and scanning and found a second, poor signal. I did not mark that one , but kept going up and scanning. Nothing else. I went back down to the good signal and tweaked it in. Happy Customer, happy POP. I was WEST about 3 degrees and down about 2.5 degrees from where I had started. Side lobe? Local interferance? Warped 3ABN dish? I do not know but it is NOW working. I did play with it for about 2 hours, which is WAY too much for ME!

POP

 

[Dr. Pepper 6044]

WOW!

Within a few hours, 3 experienced guys address my situation. Thank you.

The fact that a meter is just a very small and fast replacement for a monitor and receiver is accepted. Since I have the Geosat in the house I have been using the meter over the programing and changing channels to evaluate each tp, and like it too. We used the Mercury II yesterday. With a dish that holds a set elevation and can be slowly and smoothly panned, a receiver like this can do the job with the extra work of stringing a power cord, monitor and receiver.

Brian's check list seems accurate in my experience.

rv1pop's story about finding the satellite somewhere outside his expectation is well taken. The site we worked on yesterday is near some trees, right beside 3 direct TV dishes working fine. I have heard that direct's satellites are at the same elevation as G19. I used the elevation scale on the GeoSat book and find the target just over those trees.

What to do?

1. I am contacting a professional who did an install about 40 miles east. I will see what his feeling is about TI and a spectrum analyzer.

2. The church has a 3ABN dish/Manhattan of 10 or more years' age. After reviewing all this thread with my partners here, I am thinking of going to the board for a new system and installing totally new in a very accessable location. If we have the same issues there, we'll go forward with the TI issues and more professional help.

Again: Thanks to all. I will keep you posted.

Bill