Hi Dee,
Glad to see you back. Yes the heat's been a bitch. Even too hot for the bloodsuckers, at least until almost dusk...lol
Counties west went back to a burn ban and I suspect we will be back there too very soon. Spring rains were a joke this year, and I bet the rice crops will pay the price again this year.
Lots of folks are sensitive to the repellant. You might try some of the 'Yard Guard' type products to control the work area. I've had very good luck with it when the grands are over to play in the pool.
The RTN tp is very slow to lock and is very picky about being pointed absolutely on target. Even when you get all of it right, sometimes the sig is just too weak to stay locked and you get freezing, pix'ing and 'legovision' blocks. Always note the relative signal strength of this TP when it's good and when it's not so you will know what to expect, because it does fluctuate.
I see you are still working with the PCI ( computer card) setup. The suggestion about taking a portable tv outside so you can see what the rx sees in real time is the most efficient way to tune a dish, but not so easy if you are using a comp card. I hate to say spend anything at this point with all the other bartering inventory you have, but 50-75 bucks on a STB from Craigslist or Fleabay would be a good investment, and your will likely continue to keep it in service when you upgrade to bigger and better ( and more expensive!) equipment.
The RTN signal is in serious competition with another stronger TP at a freq and SR that occasionally (frequently for some) overpowers the RTN one at the receiving end. Many are having issues with this problem.
I'm sorry I cant lend anything constructive to the problem/configuration your are having with your Birdog.
As noted the type of lnb, polarity, and configuration must all be correct or you wont see the desired result.
To recap-
There are two types of Ku band LNBs.
Linear and circular. They are very incompatable.
Circular polarity units are used for Dish Network and DirecTV broadcasts.
Linear polarity units are used for the True FTA the we discuss here on the board.
Linears come in several sub-configurations. For sake of clarity we are interested in on only two of them.
Standard - Using a LO (local oscillator) of 10750 Mhz (=10.750Ghz)
Universal - Using an LO of 10600 Mhz
(FYI side bar notes-There are types called bandstacked that use two LO values but are beyond the scope of this post. Circulars use 11250 Mhz)
A model or two exists that does both polarity outputs types, linear and circular, in one housing. It is not likely you have one of these.
As pointed out if your 'dog can 'see' the DN bird @ 129W (Ciel 2) you are seeing a circular polarized signal, likely with a circular lnb. If this is the case it (nor your rx) will see the linear (horizontal) signal from 129W (Galaxy 27) using the same LNB
Again as suggested, get whatever markings/model/id info etc from the LNBs you are trying to use, and goggle for that info or post it here and someone may be able to tell you exactly what you have and if it is the proper equipment. Pics work good too!
Polarity and polarity offset (skew) are probably the most troublesome and mis-understood aspects of aligning a linear dish/lnb setup.
Since you are having so much trouble, I think you need to 'expand' what you are seeking and get some celestial reference points. It will help you get a working knowledge of what this polarity biz is about.
For us 95W (Galaxy 3/C) serves as our true south sat. It is the highest in the sky from our locale (at the top of the arc for here) As our true south bird it also has zero skew offset. IOW, the polarity hitting the dish is top to bottom straight lines for vertical or left to right lines for horizontal signals. From this 'center point' in the sky moving to the east or west to tune other satellites, the lines of signal begin to slant diagonally as they hit the dish (but still remain perpendicular to each other) So the dish must be aligned to the new sats orbital position AND the LNB's orientation must be skewed (rotated on it's axis with the holder) to be aligned with that birds signals.
The signals from every sat are all the same from space, they have not changed. It is our relative position to that source that has changed. For example the folks at appx 123W 'under' Galaxy 18 would see it at the highest point, zero skew (true south) and would have to skew + or - for all the rest of the sats they want to see.
If you look at "The List" there is a link to proggy that generates a table based on the location info you give it that shows the various alignment info including the polarization offset in +/- degrees format from zero for a given bird from your location.
You really need an STB and portable TV (some guys use portable DVD players with a/v inputs)
You need a printed copy of a list of satellites with all the data to rx them IN HAND and as you conqour each use a highlighter/equiv. and means of making notes about that particular accomplishment.
You should practice on known strong and viewable line of sight (no obstructions) sats. Try tuning AMC2/AMC4 at 101W (Look at the list for specific TP/SR/polarity data). I think you will be VERY pleased with all of the signals available there.
As you move out from 95 to those east and west and get the hang of it, you should be able to 'predict' the next sat orbital location and it's skew based on the ones before and after it.
I'm still at a loss on the Birdog and what you need to do to verify configuration.
There many config values needed to properly tune a signal. LO, freq, symbol rate and polarity. If any of these are wrong, the signal cant be detected. I think you said you were able to access the Birdog via PC software and a serial port. Since you are still having function issues you should re-verify all these things and re-dl the configuration to the meter.
Now gather up everything, put on that sun visor and go feed the mosquitos.
I expect to hear some positive results when you report back.
HOO-RAH soldier.
( I am watching History Channel, Modern Marvels Deadliest Weapons right now)
