New to the FTA Game

[Game Master]

Greetings all
im new to this fta thing.
I recently purchase a fta reciever coolsat5000 and a fortec dish with a motor and a dual lnb
its the "universal package deal 5" at ftadirect site
i am trying to set it up but having difficulty getting a signal

it is out on a post in my backyard no trees blocking the view
location in the colony texas usa 75056

the way i have routed it is i have a diseq hook the lnb to that and then its says reciever out iand it goes to the lnb part of the motor and the motor out to the reciever the signal level is low and quality none
if i go direct from the diseq the level is good and my quality is still none
i know quality only matter but does this make a difference?

my second quetion is
i dont know how to setup the dish which way does it need to face im kind of eye balling with my neighbors but i knwo you are not suppose to e doing that
and i dont under stand how the elevations work what do i need to change i have elevation on my dish and elevations on my motor?
if some one could tell me what to set each one at would help me alot .
also what a good direction to start out with
i tryed using the motor control it moves but i have know idea if its moving to the correct spot or what its trying to do.

i am a total nebie ! so please take it slow and need answer in laymans terms


thanks

 

[PSB]

Hello and WELCOME to the SatelliteGuys.US FTA forum!

Signal strength means NOTHING its all about signal QUALITY!


I would forget the motor and switches for right now, try to find a few satellites first before adding them.



Here are all the angles to the satellites from your area (WITHOUT motor...)

                    The Colony, TX 75056
          Latitude 33° 5.640'N Longitude 96° 53.016'W

                       Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)    El  Skew
---------------------------------------------------------------
           Thor 2/3 Intelsat 10    1.0W 266.8 261.7 -13.4 -56.8
                               
                       Amos 1/2    4.0W 268.4 263.3 -11.0 -56.9
                               
                Atlantic Bird 3    5.0W 269.0 263.8 -10.1 -56.9
                               
                Nilesat 101/102    7.0W  90.1  84.9  -8.5 -56.9
                               
     Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2    8.0W  90.6  85.5  -7.7 -56.9
                               
