Newbie, help w/ alignment & LNB freq

[farmerjay]

Coolsat 5000
Ultrasat Ku-band dual LNB
30" dish

I'm struggling here fellas. Just purchased this and I can't seem to get a signal. So here's the questions...

1. My numbers are 30.4 elevation, 224.88 Azimuth. I'm in Battle Creek, MI. Is this right? The elevation does seem right to me because at 30 the dish is pointing directly forward and not into the sky at all?? Not sure if it matters but my previous 20" dish was set at 40 elevation.
2. The previous 20" dish was able to adjust for skew and was rotated clockwise to 120. The dish I purchased doesn't skew, is this a problem? Do I just rotate the LNB? how much?
3. The level is reading 90% but quality is at 5-6%. What is the significance of the level compared to the quality?
4. How do I know what the right LNB freq is? The receiver was set at 9.750/10.750 by default.

Any help is much appreciated!!

 

[PSB]

Read this and tell us as much as you can about the system you have, what it says on the LNB.......

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=38974

Offset dish do look straight ahead, they are pointing 22º lower than they seem to be.

                   Battle Creek, MI 49017
         Latitude 42° 19.932'N Longitude 85° 10.866'W

                       Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
--------------------------------------------------------------
           Thor 2/3 Intelsat 10    1.0W  93.9  99.6 -4.4 -47.5
                               
                       Amos 1/2    4.0W  96.0 101.7 -2.2 -47.3
                               
                Atlantic Bird 3    5.0W  96.6 102.4 -1.5 -47.2
                               
                Nilesat 101/102    7.0W  98.0 103.7  0.0 -47.1
                               
     Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2    8.0W  98.7 104.4  0.7 -46.9
                               
