Newbie can't get better than 67/100 strength

[gwest]

I bought a 33" dish with a Stab rotor quad LNB and Captive Works 600s Premium.

I'm in San Diego 92103 so I figure I am at 33 degrees lat and 116.5 long with elevation at 40. Am I right?

I tried to follow the directions (what little came with the package) and first find the Sat that is dead south of me - I guess SatMex 5?

I tried with and without the DiSEqC switch, and figured out what the LNB outputs marked "L" and "C" are for (now attached to an "L"). No matter what I do, and through a wide range of azimuths, I get about 67% strenght and no quality at all. Even trying several other satellites yields the same result of 60-something percent strength, but never high enough to actually be useful.

Which means, for my investment of $450 + shipping, I have exactly zero channels. All this while trying to keep my wife from losing respect for me since I was on the roof for a day and a half, and have nothing to show for it.

I was told you guys are the satellite experts that can help a Sat-virgin like myself sort this all out.

Cheers,
-Gary.

 

[PSB]

What Stab motor, there are a few!

Make sure you have the L.O. set to 10750 for a Linear output!

Remove the switch until you are setup!

We always recommend removing the motor and finding and storing your True south satellite first!

Thats a lot of money, what satellite/s and channels did you buy it with in mind?

                      San Diego, CA 92103
          Latitude 32° 44.796'N Longitude 117° 9.816'W

                       Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)    El  Skew
---------------------------------------------------------------
                               
                       Amos 1/2    4.0W 257.0 243.5 -27.1 -55.0
                               
                Atlantic Bird 3    5.0W 257.6 244.1 -26.3 -55.2
                               
                Nilesat 101/102    7.0W 258.8 245.3 -24.7 -55.6
                               
     Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2    8.0W 259.4 245.9 -24.0 -55.8
                               
