At footprints edge

 

Silver Member
Username: Shadycove

Post Number: 131
Registered: Sep-06
must be nice to plop a dish on the roof,run any old cable to a receiver and pick up signal and quality in the 80's and then overlook setting your user inputs correctly and wondering whats wrong. but up here in the dark cold north country its a little more complicated.we can't afford any signal loss at all between the dish and receiver..so with that in mind could someone fill me in on the best switches,receivers,cable ends,amps etc. that are needed to set up on the footprints edge...that is if there is anyone who knows about that stuff...and i will promise to always unzip the new bin files before i try to load them,ok....
 

Silver Member
Username: Shadycove

Post Number: 132
Registered: Sep-06
guess you'd rather sling crap at each other and answer the easy questions...or what?could you possibly manage a small hint,like,....would a powered multi switch be more efficient than a good old disq?how about a diff lnb?
 

Platinum Member
Username: Lklives

Post Number: 13702
Registered: Jan-06
Chieta and Spaun make the best switches...just weatherproof it in tupperware...RG6 quad shield cables...Dishnet LNB's...
 

Silver Member
Username: Shadycove

Post Number: 133
Registered: Sep-06
thanx ...have you any information on invacom lnb
 

Bronze Member
Username: One_eye_jack

Post Number: 20
Registered: Nov-07
What type of information are you looking for
on this Invacom LNB? maybe I can help.
Upload
 

Silver Member
Username: Shadycove

Post Number: 134
Registered: Sep-06
hey...just got home from work thanx for the reply...i.m havin problems with the quality on 119 with a 39 in dish...in the mornings it works fine,later in the day like rite now its searchin fer sig...i think we were in touch the other day about this problem but i never did receive any answers...the wiring is all brand new,there is not a temp change,i can't figure it out and the people on here just don't seem interested in a problem unless its ....did you unzip the file before you loaded it onto your box type of goofy stuff that seems to be never ending in this place ....so i am thinking that perhaps an invacom just like the one in your photo might help,what do you think ...also i am just running digiwave disqs and perhaps a powered multi switch might help....any input would be well received thanks again for your reply
 

Silver Member
Username: Space_invader

Andromeda M31

Post Number: 164
Registered: Nov-07
Hi... I can give you a copy of an real expert that evaluated the good Inva, it takes a while to download, but it is the best info available... I hope you have the time read it!!!

http://www.sat-sales.com/documents/Tele-satellitetestreportJuly05.pdf?PHPSESSID= d9b62e960ed21d1b3ebe6ebddb80471f
 

Silver Member
Username: Shadycove

Post Number: 135
Registered: Sep-06
i do of course...thanx lots...i would like to find someone who has one tho..but thanx...perhaps the great doc dzz ,,,should know,seems to know everything else.
 

Bronze Member
Username: One_eye_jack

Post Number: 23
Registered: Nov-07
If you are using a 90cm dish for EchoStar 7
you must be located in the Northwest part of Canada.
I was talking about the temperature outside.
I don't see where the Invacom LNB will help
they are mostley used on motorized systems
you may have a defective LNB do to the outside temperature.The Operating Temperature for Invacom is -40.C to + 70.C now check the LNB that you are using.
 

Silver Member
Username: Shadycove

Post Number: 136
Registered: Sep-06
yukon...i'm using the same lnb,a digiwave dual,that i am using on the other 2 dishes..bev 91 18 and echo 8/10 36...thgis 39 dish is also digiwave slightly oblong vertical....works great in the morning...but i read the pdf from tomhiro and i think the sig boost might put me over the edge....what do you think of the centuri multi switch in my case . there are 2 receivers in this situation if that makes a diff.any lil upper is good..
 

Platinum Member
Username: Lklives

Post Number: 13716
Registered: Jan-06
Is it possible that U may just need an inexpensive inline amp?
 

Silver Member
Username: Shadycove

Post Number: 137
Registered: Sep-06
does an amp up the quality or just the sig??i,ve got constant sig 75,quality from 50 in the morning down to 0 by now time..
 

