I am in Cedar Rapids IA 52405 and I am trying to set up my FTA dish. I have read lots of info on the internet and thought I could get it set up and working but I can't get any quality. I have a coolsat 5000 platinum receiver with a fortec 90 dish and a invacom qph-031. I have it hooked to a sg-2100 motor but for intial setup I am just hooking my receiver directly to the circular port on the lnb. My latitude is 41.98 and my longitude is 91.7 with a magnetic declination of 0.3. I am trying to aim for nimiq 1(91.0w). I have my receiver set to satellite nimiq 1, the lnb power on, lnb type universal, lnb freq to 11.250, 22khz off and diseqc off. I have my motor mounted to the pole at 42 degrees using the latitude side markings and my dish mounted to the motor at 23 degrees. I can get a signal strength of 97% but only 6% signal quality. What is wrong?
setting up new fta with coolsat, no quality
- Thread starter 65pontiac
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I would REMOVE the motor/switch and try to find a few satellites first. Here are all the angles to the satellites from your area. Elevations are WITHOUT the motor!
Motor Elevation = 48º
Dish elevation (When on motor) = 23.5º
Code:
Cedar Rapids, IA 52405
Latitude 41° 58.824'N Longitude 91° 42.588'W
Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m) El Skew
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Amos 1/2 4.0W 91.5 91.2 -6.9 -48.0
Atlantic Bird 3 5.0W 92.2 91.9 -6.2 -48.0
Nilesat 101/102 7.0W 93.5 93.2 -4.7 -47.9
Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2 8.0W 94.2 93.9 -4.0 -47.8
Express A3 11.0W 96.2 95.9 -1.8 -47.6
Telstar 12 15.0W 99.0 98.7 1.1 -47.2
Intelsat 901 18.0W 101.1 100.8 3.3 -46.9
NSS 7 22.0W 103.9 103.6 6.3 -46.2
Intelsat 905 24.5W 105.7 105.4 8.1 -45.7
Intelsat 907 27.5W 107.9 107.6 10.3 -45.0
Hispasat 1C/D 30.0W 109.8 109.5 12.1 -44.4
Intelsat 801 31.5W 111.0 110.6 13.2 -44.0
Intelsat 903 34.5W 113.3 113.0 15.4 -43.1
AMC 12/T 11 37.5W 115.7 115.4 17.5 -42.0
NSS 806 40.5W 118.3 118.0 19.6 -40.9
Pas 3R/6B 43.0W 120.4 120.1 21.3 -39.9
Pas 1R 45.0W 122.2 121.9 22.6 -39.0
Intelsat 705 50.0W 126.9 126.6 25.9 -36.5
Intelsat 707 53.0W 129.8 129.5 27.8 -34.8
Intelsat 805 55.5W 132.4 132.1 29.3 -33.3
Pas 9 58.0W 135.1 134.8 30.7 -31.7
Amazonas 61.0W 138.4 138.1 32.4 -29.6
EchoStar 3 61.5W 139.0 138.7 32.7 -29.2
Rainbow 1 61.5W 139.0 138.7 32.7 -29.2
Estrela do Sul 1 63.0W 140.7 140.4 33.4 -28.1
Brasilsat B2 65.0W 143.0 142.7 34.4 -26.5
Brasilsat B1 70.0W 149.2 148.9 36.7 -22.3
Nahuel 1 71.8W 151.6 151.3 37.4 -20.7
DirecTV 1 72.5W 152.5 152.2 37.7 -20.1
AMC 6 72.0W 151.8 151.5 37.5 -20.5
SBS 6 74.0W 154.5 154.2 38.3 -18.7
Echostar 4 77.0W 158.6 158.3 39.2 -15.8
AMC 5 79.0W 161.4 161.1 39.8 -13.7
Nimiq 2/3 82.0W 165.7 165.3 40.5 -10.6
AMC-9 83.0W 167.1 166.8 40.7 -9.6
Brasilsat B3 84.0W 168.6 168.3 40.9 -8.5
AMC 2 85.0W 170.0 169.7 41.0 -7.4
AMC 3 87.0W 173.0 172.7 41.3 -5.2
IA-8 89.0W 176.0 175.6 41.4 -3.0
Galaxy 11 91.0W 178.9 178.6 41.5 -0.8
Nimiq 1/4i 91.0W 178.9 178.6 41.5 -0.8
Brasilsat B4 92.0W 180.4 180.1 41.5 0.3
IA-6 93.0W 181.9 181.6 41.5 1.4
Galaxy 3C 95.0W 184.9 184.6 41.4 3.6
IA-5 97.0W 187.9 187.6 41.2 5.9
Galaxy 4R 99.0W 190.8 190.5 40.9 8.0
Spaceway 2 99.2W 191.1 190.8 40.9 8.2
DirecTV 1R/4S/8 101.0W 193.7 193.4 40.6 10.2
AMC 4 101.0W 193.7 193.4 40.6 10.2
Spaceway 1 103.0W 196.6 196.3 40.2 12.3
AMC 1 103.0W 196.6 196.3 40.2 12.3
AMC 15 105.0W 199.5 199.1 39.7 14.3
Anik F1/R 107.3W 202.6 202.3 39.0 16.6
DirecTV 5 109.5W 205.6 205.3 38.2 18.8
EchoStar 6/8/10 110.0W 206.3 206.0 38.1 19.2
Anik F2 111.1W 207.8 207.4 37.6 20.3
Solidaridad 2 113.0W 210.2 209.9 36.9 22.0
SatMex 6 113.0W 210.2 209.9 36.9 22.0
