Help with SG2100A

[shoemaker]

I followed this tread with good interest.
I don't know if you have found your way, but i will tell few things to help you in case you still looking for help.
Deassemble the motor and try to pick your satellite AMC 5 and get the best signal strenght, after that try to scan to see if you have found any channels, if you got something it's because everything is working. Now assemble your motor back and do all the necessary setup and do all the fine tuning, it took me a full morning to get mine to work and the reason i took so long was the lnb not aligned properly(maybe the screws are too tighed and are bending the dish) what i did was move the lnb left and right or in and out slowly and bingo got the signal.
I hope this helps you.
#-o

[kp4gb]

Happy Memorial Day to all and thank you so much for contributing to this discussion. I may have some time this afternoon to play with the dish and will follow shoemaker's recommendations. It certainly won't hurt to try.

I will keep you all posted.

[pmb1010]

Worth a shot.
Takes the motor calculation out of the picture, and you only work with dish elevation, and dish compass setting.

Use this calculation page to figure your settings:
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installati...Calculator.htm

About the only thing you'll now need to fuss with is LNB skew value, if you move far enough off of your most south satellite.

Good luck.

[kp4gb]

Wow guys. It must be the Wraf of Moctezuma. Still nothing. I have done everything today and still nothing. I move the antenna in very small (hair) increments watching the TV set at the same time while connected to the meter and without the meter and nothing. Still no quality. With the meter installed I got that baby screaming several times with moving slowly the dish left and right and up and down, very fine movements and the receiver was unable to lock on a signal.

It must be the receiver. This is no rocket science.

Your comments appreciated.

[kp4gb]

To all of you, thank you very much for everything.

I got great news. This morning I was checking my posting on another forum and someone recommended me the following:

1. Change the frequency on the LNB to 10250 for AMC5
2. Perform a Blind Scan for active TP's

Guess what, it found a couple of active TP's. I was able to see at least 1 channel on AMC5. Now the thing is that I don't have audio.

Now, does that means that I have to manually setup the LNB's frequency to an specific satellite or using default settings on the LNB should be sufficient.

Any comments appreciated.

[pmb1010]

Then what you have is not a "universal" LNB, but a "standard" LNB.
Well, thats great then.

If you press the INFO button on the remote, what is the channel frequency settings for which you have no audio?

AMC5 should have audio.

AMC3 does have some PBS stations that have digital audio (and that requres some special stuff to get that audio...)

Again, before you blind scan, SET THE CHANNEL FREQ TO 11742 and ATTEMPT TO PEAK THE SIGNAL. You should be getting Utah Education network "school" instructional video on that frequency for AMC5.

[kp4gb]

Ok, I did a scan and I got this channel, btw, the only channel and it is ONN (Ohio News Network) its frequency is 12231, SR: 6.616 Msps, Video (33), Audio (34), PRC (8190).

Now, I still have to do what you're asking me to do. You're asking me to change the Channel Freq to 11742, is this the LNB Frequency you're talking about? I belief I'm almost there, so thanks for the help.

[kp4gb]

PMB1010

It looks like I am looking at SBS6 instead of AMC5. I guess I have to reset the motor a little to the right (looking from behind the dish). Please correct me if I am wrong.

I can feel that I am almost there. Again, what I purchase was a Universal LNBF. Even the box says so. So, tell me where I am on this.

Thanks again.

[kp4gb]

As I was washing the dishes just now, it occur to me the following:

Can I just tell the Pansat 2700a that my latitude is other than the real one? Can it then readjust itself to compensate for the 5 degrees that I'm off from my 79W?

Just a thought and I would like to run it by you.

Your comments appreciated.

[vj9999]

You can change in USALS menu that your longitude is different. It should still track the arc correctly, but you will lose a little bit of the arc on one end. Also Are you sure you can track the arc correctly? If you are 5 degrees off, yo u might be off on tracking your arc as well (i.e you can get few satellite, but other ones will be to high or too low depending if you are off)

[kp4gb]

Ok, I just went outside and connected the Winegard SF 1000 finder and left it pointing to AMC5. I moved it a bit to the right (from behind the dish) until I got another satellite pick on the finder. Now I am doing a blind scan hoping that I will get some TP's.

Now please illustrate me on the LNB frequency issue, perhaps from that point on I can take it myself.

Thanks.

[pmb1010]

The blind scan will (eventually) let you figure out what satellite you're pointed at.

The purpose to put one satelilite, and one transponder, is to align your dish.

