Very Humble Beginnings or Against all Odds

[Inno]

Well I got my first FTA system operating this evening. After trimming trees on the weekend, moving the dish into position, hauling out the tv and the old analog (uniden supra) to try and get close to a satellite............then J-tagging the FTA receiver (pansat 3500SD) back to life............Suprisingly I had found G10R which is exactly what I was looking for with the analog receiver by looking for "digital garbage" over top of the static. Signal quality was over 60 on some x-ponders even though I'm looking straight through a fence. I'm having an extension pole made up for the dish to get it up and over the fence so that should improve things. Unfortunately with all the trees in the back yard I can really only receive satellites around G10R and west............Don't really want to cut the trees 'cause the back yard is kind of nice with them there. Oh well, I achieved what I had set out to do and I'm having fun playing.

Posted some pics of it here http://www.satelliteguys.us/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=731&cat=500

 

[Mr Tony]

G10 is one of the best satellites out there

congrats on getting setup

 

[PSB]

Thanks for posting the pictures! Nothing quite like that feeling

 

[digiblur]

Well I got my first FTA system operating this evening. After trimming trees on the weekend, moving the dish into position, hauling out the tv and the old analog (uniden supra) to try and get close to a satellite............then J-tagging the FTA receiver (pansat 3500SD) back to life............Suprisingly I had found G10R which is exactly what I was looking for with the analog receiver by looking for "digital garbage" over top of the static. Signal quality was over 60 on some x-ponders even though I'm looking straight through a fence. I'm having an extension pole made up for the dish to get it up and over the fence so that should improve things. Unfortunately with all the trees in the back yard I can really only receive satellites around G10R and west............Don't really want to cut the trees 'cause the back yard is kind of nice with them there. Oh well, I achieved what I had set out to do and I'm having fun playing.

Posted some pics of it here http://www.satelliteguys.us/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=731&cat=500

Are you sure you are shooting through the fence? Don't be fooled by the offset LNB. Mine looks like I'm shooting through my metal patio roof.

 

[Inno]

Well the fence is so close that the dish itself is only 4-5 inches away from it and the top maybe 6 inches of the dish peek over the top of it so yeah, I'm pretty sure. There are a few transponders I'm not able to pick up so far but I'm hoping with the extension to get it up and over it'll help. That and figuring out how the heck to operate this receiver. It's like a whole new world for me.
The whole thing has brought back memories of setting my my first C-band dish some 15 years ago. Can't wait to do more!

 

[Inno]

Did a scan of available channels and the 3500 added about 32 indluding encrypted stuff. I'm finding others on my own and adding them. If my signal were stronger would the receiver find them automatically?

 

[Tron]

Seems like some transponders "hide" from a blind scan no matter how powerful they are, and must be manually input. I have always suspected that this was due to unusual or troublesome symbol rates.