KUL1 off freq

[wejones]

Just a note to anyone having problems locking low SR signals with a KUL1 LNB.
I've been playing with my new system (90cm/2100 motor/KUL1 lnb) for over a week now, and since I started, I had noticed that I was having a hard time locking onto some signals, particularly narrow low SR signals. Well I finally figured out that the KUL1 LNB that I got, is consistently off freq by almost 2 MHz. I've had lnbs that have drifted off freq that much before, but this one is fairly stable, but consistently 2 MHz off. This usually isn't enough to affect a lock on wide high SR signals, but with narrow SR signals, the receivers can either take a long time to lock on, or sometimes don't find the signal at all.
I'm sure that it's the LNBF, because I've found the same behavior on 3 different receivers, and those receivers show the proper freq when used with my other (Norsat) LNB. I did a spectrum scan of a sat with both the KUL1 and the Norsat, and you can clearly see the whole band shifted down 2 MHz.
So anyway, if you're having problems locking narrow signals, try changing the frequency up or down a MHZ or two, because the quality control on these LNBFs doesn't appear to be too great.

[pmb1010]

Hey Bill, I assume you are using published values?

What happens on blind scan? Wouldn't you think the system would sort out the errors?

[wejones]

Originally Posted by pmb1010

Hey Bill, I assume you are using published values?

What happens on blind scan? Wouldn't you think the system would sort out the errors?

Re published values, yeah, mainly newsfeeds on IA6, and today on AMC5, ie freqs that are pretty well accepted, and my Norsat hits them right on.

I first noticed on the Twinhan, where I'd key in a freq/SR that I knew was transmitting, because I was watching it with my other dish, but it wouldn't lock. Then I tried the Broadlogic thing, and it locked, but the Broadlogic control app has a diagnostic tool that will tell you how far off a frequency is, and it was saying it was off between one to two MHz.
I then did a BLSCAN spectrum scan using both the KUL1 and the NORSAT, and the NORSAT trace showed all the freqs right were they were supposed to be, but I overlayed the KUL1 trace, and everything was shifted.



Re blind scan, yeah, with blind scan, the receiver would have found them, but I don't have this hooked up to my Ultra, I have it hooked up to my regular Lifetime, and to my Twinhan and Broadlogic. I was mainly concerned that people trying to find a sat don't usually use blind scan, but instead sit on a known frequency, but if the KUL1 is off a couple MHz, it makes it hard to find the sat. So if you're looking for a sat, use a wide SR transponder.

[rainman]

good thing to know thanks Bill.