Weak signal with PBS on MicroHD

[Christopherve7alb]

Hi all,

Still messing around with my MicroHD and finally got it tracking satellites correctly with the motorized dish and just having a few issues with PBS on 125W. When I lock in on 125W I receive a really low signal on TP 12180 - the quality reading seems to jump all over the place with a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 30% and the picture on all PBS stations is breaking up. When I hook up the same dish in the same motor position to my AzBox I get a consistent 50% quality and solid reception with no breakups. I have confirmed that the symbol rate and frequency are exactly the same on both receivers.

Just wondering if the tuner on the MicroHD is not as sensitive as the AzBox or if there is some setting I can mess with to try and bring PBS in more consistently on the receiver.

 

[jorgek]

Basic question, have you checked your LNB settings in the micro?

 

[Christopherve7alb]

Yup, 10750 other satellites work fine with the same LO frequency (including the DVB-S2 transponders for NBC on 103W which are usually the weakest and most difficult to pull in).

 

[. Raine]

My MicroHD has about the same Q readings on that transponder, it jumps around from 0 to 30 or so, but the only time it breaks up and I lose it is when the weather is really bad, I'm also pointed through some leaves on a big tree on that sat. In the winter when the leaves are gone my Q is much better.

What brand/model LNB is it? With 10750 as it's Lo, it should be a linear LNB. If it's a universal, try 10600 for the Lo.

I have 12180/V/30000 for the settings of that transponder in my Micro.

 

[Christopherve7alb]

Hi Raine,

Thanks for the quality reference, at least I know the readings are not completely out to lunch.

No model number for the LNB unfortunately since it's just a generic model. It is a linear LNB (at least that's how I've been setting it up and it seems to work fine).

I have the same settings for PBS: 12180/V/30000

Interestingly, I can receive other S2 transponders on other satellites (Reuters on 113W) wuth much lower Q readings (0-10%) with no breakups, just having issues with PBS.

Thanks again for all the advice

 

[Lone Gunman]

I'm having the same issues with that TP/satellite with Micro HDs on both my 10ft systems. Haven't tried another receiver on it but will some time after the ball game is over. I did some tweaking on my Winegard dish yesterday but it only got worse if I moved it at all.

 

[Joe DC]

Just set up a 90Cm GeoSat Pro dish with S1Pll LNB for 125W using MicroHD and am experiencing the same issues of weak reception and "jumpy" signal levels. I find 12180V is stronger than most but have the more of a problem with 12112V OETA.
I even tried using mirrors to check the best focal point and relocated the LNB 65mm vertically from its original location but put it back to its original location. Still can't figure out why the mirror exercise did not pan out?

 

[bpalone]

Similar numbers on 125 with 90cm Geosatpro and Micro HD. I was able to get a bit better by playing with the satellite position in the satellite list. In my instance it was 125.5 rather than 125.0, but yous might be the other side, so experiment. Mine was puzzling as when set at 125.0 MT PBS was great, but OETA wouldn't lock, so went looking for a compromise. All other satellites, no problem, excluding 103 which with funky scew is a GEE I wonder why, but it even is steady sometimes.

So yes, there is something going with 125, it sounds like.

 

[jorgek]

That's a problem with 125W. If you peak for Montana then all the other channels are weak and vice versa. 125w seems to be a problem for everyone. Then some days the Q is way up then on other days its way down.
If you search this site for 125w you will find a lot of info on it and what a challenge it is for many.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

Sort of glad to hear this is a problem for everyone. Have tried twice to lock on to this bird with no luck. Last night I thought I had it. Did a blind scan and it turned out it was G-18 at 123W. Two more degrees! The cheap-o signal-finder-meter-thing just doesn't seem to work very well on 125W.

A ways past were I imagine 125W is supposed to be, there's a bird giving off a signal so strong it could melt an LNBF !

 

[Lone Gunman]

A ways past were I imagine 125W is supposed to be, there's a bird giving off a signal so strong it could melt an LNBF !

That would be 127W as there's a hot Cband one on there that I'm watching right now. It's showing 83%Q on a Micro HD and they max out at 85%.

 

[. Raine]

Similar numbers on 125 with 90cm Geosatpro and Micro HD. I was able to get a bit better by playing with the satellite position in the satellite list. In my instance it was 125.5 rather than 125.0, but yous might be the other side, so experiment. Mine was puzzling as when set at 125.0 MT PBS was great, but OETA wouldn't lock, so went looking for a compromise. All other satellites, no problem, excluding 103 which with funky scew is a GEE I wonder why, but it even is steady sometimes.

So yes, there is something going with 125, it sounds like.

I remember reading a thread about this somewhere on this site. I looked for it but I couldn't find it, it was quite a while ago. Something about the sat wandering just a bit and having to adjust like you describe, to "keep it in the box". When I had a motorized dish I had it set to 124.5 for 125 W. I have a 76 cm fixed dish with an Avenger PLL on 125 W now.

 

[Magic Static]

This is where I get my payoff for having very expensive Dual Orthomode Feeds and LNBs on my ten foot dishes . I don't have problems watching PBS feeds at all. So it can be done. But it comes at a price and precise assembly of a high quality reflector.

 

[jorgek]

"The cheap-o signal-finder-meter-thing just doesn't seem to work very well on 125W."

125W is all DVB-S2 so yes the analog meters do not work. Use the meter that is in the Micro.

 

[Titanium]

Analog meters don't care if a signal is analog, digital, DVBS, DVBS2, encrypted or unencrypted. They work the same on DVBS2 as they work on DVBS. They detect the signal strength of all carriers coming down the coax from the LNBF, but are unable to provide the data to fine tune the dish for optimized signal quality readings.

 

[jorgek]

Thanks for the clarification. I gave up using my analog meter to tune S-2 years ago. The other problem with cheapo meters is you don't know what sat its receiving because they are so broadband and receive spill over from adjacent sats.

 

[Christopherve7alb]

Thanks for all the replies guys, at least I'm not alone with these issues.

I will try re-peaking the dish, although it should be pretty close to optimized since I'm using Diseqc 1.2 and setting manual positions for each satellite. Failing that I guess I'll just hold onto the AzBox and use that to watch PBS when needed, and I thought the MicroHD would be the one receiver to rule them all... sigh

 

[richyrich]

microHD does have most longer term dvb-s2 receptive problems; one being at PBS is all you need to know what receiver they have chosen for their studio's broadcasters however may be the correct comparison. microHD "wears out" just like any other STB over time. It starts needing new abilities and gets old too. Just the cell phone has an answer; and at 64psk there already is.