Just can't get it!

[go2worku]

My first true FTA setup, Fortec Lifetime Classic NA, old DirecPC dish, area code 71603

I have a plumb mount for the dish, I've pointed plenty of DTV and DN dishes, so I feel like I have what it takes to do this!

I started this morning with what I thought was IA5 I was able to get a signal and do a blind scan, came up with the Pentagon channel and SSN.... not what I had in mind I checked/searched the forum, still not sure I was on the right bird?

After some reading I decided to try AMC 3 @ 87 west! PBS is looking pretty good I set the dish, pointed it, ~33% signal, did the blindscan,
10 channels loaded, TP freq 11.736/11.737 MFA 46% signal.
I tried over and over to tweak the dish, the signal does not get any better I checked the signal on the other TP's for PBS, the highest is 26! I thought maybe the lnb was bad! I switched it for a Primestar LNB, No change!

I won't give up, I have really enjoyed playing with it today.
Any suggestions from you all would be greatly appreiciated!

Thanks for your help!
Mitch

 

[Hermitman]

Did skewing the dish and/or LNBF have any effect?

 

[PSB]

Nice dish! Does it skew (tilt)? On my DirecPC dish there are 4 bolts on the back of the dish loosen them then rotate the whole dish lining it up with the satellite in the sky. (skew)

                    Pine Bluff, AR 71603
          Latitude 34° 11.382'N Longitude 92° 2.688'W

                       Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
--------------------------------------------------------------
                               
                       
     Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2    8.0W  93.4  91.8 -3.8 -55.7
                               