What you are doing with blind scan is just that - take whatever satellite you are pointing at, and just test everything and give me channels from it.
The problem with that is, if you are aiming at SBS6, and your box is set for AMC5, you will fill your box's AMC5 satellite list with channels from SBS6.

They have to match. The dish, or box, does not differentiate if you are pointing at one satelltie or another. That's why that sat finder can be deceiving - it only shows signal. You really need to get your box, dish, and correct satellite all together at the same time.

[kp4gb]

VJ9999 and PMB1010

I think I hit the nail on the head. I got AMC5, did a blind scan and found 12 channels from the Utah Educational Channel. Now I did not get OETA (11792H), KTEL (11900H) and NYN (12182). Now, I know I can add those TP's but it is asking me for the Symbol Rate. What's that and where can I find that info. I will assume I can find it in Lyngsta but where can I find those numbers. Also, I am not getting audio.

I don't remember if it was VJ or PMB that you have a dish similar to mine with another legacy LNB for Circular purpose, on the picture. I have a couple of those from DT that I can use along with the DISeCq, how can I install it and what kind of configuration do I need.

Thanks once again.

[pmb1010]

It was VJ that discussed tying circular lnb to the side.

Really, figure out the FTA part before you put this into the mess.

Rather than Blind scan, isnt' there an option to do "FTA SCAN" in your antenna configuration setup?
Normally, the box provider has put in all that channel information into each satellite, so if you are on the correct sattelite, it will scan, find, and prefill those channels. You posted a pic of it earlier, on page 5 of this thread it shows "FTA SCAN". Use that.

Sure, the blind scan will do the same, but it takes a long time. Learn how to walk, before you run!

How is your box hooked to your TV? Via coax on Channel 3, or dedicated RCA cables for video and audio?

[kp4gb]

Thanks again for the suggestion. I guess that after a few weeks on this issue I would like to go out sky rocketing but I will slow down.

I had the box setup using a S-Video cable to the TV but now I am using RCA cables.

I will try the FTA Scan as I go learning more about the box.

I did a scan on EchoStar 7 and found 48 channels on TV and 30 some on audio. I guess that I can't see or hear anything as I'm using the factory bin file.

Again on the question of adding TP's. I guess I can figure it out of the Lyngsat table but I just wanted something rather quick in finding the Symbol Rate value.

Your valuable input on this thread is immensely appreciated.

[vj9999]

I personally don't like giving any tips on how to attach the circular lnbf because it is often hard to figure out the intent of the poster and legality of the question. If you want to see how to attach it, you can look back in this thread or checkout Sadoun's installlation tips. There is a one pictore that has circular lnbf attached using plastic ties (which is much nicer than mine right now - I used to have plasitic ties, but currently it s duct taped to the other lnbf).

Please don't talk about anything other than factory firmware as even a mere mention of anything else can get this thread locked down.

There is not much FTA on those sats anyway (unless you want to listen to free audio stations).

If you want to to get all transoonders use blind search, but while tuning your dish, it is much easier to know a couple of active transponders on the satellite and just use those in your antena setup to quickly get feedback on signal strength/quality. Once you peak your signal, then do a blind search to ge everything that's on there.

[kp4gb]

Not a problem, and fair enough on your answer. I guess like ham radio, testing and hard work will payoff.

I will keep you posted as I discover things in the name of those, like me, are trying this for the first time.

Still have an outstanding question regarding how to add new TP's and the Symbol Rate. Perhaps a bit of intro to this part will greatly help in understanding.

Thanks to all.

BTW, I replaced the S-Video with RCA and now I have audio. Strange.

[pmb1010]

On the Fortec Ultra, there is an option buried in the menus to add transponders (freq and corresponding symbol rates).
It is really dependent on the box you have. I don't think too many here have Pansat 2700's so exactly how to add them in the proper method might be difficult to get.

Normally, this is provided by the vendor pre-programmed like I said before. There usually isn't too much change (maybe every few months) of the fixed stations that are there.

S-video only gives video signal. You still need RCA for audio...
Use both the S-video, and the RCA cables for audio for best picture.

[kp4gb]

To all, I think I got the hang of this. I am still playing with the receiver and learning about the features it's got. Now, I am planning on getting one of the 120cm offset dish with, perhaps, the new invacom dual C/L LNB. That will be interesting to see the results. I am also planning in spending a bit of time getting my own channel list prepared.

To all of you who so gallantly contributed to this discussion, thank you very much from Olney, MD.

[shoemaker]

Glad you found your way.
I think a lot of people learned a lot from this interessing discussion. Time for another tread.
Cheers