                     Express A3   11.0W 261.1 247.7 -21.6 -56.2
                               
                     Telstar 12   15.0W 263.3 249.9 -18.5 -56.7
                               
                   Intelsat 901   18.0W 265.0 251.6 -16.1 -56.9
                               
                          NSS 7   22.0W 267.2 253.8 -12.8 -57.1
                               
                   Intelsat 905   24.5W 268.6 255.1 -10.8 -57.2
                               
                   Intelsat 907   27.5W  90.2  76.7  -8.3 -57.3
                               
                  Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W  91.5  78.1  -6.3 -57.2
                               
                   Intelsat 801   31.5W  92.3  78.9  -5.0 -57.2
                               
                   Intelsat 903   34.5W  94.0  80.5  -2.5 -57.0
                               
                    AMC 12/T 11   37.5W  95.6  82.2  -0.0 -56.8
                               
                        NSS 806   40.5W  97.3  83.9   2.5 -56.5
                               
                      Pas 3R/6B   43.0W  98.7  85.3   4.6 -56.2
                               
                         Pas 1R   45.0W  99.9  86.4   6.3 -56.0
                               
                   Intelsat 705   50.0W 102.8  89.4  10.5 -55.1
                               
                   Intelsat 707   53.0W 104.7  91.2  13.0 -54.5
                               
                   Intelsat 805   55.5W 106.3  92.8  15.1 -53.8
                               
                          Pas 9   58.0W 107.9  94.5  17.2 -53.2
                               
                       Amazonas   61.0W 109.9  96.5  19.7 -52.3
                               
                     EchoStar 3   61.5W 110.3  96.8  20.2 -52.1
                               
                      Rainbow 1   61.5W 110.3  96.8  20.2 -52.1
                               
               Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 111.3  97.9  21.4 -51.6
                               
                   Brasilsat B2   65.0W 112.8  99.4  23.1 -50.8
                               
                   Brasilsat B1   70.0W 116.6 103.2  27.1 -48.7
                               
                       Nahuel 1   71.8W 118.1 104.7  28.6 -47.9
                               
                      DirecTV 1   72.5W 118.7 105.3  29.2 -47.5
                               
                          AMC 6   72.0W 118.3 104.8  28.8 -47.8
                               
                          SBS 6   74.0W 120.0 106.5  30.3 -46.8
                               
                     Echostar 4   77.0W 122.7 109.2  32.7 -45.1
                               
                          AMC 5   79.0W 124.5 111.1  34.2 -43.9
                               
                      Nimiq 2/3   82.0W 127.5 114.1  36.5 -41.8
                               
                          AMC-9   83.0W 128.6 115.1  37.2 -41.1
                               
                   Brasilsat B3   84.0W 129.6 116.2  37.9 -40.4
                               
                          AMC 2   85.0W 130.7 117.3  38.6 -39.6
                               
                          AMC 3   87.0W 132.9 119.5  40.0 -38.0
                               
                           IA-8   89.0W 135.3 121.9  41.3 -36.3
                               
                      Galaxy 11   91.0W 137.8 124.3  42.6 -34.4
                               
                     Nimiq 1/4i   91.0W 137.8 124.3  42.6 -34.4
                               
                   Brasilsat B4   92.0W 139.0 125.6  43.2 -33.5
                               
                           IA-6   93.0W 140.3 126.9  43.9 -32.5
                               
                      Galaxy 3C   95.0W 143.0 129.6  45.0 -30.4
                               
                           IA-5   97.0W 145.8 132.4  46.1 -28.2
                               
                      Galaxy 4R   99.0W 148.8 135.3  47.1 -25.9
                               
                     Spaceway 2   99.2W 149.1 135.6  47.2 -25.6
                               
                DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 151.8 138.4  48.1 -23.4
                               
                          AMC 4  101.0W 151.8 138.4  48.1 -23.4
                               
                     Spaceway 1  103.0W 155.0 141.6  48.9 -20.8
                               
                          AMC 1  103.0W 155.0 141.6  48.9 -20.8
                               
                         AMC 15  105.0W 158.3 144.8  49.7 -18.1
                               
                      Anik F1/R  107.3W 162.2 148.7  50.4 -14.9
                               
                      DirecTV 5  109.5W 166.0 152.6  51.0 -11.7
                               
                EchoStar 6/8/10  110.0W 166.9 153.5  51.1 -11.0
                               
                        Anik F2  111.1W 168.9 155.5  51.3  -9.3
                               
                  Solidaridad 2  113.0W 172.3 158.9  51.6  -6.4
                               
                       SatMex 6  113.0W 172.3 158.9  51.6  -6.4
                               
                       SatMex 5  116.8W 179.3 165.9  51.9  -0.6
                               
                         AMC-16  119.0W 183.4 170.0  51.8   2.9
                               
                     DirecTV 7s  119.0W 183.4 170.0  51.8   2.9
                               
                     EchoStar 7  119.0W 183.4 170.0  51.8   2.9
                               
          EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 187.1 173.6  51.7   5.9
                               
                     Galaxy 10R  123.0W 190.7 177.3  51.4   9.0
                               
                      Galaxy 14  125.0W 194.3 180.8  51.0  12.0
                               
                  Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 197.8 184.3  50.4  14.9
                               
 Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 201.2 187.7  49.8  17.7
                               
                         AMC 11  131.0W 204.5 191.0  49.1  20.4
                               
                      Galaxy 15  133.0W 207.7 194.2  48.2  23.0
                               
                         AMC 10  135.0W 210.7 197.3  47.3  25.5
                               
                          AMC 7  137.0W 213.7 200.3  46.3  27.8
                               
                          AMC 8  139.0W 216.5 203.1  45.2  30.0
                               
                   EchoStar 1/2  148.0W 227.8 214.4  39.5  38.6

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

SatMex 5 @ 116.8ºw is your true south satellite!

 

[Larry1]

Make sure you have the satellite box set to an active transponder. LyngSat will list the active transponders. Even if it is set to an encrypted feed, the box will still show a signal strength and quality.

 

[PSB]

http://www.lyngsat.com/sm5.html

Remember KU Band Freq. are 5 digits

C Band Freq. are 4 digits.......

This also may help with lyngsat!

http://www.dmsiusa.com/charts.htm

 

[Das Hammer]

The STAB's manual is kind of hard to understand even for someone with a little experience. Make sure that you set the STAB to your Latitude (use the bracket that came with it). DO NOT SET IT FOR the elevation you are looking for. That's probably the number one common mistake.

If you want to build your confidence back up, try it without the motor and use the elevation/skew mentioned above.

Good news is that your "Signal" should be about the same just as you stated. You can be pointing north and should still have Signal. You won't get anything without "Quality" however.

