AMIKO Need Help Fixing Amiko Mini HD SE

[johnnyjohnson]

I need some help, if possible, in fixing my Amiko Mini HD SE receiver. The issue started when I was attempting to move my STAB HH90 motor back to zero. I was unable to find any "Go To Reference" option on the receiver so I thought that maybe doing a reset would move the motor back to zero. Now I am unable to even see a picture when turning the receiver on. All the TV says is Mode Not Supported. I think I really mucked things up. Unfortunately I did not make a backup of my receiver prior to doing this, as I did not even see a white slip with instructions to backup until later. My question is, does anyone have a NA database backup available that they could share online? Or, is there another option that might get this receiver working right again?

Thanks in advance!

 

[fred555]

Easy fix. Repeatedly press the V format button on the remote until picture comes back.
Its at the top in the middle. It reset to a video mode your tv does not support.

 

[KE4EST]

PM sent

 

[johnnyjohnson]

Easy fix. Repeatedly press the V format button on the remote until picture comes back.
Its at the top in the middle. It reset to a video mode your tv does not support.

Thanks, Fred! That worked!

Michael, thanks again for the file. I'm currently moving some files off of my USB flash drive so I can copy that file in order to install it on my receiver.

You'll never believe what happened. I am able to get some stations on Galaxy 19! I can't believe it. I haven't even fine tuned the satellite elevation yet. Apparently the motor pointed the dish in the right direction. Now I just need to figure out how to switch to another satellite using the motor. LOL! I'm such a beginner at this stuff, but am so excited I'm actually getting channels!

 

[RT-Cat]

Great you received the wonderful support here and got things working again. As you stated being new to all this, something to keep in mind. There will be a time when you are sure EVERYTHING is set correctly and after 1/2 an hour and you still get nothing, stop. Come back later and try again. I have had times when on the third attempt a little dish bump and all came in purrrrrfect. You are sure you hit that spot in the other attempts, but........Hitting a target about the size of a bus at 23,000 or so miles can be, at times, a challenge.
Have fun.

 

[johnnyjohnson]

Thanks RT-Cat!

I have a question about the receiver and moving the dish motor back to zero. When I select the USALS option and then Go to Reference, the screen will show "Moving dish to reference point", but then will not go away. How long is that supposed to stay on the screen? There is an option to Stop, which seems to be the only way I can get rid of it. Is there something I am doing wrong?

 

[KE4EST]

No nothing you are doing wrong just a fluke in the OS, just hit the exit key(I think) not in front of mine right at this moment.

 

[johnnyjohnson]

Okay, I think I've made a little progress. So far I am able to get to 3 satellites with the motor, but that is all.

87W SES2 - L90 Q46
97W G19 - L90 Q60
103W AMC1/3 - L90 Q72

When pressing the info button on the remote, I am noticing I have different L and Q values for each satellite I am seeing. The L is yellow and the Q is green. What do the L and Q stand for? Is the Q the signal quality? The other satellites I try to configure after doing a scan on all say Failed.

Michael, I have yet to do what you suggested on another post below:

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Set your LNBF skew to "0".
Set the latitude setting on your motor to your latitude and lock it down, don't touch again.
Set the elevation on your dish per the formula in the manual that came with your motor.
Using a compass rotate your whole motor dish assembly on the pole pretty close to your true south, leaving it snug but loose enough to move.
Now hook up your receiver to your motor, set your proper lat and long in your USALS set up.
Critical step that newbies miss: Go to 83W..."Motor Moving" should come on the screen. Unless you are exactly on 83.00 where you live, it will move a little but not much, but it will still move.
Now go out to your dish and using a meter or a small tv/receiver at the dish so you can see what is going on. Select an active transponder on 83W.
Now rotate the motor/Dish ass. on the pole ever so slightly back and forth. No Signal? Change elevation on your dish a bit one way or the other and rotate again.
Repeat this until you find a signal and then peak out the signal by rotating the motor on the pole and changing the dish elevation in small increments.
DO NOT MESS WITH THE LATITUDE SETTING ON THE MOTOR(sometimes you may have to move it a hair, but for now leave it be), just peak by rotating on pole and elevation on dish.
Now tighten everything in a rotating sequence. If you tighten one bolt that holds the motor on and not all a little at a time until they are all tight, you will pull it out of level.
Now hook your receiver and and LNBF wires back up and go in the house and try a few birds, you should be tracking the arc pretty well at this point.
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Do you think the reason I am unable to get any more satellites is because the dish elevation and/or motor latitude may be a little off? Any suggestions?