Bronze Member
Username: One_eye_jack

Post Number: 24
Registered: Nov-07
Why would the signal be stronger in the morning
but not in the evening if is not the weather or a bad LNB. I can't say for sure but go ahead and try the Invacom LNB.

Check you later it's time for Monday nite FOOTBALL
 

Silver Member
Username: Shadycove

Post Number: 139
Registered: Sep-06
its the weirdest thing i,ve run into also...thanx ...later...its very strange thats fer sure...i'm gonna try one, it can be here in a week and i'll also try a lil amp like LK mentioned altho it could produce just more of nothing...hey its one of my hobbies bbut speaking of powered multi switches,my understanding is that if my receiver uses no power to get the switches moving there will be more to get a clean signal on the screen...am i close?
 

Platinum Member
Username: Lklives

Post Number: 13719
Registered: Jan-06
If U only have 50 quality at best, U need to tweak that dish alignment...
 

Gold Member
Username: Rtap

FL

Post Number: 1072
Registered: Jan-07
use these sites to align your dish

Satellite Finders (Look Angle Calculators)
-------------------------------------------------
http://www.hollsco.com/Products/SatCalc/
http://www3.telus.net/rampage/skew.htm (Dish 500 support)
http://www.remotesat.com/lookangle.htm
http://monsterfm.com/tech/satellite/pointdish.htm
 

Platinum Member
Username: Lklives

Post Number: 13721
Registered: Jan-06
If you complete the steps properly, your chance of a successful installation is 99.9%.

Be aware that when you have finished your mechanical installation and you are trying to aim your dish that the receiver waits about 3-5 seconds after it locks on to the correct signal before it registers on the receiver's signal meter on the antenna aiming screen on your TV. Move your dish in very small increments (2 deg East or West each instance until you find the signal then 1 deg to peak signal). If you move the dish too fast and do not pause between moves you might go thru the signal before the receiver can tell you that you are on the signal.

If you use a signal meter you can hook it into the system right at the dish and it responds to the signal immediately making it much easier to aim your dish. You do not need any one else to help you if you use a meter at the dish.

Compare Signal Strength and Quality
Zero Strength and Zero Quality:

If this is the symptom you are experiencing, then the receiver is currently not receiving the signal from the dish. Check all connections between your receiver and the dish. Make sure that they are all plugged in to the proper place and are tight.

One of the most common connection problems is to have the cable coming from the dish plugged in to the connection marked "In from Antenna," which is incorrect. The cable coming from the dish needs to be plugged in to the connection marked "In from Dish, Digital In, or LNB IN"

Also, the cables might have developed a short or might have gotten moisture in them, especially out at the dish. If this is a possibility, you may want to have an installer check the cables or take them to an installer yourself.

0-30 Strength and Zero Quality:
If you are experiencing these levels of strength and quality, you are getting only noise signals. Make sure that there are no obstacles between the dish and satellite.

40-60 Strength and Zero Quality:
With this level of strength and a lack of quality, it is very likely that the dish has moved since its initial installation or you are still off alignment. We recommend going through the Dish Installation pointing steps and finding the satellite signal again. This will likely take just a few minor adjustments of the dish since it should not have moved very much. Key causes for this problem include bolts not being tightened properly, heavy winds, or the dish being struck or bumped by something. Once the signal has been found again, make certain all bolts are tightened well.

We also recommend that once you have everything tightened down and have your signal back, make a mark from the cap mount to the pole with paint or some other permanent substance. This will give you a reference point, should any future problems occur. You can also make a mark on the side of the cap mount where your elevation markings are imprinted.

40-60 Strength and 30-70 Quality:
This level of strength and quality indicates that the dish needs to be fine-tuned to the satellite. You may have noticed that prior to getting the "Bad or No Signal" message your picture was occasionally blotchy and your audio may have been out of sync with the picture. These are all symptoms of the need to fine-tune the dish. Optimum signal quality is between 70 and 100.

