FTA help needed

[dalo]

I need help getting my FTA system working.I have not been able to post in any other forums so far.If this is the wrong place to post a question would someone please advise me of the proper way.
In short,I have mounted the dish and tried everything to aim the dish yet I get signal strength but no quality of signal.I have used a signal meter,a compass,a transit. I only want to receive Galaxy 19 (Intelsat Am5).
Any suggestion would be appreciated about how to post,where to look for further information or how to proceed.
Thank You

 

[Mr Tony]

moved thread to FTA forum

 

[drboyddrboyd]

Unfortunately, being off by one degree will kill the deal, so you have to be uber-accurate in how you're aiming it. I recommend a Wixey digital angle meter for the elevation and probably the North Star for the longitude measurement.

I need help getting my FTA system working.I have not been able to post in any other forums so far.If this is the wrong place to post a question would someone please advise me of the proper way.
In short,I have mounted the dish and tried everything to aim the dish yet I get signal strength but no quality of signal.I have used a signal meter,a compass,a transit. I only want to receive Galaxy 19 (Intelsat Am5).
Any suggestion would be appreciated about how to post,where to look for further information or how to proceed.
Thank You

 

[guapoharry]

What kind of dish and receiver are you using?

 

[dalo]

My system

Hello Again, I am using a dreamstar 33" dish,a dreamstar standard dual linear LNBF and a Sonicview SV-360 Premier receiver. My zip code is 97027.I'm trying for 146 degrees azimuth, 31.8 degrees inclination and -23 skew. I adjusted with a signal meter for the strongest signal.
On screen at Menu...Installation...Dish setting it reads:
Satellite IntelsatAm5
LNB freq. 10750
22 khz off
LNB power on
transponder 11749
search option FTA
network search on
Diseqc switch off
Motor disabled
I have not experimented with changing the skew angle yet.
I am also considering trying for a nearby satellite just to practice and see if I can make that work.
Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[guapoharry]

Don't think 11749 will help you much. Why don't you try entering a transponder from here or here into your receiver.

Then try aiming using the receiver signal quality as a guide to how well the dish is aimed.

I am guessing you are using one of those $20 or less SF-95 type meters. Those get you nearby, but not close.

Either try a small tv and the receiver outside to see the quality meter while you are aiming, or look inside through a window.

 

[Wescopc]

You must set the LNB skew to the proper setting to find 97W in Portland. The LNB should be rotated clockwise 23 degrees (one or two O'clock position) when facing the dish. Once you find the satellite you can fine tune the skew and the focal set point of the LNB, however you need to be in the "ball Park" to find the satellite in the first place.
Bob

 

[rv1pop]

Welcome to Satellite Guys. 97W should be easier in Portland, than in Canby. Canby is so small that the signal has to get extra instructions to find the place..... Out here in Badger Gulch the signal needs a GPS instruction set to find us!! All seriousness aside for that moment!

Do not give up. Using the TBN or Daystar transponder should giver you a wonderful signal Q to locate. I am not familiar with either your dish or receiver, but you should be able to get it set up. There is plenty of help on this forum to get you on track. Keep us posted.
POP

 

[guacharaca]

Handsome Harry is correct. Bring the receiver and a small TV out to your dish. Sit the TV where you can see it while moving the dish. Turn up the volume on the TV. You will see the "strength" meter on the screen go up and down as you near each satellite. If you chose an appropriate TP, you will see the "quality" meter flash up when you get a hit. Once you get a "quality" signal, fine tune it and lock that dish down. Once the dish is receiving the best signal you can achieve, rotate the LNB back and forth and watch the "quality" signal go up and down. Once you use this method and see how fast you can find a bird, you will never bother with another method. Furthermore, before heading outside, I suggest using Dishpointer.com to get a landmark in your neighborhood to point your dish at for the general direction of the satellite you are seeking.

 

[dalo]

Feeling Better

I'm feeling much better with all the encouragement and suggestions I've been receiving.Thanks a lot.
The signal meter is a SatAlign2 by Triplett. I noticed today that I can move the dish maybe 10 degrees without the signal indication changing.So I'm disappointed in the signal meter. I bought the meter after no results with a portable tv.I did not know about stronger transponders at that time.
Rather than being completely at a loss I now have several more things to try.
Thanks Again!

 

[rv1pop]

Since you are in the Portland area, and the maps will be up to date, I agree with the dishpointer.com suggestion. I was doing an install where The direction for south felt one way to my built in compass but I could not find the signal. I went to that site and looked up the address and 97W... I was off by over 20°! I picked a tree top to aim just to the right of, went back and tried it and less than a minute later I had signal. I had to move the location of the post about 5 feet to completely miss the tree, but I finished the dishpoint very shortly.

If yoiu were out here, the maps are so far out of date that there are no trees shown on my neighbors property either, (none on mine) and he has trees that are 20 feet tall now!

You can "git-er dun".

 

[19psi]

As others have said, take the receiver and TV out to the dish. Move the dish around until you see a signal of at least 70 or better. Then just hit the blue button on the remote for blind scan. Scan should take about 5 minutes and if you're close you'll see channels popping up. You'll be able to figure out what sat you're on and go from there to find 19.

It's also important to have the LNB configuration set correctly. On mine I also need the 22khz turned on.

Usually when playing around with my SV Elite 360, any signal over 70 produces channels during a blind scan. If it doesn't but you see it pause and say "locked on" every so often, you know you're very close.

 

[guapoharry]

Be sure to enter a good transponder into the receiver before aiming.

If you go by signal strength instead of signal quality, there's not much of a way to tell how well the dish is aimed.

Unless you get lucky and there's a valid transponder in there by chance, the receiver won't have anything to lock on. You will not see a quality reading then.