OTHER Help getting pointed at 97W

[Hovik]

Hi all,
I started tinkering with FTA in 2008 but haven't played much with it in the last few years. I just moved from LA to Boston (01890) and am trying to get it set up at the new house but am striking out on every front. In LA I was using an SG2100 motor but in Boston I don't want the headache so for now I'm doing a fixed setup on a tripod in my side yard.

Here is my equipment:
-CNX Nano 2
-Captiveworks 800S
-36" Ku Dish (fixed)
-Invacom Quad LNB (forget p/n but it's the one with 2 Linear & 2 Circular hookups).
-Generic Linear Ku LNBF
-(no switch)

Now, the CNX receiver never seemed very intuitive to me in terms of helping a user to dial in on a particular bird. After several hours of trying to aim at 97W (using the general direction dishpointer showed and just moving the dish around) I didn't see a bit of activity on the install screen dial for that box.

When I first started with FTA I had a Captiveworks 600 which was awesome in that when you went into what I believe was the "antenna setup" screen and put in all the correct info then started moving the dish around you would get these audible chirps that would increase in frequency as you passed over a signal. So.... I decided it would be easier if I went out and got one of those captiveworks boxes to set this up. I found a NIB Captiveworks 800s (same software as 600) on CL for $40 and bought it, hooked everything up and to my surprise... no chirps, nothing. I started changing coax cables and brought the tv/stb outside so I could take as much out of the equation as possible. Still no luck. Finally I decided to try getting a signal from 110W, so I put in all the settings for that and aimed using the dishpointer direction) still nothing from the CW800s so finally I thought maybe the Invacom Quad LNB was bad. I ordered a new Linear Ku LNBF from Amazon, hooked it up pointed in the direction of 97W and moved around slowly still nothing. I am completely out of ideas and I think I've eliminated all possiblities.

I suppose I am just not getting lucky but I have set up 97W for an Aunt, Uncle, and 2 cousins and never had this happen. The CW800s I know for sure should start beeping if you're out there moving it around for a couple hours in the general direction of a satellite.

What has me most confused is that I cannot get a signal from 110W just to ensure my setup is functioning (unless of course the Invacom is dead all together).

Can anyone think of anything that I am not?

 

[FTA4PA]

If you have a multimeter, try checking voltage output on coax to make sure your LNBs are getting power. (13V vertical/18v horizontal). Also, the obvious things - pole plumb, elevation set correctly for your location. Dish elevation indicator may be off - check elevation by putting a straight edge on face of dish from top to bottom and use inclinometer to verify.

 

[FTA4PA]

For 97W at zip code 01890, are you using elevation 34.4 degerees, azimuth 230.5 magnetic, lnb skew 25.5 CCW facing dish?

 

[jorgek]

Don't use the dish face elevation to adjust your elevation because you will be off by the amount of dish offset, usually about 22°. Use the markings on the elevation scale which could be off a few degrees but will get you into the ball park.

 

[Hovik]

I will definitely try what you guys mentioned and post the results.

 

[Hovik]

checked voltage at coax... 13v and 18v on the captiveworks and nothing on the cnx... bad box? so from there on out I've only been using the CW box. the pole was not plumb but close and it shouldn't have made a difference in the grand scheme of things, but I made it plumb anyway just for SnG. As far as elevation the printed elevation on this dish blows and I've never used it because it was so far off and unreadable. I have always just moved the dish around in a grid and found my birds no problem (using a general direction from putting in an address at dishpointer).

Every other time I've used a CW box when I pass over a bird I get a chirping sound and the quality guage gets filled red. This box, if I turn the power switch on and go straight to the "antenna setting" screen I get 3 chirps (and it shows about half the red dots on the quality meter) and then it goes to zero. No matter how much I fiddle with it I never get it to chirp. I just cannot imagine that I am not hitting something. I have clear line of site to 97W. I have swapped back in the Invacom and pointed at 110W and plugged into the Circular port and picked some random transponder in the antenna setting screen and still nothing (though admittedly 110 is on the other side of a big maple tree). I am running out of ideas. I have spent about 4 days trying to find a satellite that I have found in 15 minutes for 5 other people.

Something keeps telling me there has to be a wrong setting in the box somewhere.

 

[KE4EST]

Is the LNBF from Amazon Standard or Universal? What do you have the LO set at in the receiver? Do you have active transponders programed into the box for 97W?

 

[Hovik]

Is the LNBF from Amazon Standard or Universal? What do you have the LO set at in the receiver? Do you have active transponders programed into the box for 97W?

Thank you!!! Apparently the LNBF from Amazon was Universal and I didn't realize it. I had just put in 10750 but once I changed it to Universal it took me about 30 seconds to find 97W. I knew it was something simple and stupid but it took your assistance to help me solve the mystery. Thanks again!

 

[KE4EST]

Glad you got it.

 

[FaT Air]

13v and 18v on the captiveworks and nothing on the cnx... bad box?

Might be the LNB voltage is turned off somewhere in the setup screens (don't have a clue as to where on that box)

I knew it was something simple and stupid

We've all been there. Me, probably, more than anyone.