Dish setup in Octagon SF918 menu - LNB High / Low?

[beer4life]

G'Day Cobbers,
Reference the " Satlex Toroidal Pointing program ".
Just to keep you posted, I haven't given up yet.
Intend fo pursue this further.
Kindest Regards, " The Druid "....

To: "beer4life" <coomabill@dodo.com.au>
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2008 4:46 PM
Subject: Re: SatLex Digital Contact: toroid pointing program



> Hello,
>
> thanks for your message.
> I know the problem since long. The thing is, I won't get to fix it soon, because I have practically no time to do that. :-(
> Maybe I should just put an info hint saying that the values for the south hemisphere are wrong...
>
> --
> SatLex - Digital Satellite TV

[beer4life]

I offered to find a suitably qualified guru to fix his prog if he would send it to us. So looks like that is a dead end for some time yet.

There is a work-a-round to get the LNB positions which I will explain in the next post.
Kindest Regards.........

I know you guys want to help, but the entire calculator is part of a big complex of files interconnected and using also the mysql database. Ripping out all this for you, would take me more time than fixing it. Since right now we are just about to move some place else, I'll only have some time next spring....or I'll try to do something this year...don't know exact times.
Sorry, I can't be of any help right now. I'll do my best.

--
SatLex - Digital Satellite TV

[beer4life]

I offered to find a suitably qualified guru to fix his prog if he would send it to us. So looks like that is a dead end for some time yet.

There is a work-a-round to get the LNB positions which I will explain in the next post.
Kindest Regards.........

My solution to this problem:
Run the Satlex program from your own location, discard the LNB positions.
Run it again, but with the latitude from the Northern hemisphere.
You can then use the elevation and LNB position figures for the original.



If you have any problems, feel free to let me know.
This should solve any reservations that you may have had, using a "Toroidal Dish".
Kindest Regards, " The Druid "...........

[fred121]

Excellent work B4L, might be time to condense 6 dishes down to one!!

[Gizbo]

Hi Druid,
I used your method today for adding Measat 148degrees.
I think you also need to "mirror" the LNB guide bar. Left will be Right and Right will be Left.

[beer4life]

Hi Druid,
I used your method today for adding Measat 148degrees.
I think you also need to "mirror" the LNB guide bar. Left will be Right and Right will be Left.

G'Day,
You forgot to stand on your head.
You almost convinced me that I was wrong.
But if you look at this composite image, you will see by the azimuth angles, that the correct view is from behind, and that it is as I originally suggested.

Don't forget the crossover caused by the dish.

Kindest Regards, " The Druid "....

[Gizbo]

You are 110% correct Druid, my mistake .
I climbed on the roof today to add an LNB for Measat2 (148 degrees) but unfortunitly it didn't work. I will most likely have to point the disk to D2 before it works .

[beer4life]

You are 110% correct Druid, my mistake .
I climbed on the roof today to add an LNB for Measat2 (148 degrees) but unfortunitly it didn't work. I will most likely have to point the disk to D2 before it works .

Why not show your handiwork? Don't be shy! Congratulations.You should have plenty of room on the RH side of the bar. Just to the right of D2.
Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".......

[Gizbo]

Yes, that is what I thaught as well. However the Satelite finder didn't get any signal on both sides of the bar (while the STB was configured for Measat2 or Intelsat 701). I think I have to make C1 or D2 the central LNB to get Measat. I didn't want to change all the LNB's because I would hav to bring the tv on the roof again :-).

[beer4life]

Yes, that is what I thaught as well. However the Satelite finder didn't get any signal on both sides of the bar (while the STB was configured for Measat2 or Intelsat 701). I think I have to make C1 or D2 the central LNB to get Measat. I didn't want to change all the LNB's because I would hav to bring the tv on the roof again :-).

I've been puzzling over your photo and I think you have set it up wrong.
Set it up with D2 in the centre, no dish tilt, (Lock it up there.), C1, D1 and PAS8 out to the left and Measat to the right, looking from behind.
To get the others after D2, you should only need to slide them either side of the locations on the bar very little.
Final tweaking should only be minor on dish tilt and individual LNB skew.
If you want to make any other Sat the centre one, to get Intelsat701, let me know and I will do the calculations again.
The reason you have lost them is that dish tilt changes for any other centre Sat.
The reason for choosing D2 as the centre Sat, was that no tilt was required from your longitude, thus simplifying the setting up.
Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".

[Gizbo]

Thanks Druid, I only have 4:1 splitters. Should I buy > 5:1 splitters or can I use 2x 4:1 splitters?

[beer4life]

Thanks Druid, I only have 4:1 splitters. Should I buy > 5:1 splitters or can I use 2x 4:1 splitters?

G'Day,
This is what you need, 8x1 DiSEqC switch, not splitters. Use switching.
They just do not switch between inputs. You would be trying to control all LNBs at same time with high LNB current. Spft!
Kindest Regards........................................... .