                     Express A3   11.0W 100.8 106.5  2.9 -46.6
                               
                     Telstar 12   15.0W 103.6 109.4  5.9 -45.9
                               
                   Intelsat 901   18.0W 105.8 111.5  8.0 -45.3
                               
                          NSS 7   22.0W 108.8 114.5 10.9 -44.4
                               
                   Intelsat 905   24.5W 110.7 116.4 12.7 -43.7
                               
                   Intelsat 907   27.5W 113.1 118.8 14.9 -42.9
                               
                  Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 115.1 120.8 16.6 -42.0
                               
                   Intelsat 801   31.5W 116.3 122.0 17.7 -41.5
                               
                   Intelsat 903   34.5W 118.9 124.6 19.7 -40.3
                               
                    AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 121.5 127.2 21.8 -39.1
                               
                        NSS 806   40.5W 124.3 130.0 23.8 -37.7
                               
                      Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 126.6 132.3 25.4 -36.4
                               
                         Pas 1R   45.0W 128.6 134.3 26.6 -35.3
                               
                   Intelsat 705   50.0W 133.7 139.4 29.6 -32.3
                               
                   Intelsat 707   53.0W 136.9 142.7 31.3 -30.3
                               
                   Intelsat 805   55.5W 139.8 145.5 32.6 -28.5
                               
                          Pas 9   58.0W 142.7 148.4 33.9 -26.6
                               
                       Amazonas   61.0W 146.3 152.0 35.3 -24.2
                               
                     EchoStar 3   61.5W 146.9 152.6 35.5 -23.8
                               
                      Rainbow 1   61.5W 146.9 152.6 35.5 -23.8
                               
               Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 148.8 154.5 36.2 -22.5
                               
                   Brasilsat B2   65.0W 151.4 157.1 37.0 -20.7
                               
                   Brasilsat B1   70.0W 158.1 163.8 38.7 -16.0
                               
                       Nahuel 1   71.8W 160.5 166.3 39.3 -14.3
                               
                      DirecTV 1   72.5W 161.5 167.2 39.4 -13.5
                               
                          AMC 6   72.0W 160.8 166.5 39.3 -14.1
                               
                          SBS 6   74.0W 163.6 169.4 39.8 -12.0
                               
                     Echostar 4   77.0W 167.9 173.7 40.4  -8.9
                               
                          AMC 5   79.0W 170.9 176.6 40.7  -6.7
                               
                        Nimiq 2   82.0W 175.3 181.0 41.0  -3.5
                               
                          AMC-9   83.0W 176.8 182.5 41.1  -2.4
                               
                   Brasilsat B3   84.0W 178.2 184.0 41.1  -1.3
                               
                          AMC 2   85.0W 179.7 185.4 41.1  -0.2
                               
                          AMC 3   87.0W 182.7 188.4 41.1   2.0
                               
                           IA-8   89.0W 185.7 191.4 41.0   4.2
                               
                      Galaxy 11   91.0W 188.6 194.3 40.8   6.4
                               
                      Nimiq 1/3   91.0W 188.6 194.3 40.8   6.4
                               
                   Brasilsat B4   92.0W 190.1 195.8 40.6   7.4
                               
                      Telstar 6   93.0W 191.5 197.2 40.5   8.5
                               
                      Galaxy 3C   95.0W 194.4 200.1 40.1  10.6
                               
                      Telstar 5   97.0W 197.3 203.0 39.7  12.7
                               
                      Galaxy 4R   99.0W 200.1 205.8 39.1  14.7
                               
                     Spaceway 2   99.2W 200.3 206.1 39.1  14.9
                               
                DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 202.8 208.5 38.5  16.7
                               
                          AMC 4  101.0W 202.8 208.5 38.5  16.7
                               
                     Spaceway 1  102.0W 204.2 209.9 38.2  17.6
                               
                          AMC 1  103.0W 205.5 211.2 37.9  18.6
                               
                         AMC 15  105.0W 208.2 213.9 37.1  20.4
                               
                      Anik F1/R  107.3W 211.1 216.8 36.2  22.5
                               
                      DirecTV 5  109.5W 213.9 219.6 35.3  24.3
                               
                     EchoStar 6  110.0W 214.5 220.2 35.0  24.7
                               
                     EchoStar 8  110.0W 214.5 220.2 35.0  24.7
                               
                        Anik F2  111.1W 215.8 221.5 34.5  25.6
                               
                  Solidaridad 2  113.0W 218.1 223.8 33.6  27.1
                               
                       SatMex 5  116.8W 222.4 228.1 31.6  29.9
                               
                     DirecTV 7s  119.0W 224.9 230.6 30.4  31.4
                               
                     EchoStar 7  119.0W 224.9 230.6 30.4  31.4
                               
          EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 227.0 232.7 29.2  32.7
                               
                     Galaxy 10R  123.0W 229.1 234.8 28.1  33.9
                               
                      Galaxy 14  125.0W 231.1 236.8 26.8  35.1
                               
                  Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 233.0 238.7 25.6  36.2
                               
 Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 234.9 240.6 24.3  37.2
                               
                         AMC 11  131.0W 236.8 242.5 23.0  38.2
                               
                   Galaxy 1R/15  133.0W 238.6 244.3 21.7  39.1
                               
                         AMC 10  135.0W 240.4 246.1 20.3  40.0
                               
                          AMC 7  137.0W 242.1 247.8 19.0  40.8
                               
                          AMC 8  139.0W 243.8 249.5 17.6  41.5
                               
                     EchoStar 1  148.0W 250.9 256.6 11.2  44.3
                               
                     EchoStar 2  148.0W 250.9 256.6 11.2  44.3

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

 

[farmerjay]

Well here's as much info as I have on the LNB

Ultrasat Model US-200L
RF: 1.70/12.20 GHz
IF: 950/1450 Mhz
LO: 10.75 GHz
Gain 60dB
Noise Figure: .6dB

So since it's an offset dish (which I don't really know what that means) if the elevation is supposed to be 30.4 I set is at 22 deg lower at 8.4??? It doesn't seem possible, the dish hits the post at 30. Thanks for any help on this...

 

[farmerjay]

Ok sorry, I guess I was just backwards. So for 30.4 elevation it would actually be set at 52.4?

 

[PSB]

Its a standard LNBF so the L.O. should be set to 10750

Here is the whole explanation on offset dish.......

http://www.satsig.net/22-deg-offset-dish.htm

The dish elevation should be set as posted above, if the angle to the satellite you are looking for is 30º then set the dish to 30º The offset is built into the dish, thats why it "seems" to be pointing straight ahead!

 

[farmerjay]

Ok thanks! So then on my setup screen it's okay to leave it at 9.750/10.750? I wasnt' sure what the first # was.

Still curious about the skew issue?

 

[PSB]

Skew.......

