DiSEqC trouble..

[Robbert]

Hi everyone,

Been playing around with getting a DSS and Univ. LNB on the same coax. Tried a generic 4x1 switch, a "high quality" Chieta 4x1 switch and finally a Sadoun 2x1 switch. Couldn't get any of them to reliably switch. The 4x1 generic and 2x1 sadoun would sometimes switch, but I'd have to turn LNB power off and on for it to switch sometimes. The Cieta 4x1 switch seemed to oscillate. Regardless of what I did on the receiver, I would lose the signal one second and get it back the next, etc. Now, this was all on a Fortec Lifetime Ultra receiver..

Then I tried to control the 2x1 switch using my Twinhan 102g.. And to my surprise, I got it working in MyTheatre by setting the LNB DiSEqC settings to "Second DiSEqC, Committed, LNB1 (or LNB2, depending on whether I wanted the DSS or Linear LNB)". Trying to put this setting in the "First DiSEqC" box yielded a similar result to what I got on the Fortec..

I haven't seen any settings on the Fortec to choose DiSEqC settings besides Tone A, B, and LNB1 through 4. Nothing about committed, uncommitted, first or second DiSEqC... Any ideas on what's going on here? (what does committed, uncommitted, first and second DiSEqC even mean??)

I do have a HH100 in the chain. The switch is between the HH100 and the two LNB's though. All cable is Quad RG6 and total cable run is about 50 feet.

Thanks!
Robbert

 

[Mr Tony]

OK…here we go
MAKE SURE RECEIVER IS SWITCHED OFF IN BACK BEFORE STARTING..

Line comes from receiver to motor and then to switch. Hook up the 2LNB’s to the switch.

Hook the Universal to port 1 and the DBS to port 2. Once everything is hooked up, then power the unit back on with the switch on the back.

Setup
-for KU band, make LO frequency 10600
22K will be ON
Diseqc port should be A (or 1 if it goes 1,2,3,4)

-for DBS, make the LO frequency 11250
22k OFF
Diseqc port should be B (or 2)

 

[Robbert]

Iceberg,

If I read your post right, I can't use the "universal" part of my universal LNB when using a switch??? That would be a bummer since I was planning on surfing for a few sats to our East...

Aside from keeping the 22 kHz on for the univ. and setting the LO higher (obviously), I did everything as you described...


Thanks!
Robbert

 

[jerryt]

Hi everyone,

Been playing around with getting a DSS and Univ. LNB on the same coax. Tried a generic 4x1 switch, a "high quality" Chieta 4x1 switch and finally a Sadoun 2x1 switch. Couldn't get any of them to reliably switch. The 4x1 generic and 2x1 sadoun would sometimes switch, but I'd have to turn LNB power off and on for it to switch sometimes. The Cieta 4x1 switch seemed to oscillate. Regardless of what I did on the receiver, I would lose the signal one second and get it back the next, etc. Now, this was all on a Fortec Lifetime Ultra receiver..

Then I tried to control the 2x1 switch using my Twinhan 102g.. And to my surprise, I got it working in MyTheatre by setting the LNB DiSEqC settings to "Second DiSEqC, Committed, LNB1 (or LNB2, depending on whether I wanted the DSS or Linear LNB)". Trying to put this setting in the "First DiSEqC" box yielded a similar result to what I got on the Fortec..

I haven't seen any settings on the Fortec to choose DiSEqC settings besides Tone A, B, and LNB1 through 4. Nothing about committed, uncommitted, first or second DiSEqC... Any ideas on what's going on here? (what does committed, uncommitted, first and second DiSEqC even mean??)

I do have a HH100 in the chain. The switch is between the HH100 and the two LNB's though. All cable is Quad RG6 and total cable run is about 50 feet.

Thanks!
Robbert

In MyTheatre the second Diseqc box is for switches installed after a motor. or after whatever switch you put in the first box. You have that set correctly.

Committed switches are Diseqc 2.0 and uncommitted switches are diseqc 1.0 (1.1?) You can have a commited and uncommitted switch in series, but you can not have two of the same type in series.

You have good quality switches, so I would suspect a bad cable end. Remember that the switches need the shielding to be solid for the ground return of the switch.

There is a simple test for checking for a bad shielding. But you need a piece of wire to go from your dish to your reciever. Clip the wire to the crimped on cable end (shield) and then run the wire into the receiver. connect one end of the wire to one lead of a voltmeter and the other lead of the voltmeter to the shield closest to the receiver.

Now operate the switches, lnb's, or motor (You may need to reverse the voltmeter leads) any readings over 2 volts is not acceptable.

 

[Mr Tony]

yes you can.

Reason I said set LO to 10600 and 22K on is so when you scan a bird that doesn’t have extended frequencies, you don’t have to kill time waiting for that part

The birds that DO have an extended (PAS9), set to Universal 1.

The above is how I had my setup for a couple months. I recently removed the DBS LNB and put that on the other setup : )

 

[Robbert]

Pansat 3500S came, DiSEqC problem solved..

Jerryt, thanks for the info on what committed/non committed etc is. The situation was that my 102g in MyTheatre did the switching just fine, but the Fortec didn't. And since the Fortec didn't have any settings on whether or not the switch was committed/secondary/etc. I thought this might have been the issue...

Then, to my surprise, I got my new Pansat 3500S delivered a day early yesterday. Hooked it up and started playing with it.. To my surprise, it switches the DiSEqC just fine! No missed-switching yet!

So I don't think it's a cabling issue, but I will check the continuity whenever I can find a wire thats long enough.


Iceberg,
That's a good idea to set the LNB to a LO of 10600.. Never thought of that, but that makes good sense for the sats that don't have the lower band..


As for the Pansat 3500S, initial impressions.. Nice product! Box looks identical to the Fortec though, except for the front panel and the back connectors... Blind scan is faster only in the frequency scan part (I would say a factor 2), but when it scans the TPs afterwards, it seems to take ages to pass by some trouble TP's such as the DirecWay TP's.. The Ultra never sat for 5 minutes scanning 1 TP like the Pansat does...

All in all, I hope the 3500S doesn't have the bugs that the Ultra has (DiSEqC and messing up the config if there are too many TPs). If that is the case, I'm a happy camper!

Robbert

 

[Mr Tony]

Robbert
I have scanned IA6 numerous times with the Pansat and havent deleted any TP's yet...still running like a champ

Yeah, the Directway TP's and the one on IA6 really screw with the unit. I usually just delete those and rescan the satellite (not blind scan)