G3 woes...

[jimbofta]

Hi, all:

I have a question about G3. I'm having trouble picking up the 'This TV' (formerly RTN) channels on this bird. Rarely do I get more than 5 seconds or so of uninterrupted audio/video. These channels show symptoms of a very weak signal (blocking, freezing for 10s of seconds at a time, audio drops).

Details:

Pansat 2800a (quality 74%, signal 69-85%)
10' Unimesh
15 degree, stable (not sure which model) Norsat


Now I HAVE noticed that my dish has become SLIGHTLY out of plumb over the winter (location is my cabin in Webster, WI). And I have done a little feedhorn tweaking in an attempt to improve my Galaxy 25 ku signals, but it seems to me that with signal levels this high, that I shouldn't be having such serious problems...

Ideas anyone???

 

[Mr Tony]

The channels on G3 are at 7/8 FEC which pretty much means you need a rock solid quality to keep it stable. There is really little room for error on it. Most channels have a 3/4 FEC which means there is 1 part correction for every 3 parts of video.....7/8 is 1 part correction for 7 parts of video

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in lehmans terms.....you need a strong video quality to keep it stable. Weird as I have on my Pansat 1500 a 75 quality and its stable

If you have a audio receiver that can decode AC-3 audio there is the actual "ThisTV" channel on AMC3 (W3 87W) that doesnt need as much signal to keep stable. Or if you have KU capabilities there are 3 or 4 affiliates on G18 (formerly G10)

 

[jimbofta]

Thanks, Ice! Great response.

Well, G10 is out, unless I do a midnite chainsaw party on my neighbor's tree some night (heh, heh)...but W3 shouldn't be a problem...

I spose I should just return the feedhorn to where it's supposed to Mbe...I did get a slight improvement on ku by moving it from its normal (.40 f/d setting)...

Anyway, thanks for the VERY informative answer!

Jim in Lino Lakes

 

[Mr Tony]

I've learned on my 6 footer I push the LNB in farther towards the dish to keep that signal stable. But then again I am using a fixed dish (well ghetto moved)

The feed on W3 is AC-3 audio so you do need a external audio decoder that can decode Dolby digital

Lino Lakes, huh? (assuming MN) I'm on the opposite side of the cities down near Mystic Lake

 

[jimbofta]

Yup, you got my location correct...

I've made my fair share of 'contributions' to Mystic Lake, heh heh!

I didn't have problems with these channels last fall, so I'm assuming it might have been the feedhorn tweak that did me in...prolly have to go that way, since you reminded me about AC3 on the W3 feed...

BTW, nothin wrong with a ghetto mover, unless ya do a lot of surfin' in the middle of winter with it!!!

Jim

 

[Mr Tony]

Yup, you got my location correct...

I've made my fair share of 'contributions' to Mystic Lake, heh heh!

I'm more of a Grand Casino Mille Lacs kinda guy...thats about 1/2 hour from the cabin on N end of the lake

I didn't have problems with these channels last fall, so I'm assuming it might have been the feedhorn tweak that did me in...prolly have to go that way, since you reminded me about AC3 on the W3 feed...

I would try and tweak the feedhorn to optimize signal

BTW, nothin wrong with a ghetto mover, unless ya do a lot of surfin' in the middle of winter with it!!!

Jim

I've done numerous moves during the dead of winter. I've learned how to aim that dish pretty qucik when its -20 out

 

[jimbofta]

Ha ha!!! G4, G4, GGGG4....DANG! It's COLD out here!!!! Sounds like you have multiple solutions, anyway...I had my only dish frozen BETWEEN sats for a week back in '93? when it was in the -50s...had to wait that long before it got warm enough to move again. bummer.

I am about 20 mi east of hinkley BTW...(Yellow Lake, home of the Walleye, Muskie, and world record Lake Sturgeon at170 lb)

Jim

 

[Mr Tony]

There has been a few times I've frozen finger tips and dang near froze a TV trying to aim a dish when it was that cold out.

The ghetto dish has markings the elevation slide level to my true south (93 but 87-103 is about the same), 121 & 137 for the far western satellites so its pretty slick moving the dish...but dang can it get cold out

 

[jimbofta]

Yup, I know what you mean...got to get it moved...my fingers are blue-green, but hey I got 5 more!!!

Hmmm, a new thread???

'You MIGHT be a budneck if...'

I saved a couple of mesh panels for YEARS that a bowhunter was using for target practice, 'just in case I need 'em someday' in an emergency, heh, heh...

Take care, Ice...

 

[skysurfer]

Well, G10 is out, unless I do a midnite chainsaw party on my neighbor's tree some night (heh, heh)...but W3 shouldn't be a problem...

you could put up like a 90cm or 120cm fixed dish to G18 if you have any part of your yard that would have clear line of sight.

 

[jimbofta]

Skysurfer re: Fixed dish?

Skysurfer:

A good idea, to be sure...There's a lot of stuff at that end of the arc that I would LOVE to be able to check out...

I could probably easily scare up something that size...now, to find a spot for it and get it painted in 'camo colors' to sneak it past the wife!!!

Between the BUD, cell phone repeater antenna, and 3 ham radio antennas, the wife winces every time I get a new idea!

Good surfin'!

Jim.

 

[skysurfer]

A good idea, to be sure...There's a lot of stuff at that end of the arc that I would LOVE to be able to check out...

I should be Captain Obvious and point out this is best for Ku/DBS and not so much for C-band (you can get a wee bit of c-band on a 120cm if all the stars are aligned and there is no co-sat or polarity skew interference for the signal of interest).

 

[truckracer]

My two dishes , a 7.5' and a 10' mesh both receive g3 equity pretty well. The 10' has no problems except when TI is in the air.

Amc 3 c-band This Tv will be much more forgiving and easier to get. Its a strong signal with a lot of FEC.