                     Express A3   11.0W  92.3  87.1  -5.2 -56.8
                               
                     Telstar 12   15.0W  94.5  89.3  -1.9 -56.6
                               
                   Intelsat 901   18.0W  96.1  91.0   0.6 -56.4
                               
                          NSS 7   22.0W  98.4  93.3   3.9 -56.0
                               
                   Intelsat 905   24.5W  99.8  94.7   6.0 -55.6
                               
                   Intelsat 907   27.5W 101.6  96.5   8.6 -55.1
                               
                  Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 103.1  98.0  10.7 -54.7
                               
                   Intelsat 801   31.5W 104.0  98.9  11.9 -54.4
                               
                   Intelsat 903   34.5W 105.9 100.8  14.4 -53.7
                               
                    AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 107.9 102.8  16.9 -52.9
                               
                        NSS 806   40.5W 110.0 104.8  19.4 -52.0
                               
                      Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 111.7 106.6  21.5 -51.1
                               
                         Pas 1R   45.0W 113.2 108.1  23.1 -50.4
                               
                   Intelsat 705   50.0W 117.1 112.0  27.2 -48.2
                               
                   Intelsat 707   53.0W 119.6 114.5  29.6 -46.8
                               
                   Intelsat 805   55.5W 121.8 116.7  31.5 -45.4
                               
                          Pas 9   58.0W 124.1 119.0  33.5 -43.9
                               
                       Amazonas   61.0W 127.0 121.9  35.7 -42.0
                               
                     EchoStar 3   61.5W 127.6 122.4  36.1 -41.6
                               
                      Rainbow 1   61.5W 127.6 122.4  36.1 -41.6
                               
               Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 129.1 124.0  37.1 -40.5
                               
                   Brasilsat B2   65.0W 131.3 126.2  38.6 -39.0
                               
                   Brasilsat B1   70.0W 137.1 132.0  41.9 -34.8
                               
                       Nahuel 1   71.8W 139.4 134.3  43.0 -33.0
                               
                      DirecTV 1   72.5W 140.3 135.2  43.4 -32.4
                               
                          AMC 6   72.0W 139.7 134.5  43.1 -32.8
                               
                          SBS 6   74.0W 142.3 137.2  44.3 -30.8
                               
                     Echostar 4   77.0W 146.5 141.4  45.9 -27.6
                               
                          AMC 5   79.0W 149.4 144.3  46.9 -25.2
                               
                        Nimiq 2   82.0W 154.0 148.9  48.3 -21.5
                               
                          AMC-9   83.0W 155.6 150.5  48.7 -20.2
                               
                   Brasilsat B3   84.0W 157.3 152.1  49.1 -18.9
                               
                          AMC 2   85.0W 158.9 153.8  49.4 -17.5
                               
                          AMC 3   87.0W 162.3 157.2  50.0 -14.8
                               
                           IA-8   89.0W 165.8 160.6  50.6 -11.9
                               
                      Galaxy 11   91.0W 169.3 164.2  51.0  -8.9
                               
                      Nimiq 1/3   91.0W 169.3 164.2  51.0  -8.9
                               
                   Brasilsat B4   92.0W 171.1 166.0  51.1  -7.4
                               
                      Telstar 6   93.0W 172.9 167.8  51.3  -5.9
                               
                      Galaxy 3C   95.0W 176.6 171.4  51.4  -2.9
                               
                      Telstar 5   97.0W 180.2 175.1  51.5   0.2
                               
                      Galaxy 4R   99.0W 183.9 178.8  51.4   3.2
                               
                     Spaceway 2   99.2W 184.2 179.1  51.4   3.5
                               
                DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 187.5 182.4  51.2   6.3
                               
                          AMC 4  101.0W 187.5 182.4  51.2   6.3
                               
                     Spaceway 1  102.0W 189.3 184.2  51.1   7.8
                               
                          AMC 1  103.0W 191.1 186.0  50.9   9.3
                               
                         AMC 15  105.0W 194.6 189.5  50.5  12.2
                               
                      Anik F1/R  107.3W 198.6 193.5  49.9  15.5
                               
                      DirecTV 5  109.5W 202.3 197.2  49.2  18.5
                               
                     EchoStar 6  110.0W 203.1 198.0  49.0  19.2
                               
                     EchoStar 8  110.0W 203.1 198.0  49.0  19.2
                               
                        Anik F2  111.1W 204.9 199.8  48.6  20.6
                               
                  Solidaridad 2  113.0W 207.9 202.8  47.8  23.1
                               
                       SatMex 5  116.8W 213.6 208.4  45.9  27.6
                               
                     DirecTV 7s  119.0W 216.7 211.5  44.7  30.0
                               
                     EchoStar 7  119.0W 216.7 211.5  44.7  30.0
                               
          EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 219.3 214.2  43.6  32.1
                               
                     Galaxy 10R  123.0W 221.9 216.8  42.4  34.0
                               
                      Galaxy 14  125.0W 224.4 219.3  41.1  35.9
                               
                  Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 226.7 221.6  39.8  37.6
                               
 Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 229.0 223.9  38.4  39.2
                               
                         AMC 11  131.0W 231.1 226.0  37.0  40.7
                               
                   Galaxy 1R/15  133.0W 233.2 228.1  35.5  42.1
                               
                         AMC 10  135.0W 235.2 230.0  34.0  43.4
                               
                          AMC 7  137.0W 237.1 231.9  32.5  44.7
                               
                          AMC 8  139.0W 238.9 233.7  31.0  45.8
                               
                     EchoStar 1  148.0W 246.2 241.1  23.8  50.1
                               
                     EchoStar 2  148.0W 246.2 241.1  23.8  50.1

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

 

[Game Master]

what am i suppose to do with this info


i know you point it in direction that is listed but where should i start from to get to that directon

should i get a compass and start with 0 degree north then go from there?

and im still new to the elevation what is for example -13 on the elevation on the satellite

 

[Mr Tony]

IA5 (Telstar 5) is your true south
Telstar 5 97.0W 180.2 175.1 51.5 0.2

So as PSB noted, remove the motor and switches.

Dish elevation should be 51.5
aim dish straight south
On the Coolsat, go into the menu (dish setup) select "IA5"...I think it still says "telstar 5" in the setup and make sure its setup for "Single" and 10750. Leave the rest as is
save it (exit out) and go into "manual scan"
find the following transponder in there

12152 freq
H polarity
20000 symbol rate

or

12177 freq
V polarity
23000 symbol rate

Both of these are strong transponders. This is where you S L O W L Y move the dish to fine tune the signal. Move it maybe 1/4" and wait and see if the quality bar turns green and goes to about 70 or so.

Also, what size dish did you get? I checked fta direct and culdnt find the Universal 5 pack.

 

[Game Master]

here is the link to the packages
http://ftadirect.com/coolsat_5000_1580_ctg.html

if it doesnt work go to fta direct and left bar you should see
fta packages in there is the coolsat 5000
and the package i bought is universal 5

the size i bought is 90 cm or 35"

 

[Game Master]

I TRIED WHAT iceberg said but i am still not getting quality it is at 5% amd moving up down like 6 then to 2 and average 5
what am i doing wrong
i dont have anything up stucting my view

i have it AT 51.5 DEGREES ELEVATED AND POINTED SOUTH

AND nothing please advise

 

[Change]

Is it aimed to true south or magnetic south? For you, your true south is 175 degrees magnetic. Also try slowly sweeping it back and forth across a small arc, adjust the elevation, and sweep again.

 

[Game Master]

I got echostar 4 with a green 90% quality but all my channels say scamble.
should i try a different sattelite and attach my motor now? or do you know of one sattellite that works

 

[scottc98]

Echo 4???

Isn't that at 77w?

and isn't it circular?

 

[PSB]

Echostar 4 at 77w and is in an inclined orbit!

http://www.lyngsat.com/echo4.html

I would wait until you get some signal quality and channels from another satellite, at least you are getting something. Best to walk befor you run, I would try to find and store a few more satellites, including a true south bird!

 

[Game Master]

should i keep sweeping or what

 

[PSB]

should i keep sweeping or what

Well you know you were/are at 77w

(Echostar 4 77.0W 146.5 141.4 45.9 -27.6)

I would look at the above again then look at your dish, cross check the elevation and take note if the elevation is higher or lower than where it should be (above).

 

[Game Master]

I GUESS ILL KEEP TRYING

i was wondering getting a signal finder is it worth it?
does it make the job easier than watching the coolsat signal in front off me?

 

[PSB]

The receiver and a TV is better than any signal meter out there. (After entering a LIVE channel/TP. and watching for signal QUALITY only)

 

[Game Master]

what are good satellites to point to to get the most channels or is ther e a way on the coolsat 5000 and the hh90 motor to remeber all the sattellites and hook on all the channels
my main goal is to get foreign stations like from india and pakistan.
thnaks again

 

[PSB]

The one with MOST channels from overseas is IA-5 at 97w, LOADS of FTA channels on this satellite!

http://www.lyngsat.com/ia5.html