 

[KE4EST]

Yes I think you need to start over from scratch. Sometimes I have to do the same thing, especially if I get in a hurry.
Follow the instructions listed above and what Brain added in the other thread.

 

[johnnyjohnson]

Okay, I was unable to get the dish to find anything on 83W. Do you know what an active transponder is for that satellite? I used 11840 H 26666 but am not sure if that is still active. I tried moving the motor and dish assembly with no signal. I even tried adjusting the dish elevation without any luck either. Just for grins I went back to Galaxy 19 and messed with the motor and dish assembly as well as the dish elevation (since I am able to get a picture from that satellite). The best quality I was able to get was around 53. I have my motor latitude set to between 39 and 40, since that's where dishpointer.com said the HH90 motor should be set. I did notice that Brian had said that if my motor doesn't have a latitude scale (which mine does) to calculate the setting as 90 - 39.69 (my latitude) which is 50.33 degrees. That is very different than what the dishpointer website said. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I imagine I am doing something wrong.

 

[FaT Air]

Try 12156 V 3978 @ 83W it's 24/7 AFAIK. (only one with video) and the strongest I 'see'.
Set your motor lat scale to your lat. (then don't touch)
then select 83 via USALS*, adjust dish elevation and 'twist' of motor on pole for Q. (AFAIK = I use the BUD to move my 'motorized')
*make sure your location is entered in the USALS setup correctly.

 

[Titanium]

Dishpointer does not provide the motor "Elevation" setting.Since your motor only has a Latitude scale, you have it set correctly and there is nothing else to worry about!

A little more information about the two motor bracket scales.... Many motor brackets have two stamped scales. On one side of the bracket is a Latitude scale and on the other side is an Elevation scale. Both scales measure the same setting! If you set the Latitude scale to match the install location's latitude, you will note that on the other side of the motor bracket, the Elevation scale will show a setting that is equal to 90 degrees minus the latitude setting on the other side. I think that this dual stamping for the same measurement is one of the most ridiculous and confusing designs for a newbie that just keeps getting handed down from generation to generation and clone to clone...

 

[johnnyjohnson]

Brian - I actually was talking about latitude on the motor, not elevation. I had a brain fluff and confused the two words.

FaT Air - Thanks for the transponder settings. After moving the motor and dish assembly, I was able to get a Q signal reading on 83W of 56. Unfortunately after I got that I went ahead and moved back to G19 and was unable to get a signal, so I ended up fiddling around with trying to find true south with the motor and dish assembly, changing the motor's latitude, as well as changing the dish elevation. What was the result? I'm not worse off than before. Now I am unable to get some of the stations I was able to get before. And as far as 83W, I can no longer find a signal at all.

I will have to do some research on how the transponder settings actually work. I'm really confused on them. Different channels on the ftalist.com have different transponders for the same satellite. Do I need to add the ones that aren't listed on the receiver to the receiver? I guess I just need to once again start from scratch and attempt to get a signal from 83W. What's really frustrating is that my Q signal has dropped to a range of 30 - 50 depending on what satellite I'm on. What should a decent quality signal reading be on 83W?

 

[FaT Air]

Different channels on the ftalist.com have different transponders for the same satellite.

I think you're saying you scan a channel in with a different freq than what is published, correct? if so : Make sure the LNBF L.O. setting, for each satellite, is correct. (Matches what your LNBF says for LNB Frequency or L.O freq) Standard type is 10750 and Universal should be 10600/9750

 

[KE4EST]

Also if you have a transponder that you scan in as 12151 and the list says 12152 that is the same transponder.
Most likely your LNBF is off a bit can. It can be the receiver also, but most of the time the LNBF.
Anyway nothing to worry too much about unless the the LNBF starts to drift way off.

 

[FaT Air]

A transponder can typically be 'off' +/- 3Mhz of the published TP specifications.
(12152 could scan in from 12149 to 12155)
This is typical of a DRO LNBF. My scans with a PLL Ku LNBF are within +/- 1Mhz if not 'right on'.
SR may also be +/- 100 or so.