Help on True south satellite set up please

[mjac]

Hello,

I am trying to set up a motorized system consisting of a Primestar 75e, a Mighty AP8-T4HB LNB (it came with the dish and it's all I have), a GS120 motor (thanks Stogie) and a Traxis 3500 receiver (thanks Linuxman).

I am located at 28.6N lat and 82.6W long. I am trying to set up on 83.0W AMC 9 Ku which I believe to be my true south satellite.

I am pointed, as best I can, to 185.3 mag. According to to instructions that came with the motor, I have set the motor angle scale to 28.6 and the dish is set at 25.3.

The signal readings I am getting are below and the best I can get. In fact, moving in any direction up or down, or side to side does not change the readings. Something must be wrong.

Signal Intensity=36%
Signal Quality=11%

How should I go about adjusting my set up to improve the quality?

I have have attached some pictures of my receiver settings and TP frequencies and symbol rate. Some of you may recognize the mounting (thanks again Stogie!)

Thanks

 

[Lak7]

What do you have the LNB Freq set to?

 

[mjac]

What do you have the LNB Freq set to?

10.750

 

[ghia]

It would help if someone could verify that that tp is still hot. I would try a blind scan. To see if you find anything, it would only take a couple of minutes with that stb.

 

[mjac]

It would help if someone could verify that that tp is still hot. I would try a blind scan. To see if you find anything, it would only take a couple of minutes with that stb.

I have run a blind scan several times in hopes of turning something, anything up.
No joy.
I have been through the settings over and over looking for something to turn on or off, but nothing seems to work.

 

[LoTech]

I'm no expert, but you might try tweaking your elevtion. According to Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com your elevation should be 56.6 degrees. If I'm reading your post correctly, yours is set to 53.9 degrees.

 

[mjac]

I'm no expert, but you might try tweaking your elevtion. According to Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com your elevation should be 56.6 degrees. If I'm reading your post correctly, yours is set to 53.9 degrees.

Thanks and correct, sort of.
If I put in my exact location it gives me an elevation of 57.0 to use. I wondered about the 53.9 the motor and dish elevations added up to. Now the question is, should I change the motor elevation, the dish elevation, or both to add up to 57.0.

I think I'll go out and adj the dish up 3.1 up (or set the dish to 28.4) and see what happens.

 

[mjac]

Nope. Changing the dish elevation to 28.4 to make the total elevation 57.0 brought no change in signal quality.

I am going out to measure what the motor angle actually is instead of relying on the scale.

 

[mjac]

Hmmm. The elevation scale on this motor appears to be spot on. The motor shaft angle measures 28.6.

 

[ghia]

There is a slate on AMC9 @ 11775H 4.232 VPID 4130 APID 4131 PCR 0054 that is very strong. Try for that and then tweak on 11735H 4340 (The RTN stuff) which is weaker. Make very fine adjustments and you will be able to find a signal. I'm not familiar with that particular lnb, you should verify what type it is.

 

[mjac]

There is a slate on AMC9 @ 11775H 4.232 VPID 4130 APID 4131 PCR 0054 that is very strong. Try for that and then tweak on 11735H 4340 (The RTN stuff) which is weaker. Make very fine adjustments and you will be able to find a signal. I'm not familiar with that particular lnb, you should verify what type it is.

Thanks. I'll give that a try tomorrow and let you know how I did.

I am unfamiliar with the LNB myself. Here is what I found earlier today:
http://www.dikeyelektronik.com/pdf/mti_AP8-T4HB.pdf

Btw, I borrowed a pirate friend of mine's not being used Coolsat 5000 to see if my problem was somehow receiver related. Unfortunately the CS did not have AMC9 as a satellite choice. I suppose there is a way to put satellite in a CS but I didn't have the time to figure out how to do it.

 

[Pepper]

Well, you *could* use the fairly strong signals of Nimiq at 82 or 91 to get started, if you have a standard DBS LNBF lying around somewhere.

"Assume" that you've got it pointed correctly for true south, then use USALS to go to 82 from there (should not be very far). Peak the dish on the strong DBS signal. You should be pretty close.

 

[turbosat]

Add that channel (the color bars-slate) with the info ghia gave you above, select AMC9 from the list and add that channel info , name it whatever you want if it asks for a name. When done, select that channel , hit the INFO button on remote, then push the #1. You'll get a tone to help you aim the dish. Try moving the dish east/west slightly on the pole, loosen the bolts just a bit.
If the result is nothing, try adjust your elevation up and try again. Remember where you started, so you can go up a few degrees, then try lowering a degree or so at a time, panning the dish the same way. Strong as that channel is, you should hit it soon..

 

[stilllearnin]

I have the same receiver, and motor, and live just south of you. I used 83 to set mine up. I have seen quite a bit of variance on TP strength in the past. So I swung mine (76cm winegard - QPH-031) to 83 to see what readings I got - on the TP in your photo. It was an active one today.

I was getting 89 S, and 72 Q on the 12140.

Tried the 11775 Tp - got 82 S and 77Q. And ghia is right the RTN signal is pretty weak.

I can tell you for me the 83 signal always seems to take a couple of seconds to lock in for some strange reason, I have to wait a little longer for a picture to pop up than the other birds.

Good luck tomorrow, you may have to enter the TP manually, maybe you can borrow an LNB as well.

 

[mjac]

Thanks Turbo. I have it entered and await daylight!

 

[mjac]

stilllearnin,

Thanks and welcome!

 

[glen4cindy]

Thanks Turbo. I have it entered and await daylight!

Did you have any luck?

I was wondering about your LNB. Some of those Primestar LNB's had H and V outputs. Don't know if this one does, but, if so, you would need to make sure that you use the correct port for whatever transponder you are trying to tune.

 

[mjac]

Did you have any luck?

I was wondering about your LNB. Some of those Primestar LNB's had H and V outputs. Don't know if this one does, but, if so, you would need to make sure that you use the correct port for whatever transponder you are trying to tune.

Not much luck today. I did however acquire this lnb this morning:

Channel Master LNBF Dual...

The signal quality raised to a whopping 17%

 

[turbosat]

Looks like the 84e's lnbf, should work fine, once you get aimed!
edit: Remember the skew adjustment, I think on that lnbf you have tiny little bolts to loosen, then you just twist the lnbf body to the scale on the feedhorn.

 

[glen4cindy]

Looks like the 84e's lnbf, should work fine, once you get aimed!
edit: Remember the skew adjustment, I think on that lnbf you have tiny little bolts to loosen, then you just twist the lnbf body to the scale on the feedhorn.

Doesn't his motor take care of the LNB skew?