PBS MUX down on 125W?

[cookies]

Curious as to what size dish everyone is using that is losing this.

Modified Slimline with a PLL LNB in Missouri. I realize that it's undersized at only 33 x 23" (84 x 58cm) but it was free.
I pick the mux up with a little margin above lock at night, then gradually lose it when the sun rises. The same dish performed beautifully all summer, with 12180 being one of my strongest signals... up until about 2 weeks ago. I am a PBS junkie, so I have another dish pointed at LPB, and I have 2 local affiliates OTA. 125w has the best quality by far but I'll survive.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Modified Slimline with a PLL LNB in Missouri. I realize that it's undersized at only 33 x 23" (84 x 58cm) but it was free.
I pick the mux up with a little margin above lock at night, then gradually lose it when the sun rises. The same dish performed beautifully all summer, with 12180 being one of my strongest signals... up until about 2 weeks ago. I am a PBS junkie, so I have another dish pointed at LPB, and I have 2 local affiliates OTA. 125w has the best quality by far but I'll survive.

Where in Missouri? I am on the KS/MO state line.

 

[TRG]

Curious as to what size dish everyone is using that is losing this. I am using a dedicated 4 footer(1.2M) for this bird. I know that helps a lot. I am curious if anyone else that is losing it or having issues is using a 1.2M?

I'm using a dedicated 90cm GeosatPro.

 

[Lucky53]

I'm using a dedicated 90cm GeosatPro.

Using a 90cm dish here..never had this problem until the weather started to cool down..

 

[Alan Rovner]

I'm seeing the same behavior as you guys on my 90 cm dish. PBS signals were in the Q90's, now in the 40's and usually pixelated. As a test I moved to 123W and can get KBS and TVW at Q100. So I don't think it's my dish.

As an alternative, I've been watching LPB on 87W with signals in the Q90's.

Rgds,
Al, K7AR
Vancouver, Wash.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[Joe DC]

Live in SW VA and can no longer receive any of the PBS feeds from 125 using a 90CM dish with PLL LNB. Since my line of sight is just above the tree line I thought it was just that the trees were blocking the signal Yet I can get a strong signal from 121 Dish infomercial.

 

[Magic Static]

Using a 1.2M here and not having any issues. Signal is down a bit though.

 

[TRG]

Looks like a bunch of guys over Ricks are having the same problem. I really hope this gets sorted out. I'll miss this MUX if the power doesn't come back up. I do have an OTA PBS but the picture quality isn't as good as the satellite.

 

[Cham]

Using a 90cm stationary here, only getting 9.7-10dB SNR. Plays fine though. Definitely a drop in signal here too.
Playing Sesame Street on HD01, cookie monster singing... Now I need cookies!

 

[SScheidt]

I'm in California. I've also lost the PBS feeds from 125W @ 12180 on Ku. A few weeks ago I was having signal loss and pixelation, then off and on no signal, now no signal at all. I have a dish fixed on 125W and another one on a rotator to get all FTA on the arc and neither dish will get it now. Since more than one of us is having the same issue and live in different states, I doubt it's our equipment. I've had this set up for over 5 years with no previous issues on 125 and have no current issues getting any other Ku from all satellites in the arc using my rotating dish or when I manually adjusted my fixed dish., so something has changed. Hopefully someone will have an update.

 

[Titanium]

SScheidt

What size reflectors are you using? I have a fixed 1m and a 1.2m and while the signal is lower than in the past, this mux is reliably locking in Northern California. There is break-up using the motorized 90cm. The 10cm is the difference to add locking margin SNR above the threshold.

 

[mc6809e]

Attached are my observations over the past several days using a fixed 1m Fortec dish (100cm x 110cm). So far, I haven't experienced any problems.

 

[oldsmobile]

It's coming in just fine here in Central Pennsylvania. Using a 90cm with a PLL LNB, and SQ on my MicroHD wavers from 67 to 72.

 

[Keith Brannen]

Like mc6809e, I have been keeping readings these past few days. Unlike him, I haven't been including the weather report! IIRC most days have been cloudy or with sun, no rain. Today was mainly sunny, with cloudy periods at times.

Attached are the readings. What I have noticed is that mid-day is the worst for the PBS mux, late night and early morning the best.

EDIT: Montana PBS did not pixelate at all at any time during the readings.

As I list in my report: 80cm dish, Geosatpro PLL LNB, AZBox Ultra
through the following switches:
LNB -- 22 KHz -- EMP Centauri 8x1 -- Digiwave 4x1 -- receiver

 

[SScheidt]

SScheidt

What size reflectors are you using? I have a fixed 1m and a 1.2m and while the signal is lower than in the past, this mux is reliably locking in Northern California. There is break-up using the motorized 90cm. The 10cm is the difference to add locking margin SNR above the threshold.

The 90cm GeoSatPro dish, been using it for years without issue. Guess I would wonder why they would make the signal such that I would have to move up to a 1.2m dish to get the same thing now?

 

[comfortably_numb]

Guess I would wonder why they would make the signal such that I would have to move up to a 1.2m dish to get the same thing now?

Cheaper to uplink a less powerful signal perhaps?

 

[SScheidt]

 

[Titanium]

As the signal appears to be increasing/decreasing within 24 hour periods recorded on multiple days, it is possible that there is an uplink tracking error or transponder receive/transmitt hardware or setting.

Have observed similar cycles of reduced signal and cycles of increase/decrease due to failures or errors with the uplink dish tracking system that monitors the signal received and turned by the satellite and adjusts output power and / or tracks the satellite movement within the box. Also have experienced a transponder that was not correctly configured. In one case the the AGC did not properly balance the amplifier power.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Has anyone notified PBS of the issue?

 

[Keith Brannen]

As the signal appears to be increasing/decreasing within 24 hour periods recorded on multiple days, it is possible that there is an uplink tracking error or transponder receive/transmitt hardware or setting.

Have observed similar cycles of reduced signal and cycles of increase/decrease due to failures or errors with the uplink dish tracking system that monitors the signal received and turned by the satellite and adjusts output power and / or tracks the satellite movement within the box. Also have experienced a transponder that was not correctly configured. In one case the the AGC did not properly balance the amplifier power.

That was the case back in 2014 with OETA when they were on 125W, the engineer at the station (thread on it over at legalfreetoair.com) had to do some minor adjustments to their 6.3M transmit antenna alignment for “center of box” which corrected a similar cyclical fading.