Testing tomorrow

[tracker1998]

Got my dish in a temp position today to test while I wait for my motor and new LNB, then I will hoist it up on top of one of my towers. Right now I am using a Coolsat 5000 Premium. 36" dish with the LNB that came with it, QSat 88-1020U in a fixed position. I'm 45.019 Lat. , -74.709 Long. Tomorrow is another day off with nice weather and would like to test. Where the dish is I should be able to see Birds 45 to 121 using data from w.dishpointer.c. I am new to this and would like advise on where to start and get some positive results tomorrow to learn and enjoy this hobby.

 

[Tron]

For satellites with the most 24/7 "permanent" channels, I recommend Galaxy 10R (123w) and Galaxy 25 (97w). Lots of temporary feeds on 74w, 79w, 91w, and 93w (no specifics, feed details are not to be discussed on open forum). Use blind scan to find feeds.

 

[tracker1998]

Tron thanks for the reply. It looks like 97 will be good for me as the house is in the way for now for 123. Now I just have to figure out the setting for my machine to pull it in. Thanks for the reply.

 

[tracker1998]

Not having much luck. I tried a few birds including the ones that I comfortable with like 91, 110, 119 just to see if I could get anything !! No go. Thought my sat finder would help. Really don't know what to set the LNB type & freq. on my machine for say, galaxy 25 (97w), 74w, 79w, etc... Should 22Khz be on or off? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[turbosat]

You didn't say what kind of lnb you have, but generally the LO freq is 10750 for a 'standard' lnbf , and if you are not using a 22khz switch (3x4 switch, 5x8 switch etc) leave the 22khz tone off.

 

[tracker1998]

Thanks for the reply turbosat. After lunch I will try again. My LNB is a Qsat 88-1020U. The LO on it is 9.750/10.600 GHZ.

 

[tracker1998]

If the standard LO is 10750 and my LNB is only rated to 10.600, could that me my problem? My receiver doesn't have a standard setting but does have a universal setting. I am assuming this is the same thing?

 

[Mr Tony]

if it has a Universal setting, use that. The LNB needs to have the right LNB LO or it wont work properly

 

[gabshere]

your 's is the universal so you can use the universal setting and the LO setting on it is 9.750/10.600. if it was a standard, you would use single and set the LO to 10750.

try 97 again and it does take a lot of patience at first .. use a live transponder when tuning the satellite ( on my coolsat i goto Manual and select the transponder and watch the screen.

set the skew on the lnb

using a compass turn the dish to the correct azmath for your location ( and then adjust the elevation starting from the reccomended elevation and adjust in small increments from there up & down. slowly untill you see the quality go green. my coolsat the signal level actually works and will go from low to mid 90's to about 98 when its getting close. but the main one to watch is the Quality indicator.

 

[tracker1998]

Thank you all for your help. I'm starting to wonder if the LNB is not defective. I give up for now as I have a QPH-031 and a DG240 on the way. Once I get that set up and zeroed south then I would think it will be easier to set things up from the comfort of my couch LOL. Thanks again all for your help and will seek assistance if need be when I do my final setup.

 

[glen4cindy]

Thank you all for your help. I'm starting to wonder if the LNB is not defective. I give up for now as I have a QPH-031 and a DG240 on the way. Once I get that set up and zeroed south then I would think it will be easier to set things up from the comfort of my couch LOL. Thanks again all for your help and will seek assistance if need be when I do my final setup.

The best way to find a sat is to take a small TV and your receiver to the dish as you move it. You will never be successful trying to aim the dish from the comfort of your couch! The LNBF is almost never bad, but it can happen. Just remember, when you are aiming for a linear satellite like 97 W. the snail is your friend. Make very SSSSSS-LLLLLLLL-OOOOOOOO-WWWWWW movements! Most of the satellites are only TWO degrees apart, so, 2 degrees are you are on a different satellite than the one you want! The elevation can be harder to hit than the azimuth, so if you have made a couple of sweeps and found nothing, bump the elevation up 1 degree and sweep again. If you have gone up 8 or 9 degrees, start dropping the elevation 1 degree at a time. You will find it, but, it can be much harder than pointing a DishNet or DirecTv dish.

The QPH-031 LNBF will have a LO freq. of 10750 for a linear satellite like 97 W. or 123 W. and 11250 if you try to aim at 119. If you do try 119 you will need to use a C port on the QPH, but if you try for 97, you will need to use an L port.

Check Lyngsat for an active transponder. Don't just assume that because there is a transponder in the list that it is active. That was one of my mistakes when I set mine up first.

