Newbie Sat Level?

[vining]

I haven't touched a dish in years but since the local directv guys doing the 5lnb mpeg changeover wouldn't install the dish (just dropped it off with the homeowners) I was recruited to do the install since I do their AV.

I have an AcutracIII+ meter with the following levels:

Meter Setting KA 99 & KU 101 levels:
 
KA High = 99.4
KU         = 99.5
KA Low = 99.0
 
Meter Setting KA 103 & KU 119 levels:
 
KA High = 87.3
KU         = 87.1
KA Low = 99.9
 
Meter Setting KA 103 & KU 110/119 levels:
 
KA High = 49.3
KU         = 99.9
KA Low = 90.0

I assume these level are satisfactory but I've never done one before so I don't know for sure. Maybe the 49.3 reading is a deal breaker. The recievers didn't pass their test and I also don't know what package they have or what channels they should get.

I tried to follow the alignment manual but the AU9 dish doesn't have dither stops so I just sort of tweaked the meter levels since mine meter shows the KA bands. I also stumbled across another problem the dealers neglected to inform the customer about the use of diplexers which are used to combine with CATV. Once I remove these form the loop the tests passed but I still wasn't getting any of the new channels so.....

Not knowing if my levels were good prevented me from trying more things and wasting more time so I fugured I'd try an find out first before moving ahead.

Questions:

Are the above levels good?
Do I need to provison the boxes again?
The diplexers are bad, right?

 

[Jimbo]

Your levels look good except the one as you said.

Diplexers are a no no, some say you can use them, but you need to set it up differently, that I cannot help you with.

You didn't say what rec's your installing, if they are the H/HR 20/21's , you said you were not getting the new channels, have you installed the BBC modules to the back of the rec.'s, they allow the mpeg4 to shown, it's a lot more complicated than that, but you need them in place to get your new channels.


btw, WELCOME to the site !

Jimbo

 

[iwc5893]

It could be that you're on the fringe of a spotbeam for the 103 KA High.

What type of 5LNB dish did they leave? The AU-9 Slimline or the SWM 5LNB?

 

[vining]

iwc5893 wrote:

What type of 5LNB dish did they leave?

AU9.

Jimbo wrote:

You didn't say what rec's your installing, if they are the H/HR 20/21's , you said you were not getting the new channels, have you installed the BBC modules to the back of the rec.'s,

Hmmm. I don't even know what type of receiver they have, I'll post when I figure that out. The Pics on the website aren't distinct enough for me to tell.

What's a BBC module? These receivers were installed by the direcTV guys doing the conversion but since they wouldn't install the dish becasue that required actually working for their comission (it did require a ladder) so If this module is required only for the mpeg4 stream then I would have to say it couldn't have been installed since they set these receivers up for the old dish.

 

[Sancho]

I attempted to do a self-install over the weekend. My hunting cabin has a dish but doesn't have service, and I had a basic SD receiver that I use on my 2nd television. I pointed the dish in the right direction and connected everything, but when I turned it on I wasn't able to get a full signal.

Transponders 1-18 had all zeroes, 19-24 had numbers ranging from 86-96, and all the rest were zeroes. I tinkered with the dish but was never able to get any signal on any of the other transponders. I did have a connector on the cable from the LNB to the dish as I didn't have one cable long enough to reach. Was the problem possibly with the connector or was I doing something wrong with the dish?

i plan on going back again this weekend and would really like to be able to watch football, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jtwex]

I attempted to do a self-install over the weekend. My hunting cabin has a dish but doesn't have service, and I had a basic SD receiver that I use on my 2nd television. I pointed the dish in the right direction and connected everything, but when I turned it on I wasn't able to get a full signal.

Transponders 1-18 had all zeroes, 19-24 had numbers ranging from 86-96, and all the rest were zeroes. I tinkered with the dish but was never able to get any signal on any of the other transponders. I did have a connector on the cable from the LNB to the dish as I didn't have one cable long enough to reach. Was the problem possibly with the connector or was I doing something wrong with the dish?

i plan on going back again this weekend and would really like to be able to watch football, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

While I don't like the spliced lines outside (or anywhere for that matter) simply using a dual female coupler should have no (or very little) affect on the signal.
Instead of using transponder readings try using the individual satellite numbers for each bird; this would also require us knowing what type of dish/receiver you are trying to use.

Different types: What DIRECTV dish antenna type do I have? Phase I, Phase II, Phase II+, Phase III, ....

As far as length of cable, I believe 150ft is D's suggested length. If using the phase three dish, align the 101 for everything you need. If possible, bring your tv/receiver right next to your dish (with a short coaxial cable) & make your modifications right there. I have not attempted to use my old receivers for NFL-ST reception & have been told conflicting information as to whether they would receive ST in SD this year off of 101.

Phase 3: 101, 110 & 119
AT-9+ 99, 101, 103, 110 & 119.

If the 'connector' was a splitter instead of a coupler I would lose it, though it should still work on Phase-3 or earlier if only being used on one receiver.

 

[Sancho]

I was using a phase 1 dish (it is actually an old Dishnet dish) and a D11 receiver.

It showed that I wasn't receiving a signal and said 'searching for signal' on the screen, but when I checked the transponders on satellite 101 various transponders had readings at or above 84.

I got the setup to work one time before without knowing any dish settings (total luck, obviously), but that was without using a double-female line connector, so I thought the problem might be in the connector. Unfortunately I had to move the dish location and the new location was too far away to connect without the splice, so I couldn't take the splice out to check and see if that was the problem.

I was at zip code 77963 and used the settings on the dish to set it at the suggested settings.

 

[vining]

Got an email from the home owner and they are h23's so according to the thread on h23's no BBC required.

So If I pull the diplexers out again and run straight from the dish's integral switch straight into the H23 receiver with the signal levels posted early in this thread using my Acutrac III+ meter should I be able to get all channels providing the account is set up for them.

Any one at all familar with this tester and these readings that could let me know if the dish is properly aligned or not.

On a side note:

This thing with the diplexers reminds me of the Cable companies who sell voip telephone service to their cable customers. They have the customers discontinue there existing analog service for voip only and after a month or so to realize their security system doesn't dial out any more because of the incomapability. What ever happened to being obligated to informing customers of the pros & cons of their products. Are the installers afraid of loosing their commsion and don't care about giving DirecTV a bad rap. The majority of my customers have both cable for their ISP and TV as well as DirecTV and they are almost all using diplexers. Now they're getting told they have to update to the new system to continue HD service and, oh by the way you have to figure out a way to get new cable lines through out your house but they don't tell them that up front or at all. 10,000+ sq' homes and 90% of the house's have their basement just about completely finished.