 

[gwest]

Ready to jump off the roof.

Day three:

Looking for SatMex5 at 1-2 degree increments horizontally and vertically.
Found: Nothing.

Here is what I see on my receiver's screen:

Satellite: 17.c SatMex5 116.8W
Transponder: 3905/V/2963/Auto (I have tried other settings with no change)
LNB Freq.: 10750 (as per the instructions I received on this forum)
22KHz: Auto

I have also tried...
Satellite: 18Ku_SatMex5 116.8W
Transponder: 12080/H/25635/Auto (and tried others)
LNB Freq.: 10750
22KHz: Auto

I am hooked up to an LNB output marked "L".

Since somebody asked, I have a HH-90 Stab rotor, but I am now trying to position dead south witout using that.

Best I found was 75% strength (no quality).

What am I doing wrong?

Any installers wanna make a buck in San Diego?

 

[PSB]

Day three:

Looking for SatMex5 at 1-2 degree increments horizontally and vertically.
Found: Nothing.

Here is what I see on my receiver's screen:

Satellite: 17.c SatMex5 116.8W
Transponder: 3905/V/2963/Auto (I have tried other settings with no change)
LNB Freq.: 10750 (as per the instructions I received on this forum)
22KHz: Auto

Thats a C-Band Freq. (need 6' dish and C-Band LNBF)

I have also tried...
Satellite: 18Ku_SatMex5 116.8W
Transponder: 12080/H/25635/Auto (and tried others)
LNB Freq.: 10750
22KHz: Auto

I am hooked up to an LNB output marked "L".

Since somebody asked, I have a HH-90 Stab rotor, but I am now trying to position dead south witout using that.

Best I found was 75% strength (no quality).

What am I doing wrong?

Any installers wanna make a buck in San Diego?

I will do it for free! (If you fly me out there: )

Good idea to remove the motor for now :up

 

[TiminMb]

Hang in there. Many of us began this venture with something of a feeling of being on a snipe hunt. No one I knew had done this. We did, you can.

You have to find an active KU transponder, and move the dish very slowly. Hopefully there is a strong signal to you on your due South satellite. It takes a moment or two for the signal to register on the receiver so hold still and wait for results. A friend inside watching the tv set while you talk with walkie talking or cell phone helps a lot. Even better is a small tv and your receiver up on the roof or next to the dish. Get the elevation right and mess with the E and W. A compass may throw you off as there is magnetic deviation. I was just as well off without the compass and simply pointing the dish in the direction I knew was south based on the streets and being perpendicular to our house. I made a mark on the roof edge to allow me to return the dish and lnb arm to due south satellite anytime i need to.

 

[Optical Serenity]

While this hobby can certainly be frustrating at times, it is more rewarding at the end of the day when you know that YOU got it working. I try to look for IA5, because it has a lot of very active TP's that are well documented on Lyngsat...in fact, off the top of my head I like to point at 11836 and 11867 Both are strong and active all the time.

 

[digiblur]

I bought a 33" dish with a Stab rotor quad LNB and Captive Works 600s Premium.

I'm in San Diego 92103 so I figure I am at 33 degrees lat and 116.5 long with elevation at 40. Am I right?

I tried to follow the directions (what little came with the package) and first find the Sat that is dead south of me - I guess SatMex 5?

I tried with and without the DiSEqC switch, and figured out what the LNB outputs marked "L" and "C" are for (now attached to an "L"). No matter what I do, and through a wide range of azimuths, I get about 67% strenght and no quality at all. Even trying several other satellites yields the same result of 60-something percent strength, but never high enough to actually be useful.

Which means, for my investment of $450 + shipping, I have exactly zero channels. All this while trying to keep my wife from losing respect for me since I was on the roof for a day and a half, and have nothing to show for it.

I was told you guys are the satellite experts that can help a Sat-virgin like myself sort this all out.

Cheers,
-Gary.

Wow... where did you buy the system? That's a high price.

Don't worry about the satellite names, that's cosmetic. If you have a QPH031 which it sounds like, put the LNB freq as 10750 for Linear birds and 11250 for circular birds. If you think you are on a bird, just powerscan/blindscan and you'll figure out where you are at. You might find it easier to find E*'s 110 or 119 birds first to get familiar with the elevations and all.

