Need Help With SES3 **Update**

[JFOK]

Hi All,

I posted this in my old SES3 thread yesterday, but not sure if it was seen by too many.
Since you all were so helpful with your suggestions, I wanted to update you to what happened.

After working 3 hours on this problem I had, the satellite dish guy left.
He removed the old Precision C-band LNB. However, as he was removing it, a section near the bottom of the old LNB broke near the screw holes. I just figured it wouldn't be able to be used again as a spare. Then he went to attach the Norsat 8115 and noticed that it was too large in diameter to fit on my Corotor feedhorn. Luckily I had a spare C-band LNB (another old Precision) that could be put back in place since the original was rendered useless. The Ku LNB had what he called star head screws and he didn't have a tool for them, so the old Ku LNB stayed in place. The only thing he was able to change out with a new item, was the servo motor. His meter showed power to the Ku LNB...his tester didn't have a C-band setting so I have no idea about its function. So I now only get the 99W Lesea feeds with a signal level of 70 and quality of 72. No other satellites come in on either band.
I'm ready to toss in the towel on FTA...very frustrated. I'm out $270.00 and I'm still basically where I was before.

Thanks again though for all your help.

John

 

[Magic Static]

Sounds like the only thing he was prepared for was to write a large bill Wish I could help. We would have you rockin' in no time

 

[KE4EST]

Same here I so wish I was close to you. Make me mad to hear when someone takes advantage of someone else.
Meter doesn't do C-Band??? What kind of meter did he have?

 

[KE4EST]

Same here I so wish I was close to you. Make me mad to hear when someone takes advantage of someone else.
Meter doesn't do C-Band??? What kind of meter did he have?

 

[Titanium]

I also wish I was closer! This could be working in less than an hour.

All C and KU signals travel down the coax in the exact frequency range. What a lame excuse! Maybe he didn't load the C-band channel maps into his meter, but this a perfect example of a scam artist! Hope that he didn't charge you for breaking your feedhorn, not having a Torx driver (available at any True Value, Home Depot, Menards for a few dollars!

Anyone in JDFK's area to help get his system running again?

Could you take a photo of the 8115 and the Precision LNBs? The only thing that I can think of is that he tried to install the C-band LNB onto the KU waveguide?

 

[JFOK]

Hi,

I really don't believe he was trying to rip me off. He traveled here from Connecticut (2.5 hour drive) and he's been in the satellite/TV antenna business for over 30 years. Its not like we're swimming in BUD repairmen anymore, they're as rare as hen's teeth. I took a chance with this guy and it didn't pay off. Not sure what kind of meter he had Michael.
He said he hadn't seen a BUD in many years and said he once owned a 6 footer. He told me he now specializes in Glorystar/DirectTV systems.
I honestly feel he might have been in a little over his head. I know if my dish was lower to the ground, I could fix it myself.
Brian, I will get a pic of the 8115 and Precision LNB to show you. I know he didn't try to install the C-band in the Ku waveguide because he never got the Ku LNB off.

John

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

Just have to ask. How did your repair guy get up to the dish? If he was unstably teetering around up there, I could see how he could do more harm than good. Your next step might be to bite the bullet and just lower the dish! I'll bet with your expertise you could solve this problem if you had full access to the equipment (and one of those extremely rare Torx drivers).

(( I envision the repair guy propping an extension ladder on the edge of the dish. Hope that wasn't what he did! ))

 

[. Raine]

Sounds like to me that the guy was in over his head. Probably should've cut you some slack on the price though, taking that into consideration!

I know you probably already posted it up, is this the 7.5 KTI in your signature? How high up is it? Could you maybe post a picture of it?

 

[JFOK]

No Cosmo he didn't prop the ladder up against the dish...like I would have allowed him to do that in the first place.
If I could figure out how I could lower the dish safely from its perch I would, but who do I contact for that ?
A Raine...My dish is approx. 20 feet off the ground and I will be posting a picture of it soon.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

Why would you want to do it safely?
"Safely" eliminates so many options!