Some recommend getting practice setting up a stationary dish before adding a motor, but, that is up to you. I jumped in full force and hooked mine up with the motor installed from the beginning. Good luck, you will love it once you get it working!

 

[Anole]

I kinda glossed over the comments above, so sorry if this was said specifically and clearly, but . . .

One big contributing factor to you not getting the linear satellites on your Universal LNB, was not having the receiver set to Universal, and / or the 22khz ON.
With 22khz off, the LNB was using the lower Local Oscillator (9.750ghz), and you were not even tuned into the live satellite band.

The correct way to run switches is to set 22khz on or off.
The correct way to have the receiver turn on 22khz (high band) is to select Universal, then tune in a live transponder frequency.
Some old receivers may not be too switch friendly or their menu may be confusing, and give you the options seperately.
So, try to understand the difference.

By the way, my new sat meter now tells me if it detects 22khz being fed to the LNB.
Takes the doubt out of it.

 

[Tron]

Anole, which satellite meter are you using? I've got a friend who is interested in a Birdog, but I don't think its worth the money, since having a receiver and small TV out at the dish is basically just as useful (if not as portable )

 

[Anole]

Sorry, I missed this thread today.

I don't think non-professionals can justify the use of real sat meters, either.
Watch, someone will put one in my hand and make me eat my words! -
Or worse yet, tuning S2 will prove to be such a bitch that we'll all buy 'em!

But for just getting on the arc, a lot of newbies would be will suited with the cheapie meters.
Once there, the receiver is a good tool, as you suggested.
As for the poor fools trying to get FTA with a PCI/USB solution for the first time, they need all the help they can get!

I won an enhanced low-end meter from Sadoun, a while back.
It lites a LED if it detects 22khz on the LNB power.
Also available a little cheaper without the accessories.

They're also good for letting you know you have power to the LNB.
I've seen people report that the reason they lost signal was an unplugged cable.
( it might have even happened to me once or twice . . . )
Can you imagine climbing up to tweak an unpowered dish for more signal?
It's like trying to change the fuse in the dark without a flashlight! -

 

[Tron]

Sounds like an interesting device. I've always been an advocate of the receiver-small TV combo, and I'll continue to be (even though my friend forked out the four bills for the Birdog afterall )...

 

[tracker1998]

Add sat @ 1.2 or Usals

Been doing a lot of reading here. My QPH-031 & DG240 should be in the next couple of days. Ready to mount it up to my 36" dish and set it atop of my 35' tower. I think I can "muddle" through with the info I have so far. All but 2 Pcs. of info I'm not sure about to make this successful for the first day in it's permanent place. The info I am missing is how do I add a satellite to my Coolsat 5000 that is not listed in my receiver ? I need to add 74W as this is my true south sat. and then others of course. Then the next question is, should I be using 1.2 or USALS for the motor setup?
My set up consists as follows. 91,110,119 with 2, 4x1 Disq switches with 3 fixed dishes and 2 receivers. Adding new setup to Port #4 on both switches Via SW-21 from new dish. Any help would be appreciated.
Note. I really don't want to climb up that tower more than I have too!!! LOL .

 

[tracker1998]

Sorry Iceberg, I though I started a new thread!!

 

[Mr Tony]

I moved it to this thread

 

[tracker1998]

Tron, I too rather the TV and the loud signal from my CoolSat to find the birds but the cheap little meter I use can do the fine tuning that the TV can't.

 

[Mr Tony]

The info I am missing is how do I add a satellite to my Coolsat 5000 that is not listed in my receiver ? I need to add 74W as this is my true south sat. and then others of course.

couple ways to do it.
Dish setup and scroll to the bottom of the dish list. There should be some satellites that say "0.0E"...you can use one of them for 74W (red button allows you to rename the satellite). Another option is to go over the existing satellites there that you won't use (C-Band, ones over the Atlantic)

Then the next question is, should I be using 1.2 or USALS for the motor setup?

personal preference...most use USALS,. I'm old school and use Diseqc 1.2 as the first box I got only had that

My set up consists as follows. 91,110,119 with 2, 4x1 Disq switches with 3 fixed dishes and 2 receivers. Adding new setup to Port #4 on both switches Via SW-21 from new dish. Any help would be appreciated.
Note. I really don't want to climb up that tower more than I have too!!! LOL .

not a whole heckuva lot on 91,110,110
Since you're getting the Invacom quad, you can use that for the few free channels on those sats