Cable routing next to electrical panel and electrical wires

[manueldaco]

After checking and rechecking everything and after many attempts I'm still not getting the expected results. Can't get a signal quality reading on the receiver's bar.

I'm thinking that could it perhapps be the routing of the cable which at one point passes next to the main electrical panel of the house and then crosses some electrical wires? Could the electrical current have a detrimental effect on the signal somehow? Appreciate your thoughts on this - Thanks : )

[rainman]

it should'nt have no effect due to sheilding on coax cable.

[bobkat]

Yes, it has no effect at all because of the shielding and also the frequencies are too high to be affected by AC currents.

kat

[manueldaco]

OK! Great to know that, thank you! That sure is a relief! At least I wont have to worry about rerouting the cable. The problem is elsewhere then. I'm going to keep trying : )

[bobkat]

The wiring is the last thing to check. The problem is more likely with the connectors (no ground contact, etc.) or the dish is out of alignment. Tell us a bit about your equipment and what satellite you are trying to receive.

kat

[manueldaco]

Originally Posted by bobkat

The wiring is the last thing to check. The problem is more likely with the connectors (no ground contact, etc.) or the dish is out of alignment. Tell us a bit about your equipment and what satellite you are trying to receive.

kat

Hi!
It's more likely that the dish is out of alignment as you say. The connectors are new as is the cable and it's all one piece i.e. there are no sections.

The equipment I have is a coolsat 5000, a 36" dish w/single, universal LNB and a stab HH90 motor.

According to my compass I'm pointing to Montreal's true south or 188°. The motor is set to my Latitude or 45.5° N and the dish elevation is set to 38.2°. The pole is plumb on both sides also.

I have been trying to receive 101 W AMC 4. I've entered an active transponder and moved the dish slowly from side to side as well as the dish elevation but the quality bar just wont budge.

I have also tried to get AMC 5 which is pretty close to my true south, by also entering an active transponder and by doing a blind scan while moving the dish but got nothing.

Could the motor be out of position? i.e could it be malfunctioning and going to the wrong positions? Somehow I doubt that though. I have also tried bypassing the motor by connecting the cable directly to the LNB after setting the motor to the desired satellite with the receiver and still got nothing.

My next step is I'm going to take the receiver and a small TV up on the roof near the dish and see what happens.

I should also mention that I have tried to get AMC 4 before, without the motor on the dish and managed to get a signal and a few channels but with the motor on, it's another story and I fail to understand why.

I'm obviously doing something wrong somewhere, but what? That's the BIG question : )

[kevision]

You are doing everything right:

-motor setting is ok
-moving the dish slowly
-watching the quality meter only

be sure not to do a blind scan while moving the dish though. concentrate on only an active transponder's quality reading.

The best thing you can possibly do is take a TV up there and monitor the quality meter while moving the dish slowly. I have a video camera with one of those fold out 3.5" screens. I run a cable from the video out of the receiver to the video in on the camera and set it to player/VCR mode. I can then see pointing screen. using RCA-mini headphone male, then about 75 feet of headphone extension cable, i can do this without bringing the receiver outside.

good luck

[bobkat]

Originally Posted by kevision

I have a video camera with one of those fold out 3.5" screens. I run a cable from the video out of the receiver to the video in on the camera and set it to player/VCR mode. I can then see pointing screen. using RCA-mini headphone male, then about 75 feet of headphone extension cable, i can do this without bringing the receiver outside.

LOL !!! Now that's creative. :mozilla_cool:

kat

[pmb1010]

The only problem with leaving the receiver in the house is you can't adjust any settings. Its set the receiver up in the house, and that's it.

I like to change transponders, move the dish around to different sats, with the motor while on the roof adjusting. And the only way to do that is with the receiver. AND the friggin remote, which I've had to climb down the ladder only a bazillion times to get...

It is a pain to get 110volts up on the roof via extension cord, but for me it's worth it.

[manueldaco]

Hi!
I was up on the roof yesterday with a small tv and receiver. Got a brand new RG6 12 foot coax cable and connected to the motor. Set the receiver to an active transponder on AMC 4 and a few other sats including AMC 5 which is close to my south. I then proceeded to move the dish from side to side very slowly as well as up and down for elevation keeping close to the setting for my location.

Guess what! I got absolutely nothing, zip, nada, no signal strength whatsoever.

I also bypassed the motor and connected the cable directly to the lnb and that's why I now strongly suspect that the lnb is defective. The lnb is single universal. Is there a sure way for testing it to remove any doubts? If I get another lnb would I be better off with a standard one?

Thanks to everyone for your help so far and I ask that you bear with me a while longer : )

[manueldaco]

There's one thing that I'd like to check also and that's the distance between the face of the lnb and the center of the dish. Can anyone tell me what that distance needs to be exactly? Thanks : )

[bobkat]

That is called focal length adjustment and it varies from one dish type to another. The best thing to do is hook up your receiver and slide the LNB back and forth in its cradle until you attain maximum signal quality. Make sure your hand isn't blocking the front of the LNB !!! I've done that before and wondered why the signal was so low... :mozilla_undecided:

kat