Finding IA-5

[Arwe]

Hi, I just joined this forum mainly out of frustration at trying to re-aim my parents-in-law's dish. This is a terrific site. Iceberg, your tips and informational posts are great!

I'm trying to find Intelsat America 5 (Telstar 5) and am using a small analog Radio Shack satellite finder. Yesterday I found at least 5 satellites in the general direction of IA 5 but none produced any movement in the receiver's signal strength meter. I've brought the receiver and a small tv outside to facilitate this.

So I think I just haven't found the right satellite. Their receiver is a Pansat 2100A - in fact I have the same model - and recently both they and we have noticed a significant drop in the number of channels we can receive. We both have Pansat 30" dishes. I wonder whether there's some interference in the Pacific Northwest. A couple of friends who also watch IA 5 programming have had similar troubles.

Anyway, back to finding the IA 5. I want to see which satellites I am finding so I can determine which direction to move the dish. I'd like to do a blind scan, but I can't find any way to do this within the receiver's satellite setup or installation menus. How I can do a blind scan with a Pansat 2100A? Will it will do one at all?

Thanks very much

Arwe

 

[PSB]

Hello and WELCOME to the satelliteGuys.US FTA forum!

Recently a lot of channels changed transponders on IA-5 so you would need delete all stored channels and do a re-scan of the satellite.

Channels come and go a lot on this satellite so it would be a good idea to do this every few months anyway.

The signal/satellite finder you are using will pull you to the much stronger DBS satellites. best way to find a satellite is to enter a know LIVE transponder form the satellite and watch the signal QUALITY only when pointing the dish.

Give us your zip code and we can give you the angles to the IA-5 satellite.

 

[PSB]

Here is a LIVE transponder from IA-5 to use........

DFreq. 12177

Pol. V

SR 23000


Whoops! The Pansat 2100A does NOT have Blind Scan, used to have one but gave it to Iceberg.

 

[Arwe]

Pete, thanks very much for the information! I was able to find the angles using an online calculator. Too bad the 2100 doesn't have blind scan capability. Your suggestion to delete and rescan sounds very promising. I had wondered about that.

It was a big mistake for me to start moving that dish without making some marks on it first.

By the way, the receiver's menu indicates that the meter is signal strength. I don't know whether it has a signal quality meter. I haven't found that option.