KU System Help Please!

jgoecken · #1 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 09:53 AM

I purchased S-1 classic choice set (Fortec 80cm dish) from this site to get Galaxy 3C. I upgraded to a Mercury II receiver. After putting the dish together and mounting it, I could not find the signal. I called in a professional installer and with his $1500 signal meter he could not find the signal. He thinks the Universal LNB is bad because he couldn't get anything with it but when he put on a standard LNB that he had, it gave him some signal strength on IA5 but no signal quality. Any suggestions? His LNB was a spitfire standard LNB. Do those work with the fortec dish and a Mercury II? Basically we got nothing from the Sadoun LNB and only IA5 (and maybe one other sat) with his standard LNB. I'm really not sure what to do, the professional installer was working on it for 2 hours last night and had to give up.

William Eng · #2 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgoecken

I purchased S-1 classic choice set (Fortec 80cm dish) from this site to get Galaxy 3C. I upgraded to a Mercury II receiver. After putting the dish together and mounting it, I could not find the signal. I called in a professional installer and with his $1500 signal meter he could not find the signal. He thinks the Universal LNB is bad because he couldn't get anything with it but when he put on a standard LNB that he had, it gave him some signal strength on IA5 but no signal quality. Any suggestions? His LNB was a spitfire standard LNB. Do those work with the fortec dish and a Mercury II? Basically we got nothing from the Sadoun LNB and only IA5 (and maybe one other sat) with his standard LNB. I'm really not sure what to do, the professional installer was working on it for 2 hours last night and had to give up.

The first time, it took me a week moving it around before I hit the signal. The installation guide on Sadoun's website is very good. They even have a Google map with the direction line built in for easy aiming. If you follow all the instructions, it will work. Make sure you don't have anything obstructing the signal, ie trees.

One other issue is that most of the chinese channels on G3C will be discontinued after April. Check the CCTV website for details. If you are after chinese content, I would suggest you aim for 113W.

elgemcdlf · #3 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 10:33 AM

Sounds like you had the lnbf set in the receiver to standard and not UNI which is what you need for your lnbf. Next on the list is make sure you have the lnbf skewed properly that will cause no to low signal. Move very slowly with the dish. Most installers are not that familiar with DVB MPEG2 systems. They are accustom to DN or DTV or large C Band. This is a similiar animal but different. If you have everything correct concerning the lnbf raise the dish a degree and try again to find signal.

Make sure you are using an active tp in the receiver.

jgoecken · #4 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 10:52 AM

Thanks for the quick replies. The professional installer was very good (and patient). He does do a lot of DTV and DN but he's also done some globecast sats and a few fortec ones. I was out there for 2 hours with him and he was moving the dish very slow and trying different elevations. He had the dish hooked directly to his bird and trying to find the signal and all he could get was IA5. Is it possible that his standard spitfire LNB would not work with the fortec dish?

I've had universal LNB set on the receiver the whole time trying to find the signal. We also tried the moving the skew on the LNB. He was positive that we had a clear shot at the satellites too. It's on my roof with a DN (DN sat is lower) sat right next to it that has no problems. Is it possible the dish could be bent or maybe I just got sent a bad LNB?

bobkat · #5 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 11:41 AM

Maybe your installer's signal meter could not handle universal LNBs. The Birdog for example needs a whole new set of files before it will lock onto a signal when using a universal LNB. He can swap out the universal for a standard LNB like he did - I do that all the time when customers have universal LNBs because I only use standard ones.

Like the other posters say - 99.9 % of the time it is a matter of patience. It took me 8 hours to find my first KU satellite (it was T5 as I recall) and I have done literally thousands of mini dishes (Bell ExpressVu). Like elgemcdlf says about KU sats like T5 and G3C -- "They are a similar animal but different."

kat

keebs · #6 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 11:49 AM

you gotta relax. it won't happen right away. it took me awhile too. slow down and do it yourself. when you complete it you will feel very satisfied!

rainman · #7 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 12:02 PM

and don't be afraid to change the dish elevation by as much as 5 degrees some of their scales are off by this much.

elgemcdlf · #8 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 12:27 PM

Ok let's start with some basics? Your longitude? Second if you are not aware the 4 digit tp's are C Band so if you are looking at channels that have 4 digit freqs in the tp you are wasting your time. Depending on where you are located we can tell you a bit about how to get what you desire. You never did state you were using an active tp while searching for signal.

If you are east of 95 (longitude will be lower) your dish is to low if the installed actually did find 97. If you are west of 97 (longitude greater than 97) your dish is to high and you need to lower it a bit. If you are at 95 your dish is to low and if you are at 97 your dish is to high. This is all based on the installer actually found 97 and was not just grasping at anything to get outta there because he could not find anything.

glen4cindy · #9 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgemcdlf

Ok let's start with some basics? You never did state you were using an active tp while searching for signal.

This is one very important point. Just because a transponder is listed in the antenna setup in your receiver does not mean that it is actually a live one on that satellite. This was one of my first mistakes when installing my motorized system. Check lyngsat for active transponders and make sure you are using one of those.

bobkat · #10 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgoecken

... it gave him some signal strength on IA5 but no signal quality.

Another thing too. Many satellites share similar transponder data. So it is possible to think you are on IA5 but in reality you have hit another satellite. This is what happens, sometimes, when you get signal strength but no quality.

kat