Summer FTA Plans, but I do need some help!

[ksmithtwn]

Hello everyone, I have been a member here now for just about a year and I have noting but positive things to say about this site! I especially want to say thanks to everyone who has helped me step by step get my FTA box working! This is one of the best places to come to talk abotu FTA and get the help you need to get going!

I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in a little neighbourhood that is surrounded by big 100ft. trees that block almost all the satellites except Anik F1, Nimiq1/2 Echostar 110, 119 (Although, to get 119 I have to have my dish at the end of the driveway ) Since last year I have wanted to be able to get Galaxy 10R (Ku), and Anik F1R (CBand) on my FTA system, but havent been able to due to the trees blocking my view and the size of my yard not permitting geting a BUD for Anik F1R.

I have been collecting dishes for years, last year I had some 32 dishes on the front lawn of my old cottage, I'll try to dig up some pictures. As of right now in the city I have 3 main dishes that I use, one *C 31" dish, a *C 75E dish, and a 18" Bell E*Vu dish.

A while back a friend gave me a modded receiver that got all of the BEV programming after a week of having it, it lost its excitment to me and I decided to get rid of it. For some reason tuning a dish and picking up FTA gives me a better sense of self acomplishment then punching in some keys and illegally stealing TV.

My family is a frequent buyer from a local electronic saleperson whom also services satellite equipment so I get alot of old used receivers and dishes, mainly *C and BeV.. For receivers I have the following:

Bell ExpressVu 3100
Bell ExpressVu 2700 X3
StarChoice DSR 305 X2
StarChoice DSR 205
Twinhan USB StarBox
Twinhan PCI MagicBox
General Insturments 2410R CBAND/Ku
Sony DirecTV Receviers X2

I plan on taking up to the cottage my GI 2410R receiver because it has a great LED signal tuner on the front, makes tuning a bird quick and easy. I also plan on taking my desktop machine with my Twinhan PCI MagicBox receiver in it. I hope to be able to get Anik F1R and G10R within the first week of being up there..

I will have tonn's of questions through out the process which is why I thought I should create this thread, if I placed this in the wrong place could a moderator please move it for me? So as I run in to problems I will post my questions here.. But I also have a few questions before I start..

1) I will be tuning with my analog GI 2410R receiver, what is a good TP number to tune to G10R with?

2) Is there a way I can put a CBAND LNB(F?) on my *C 31" dish and get CBAND programming of Anik F1R?

Thanks for your help everyone!
Happy Watching!

 

[Mr Tony]

1) I will be tuning with my analog GI 2410R receiver, what is a good TP number to tune to G10R with?

G10 really doesn't have anything analog per say...but next door on 121 (Dish 121) there is an analog channel (12 I think) that is a test card. That would get you in the ballpark. Sadly during this time of year there isnt much on G10 analog.

2) Is there a way I can put a CBAND LNB(F?) on my *C 31" dish and get CBAND programming of Anik F1R?

I think the 31" will be too small. I have got some KU digital on AnikF1 with a 40x30 Primestar dish and a C-Band LNBF but the 31" may be too small

 

[ksmithtwn]

Thanks for that, Iceberg.

With this Dish & LNB can I get the AMC Satellites? I don't have any experience with them.. Here is the dish and LNB:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/1039/cat/500/ppuser/50494
I've also got some other pictures of the LNB's that I have to go with it in that gallery..

 

[Mr Tony]

I cant tell what LNB type that is but you could get the KU channels if that LNB is KU.

When I got C-Band stuff with a smaller dish it was the really strong stuff. ASN (Atlantic Satellite Network from Halifax) on AnikF1 was one fo them

 

[ksmithtwn]

It's just a standard SC LNB.. What is 4100 V, tp 10B like singal wise? Could I get it with a smaller dish, do you know?

 

[Mr Tony]

Really don't know. I know on the 6 footer it comes in very strong but other than IDNR and Weather net for Sirius the rest are scrambled (Weather Net TV scrambled about 3 weeks ago

 

[ksmithtwn]

(Weather Net TV scrambled about 3 weeks ago )

Sigh.. That was the only reason for me to get F1R.. Oh well, whats its encryption do you know?

Also, do you have any of the info on AMC6 strong tp (#)? Number wise not freq, I can only adjust my TP's not my freqs on this receiver..

 

[ksmithtwn]

I finally got AMC 2, not very clear however..

 

[Mr Tony]

Sigh.. That was the only reason for me to get F1R.. Oh well, whats its encryption do you know?

PowerVu

Also, do you have any of the info on AMC6 strong tp (#)? Number wise not freq, I can only adjust my TP's not my freqs on this receiver..

Have no idea what is on KU analog on AMC6...sorry

 

[Mr Tony]

I finally got AMC 2, not very clear however..

thats normal....those Dish test cards are real snowy

 

[ksmithtwn]

So I am now discovering an very easy way to tune satellites, look for the test cards while moving the dish.. I used to just tune it with this reciver outside then plug the cable back in to my house and go down to the living room and scan then.. Now what I am doing is taking the GI 2410R receiver outside, setting the receiver the channel that the test card is on, and then simply aim and fine tune based on the picture of the card...

Now, AMC 2 is nothing but a feed satellite.. Last night I watched the Texas lottery feed and the Ottawa Lynx game .. There are 2 test cards, a NTSC one thats analog and a DVB Test card that my DVB box picks up.. I have a question.. My satelite PIM on my DVB card for AMC 2 only goes as high as TP 22, yet this card is on TP 24 so I had to manualy enter the info for this channel.. Can DVB cards pick up analog? and if a feed is active on the satellite, if I do a blind scan will it find it?

 

[Mr Tony]

no PC cards cannot pick up analog....digital only

sounds like the analog box frequencies are off a little bit

 

[ksmithtwn]

Okay, so something else I just figured out, or think I figured out anyways..

I am on 85 degrees, and if I move a hair to the left I loose the signal, but if I change the channels I will get something else, but not the test pattern on 85 anymore, it is possible I hit AMC 9, at 83?

 

[Mr Tony]

yep. That is the advantage of analog...no picture...move the dish...picture comes in...keep moving dish and picture disappears and you're probably on anoyther satellite.

I showed my neighbor yesterday how I went from G4 to IA5 to G3 to IA6 to IA8 just by moving my 6 foot dish and changing channels (G4 for Shepherd's Chapel to IA5 for a feed to G3 to a horse race feed to IA6 for the scrambled porn to IA8 for ABC feed)

 

[ksmithtwn]

Haha very nice.. I took a look at some of your pics, BTW.. Looks like you got some good setups going.. Alright one more question, which satellite out of all of them (I know thats alot) has the most analog feeds? I would like to set up a dish on one of those..

I watched a local station feed last night, and the end product on another TV, it was pretty cool!

 

[Mr Tony]

Haha very nice.. I took a look at some of your pics, BTW.. Looks like you got some good setups going.. Alright one more question, which satellite out of all of them (I know thats alot) has the most analog feeds? I would like to set up a dish on one of those..

I watched a local station feed last night, and the end product on another TV, it was pretty cool!

C-Band or KU?

KU would be SBS6 come fall
C would be G4 or IA6 (G16 & G26)...lots of analog feeds on those 2 satellites

 

[ksmithtwn]

C-Band or KU?

KU would be SBS6 come fall
C would be G4 or IA6 (G16 & G26)...lots of analog feeds on those 2 satellites

The feed last night was analog on AMC2, I want to find more like that.. Ku Analog feeds

 

[Mr Tony]

not much until fall when sports seasons start up...then the analog feeds start coming back