trouble finding the signal from satmex6

[solarcookinglady]

(forSatelliteGuy)


I have recently purchased a HughesNet HN7000S IPS modem and .98 m round dish system from Elitsatnetworks.com and service from www.hughesnet.mx (sworn authorized resellers of HughesNet products). I live in Veracruz, Mexico (19.33 north, 96.56 west). I have used and installed my own equipment for many years, starting with DirectWay in the U.S. in Arizona in 2002. Attached is a picture of the installation of this equipment. I get only a signal strength of 15 no matter where I point the dish in the vicinity of the coordinates for SatMex6.


These are the satelite parameters given to me by the company to enter manually...


Longitud: 113 West
Frequency: 1190 MHz
Symbol Rate: 33.00 Msps
Receive Polarization: V
Transmit Polarization: H
22KHz Tone: Off
Frequency Band/Modulation: Ku Band – BPSK
DVB Mode: DVB-S2-ACM
DVB Program Num(User Data): 0
DVB Program Num(DNCC Data): 0


I get the same signal strength (15 and nary a blip ) anywhere I point the dish in the sky except near the horizon and our local cell phone tower, when the reading goes up to 30. Obviously I am not achieving a "locked in" signal, and I am wondering what the problem could be?! I have always been successful in sighting-in with my lap top, even without an OPI. I seem to have run out of dumb-luck. The company wants an incredible $550 USD to have an installer come out and I just can't afford it .


(This modem is not properly grounded since the grounding pin has been removed on the plug presumedly by elitesatnetworks! I have grounded at the ground screw on the transmitter.)

any help or suggestions that anyone can give will be greatly appreciated.


Sincerely,


Mindy the solarcookinglady

 

[. Raine]

Welcome to SatGuys, Mindy!

I'm not familiar with HughesNet setups, hopefully someone that is will chime in soon!

 

[jorgek]

Are you sure of the parameters?

Longitud: 113 West
Frequency: 1190 MHz
Symbol Rate: 33.00 Msps
Receive Polarization: V
Transmit Polarization: H
22KHz Tone: Off
Frequency Band/Modulation: Ku Band – BPSK
DVB Mode: DVB-S2-ACM
DVB Program Num(User Data): 0
DVB Program Num(DNCC Data): 0


The frequency you list as 1190 MHz yet the frequency band is noted as KU band. Is this correct or a typo?

 

[AlanRT]

Jorjec; 1190 MHz is the L-Band frequency after down conversion. The modem doesn't receive Ku-band frequencies.

Mindy, bear with me, I don't know what you don't know about setting up these systems.

Attached is a latest config file. 1190 is not one of the current options so that may be your problem. Forget what they sent you. No matter what config you use initially, it will change to the proper frequency after a successful registration and reboot.

Download the attached file, rename the .txt extension to .cfg and upload this file to the modem. You'll see the link to do that in the first screen when you start the registration process.

There is only one option for SatMex 6 in the attached file.

You shouldn't have to point the dish all over the place. The trick is to choose and use an active frequency during aiming, and trust your aiming coordinates to within a few degrees. Any signal reading 30 or lower is just random noise. Anything above 30 means you have an active frequency and have found the bird.

You said you installed dishes in Arizona. Be sure you're entering the actual GPS coordinates for your location in Veracruz during registration and not a US ZIP code. Here are the Satmex 6 aiming coordinates for the GPS you listed:

Elevation: 60.6°
Azimuth (magnetic) 217.6°
Antenna Skew Setting: 38.9° (Dish should be turned/tilted 44.6° to the right when viewed from behind)

 

[AlanRT]

Here is a config file I customized with just options for SatMex6 and 5. Try this one if the first one does not work.

Again, rename the file extension to .cfg

 

[solarcookinglady]

I copied and pasted directly from the "manual"sent to me from Elitesat networks AKA www.Hughesnet.mx Of course all my e-mails to them since they sent this have gone unanswered.

 

[AlanRT]

OK, good luck with that.

 

[solarcookinglady]

Gracias un Millón Thanks a million. I will upload this new config file. and try again. Sure enough the elevation etc is exactly what I have been using.

One of my dificulties is that this new dish (round) my old one was oval has lots of flat surfaces to put my tilt meter but none of them point me to where I found satmex6 4 months ago. I finally figured that the most accurate measure of Elevation is to put a staightedge accross the 2 edges of the dish (with the modem unplugged) and put my tiltmeter on that. This puts me about where I remember I should be. right?

I just hope that this Hughsnet.mx is legit. The last company GoTo turned out to be just pirating Hughesnet signal and they found them out.

 

[solarcookinglady]

gracias for the welcome! Thank you everyone for your willingness to help!

 

[AlanRT]

Gracias un Millón

De nada.

I noticed where you had the elevation gauge and wondered what you were doing there.

Better to use the elevation gauge on the left side of the HughesNet mount. Add a couple of degrees to start, to allow for sag.

Note some types of HN mounts have the marker reference line on the top instead of the bottom. Check yours.

