No signals

draggon_9 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-31-2006, 07:03 PM

OK. I got the M-2 package. My long. is 121.80. My lat is 40.51. My true south is 165 degrees which points me almost exactly at G10R. My elevation is suppose to be 23.7. I'm just barely touching a tree but I know it should be clear because I use to pick up Direct tv at 119 degrees in this same spot before. I have the 110cm dish so I should get something. I've gone through the whole arc and can't get anything. Is there a way I can search for a signal without having to search for just one particular satellite? If I can find just one sat. I could go from there. I know all my connections are alright. I've tried DiSEqC 1.2 and USALS and none, but can't seem to get squat. Also I'm a little confused about the 0/22khz setting. I can't seem to get past the installation setup. Should I go past it and do the system setup, channel manager, and utility sections then come back to the installation setup and try it again? I know I'm leaving a lot out but if I could find anything that I might have missed it would be helpful. Thanks.

rainman · #2 (**permalink**) 12-31-2006, 07:23 PM

the M2 system comes with a 80 cm dish did you up grade if so do you have the 100 or the 120 as sadoun don't sale a 110.

set your motor to zero on the azimuth scale then set the motor elevation to your latitude on the latitude scale set your dish elevation to 23.7 set your receiver lnb setting to universal lo freq to 9750 and hi 10600. install a active transponder then using usuals move the dish to G10r then adjust east and west with the mount on the pole to find signal slow small movements allow 15 seconds for receiver to see the change best with a tv and receiver at dish. if you get no quality raise or lower dish elevation by 1 degree and try east and west again repeat steps to you get a lock.it's also a good idea to mark your true south position on the pole so you can see how far you have moved 1/8 inch can make or loose a signal and it is best to try and get a lock on your true south sat first as it makes alignment to the other sats easier.the tree should not be a factor as off set dishes aim 22 degres higher than they are pointing. hope this helps and good luck. also the 22khz switch should be set to auto.

wejones · #3 (**permalink**) 01-01-2007, 09:00 AM

Also, if your longitude is 121.8, then IA13/Echo-9 would be your true south, not G-10. G-10 is probably good enough, but you might as well use the closest one. Most everything except slate is "usually" scrambled, but it is still a good sat to peak on.

draggon_9 · #4 (**permalink**) 01-02-2007, 10:52 PM

Well I tried both of what you both said and it worked. BUT, come to find out that tree really screwed me over, now I have to find another spot. I was so use to working with my old 10' C-band that I thought it would be the same, boy talk about sensitive. Thanks for the help guys. You haven't heard the last of me yet.

rainman · #5 (**permalink**) 01-03-2007, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by draggon_9

Well I tried both of what you both said and it worked. BUT, come to find out that tree really screwed me over, now I have to find another spot. I was so use to working with my old 10' C-band that I thought it would be the same, boy talk about sensitive. Thanks for the help guys. You haven't heard the last of me yet.

glad to here you got it draggon a chainsaw will take care of your other problem.LOL

draggon_9 · #6 (**permalink**) 01-03-2007, 10:29 AM

I actuallly thought about it but it's an 80' cedar. I just put it where I had my old 10' dish. I got a clear shot now. I already cut down 2 tree's. It's kind of hard when you live on top of a mountain and your nearest translator for regular TV is 50 miles away.

draggon_9 · #7 (**permalink**) 01-03-2007, 10:46 AM

Oh yeah , about the dish I thought I had the 110 cm because the assembly instruction sheet for the dish said it was Model:FC-110 so I naturaly assumed that's what it was, but checking around I couldn't find one.

wejones · #8 (**permalink**) 01-03-2007, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by draggon_9

Oh yeah , about the dish I thought I had the 110 cm because the assembly instruction sheet for the dish said it was Model:FC-110 so I naturaly assumed that's what it was, but checking around I couldn't find one.

That's interesting. FC-110 sure does seem to be for a 110 CM dish, since the FC-100 is 100 CM and the FC-120 is 120 CM. I looked on the Fortec web page, and don't see that model, but I know that other people have posted about Fortec products that don't appear on their web page. Perhaps you bought this from another dealer, not Sadoun, who has new models that don't show up on the Fortec web page?

However, the real reason I'm responding, is that I wouldn't put too much stock in what the "instruction sheet" says. When I bought my 90 CM Fortec, the instruction sheet that came with it was the instruction sheet for the 80CM dish. I basically had to throw away the instruction sheet, as it didn't apply to the dish I had.

Sadoun · #9 (**permalink**) 01-03-2007, 01:00 PM

The 100cm dish from Fortec is 100 wide by 110cm high. The instruction sheet may say FC-110 or FC-100 which refers to the same dish anyway.

be236 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-03-2007, 05:32 PM

Nearest TV is 50 miles away? That's nothing.. I can pick up TV (VHF, ch2 -13) from 90+ miles away... Just get a big antenna and mount it as high ast possible and aim.

