Finding The Arc

[JFOK]

Hi All,

After installing my new Venture 24 actuator yesterday, I ran across a problem that I couldn't solve.
The actuator itself ran great, but I was unable to get back on the satellite arc. I was able to get 58W and 83W, but that's all. Both these satellites came in strong although I had a problem getting 3824V and 4000H on 83W. All I would get with these 2 transponders is a 45% signal level and a flickering 10% signal quality on the micro HD meters.
Using my Pico Peaker to find signal strength, I would then move west to the next satellite I wanted from 83W, which was 87W and...nothing, no indication of any signal strength. Even moved to where 89W should be and again, nothing. I even tried scanning without any signal strength just for the hell of it and again, nothing.
I'm using an iPhone satellite finder app called Sat Scope which worked well for me in the past. So I know I'm aimed in the general vicinity of the satellites.
What am I missing...doing wrong ?
Thanks in advance for any help.

John

 

[lamp]

You must first set the basic angles of elevation (motor latitude) and declination. Motor latitude is the angle of the rotational axis of the polar mount above horizontal. Then find your southern most satellite and peak the signal using declination adjuster.

 

[JFOK]

Hi lamp,

I'm familiar with that and have done that. I had the arc prior to installing my new Venture actuator.
What I've done in the past is set the proper elevation and declination with the southern most satellite (the best for me is 83W), I then go to the eastern most (58W) and finally the western most satellite (121W). I wanted to find 87W using 3951V just to see how I'm tracking, as I headed west toward 121W, but nothing showed.
Can't figure what I'm missing here.
Thanks for your response.

John

 

[waylew]

Just changing the actuator shouldn't have affected the arc,unless you inadvertently changed,bent or moved something else.Had any wind lately?Dish may have twisted slightly on the pole.

 

[JFOK]

waylew,

I was careful not to move the dish and tried to attach the new actuator arm at the same (length) location as the old.
I know the dish dropped a bit, which is normal when the old arm was removed, but it was stopped by a block of wood I had strategically placed to prevent too far a drop. I then tried to match the location of the old bracket on the arm to that of the new one, when installing.
When I located 83W, PA Cable Network was coming in with a signal quality between 58 and 64. So I thought I was at least accurate at the top of the arc.
I double checked the latitude and declination with 83W and they were spot on.

John

 

[Titanium]

The positioning of the actuator tube in the clamp does not affect the tracking of the arc. The actuator placement only affects the distance traveled of the arc.

Simply swapping an actuator would not change the tracking of the arc, but the counts between satellites might be dramatically different.

Could the weight of the dish on the wood block have bent or caused something in the mount to slip?

 

[FTA4PA]

I believe Titanium may have hit on it. When you replaced the actuator did you reprogram all your sat positions into your mover or use the positions that were already stored?

 

[JFOK]

Brian,

This was a one man job.
The dish rested on the block of wood, it didn't fall onto it. It just shifted very slowly and slightly down onto it, when I removed the old actuator. It didn't drop more than a half inch.
I used the wood to keep the position of the dish as straight as possible so I could easily attach the arm at both positions. Nothing got bent or warped.
I think some of my issue might be the difference in counts with the new actuator.

John

 

[JFOK]

FTA4PA,

Yes...I did a reprogram of all satellite positions since I had all my equipment out there anyway.

John

 

[. Raine]

Maybe set the dish on one of the satellite positions that you know you should be able to get, with a good TP selected, and then go into the MicroHD's menu, Menu - Antenna Setup - Motor/Switch Settings - satellite page for that sat, move the cursor to just highlight the Save option and try moving east or west with the right and left arrow buttons on the remote, and watch the quality meter at the bottom, see if you can locate it? Make sure you have the motor type on that page set for DISEqC 1.2, or the dish won't move.

If you find one sat that way, say 10 clicks off in one direction, then all the others should be off by about the same in the same direction, unless you reset the positions, but then you can still search for them this way. If the dish is still on the arc, you should be able to find the sats doing that. Or, set the MicroHD on a sat with a good TP and signal meter up on the TV and move the dish with the dish movers remote until you lock a signal.