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/LNBF-Installation.htm

 

[Mr Tony]

no
since the LO is 10750, make sure it is set to Standard and 10750 for LO

 

[Mr Tony]

Here is what I mean

when you set up your dish setup, select the satellite and where I have 11250 change to 10750 (the satellite I have there is a DBS satellite)

So it would be satellite
LNB power ON
LNB Type-Single
LNB Freq 10750
22K & Diseqc make sure they are off

 

[WyrTwister]

Ok thanks! So then on my setup screen it's okay to leave it at 9.750/10.750? I wasnt' sure what the first # was.

Still curious about the skew issue?

If you have 2 places to type in numbers , use 10750 / 10750 .

Wyr

 

[Mr Tony]

wyr
On the Coolsat, all he has to do is change the LNB type to "Single" and then put in 10750 once

 

[farmerjay]

Ok cool, thanks for all this help. I'm now up to 25% quality so I guess I'm getting somewhere. So is there any other adjustments I need to make other than just making slight adjustments to azimuth or my elevation?

 

[sksatellite]

Ok cool, thanks for all this help. I'm now up to 25% quality so I guess I'm getting somewhere. So is there any other adjustments I need to make other than just making slight adjustments to azimuth or my elevation?

Even you can see 25% quality, it doesn't necessary you will get what you want. You may need to set skew on your LNBF and pull the LNBF as far as possible out from the dish, how is your signal strenght, not quality,Normally, once you picked a satellite and go to an active TP setting, then go point your dish, your signal strenght will increase and so the signal quality, this way, you know you are hitting the right satellite and that TP.

 

[farmerjay]

Even you can see 25% quality, it doesn't necessary you will get what you want. You may need to set skew on your LNBF and pull the LNBF as far as possible out from the dish, how is your signal strenght, not quality,Normally, once you picked a satellite and go to an active TP setting, then go point your dish, your signal strenght will increase and so the signal quality, this way, you know you are hitting the right satellite and that TP.

Well my signal strength is at 97% but my quality is still around 20% after adjusting the azimuth back and forth. So I don't know what else to do. Could you explain what you mean by "active TP setting?"

 

[PSB]

Means a LIVE channel or transponder from the satellite you are aiming at!

If you use a Freq./Polarity/symbol rate of a channel that is not broadcasting you will never see signal quality!

 

[farmerjay]

Ok sorry I'm really new at this here. I can't get a channel because the signal is not locked in enough to the satellite to pick channels up on scan so I don't understand what you mean.

Also, if I go to blind scan, the TP is currently set between 11.700 ~ 12.200. Should I change this? I did a scan using these settings and there was a few times the quality meter actually went up to 70%? Does this mean anything?

 

[PSB]

11.7-12.2 is not a TP. setting its the RF of the LNB!

Start with the antenna set up screen ensure that you have the L.O. setting at 10750.

Then try a blind scan.

 

[farmerjay]

I did make sure that the LNB freq was set to 10750 on the setup screen. And it lists this on the screen when I go to blind scan but then below it also lists

TP - 11700 ~ 12200
SR - full
Pol - all
Mode - all

I did try a blind scan and it didn't find anything. I also tried a scan setting the TP to 10750~10750 and still nothing.

 

[WyrTwister]

wyr
On the Coolsat, all he has to do is change the LNB type to "Single" and then put in 10750 once

OOPPS !


My mistake , going by Pansat / PCV DVB-S experience . :-(

Have wondered about the newer equipment , but will probably stand pat with what I have , for a while .

Still playing around with HD PCI DVB-S on C band . A HD STB would be nice . But then , I would have to buy a HD TV . It never ends ............

Wyr

 

[WyrTwister]

I did make sure that the LNB freq was set to 10750 on the setup screen. And it lists this on the screen when I go to blind scan but then below it also lists

TP - 11700 ~ 12200
SR - full
Pol - all
Mode - all

I did try a blind scan and it didn't find anything. I also tried a scan setting the TP to 10750~10750 and still nothing.

You are getting mixed up with the frequencies . Leave the LOF at 10750 .

11700 ~ 12200 is the range of frequnncies it will " listen " to when it does its blind scan . This is standard for Ku with your LNBF .

SR - full
Pol - all
Mode - all

Pretty much means " listen " for anything that is out there .

Depending on which sat you are pointed at , there may be stuff that shows up as signal quality on a Trans Ponder , that the receiver can not understand . Like internet data or encription methods like Digicypher .

If you are getting 20% SQ , then just continue tweeking the dish up and down , east & west and possably the LNBF in and out & rotating left & right ( skew ) . But only do one thing at a time .

Wyr