As long your antenna can clear the top of most trees, you should be okay...

draggon_9 · #11 (**permalink**) 01-03-2007, 06:39 PM

I'm up at 4300' but surrounded by tree's up to a 100' or so. I do have about a 8' VHF antenna on the roof pointed through the tree's but it only picks up PBS (lucky me). I'm getting a bigger antenna from a friend thats about 12' long with UHF and a rotor. Thats got to do something! About that dish I got I did notice it was a little egg shaped by a couple inches so it must be the 100cm dish. As for the VHF antenna I'm going to raise it up to about 20', the winds get pretty nasty up here. I did get the dish straight from Sadoun in Hilliard, Ohio. I'm sure glad I didn't have to pay shipping.

be236 · #12 (**permalink**) 01-03-2007, 07:18 PM

Wow.. you live atop a mountain, yet you have 100 ft trees surrounding your place.. d'oh! That's a bad location to be in .. hehehh....

I think you're gonna have lots of problems (ghosting,static,etc) unless you can get past those trees (line-of-sight)....

Are you a good tree climber? If so , maybe you can pick tree that is the tallest that can get somewhat line of sight, and attach your 8ft or 12ft VHF antenna to the side of it somehow?

That's a tough location and situation to be in and try to get local TV stations... heheh...

draggon_9 · #13 (**permalink**) 01-04-2007, 08:38 AM

My neighbor did it. He climbed up an 80' cedar and put a VHF antenna but it didn't work, not stable enough. He moved about 12 years ago, but the antenna's still there swaying in the wind.

elgemcdlf · #14 (**permalink**) 01-04-2007, 09:36 AM

From what I learned about TV signal and antenna's is that height is a variable based on where you are in relation to signal. The signal passes through the air as a wave running up and down bouncing off the Earth and I guess the clouds or upper atmosphere. So if you are at a location where the signal is about to bounce off the Earth higher would be more harmful to capturing signal than good. How do you find out where you are. Great question and glad you asked. I have no idea

I am sure there is some formula based on wave length and distance but I do not know what it is.

Another tip I was given by antenna people was to drop the nose of the antenna anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees. Remember the wave? Putting the antenna on a pitch gives better ability to trap signal.

be236 · #15 (**permalink**) 01-04-2007, 12:12 PM

I still contend that line-of-sight is best for regular TV reception...

I'd prefer to be in a situation where I was far away (relatively) but have line-of-sight of TV transmitter, than being near by and have obstacles (hills, trees, buildings) in the way...

Just my two cents...

wejones · #16 (**permalink**) 01-04-2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgemcdlf

From what I learned about TV signal and antenna's is that height is a variable based on where you are in relation to signal. The signal passes through the air as a wave running up and down bouncing off the Earth and I guess the clouds or upper atmosphere. So if you are at a location where the signal is about to bounce off the Earth higher would be more harmful to capturing signal than good. ....

I've seen the hopping thing you describe (if you eliminate the cloud thing, and it's on a scale of hundreds of miles) with AM radio signals and on short wave signals. However, this just isn't the case for TV reception, except during unusual ionization phenomena.
There can be a height that seems ideal for an antenna on different channels, but in my opinion that height doesn't have any relationship with how far away the station is, or being between hops of the signal. It has more to do with the antenna using the ground to help reflect signal, sort of like using the ground as an extra reflector element on the antenna. However given the choice between extra height and trying to find the ideal height for a particular frequency, I'd choose height every time.

draggon_9 · #17 (**permalink**) 01-04-2007, 11:35 PM

You guy's wouldn't be talking about "Skip" would you when it comes to talking over a CB frequency that bounces between the Ionosphere and the ground? I think you nailed it WEJONES. I was a radio tech for about 7 years and my boss man told me that VHF was pretty much line of sight and that UHF carries a signal a little bit further but not line of sight. I know that lower freqs. have a tendency to bounce around more than higher freqs. Thats why at nightime you can here more on AM and CB and SHORTWAVE. Why at nightime? (I forgot). I think it would be better for me up here if I did have a line of sight without the tree's of course. I have yet to see a TV signal SKIP. Hey, how about SHORTWAVE TV. Change of subject real quick; does anybody know what happened to CBS,MBN,YTN, and KOREA BIZ JOINT on IA5? I just got tuned to IA5 last night and I thought they were there but I couldn't find them. I found the KOREAN stations on AMC4. If anyone knows about KOREAN channnels other than these please let me know.( my wife's korean). Thanks guy's.