                     Express A3   11.0W  95.1  93.5 -1.3 -55.5
                               
                     Telstar 12   15.0W  97.4  95.8  2.0 -55.1
                               
                   Intelsat 901   18.0W  99.1  97.6  4.5 -54.8
                               
                          NSS 7   22.0W 101.5 100.0  7.8 -54.1
                               
                   Intelsat 905   24.5W 103.1 101.5  9.8 -53.7
                               
                   Intelsat 907   27.5W 105.0 103.4 12.3 -53.0
                               
                  Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 106.6 105.1 14.4 -52.4
                               
                   Intelsat 801   31.5W 107.6 106.1 15.6 -52.0
                               
                   Intelsat 903   34.5W 109.7 108.1 18.1 -51.2
                               
                    AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 111.8 110.3 20.5 -50.2
                               
                        NSS 806   40.5W 114.0 112.5 23.0 -49.1
                               
                      Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 116.0 114.5 24.9 -48.0
                               
                         Pas 1R   45.0W 117.6 116.1 26.5 -47.1
                               
                   Intelsat 705   50.0W 121.9 120.4 30.4 -44.6
                               
                   Intelsat 707   53.0W 124.7 123.2 32.7 -42.8
                               
                   Intelsat 805   55.5W 127.2 125.6 34.5 -41.2
                               
                          Pas 9   58.0W 129.8 128.2 36.3 -39.5
                               
                       Amazonas   61.0W 133.0 131.5 38.3 -37.2
                               
                     EchoStar 3   61.5W 133.6 132.1 38.6 -36.8
                               
                      Rainbow 1   61.5W 133.6 132.1 38.6 -36.8
                               
               Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 135.3 133.8 39.6 -35.6
                               
                   Brasilsat B2   65.0W 137.7 136.2 40.9 -33.8
                               
                   Brasilsat B1   70.0W 144.2 142.7 43.8 -28.9
                               
                       Nahuel 1   71.8W 146.7 145.2 44.7 -27.0
                               
                      DirecTV 1   72.5W 147.7 146.2 45.1 -26.2
                               
                          AMC 6   72.0W 147.0 145.5 44.8 -26.8
                               
                          SBS 6   74.0W 149.9 148.4 45.8 -24.5
                               
                     Echostar 4   77.0W 154.4 152.9 47.1 -20.9
                               
                          AMC 5   79.0W 157.6 156.0 47.9 -18.4
                               
                      Nimiq 2/3   82.0W 162.5 161.0 48.8 -14.4
                               
                          AMC-9   83.0W 164.2 162.6 49.1 -13.0
                               
                   Brasilsat B3   84.0W 165.9 164.3 49.3 -11.6
                               
                          AMC 2   85.0W 167.6 166.1 49.5 -10.2
                               
                          AMC 3   87.0W 171.1 169.5 49.9  -7.4
                               
                           IA-8   89.0W 174.6 173.0 50.1  -4.5
                               
                      Galaxy 11   91.0W 178.1 176.6 50.2  -1.5
                               
                     Nimiq 1/4i   91.0W 178.1 176.6 50.2  -1.5
                               
                   Brasilsat B4   92.0W 179.9 178.4 50.3  -0.1
                               
                           IA-6   93.0W 181.7 180.2 50.2   1.4
                               
                      Galaxy 3C   95.0W 185.2 183.7 50.1   4.3
                               
                           IA-5   97.0W 188.8 187.2 49.9   7.2
                               
                      Galaxy 16   99.0W 192.2 190.7 49.6  10.1
                               
                     Spaceway 2   99.2W 192.6 191.0 49.5  10.4
                               
                DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 195.7 194.1 49.1  12.9
                               
                          AMC 4  101.0W 195.7 194.1 49.1  12.9
                               
                     Spaceway 1  103.0W 199.0 197.5 48.6  15.6
                               
                          AMC 1  103.0W 199.0 197.5 48.6  15.6
                               
                         AMC 15  105.0W 202.3 200.7 47.9  18.3
                               
                      Anik F1/R  107.3W 205.9 204.3 47.0  21.2
                               
                      DirecTV 5  109.5W 209.2 207.7 46.1  23.8
                               
                EchoStar 6/8/10  110.0W 210.0 208.4 45.8  24.4
                               
                        Anik F2  111.1W 211.6 210.0 45.3  25.7
                               
                  Solidaridad 2  113.0W 214.3 212.7 44.4  27.8
                               
                       SatMex 6  113.0W 214.3 212.7 44.4  27.8
                               
                       SatMex 5  116.8W 219.4 217.8 42.3  31.6
                               
                         AMC-16  119.0W 222.1 220.6 40.9  33.7
                               
                     DirecTV 7s  119.0W 222.1 220.6 40.9  33.7
                               
                     EchoStar 7  119.0W 222.1 220.6 40.9  33.7
                               
          EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 224.6 223.0 39.7  35.5
                               
                     Galaxy 10R  123.0W 226.9 225.3 38.4  37.1
                               
                      Galaxy 14  125.0W 229.1 227.5 37.0  38.7
                               
                  Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 231.2 229.7 35.6  40.1
                               
 Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 233.2 231.7 34.2  41.5
                               
                         AMC 11  131.0W 235.2 233.7 32.7  42.8
                               
                      Galaxy 15  133.0W 237.1 235.5 31.2  44.0
                               
                         AMC 10  135.0W 238.9 237.3 29.7  45.1
                               
                          AMC 7  137.0W 240.6 239.1 28.2  46.1
                               
                          AMC 8  139.0W 242.3 240.8 26.6  47.1
                               
                   EchoStar 1/2  148.0W 249.2 247.7 19.4  50.7

       Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. Lutus

Is that RG6 cable that you are using? If not it needs to be. looks mighty thin! maybe the light




http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/LNBF-Installation.htm

 

[go2worku]

I set the skew, if I over skewed the signal dropped! Skew set @ 0 or the -7.4 was the same The cable is RG6, solid run from the LNB back to the reciever. Thats whats got me messed up! I sould be able to get a better signal. I do have some trees that might block some of the signal but looking from the back of the dish it look clear to me.

Is there such thing as a bad dish?

 

[PSB]

Sure some fiberglass/plastic dish can be warped! I used to install DirecPC and the white dish worked MUCH better than the darker version (Usually DirecDuo in this area).

I suspect the trees! Any pictures from behind the dish?

 

[go2worku]

Sure some fiberglass/plastic dish can be warped! I used to install DirecPC and the white dish worked MUCH better than the darker version (Usually DirecDuo in this area).

I suspect the trees! Any pictures from behind the dish?

No pics from behind, I will get a few tomorrow!

My dish is a Duo, it has the dual output dss lnb and the single ku

 

[PSB]

OK! I have still have two DirecDuo combo LNB's here with 2º spacing. I used to point them to 101º and 99ºw in this area!

 

[go2worku]

Is this the same? I took this one apart just to make sure no spider webs or other obstructions were inside, It was clean.

 

[gabshere]

Hi Mitch
looks like i'm close to your area
just getting started with FTA but
i've had an old bud for a few years

 

[PSB]

Looks like the exact same combo LNB! If the LNB is bad its easy enough to just get a new low noise LNB and bolt it right onto the C120 flange. Its always a good idea to keep the feed horn as it matches the shape of the dish reflector!

 

[TiminMb]

I'd try real hard to get it aligned on your true south sat. IA5 is pretty close and should have good signal strength. You should be pulling in dozens of channels off it. Get that pole plumb, turn the motor to IA5 with USALS and rotate the motor on the pole until you find IA5. AMC3 is much weaker for me here further north.

 

[go2worku]

I'd try real hard to get it aligned on your true south sat. IA5 is pretty close and should have good signal strength. You should be pulling in dozens of channels off it. Get that pole plumb, turn the motor to IA5 with USALS and rotate the motor on the pole until you find IA5. AMC3 is much weaker for me here further north.

I don't have a motor...............yet

 

[Mr Tony]

well that makes a difference

 

[go2worku]

Here are a few pics of the dish pointed, not sure if you can tell anything from them. I've located a Primstar dish to try, hope to get it in the next week or so.

 

[Mr Tony]

if those are shooting through the power lines, that may be the issue

 

[go2worku]

if those are shooting through the power lines, that may be the issue

Yep, shooting directly through the lines
How would that effect the signal?

 

[PSB]

A satellite signal is like a flashlight beam, ANYTHING blocking or partially blocking will reduce your signal quality. You would have to be real unlucky for the power lines to be affecting your signals, not to mention all the satellite are at different heights in the sky (See below)

I also do not see the trees being an issue!

 

[gabshere]

came by the store today mitch but i didn't realize the 4 pm was so busy.
i will get by and talk with you soon. i also have several primestar dishes.
i have really learned how to point the oval one real good . but i've been calling the other one round ( is it not ) someone called it a 1.2 in another thread
thats the one i was having trouble pointing but today i looked at all the settings and found out i was working the elevation wrong. so i will try some more on day off ;o)
George

 

[go2worku]

came by the store today mitch but i didn't realize the 4 pm was so busy.
i will get by and talk with you soon. i also have several primestar dishes.
i have really learned how to point the oval one real good . but i've been calling the other one round ( is it not ) someone called it a 1.2 in another thread
thats the one i was having trouble pointing but today i looked at all the settings and found out i was working the elevation wrong. so i will try some more on day off ;o)
George

If the green Dodge Ram is out front I'm there :up

 

[gabshere]

it might have been there but the lot was full lol
and store was busy and person at the booth was
getting someone a cellphone ... so i thought i'ld come
in at a better time... i'm off on wed & thursday so those would be better times
could even bring my primestar bucket over