John, are you using a ASC1 or a V Box?

 

[JFOK]

Hi .Raine,

Hope all is well in your neck of Conn.
I have the ASC1 which is a great mover. I will try your suggestion and see how it goes.
This is taking much longer to finalize than I ever thought it would. Guess I was smarter back in 1991 with my first set up, which took me all of 2 days.
Thanks for your response.

John

 

[JFOK]

Hi All,

Have a small issue I hope someone can help me with.
When scanning the satellites for C-band I'm unable to get all the transponders on the initial scan. When I manually enter them I still don't get them
For example, on 97W even though the transponders I'm receiving are in the 72-75 strength range, I still cannot get 3940H which has Buzzr, Laff, Grit and so on. What needs to be done ? It seems to be mainly a horizontal issue as all vertical and (some horizontal) come in clear and strong.
Thanks in advance.

John

 

[waylew]

Hi All,

Have a small issue I hope someone can help me with.
When scanning the satellites for C-band I'm unable to get all the transponders on the initial scan. When I manually enter them I still don't get them
For example, on 97W even though the transponders I'm receiving are in the 72-75 strength range, I still cannot get 3940H which has Buzzr, Laff, Grit and so on. What needs to be done ? It seems to be mainly a horizontal issue as all vertical and (some horizontal) come in clear and strong.
Thanks in advance.

John

Possibly might be off just a bit on the skew of your LNBF.

 

[JFOK]

Hi waylew,

Its almost as if I have a defective polarizer except I don't have a polarizer on this setup. Instead, I have a C1-PLL LNBF.
I tried adjusting the skew a bit, but no real change. I re-adjusted my skew to "0" with my dish at its highest point. I've even scanned in channels that later, didn't have a signal...what gives there ?
Any further thoughts anyone ?

John

 

[Titanium]

Are you scanning for all channels and not just FTA services? Those channels have a false encryption flag and will not scan in unless you also scan for encrypted channels. They are in the clear, but the table indicates that they are scrambled.

 

[JFOK]

Hi Brian,

Yes I always scan for all channels and not FTA.

John

 

[waylew]

Could try turning the lnbf 90 degrees and see if the problem follows,in other words you lose the channels you get now but gain the ones you can't.
You will have to rescan as the polarity on the receiver will be "wrong",just go by the channels you get.
If you gain the lost channels and lose the others then there is likely something wrong with the lnbf.

 

[JFOK]

Hi All,

Here's where things stand now. Since I was already outside by the dish working on a problem I discussed above, I adjusted the actuator arm to allow for maximum travel. This of course threw off my satellite counts which I expected. I was able to find 83W which I'm using for my southern most satellite...still can't get my preferred southern satellite 78W.
I again re-adjusted the latitude and declination for this satellite and have PCN coming in with a signal quality between 61-66.
I'm still unable to get more than three transponders on this satellite. The other two I get are Enfoque and Teleritmo both with the same signal quality as PCN. I'm able to find one satellite to the east (58W) and two to the west of 83W (87W, 89W). Then the signal strength drops on my Pico Peaker as I travel further west and nothing else shows up. So I'm obviously off the arc. Was at it for 3 hours this evening after work until it got too dark to continue.
I would appreciate suggestions as I'm so close to completing this whole "adventure."
I really appreciate all your patience and guidance.
Thanks,

John

 

[KE4EST]

For one thing, once the declination is set properly for your location, you never have to touch it again(assuming the bolts are tight and stay that way).
If changing actuators or actuator travel, etc, etc., you don't have to touch the declination.
Having said that, unless something is warped somewhere, sounds like the declination is off.

 

[armadillo_115]

Some shots in the dark:
After reprogramming the Sats...
LNB LO @ 5150 for each Sat
22k off
Disecq 1.0 and Disecq 1.2 both turned off

I have made THAT error before.

The dielectric slab is not in the C1-PLL is it?