You still didn't tell us how he got up there.

 

[Magic Static]

My dishes are up high. One is 15 feet to the top of the pole and the other is 12.5 feet. Both are 10 footers so they stick up a ways. I decided to buy scaffolding tiers for working on my dishes. Found what I needed cheap on Craig's List. Now I have a comfortable secure place to work on my dish

 

[fred555]

I've always built my own houses, but too old now. Kept all my tools and scaffolding.
I'm sure glad I did.

 

[armadillo_115]

I just envisioned Tim Conway doing his 'Old Man' routine.Swaying on a ladder while trying to insert a phillips head driver into a torx screw.

 

[JFOK]

Why would you want to do it safely?
"Safely" eliminates so many options!
You still didn't tell us how he got up there.

Cosmo Blatz
Being unsafe leads to damage and injury. This antenna guy used a ladder and worked from the roof.

Brian...here's the picture you requested. The newer Norsat is on the right.

A Raine...here's a pic of the dish and its location you requested.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

John

 

[bigg t]

It sounds like the elbow has been removed from the feedhorn at some time. Had it been in place it shouldn't have been a problem putting on the norsat.

 

[. Raine]

Wow, that is up there! Thanks for the picture.

I'm not way far away from you [ northeastern CT] and was thinking I might be able to help you take it down to relocate it somewhere lower down, or help fix it, but that's a little high for me nowadays to spend any length of time up at. On good days I can get up and down a ladder fine, but going up and down that high would be pushing it a bit out of my comfort zone, nowadays.

Really stinks to get old and not be able to do what you use to always be able to do. I can always tell when my legs are going to act up and up one story, I can get down safely in time. Up two, probably not, I'd be sitting up there enjoying the view all day, or sitting halfway down the ladder, if they did act up. There's been a few times I've sat up on my roof enjoying the view most of the day because I've stayed too long working up there trying to get stuff done with my antennas and stuff.

If you do have a place that it can be put at lower down, maybe a couple of eye hooks into the eaves on either side of it toward the edges of the house with ropes going through them to the pole and then notch the front of the pole out with a saw a bit, remove the brackets holding the pole and lower it down part way, notch the pole a little higher and lower it a little more, so on, until it's low enough to handle? Probably would need a few fairly strong people for the ropes, or a few winches?

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

Cosmo Blatz
Being unsafe leads to damage and injury.

I'm guessing you're not much fun at parties?

 

[JFOK]

A Raine,

I used to live up near your neck of the woods...in Woodstock, CT. Beautiful area.
I appreciate your kind intentions and suggestions to help me lower the dish. However, I'm wondering who I would hire to take on such a task. It's more than I could handle with a few neighbors. Like you...not as young as I used to be.
Once I get it down, I could set it up mostly by myself on the ground, with a little assistance from a friend.
My dish in Woodstock was on a six foot pole and could just stand in front of it to work on it....aaahhh the good old days.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

I'm wondering who I would hire to take on such a task.

You might try a sign company or tree trimming outfit.

 

[armadillo_115]

Have any friends who work with your local electric company? A bucket truck could hook a chain through the polar mount and lay the whole thing over in short order.Be much safer than trying to lay it over with support ropes.That dish doesn't weigh that much AT THE DISH.(I have one just like it) But the weight multiplies on a long pole once the tilt gets around 65 degrees and less.It's the Lever Principle in reverse.
I hate having to 'waste' money getting stuff done...but it's cheaper than a trip to the emergency room...or worse.
I've found that the ground is much harder than it was back when I was younger. Guess it's had 40+ years to settle.

On second thoughts: If you need an OTA antenna,have the bucket truck drop the entire dish and leave the pole in place.Pre-make a pulley that will fit on top of the pole and have steel cable on it before the bucket truck gets there.They place the pulley on for you after removing the dish..and you have a simple way to raise/lower an OTA antenna and mast later.With both feet on terra firma.

Or a good flagpole.