SatMex 5 116.8W 215.0 214.7 35.2 25.2
AMC-16 119.0W 217.6 217.3 34.2 27.0
DirecTV 7s 119.0W 217.6 217.3 34.2 27.0
EchoStar 7 119.0W 217.6 217.3 34.2 27.0
EchoStar 9/Telstar 13 121.0W 220.0 219.7 33.1 28.5
Galaxy 10R 123.0W 222.3 222.0 32.1 30.0
Galaxy 14 125.0W 224.5 224.2 31.0 31.4
Galaxy 13/H 1 127.0W 226.6 226.3 29.8 32.7
Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5 129.0W 228.7 228.4 28.6 34.0
AMC 11 131.0W 230.7 230.4 27.4 35.1
Galaxy 15 133.0W 232.7 232.4 26.2 36.3
AMC 10 135.0W 234.6 234.3 24.9 37.3
AMC 7 137.0W 236.5 236.2 23.6 38.3
AMC 8 139.0W 238.3 238.0 22.2 39.2
EchoStar 1/2 148.0W 246.0 245.6 16.0 42.8
Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. LutusMotor Elevation = 48º
Dish elevation (When on motor) = 23.5º
Last edited:
Ok, the weather has finally decided to dry up so I could get outside and try your suggestions. I changed my receiver lnb type to single, but the quality still didn't change. I moved the dish slightly east and west of what I show my due south is from my compass but it stays at less than 7%. According to the satellite calculator nimiq 1 (91w) is 1.4 degrees east of my due south. What should I try next?
I stand about 20 foot away from my dish when using the compass. I am using the first transponder right (circular) polarity. I have my rg-6 cable attached to one of the c marked terminals of my qph-031 lnb.
You may have to tilt the dish down slightly. I found with my Fortec 90cm and HH120 motor the dish itself had to be set to less than 20 degrees for me to get a signal. Not sure where 23 degrees comes from but it didn't work in my case!
And yes, my mast is perfectly plumb and the motor latitude is set to 44 degrees.
I'm surprised you're having trouble finding this satellite. DBS birds are quite easy to get.
And yes, my mast is perfectly plumb and the motor latitude is set to 44 degrees.
I'm surprised you're having trouble finding this satellite. DBS birds are quite easy to get.
Try different TPs. I know on Nimiq 2 the first TP in the channel list on my Fortec wasn't that strong, but when I tried the second, it bangs in really hard. Also, adjust the elevation on the DISH slightly up and down to see if you can get a lock, NOT the motor. Sure, the motor elevtion will work for that bird, but one you start turning toward the ends, the skew will be thrown off. Good luck and keep us updated. If all else fails, do a factor default reset on the Coolsat and try again.
I finally got it. I want to thank all of you for your assistance. Its frustrating knowing your doing everything like the book says and you can't get it to work. I loosened my dish bracket and slowly started moving my dish angle down slightly and BAM my red quality meter went away and it became green with strength of 97% and quality of 94% for nimiq 1, and displays bell express vue in the right hand corner of the screen like its supposed to. For others in the Iowa area using a sg2100 motor setup. The angle of the motor gets set to 41 degree and I have the dish angle at 17 degrees. Now I am going to hook up my motor and diseqc switch and check the alignment on the other satallites in the band. Its a great feeling to have it finally work after trying for hours.
I also was wondering how to set up the usals on the coolsat 5000?
I also was wondering how to set up the usals on the coolsat 5000?
I got one of those free from Sadoun when I ordered my kit. I use it all the time! What I do is I use it to get me in the area, blind scan, then tweak from the receivers meter. My father in law has the exact same meter, but spent $90 on it from an RV supply place! OUCH!!!!!!
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