[Gizbo]

Thanks Druid, I suspected I needed a switch with more ports. Ordered it last Friday. I probably need some more LNB's as well because the FTA channels I get from D2, D1, C1 and Itelsat8 are very limited. I only use 1 :-).

[Gizbo]

Got the switch today.

After pointing my dish to D2 I could not recieve all the FTA channels anymore. Only the ones that are listed in (12734 V tp 8U) in Lyngsat.
Could it be a tree is blocking the channels? There is noting in the line of the LNB but there is a huge tree on the left.

[Gizbo]

This is the tree I'm talking about. It is about 4-5 meters from the dish.

[beer4life]

Got the switch today.

After pointing my dish to D2 I could not receive all the FTA channels anymore. Only the ones that are listed in (12734 V tp 8U) in Lyngsat.
Could it be a tree is blocking the channels? There is nothing in the line of the LNB but there is a huge tree on the left.

G'Day,
Sorry for being so slow getting back. Can't see a big problem with D2 from your location, except for those trees further away, but 50 degrees elevation should clear them. However I would start to worry about the other Sats that you are looking at to the west of D1. Rain may cause a problem. I rather doubt if you will get 138 E.



I D/L and re-sized your TREE and U/L via Image Shack. Will help you do this if you don't know. Can you handle a chainsaw?

I'm not sure about your scanning. Do you have "Power Scan/Blind Scan" on your SF918? If so you may have only scanned the one TP and not the whole Sat.
I fired up a Healing that I'm using on C1(motorised 65cm), and had no trouble getting a lot of channels for D2 on other TPs as well as 12734V. They've been playing ducks and drakes for some time now and I have not been watching it.
By the way, I found and posted elsewhere on the board, you may have missed it. D3 will be co-located with C1 @ 156 E. Not sure what is the best, both with the existing LNB or to use a Twin LNB. Worry about that later.
That should keep you out of mischief for a while.
Kindest Regards, " The Druid "...........................

[Gizbo]

The tree is from one of the nicer neighbours :-). I'm only interested in Measat and Agila2 (for DreamTV). But I've read several posts that they are difficult to get from Sydney.
I'm still puzzled about D2, I'm especially interested in BVN (12644 V tp 7L). The SF918 does not have blindscan. I did do a restore from backup and got BVN back in the list but no signal. I still don't trust that tree in the front as it didn;t have leaves one week ago .... I might have to move the dish :-( ...

[beer4life]

The tree is from one of the nicer neighbours :-). I'm only interested in Measat and Agila2 (for DreamTV). But I've read several posts that they are difficult to get from Sydney.
I'm still puzzled about D2, I'm especially interested in BVN (12644 V tp 7L). The SF918 does not have blindscan. I did do a restore from backup and got BVN back in the list but no signal. I still don't trust that tree in the front as it didn;t have leaves one week ago .... I might have to move the dish :-( ...

Hi,
I have strong signal and all those channels listed in lyngsat.
Make sure you are using 12644 V/22500 SR. Check your Skew at the LNB.
All I did was move from C1 with the motor from inside. Never had this box on D2 before, although the dish was set up with my Fortec.
The dish I'M using for this is only 65 cm. Yours should eat it.
My elevation is 47 degrees, not much different to yours.
Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".........

[Gizbo]

Hi Druid,

I changed the switch and the LNB's and used a level to make sure the skew was 90degr. I also ryed to change the skew of the LNB. I get more channels from D2 now but still nothing from the TP that contains BVN .

Maybe I need wil have to change things back the origenal setup but that will mean I wont be able to get Measat and Agila 2. Before I try I'm interested if you are located on the Eastcoast and can get Measat and Agila 2.

Thanks,

Gizbo

[beer4life]

Hi Druid,

I changed the switch and the LNB's and used a level to make sure the skew was 90degr. I also ryed to change the skew of the LNB. I get more channels from D2 now but still nothing from the TP that contains BVN .

Maybe I need wil have to change things back the origenal setup but that will mean I wont be able to get Measat and Agila 2. Before I try I'm interested if you are located on the Eastcoast and can get Measat and Agila 2.
Thanks,
Gizbo

G'Day,
Please humor me and go back to the original setup with D2 as the centre.
You do not seem to understand exactly how the calculations work.
Let's call the level of the dish, the "TILT" as opposed to Skew.
Reserve "Skew" for what you do at the LNB.
This is where you are stuffing up.
When you use any other Sat than the one that is True North from your location, then the TILT of the dish has to be re-calculated and the dish will not be level.
It will not matter one iota which Sats you can receive, as when properly setup, they are all effectively looking at a full size dish that is virtually turned straight on to their azimuth.
As D2 is virtually True North of your location, the other Sats will appear as a symmetrical parabola with D2 at maximum elevation.
All you are doing by making another Sat as the centre one is to make it many times more difficult to set up. Quite un-necessarily so.
It is immaterial whether you have Sats either side of the theoretical centre one, or all on one side.
I've cleared that chart up a bit to make it clearer to see what I mean.

Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".......

PS; I'll have a look at those other Sats tomorrow.