Intermittent "No or bad signal error"

ftadude · #1 (**permalink**) 01-20-2008, 09:37 PM

I have a Coolsat 4000 and a Coolsat 5000, STAB HH90, Fortec 36 dish. My dish mounting pole is plumb, pointed to my true south, with my correct longitude and latitude settings. I have had this problem off an on for over two years. The colder the weather gets the worse my problem is. Now it is 20 degrees here and my dish is resetting itself all of the time. When changing from satellite to satellite I will see a picture for about 5 to 15 seconds and then a "No or bad signal error" then my motor will reset itself by going back to my true south satellite and then back to the satellite until it locks in on the signal. In the warmer weather this only happens upstairs
with the longer cable. Today because is is so cold out it is happening for the first time downstairs. This weekend I replaced all of the RG6 cable and the problem still exists.

Can my Fortec Universal LNB cause this type of problem?

Would it be worth the time and trouble to send the STAB HH90 to Sadoun to check the operation and possibly repair it? If not I think that I am going to buy a new SG2100.

Thank you

pictureon · #2 (**permalink**) 01-21-2008, 12:15 AM

Which receiver is controlling the motor? 2 receivers can not be controlling the same motor.

William Eng · #3 (**permalink**) 01-21-2008, 12:31 AM

I would not dissassemble your satellite dish yet. You could dissect your problem into 3 areas.
1. Cable. What happens if you take your receiver outside and connect a short cable to your motor? If the problem disappears, then logically the problem is with the cable.
2. Receiver. Find a friend with a working FTA receiver and swap it out. If the problem goes away, then its your receivers fault, if the problem persists, then its your motor fault. If the problem is with your receiver, try resetting it and clear out all information. Or else reload the software.
3. Motor. see #2 Unlikely the source of your problem if your motor is moving.

If you get a picture, its unlikely your LNB is faulty.

ftadude · #4 (**permalink**) 01-21-2008, 10:23 PM

Thank you for your help.

I have 2 receivers. I know that I can only use one receiver at a time.

In step 1: In the cold weather the problem still exists with a short cable by the receiver.

In step2: I have tried other receivers and the problem still exists.

This leaves me to think that it is still a problem with the motor. A good friend that repairs electronics says that when he tests for bad parts on a board that he applies heat and then cold to the boards to test for bad components on a circuit board. My problem is related to cold weather. My friend says that heat will cause a IC chip to fail and that cold will cause a capacitor to act up and fail. With this information I ordered a replacement circuit board from Sadoun tonight for $25.00. I will post my results when I am able to replace the board in my motor.

ftadude · #5 (**permalink**) 01-27-2008, 05:06 PM

I received and installed the replacement circuit board for my motor and it did not fix my problem. Today, I had the receiver working properly outside connected with a short cable to my motor. When i took the receiver inside and connected it to the longer cable the "no or bad signal" problem started again. My cable is new and has been replaced with new connectors, I double checked the connections and they appear to be okay in appearance. Does anyone have any idea why a longer cable of 90 feet would cause a signal problem with a motor?

William Eng · #6 (**permalink**) 01-28-2008, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ftadude

I received and installed the replacement circuit board for my motor and it did not fix my problem. Today, I had the receiver working properly outside connected with a short cable to my motor. When i took the receiver inside and connected it to the longer cable the "no or bad signal" problem started again. My cable is new and has been replaced with new connectors, I double checked the connections and they appear to be okay in appearance. Does anyone have any idea why a longer cable of 90 feet would cause a signal problem with a motor?

90 feet should not be a problem. I have about 150 feet of wire between my dish and receiver. It seems logical that the problem lies with the cable/ connectors from what you have done so far. Here is what I would suggest. Work backwards from your satellite dish. At the first connection point, connect it to your reciever and see if everything is working. If it is fine, then move on to the next connection. Satellite connections need a special type of connector, the regular ones for cable tv won't work well. I would suggest you buy the connectors specific for satellite use, it is stated on the packaging. I assume you are using RG6 cable?

ftadude · #7 (**permalink**) 01-28-2008, 12:22 PM

Thank you for your reply William Eng. Yes, I have RG-6 Quad cable with a copper clad steel center swept to 3 ghz. I wondered if solid a copper center RG-6 is really needed with a motor? I have found the problem occours downstairs and upstairs. I did not know that there were special connectors just for satellite connections. Are these connectors the compression type?

rainman · #8 (**permalink**) 01-28-2008, 12:53 PM

I am running RG6 steel center at a 100' with no problem also using the crimp type connectors. check the fittings on the motor where the coax hooks up these has been known to break and have bad connections.

ftadude · #9 (**permalink**) 01-28-2008, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rainman

I am running RG6 steel center at a 100' with no problem also using the crimp type connectors. check the fittings on the motor where the coax hooks up these has been known to break and have bad connections.

rainman,

I just replaced the circuit board in the HH-90. I checked the soldered connections at the RG-6 connectors on the old board and on the new board were good.

William Eng · #10 (**permalink**) 01-28-2008, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ftadude

Thank you for your reply William Eng. Yes, I have RG-6 Quad cable with a copper clad steel center swept to 3 ghz. I wondered if solid a copper center RG-6 is really needed with a motor? I have found the problem occours downstairs and upstairs. I did not know that there were special connectors just for satellite connections. Are these connectors the compression type?

I brought my connectors (which lets you connect two long cables) from a general electronics store. The say on the packaging that it is specific for satellite signal. I think it has something to do with conducting the high frequency. Go to the store and ask for it if you don't see it on the shelf.

ftadude · #11 (**permalink**) 02-09-2008, 08:04 PM

It was the solid copper clad steel center conductor RG6 cable. The Home Depot RG6 solid copper clad center conductor quad RG6 cable made my problem twice as bad causing the same problem downstairs that I had upstairs. I removed the Home Depot cable and replaced it with Perfect Vision Solid Copper Conductor RG6 that I purchased from Sadoun. My picture is clearer and my signal problems went away and my motor is not moving my dish back and forth any more. I was lucky enough to convince Home Depot to give me my money back for 500 feet of cable that would not work for me. After this, I would recommend using a good quality Solid Copper Conductor RG6 cable to anyone that has a satellite dish with a HH motor.

elgemcdlf · #12 (**permalink**) 02-11-2008, 07:53 AM

Sounds like you bought coax for cable / ant and not satellite. I bought a a/b switch one time without watching the rating and it stripped a bunch of signal out of the system. Once I pulled it back out everything was back no normal.