Just cranked up my antique system after several years... ready to dump cable!

[jeboyd]

I have a 5 foot KTI c/ku mesh mini-bud that used to do a very good job across the arc here in North Carolina.
Got analog c/ku and a little bit of clear digital stuff with my analog GI450i and a DSR905 digital "sidecar".
Plus, I got lots of fta mpeg-2/dvb stuff with my pansat 2500A.

I used to align my dish by first finding an analog satellite with my 650i. Now, there are none.
My question is how to I get lined up again? Is there anything up there that my 650i or my pansat 2500A can detect?
All the digital used to be mpeg-2/dvb. Now, instead of dvb it's dvb-s. Is that the same as dvb? Can my pansat see dvb-s? When did dvb-s replace dvb?
I can see that there's lots of dvb-s2 and mpeg-4 stuff which I assume my pansat will not receive. I feel like Rip-Van-Winkle!

Any help appreciated.
Thanks,
Jim

 

[KE4EST]

Welcome to the site Jim!!

There is still lots of stuff the 2500A will receive. You are right most things now are going to DVB-S2, and yes you will need a new receiver for that, and I recommend it, or you will be missing a lot. Also the S2 signals are harder to get so you won't get all the C-Band stuff with a 5 footer. Soon you will be wanting to look for an 8-12 footer. There are a hand full of analog still up, and by that I mean a literal hand full. 5 last time I heard. You can still use the 450i or 650i as a dish mover. There are other options, if later you want to automate things.

What part of NC are you located in? I am near Murphy.

 

[jeboyd]

I'm on the Outer Banks ... about as far from you as anyone can get and still be in NC!
Good to know the 2500A will still see the DVB-S stuff. At least I can tune for that and the mpeg-2.
I have ordered a cheap $8 sat signal meter that I hope will help me get my dish tuned to a sat, any sat again.
It was hard enough to get on the digitals back in the days when I could start with a solid analog signal on W6 (72West) or such.
Any ideas about which sat to start with these days?

 

[waylew]

If you can get to "C4"135w the 2 analog shopping channels are still there,9&10 .Cspan analog 7 and TWC(VCII) 13 on "C3"131w.Sheperd's channel,analog 16 on "G4"99w,also might find some dvb-s stuff for the 2500.It might be tough with a 5 footer but look here for an idea of what you might find/be able to get;

North & South America - LyngSat

 

[FaT Air]

C-Band
72W AMC 6 3936 whoops it's S2
78W Simon Bolivar 3888 V 23000 (sometimes another pops up) Very close to the 'center of the arc' for you.
Close enough to set the elevation. Then work E or W to set the azimuth.
global-cm.net/mpeg2central.html for TP info.
to Satelliteguys
BTW: "cheap $8 sat signal meter" will get you close, but use the FTA box's Quality meter to 'zero in' on the signal.

 

[jeboyd]

Thanks! Very helpful info, guys.
From the charts, it looks like I can search for either Ku on 72W (11966H, 1666, KFTL-CA) or C on 78W (3888V, 23000, TVes).
Which signal is easier to find on a given sat, C or Ku? Or does it matter.
The up-to-date charts are great!

 

[dotbatman]

C-band is definitely easier, you can be all kinds of off on your true-south and still get a little blip of a signal. Ku is much less forgiving.

 

[FaT Air]

Tune up on the C band first with a BUD. Then Really tiny adjustments to tune up the Ku.
C is easier, wider "beam" than Ku on a BUD.

 

[jeboyd]

Thanks guys. Confirms what I thought.
Looking at 72W I see a Cband signal on the charts at 3936V, 2825, but it is mpeg-4.
Do you know if my Pansat 2500A will show a "signal quality" there even though it can't decode it?
Or do I have to go with 78W for the nearest Cband mpeg-2?
Thanks again.

 

[FaT Air]

Nope, will show nothing as it's DVB-S2 8psk * If it were DVB-S Qpsk, it likely will, but not get video.
*www.global-cm.net/MPEGlistCBandUS.html
78? Thinking so here.

 

[waylew]

For 72 your best bet is KU,12051 V 6891sr,or 11966 H 1666.

 

[jeboyd]

I'm still struggling to get a signal back on my mini(5 foot) BUD.
If anyone still has an analog c-band set up, please verify for me that 99W, tp16, 4020V is still showing Shephard's Chapel and that 111W, tp2, 3740V is still showing VESN from 8:45AM to 11:30AM ET. This current info would be a big help since the charts for certain channels can be way out of date.
TIA

 

[waylew]

Sheperd's still booming in on ch16,but note I'm using a 12'Paraclipse.I have no idea about VESN tho.

 

[jeboyd]

Ok. That helps me a lot.
Since I can't even find a hint of that C-band analog signal I can focus on checking my coax connections and my lnbs.
Thanks very much.

 

[jeboyd]

SUCCESS!
Found a rotten coax connection, fixed it and my system is lighting up once again.
Thanks for your help,
Jim

 

[FaT Air]

:up
Now go find them digital channels.

 

[jeboyd]

I'm on it!
Thanks again.

 

[KE4EST]

Glad to see you got it back up and running!

 

[waylew]