 

[PSB]

He is already using a single Linear output and has his L.O. set at 10750 (see above)

I don't think the Captive Works had Blind Scan!

 

[digiblur]

He is already using a single Linear output and has his L.O. set at 10750 (see above)

I don't think the Captive Works had Blind Scan!

Sorry, figured he was using a QPH031 since his LNB has L's and C's on it. I haven't seen one yet with just single L's and C's. Are these cheaper than the QPH031's?

 

[PSB]

He is using a single Linear output of an Invacom QPH-031

 

[digiblur]

He is using a single Linear output of an Invacom QPH-031

Ok... isn't that what I said earlier?

OP, likewise I'd suggest as others stated to pull the motor but also I would use the C side of the QPH and set your LNB freq to 11250. Look on Lyngsat for the frequency of a CONUS TP from one of E*'s birds. Make sure you pick one that has a SR of 20000, don't use the 21500's as these are 8PSK TP's. Practice hitting a few of the circular birds in the sky. Once you figure out the clarke belt then move over to the linear side. Remember to set your LNB freq back to 10750 and find some linear birds. You'll see just how precise the adjusments have to be. Then I'd tackle the motor.

 

[PSB]

The OP stated in post# 1 that he is using a Quad output LNBF! And in post 6 he clearly states he is hooked to a Linear output using a L.O. of 10750

Just trying to point out at what stage we are already at

 

[gwest]

I guess I overpaid...

Since more than one person has asked, I bought a package deal - CaptiveWorks 600s with what GoSatellite.net calls "BEST - Universal Motorized Package #6".

It's actually $429.99 plus $55 shipping.

At this point, I am ready to use it as a boat anchor - although probably too light for that application.

I'm not that impressed with GoSatellite.net - instructions included were not what I would consider as "complete" in any way shape or form.

When I called them for tech support, they just told me to post my questions to this forum (side-stepping the questions that I tried to ask them).

Just bought a field strength meter and will go at it again tomorrow.

-Gary.

 

[ken2400]

The meter worked for me. It makes it a LOT easier to find the signal.
ice says "Now the unit doesn’t have blind scan (big bummer)"
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=49990
If this is what you bought I would send it back for that kind of $$$$.
Good luck what ever you do

Since more than one person has asked, I bought a package deal - CaptiveWorks 600s with what GoSatellite.net calls "BEST - Universal Motorized Package #6".

It's actually $429.99 plus $55 shipping.

At this point, I am ready to use it as a boat anchor - although probably too light for that application.

I'm not that impressed with GoSatellite.net - instructions included were not what I would consider as "complete" in any way shape or form.

When I called them for tech support, they just told me to post my questions to this forum (side-stepping the questions that I tried to ask them).

Just bought a field strength meter and will go at it again tomorrow.

-Gary.

 

[digiblur]

The OP stated in post# 1 that he is using a Quad output LNBF! And in post 6 he clearly states he is hooked to a Linear output using a L.O. of 10750

Just trying to point out at what stage we are already at

No further comments....

EDIT: Not biting on the "ban bait" this time.

 

[PSB]

No further comments....

 

[gwest]

Field Strengt Meter = Good - still not the results I was looking for...

I managed to disconnect the rotor and get the dish pointed exactly at SatMex 5 with the aid of a Field Strength Meter. With finger pressure on the dish, I can see a drop in the meter left & right and up & down. I am centered on that satellite.

I now have strength of 86% and quality around 50%.

Nothing but blue sky between the dish and satellite (no buildings or trees).

Oh, and I changed every satellite to 10750 on the receiver which proved to be incorrect - or at least I got nothing until I did a complete default reset of the receiver which put the LNB freq (you seem to call that L.O. - I don't know what that stands for) to "univeral" for SatMex 5. I later figured out that it is going to 10600 on that setting. That's were I get my 86%/50%

Using blind scan, network, and other searching schemes, I haven't found a single channel.

Since there was some discussion, I have an Invacom QPH-031 Quad LNBF that came with the package. I though more was better, but I've learned that a single would have been enough and the circulars are useless since my goal is FTA. I'm just using one linear connection.

What should I do now?

I feel like a patient in a hospital with a bunch of doctors hovering and talking to each other.