 

[catamount]

One of my dificulties is that this new dish (round) my old one was oval has lots of flat surfaces to put my tilt meter but none of them point me to where I found satmex6 4 months ago. I finally figured that the most accurate measure of Elevation is to put a staightedge accross the 2 edges of the dish (with the modem unplugged) and put my tiltmeter on that. This puts me about where I remember I should be. right?

If your dish has an elevation scale, set it to 60. Using an angle finder/tilt meter, it should be around 36 or so. These are offset dishes, which normally are offset 22 to 26 degrees.

Catamount

 

[solarcookinglady]

Thanks for responding so quickly and sending these new frequencies for SatMex6. I have tried to sight-in with all of the SatMex6 frequencies now, but for reasons I just can't understand I still can not get more than a background-noise signal strength of 15-16. I am trying elevations and azimuths slightly higher and lower than what they should be but with no results.


What else could be wrong?! Is my equipment bad and, if so, how would I independently determine that? I have re-confirmed my coordinates with Google Maps for my location. I should have passed the signal many times in the last three days up on my roof. It is there, I am sure, but my equipment is just not seeing it.


Back in earlier installs I have been able to get a decent signal within a couple of degrees of arc and then fine-tuned from there to get the highest possible signal strenth. Is it much more critical now? Is there some better sighting equipment that is now necessary I should be considering?


I will be VERY grateful for any additional throughts you might have about this situation.


Thanks again, Mindy Phypers

 

[AlanRT]

Post a close up photo of the left side of the mount. If there are degree markings on the side of the elevation plate, then there is sure to be a corresponding indicator line or edge that can be seen through the elevation slot.

If there is no indented indicator line, then most likely it's the top edge of that metal piece that can be viewed through the slot.

Also, you do have a decent compass, correct?

 

[solarcookinglady]

elevation guide and compass

I do not see any indentation. It looks like the metal edge behind the slot is what I should use.

I have a couple of decent compasses. A basic boy scout compass and one a little fancier with a mirror. This will get me within a couple of degrees given that I can only get about 18 inches away from all that metal in the tripod without backing off the roof. This action is likely to be hazardous to my health just to make sure the compass needle is not influenced.

 

[solarcookinglady]

cannot get the crospol to run

I found the signal finally! Yeahh!!! The signal strength fine tuned to 91. That is mor than I have ever gotten. Thanks a million for everyone who helped.

Now for the next problem. I have stared at the crospol pop up for 30 minutes at a time many times a day and in the middle of the night. The problem is not that I fail the test. I cannot get the crospol to run in the first place. It just sits at "requesting waiting for test results" I never get put in a que.

The support person at Elitesat networks finally wrote and said that I need to wait 5 minutes after closing the signal strength window before clicking on the continue button and then wait more time before opening the crosspol popup window. It seems too easy.

I will try this and let everyone know tomorrow. Anyone have any thoughts?

Thank you Again

Mindy the solarcookinglady

 

[AlanRT]

So where did you end up on the Elevation (from the side indicator)?

Are you running Automatic Cross Pole? Try using Manual.

Also be sure your dish is skewed in the the right direction.

Antenna Skew Setting: 38.9° (Dish face should be rotated 38.9° clockwise to the right from 0° top dead center when viewed from behind)

 

[solarcookinglady]

I found the signal at 63 degrees of elevation.

I made anothr important discovery. The boom needs to be under some pressure when the bolts ate tightened. The instructions say that this is critical but do not say exactly HOW much pressure the boom needs. Well the second time I took the dish down, dissassembled it and then reassembled it, my husband in his frustration really put a lot of pressure on the boom. (the first time he did not put enough.) Eyeballing it the cone looked like it was aimed a little below the center of the dish. I still was having trouble finding a signal. I loosened the bolts holding the brace for the boom just a little and let the boom "relax" an eighth of an inch. This raised the cone and it looked like it was more centered. Boom without touching the azimuth or elevation I got what I consider to be a good signal in the 40's. Skewed the dish and lost the signal. I had to change elevation and azimuth several degrees to get it back again but the signal was really strong this time. I just could not crospool.

The Hughesnet support people finally wrote and suggested that I wait 5 minutes after I close the signal strength popup before clicking next. Then wait another 5 minutes before requesting a crospol. (yes I know to ask for a manual test and pass most of those before asking for an automatic) This seems too easybut I have not been able to test the theory.

While setting up on the roof the nest day I heard a loud CRACK from the dish. It was a hot day and the bolts had loosened a bit and the boom moved relative to the dish again. Lost that signal all together. It went from 91 the day befor to 15. This time it looked like the cone was aimed a little higher than the center of the dish and sure enough the bottom of the cone is a quarter of an inch closer to the exact center of the dish than the top is to the center. I spent all day trying to get that boom to center but without success so far. I am beginning to hate this dish. My old one had a slot to guide the boom and just one bolt. Get the bolt tight and the reciever is centered.

frustrated in Veracruz

Mindy the solarcookinglady