TIP: You can fine-tune your dish by going back to the signal strength screen. While the signal bar is running, have someone out at the dish. He will need to loosen the collar that holds the LNB. This is done by slightly loosening the two screws that hold the collar together. Once these screws are loose, slowly twist the LNB a fraction of an inch. After each movement allow 5 seconds for the receiver to register the change and update your quality reading. If the quality readings immediately begin to get lower while the adjustments are being made, then the LNB needs to be turned in the other direction. Once the LNB fine tuning is complete, tighten the two screws on the LNB collar. You may then complete the scan by pressing START.


22-degree signal offset:
This is very important to you if you are surveying a prospective dish site. The dishes are manufactured with a 22-degree signal offset. This means if you put the face of the dish vertical (90 degrees to the horizon), the signal would be coming in at 22 degrees above the horizon. I have seen dishes on a dwellings, mounted on the lower edge of a roof and the dish appears to be aimed into the roof but because of the 22 deg offset, was shooting over the peak of the roof. A simple way to see if you can get a clear signal is to use a "inclinometer" (AKA "Angle Locator"), a flashlight or a laser pointer, look up the elevation and azmuth on a satellite aiming site. Find the Azmuth using a compass, add (or subtract, depends on the angle finders scale) the 22 degrees to the elevation reading. Hold the flashlight or a laser pointer on the measuring side of the "inclinometer". Sweep the Azmuth while maintaining the angle to see if it hits ANY obstructions.

Elevation setting on the dish:
I have found that the "elevation" scale that is stamped into the dish is not always accurate. My experience is that +/- 5 degrees is not uncommon. So when you get the elevation setting from a satellite aiming site on a new install, start at the specified elevation and S-L-O-W-L-Y sweep in the satellites direction, can't find, change the elevation 2 degrees and re-sweep, repeat until found.
You can also accurately set the elevation on the dish by the following procedure, look up the elevation angle for your location on a satellite-aiming site (For example we will use 50 degrees). Take the 50 degrees and subtract the 22 degrees offset and you get 28 degrees. Put a straight edge from the center of the LNB arm to the center of the top of the dish edge, with the straight edge touching only the dish edge. Using an "inclinometer" (AKA "Angle Locator") set the angle for 28 degrees (some inclinometers have a indicating scale that you may have to take 90 degrees and subtract the 28 degrees and set for 62 degrees).

Signal to LNB reversing;
If you are in the northern hemisphere (Canada & USA) and look to the southern sky, the easterly satellites have lower positional numbers, and the west satellites have higher positional numbers (110 would be left of 119). However when working with a multi-LNB dish, standing behind the dish with the post in your belly, looking at the white nose of the LNB, the "most" right LNB will be the most EAST satellite and lower positional number, and the most left LNB will be the most WEST and higher positional number. The signal beams reflect and cross (reverse) on the dish. This can be very confusing, as I have seen many make the mistake of using the incorrect right LNB on the highest satellite or left on the lowest, this will work for ONE satellite, and you can spend many hours trying to find the other satellite on 2 LNB dishes. A simple test is from behind the dish (pole in your belly), reach UNDER the dish and put your 2 fingers over the front of one of the white hockey puck noses of the LNB's and watch the receiver signal. The signal will drop if you are covering the LNB that the receiver is using.

Skewing:
This is the dish being able to rotate on its center axis (similar to the steering wheel of a car) to track multi-satellites. If you could see the satellites in the sky, they would appear in an arch, like a rainbow. Skewing is necessary to tilt (align) the LNB's to match the satellites in the rainbow arch. If the satellites are at the top of the arch, not much skew (tilt) is required. However if you follow the arch down with the dish you would have to rotate the LNB or dish to keep the 2 noses of the LNB aligned with the arch and satellites. To determine the amount of skew for YOUR location you must use a multi-satellite aiming site such as http://satcalculator.freehostia.com.
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