Results 1 to 20 of 20

Thread: cant locate vast satellite from port macquarie location, please help

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    10

    Default cant locate vast satellite from port macquarie location, please help

    Hi, sorry for mistakes old and not that tech savvy. Purchased 65cm dish etc which had an AI kfm2in lnbf and using an old clearsat 3240hd locked to Optus C1 tried to find Vast satellite but couldnt. Updated lnb to a brand new Mediastar ku band single 10700Mhz and also bought a new Satking Sk-3200 locked to Ku-optus 010/D3 satellite. Still cant find Satellite. My Long and Lat are 31.4333 S and 152.9000 E. Adtia website says to look around 5 degrees east of north with dish elevation of 56 degrees with lnb at 39 degrees. Have tried moving dish for hours all over sky towards north with various lnb settings but cant get any signal. Nothing to block signal no trees etc. Have tried multiple coax cables. Completely stumped I assume my new Satking has the Vast satellite programmed as satellite 1 as said on sales website. Any suggestions please? Thanks Rod.



Look Here ->
  • #2
    Administrator
    mtv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    19,893
    Thanks
    7,508
    Thanked 15,066 Times in 6,761 Posts
    Rep Power
    5647
    Reputation
    239305

    Default

    Thread moved to correct section.

    Try going to and entering your location.

    Drag the marker to your dish location.

    Ensure there are no obstacles in the signal path.

    As a starting point for LNB skew, the coax connector should be somewhere between the 6 to 7 o'clock position when viewed from the front of the dish. (You will need to make adjustments to maximise signal quality with skew once you have the dish aligned.)

    What are the VAST transponder settings you have in your meter?

  • #3
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    10

    Default

    Thanks mtv. Went to dishpointer and got directions for 156E optus 10/c1/d3 sat. went out in backyard and after another half hour still no quality signal. Satking settings are ku-optus 010/d3
    E 156 lnb single f 11804 Lo 10700 Sr 30000 Hi 10700 Pol V D1.0off 22k off D1.1off. Signal at 80 % dont get any quality signal. Any other suggestions appreciated please. Thanks Rod

  • #4
    Administrator
    mtv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    19,893
    Thanks
    7,508
    Thanked 15,066 Times in 6,761 Posts
    Rep Power
    5647
    Reputation
    239305

    Default

    Try Freq 12647

    If you have good signal strength but poor signal quality suggests your LNB skew is out, or you are on the wrong satellite

    Elevation and azimuth are only approximate, you need to make small adjustments.

    Did you set the LNB skew as I suggested?

  • #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    10

    Default

    Hi set lnb as described, have made thousands of minute adjustments. Will try different frequency tomorrow. Cheers Rod.

  • #6
    Administrator
    mtv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    19,893
    Thanks
    7,508
    Thanked 15,066 Times in 6,761 Posts
    Rep Power
    5647
    Reputation
    239305

    Default

    I'm assuming the dish has elevation markings on the mount?

  • #7
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    10

    Default

    Thanks mate. Yes dish has markings. After trying freq you suggested I found a satellite but dont think its the vast one. Dish is now a mile from house and or caravan to easily plug into tv to check but might have to move van. The website you referred me to had elevation 53.2 degrees, azimuth -6.6 magnetic and lnb skew 5 degrees. The sat I found was at 32 degrees elevation 20 degrees magnetic and a lnb skew of 25 degrees.

    Unplugged satking and plugged in old sat finder for optus c1 but didnt register satellite.

    Ideas please before I have to move van, could that be the vast satellite or would that freq of 12647 have picked up a different one. Cheers Rod.

  • #8
    Administrator
    mtv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    19,893
    Thanks
    7,508
    Thanked 15,066 Times in 6,761 Posts
    Rep Power
    5647
    Reputation
    239305

    Default

    Forget the skew settings from the websites... just roughly set it as per my previous post.

    You need LNB skew approx correct to begin with otherwise you will not get any signal quality.

    32 deg elevation?.. wrong satellite.

    Frequencies are often used on several different satellites and some use both horizontal and vertical transponders on the same frequency.

    VAST signals are a little tricky to pinpoint, especially with a 65cm dish.

    Instead of the sat meter, can you align the dish using the VAST box with a TV?

    Do you have a fixed dish on the house by any chance for Foxtel? If yes, connect your meter to that and see what you get.

    It's extremely difficult to know what is going wrong for you without being there.

    Can you post some pics of your dish pointing at the correct settings, both from the front and behind?

  • #9
    Premium Member
    OSIRUS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    3,592
    Thanks
    10,571
    Thanked 2,467 Times in 958 Posts
    Rep Power
    1071
    Reputation
    38001

    Default

    If you have a Foxtel dish on your house connect your vast box and check that it is working ok ..... Foxtel & Vast use the same Satellites in the same position

    your Vast STB should work on a Foxtel set up ..... although it could be optimized for Foxtel channels .... but only small very fine tuning adjustments different
    Become a Premium Member and support the Austech Forum

  • #10
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    10

    Default

    Hi again and thanks for all help so far. I dont have Foxtel but my rear neighbour does. I am directly 35m south of his dish with no trees or structures between us. I spent two hours this morning pointing my dish in same direction and angle as his and making minute adjustments to everything. For one brief moment my satking beeped to tell me I was close but no matter how many adjustments couldnt get a signal and couldnt get beep to return. Could telstra mobile towers about 1km to the north west of me be causing interference. I think I might just have to take dish to a different location. Cheers Rod.

  • #11
    Administrator
    mtv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    19,893
    Thanks
    7,508
    Thanked 15,066 Times in 6,761 Posts
    Rep Power
    5647
    Reputation
    239305

    Default

    A Telstra tower a kilometre away will have no impact.

    It makes no difference on the location of your dish, but only changes over significant distance, such as 100km+.

    Just moving locally will have negligible difference.

    You just need to ensure there is nothing in the signal path.

    Can you check signal on your neighbour's dish?

    I would be interested to hear what your signal meter reads when connected to a correctly-aligned dish.

    There's only a few likely scenarios.

    Faulty connections/cables.

    Incorrect dish/LNB alignment.

    Incorrect meter settings or meter fault.

    LNB fault.

    That's why it would be useful to check your meter on a correctly-aligned dish. (process of elimination)

  • #12
    Premium Member
    OSIRUS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    3,592
    Thanks
    10,571
    Thanked 2,467 Times in 958 Posts
    Rep Power
    1071
    Reputation
    38001

    Default

    Also check you have all the correct settings in your Vast STB that match your dish & LNB setup

    ie. LNB Power on, LNB Type Single, LNB Frequency 10700 etc ....

    (I do not have a satking STB)

    try Vast STB on channel 800 (info channel) or 801(D3 Tune channel)
    Last edited by OSIRUS; 03-10-21 at 02:25 PM.
    Become a Premium Member and support the Austech Forum

  • The Following User Says Thank You to OSIRUS For This Useful Post:

    Kavakid (31-10-21)

  • #13
    Premium Member
    hazman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Lurking at the teakdoor
    Posts
    2,023
    Thanks
    7,349
    Thanked 12,494 Times in 1,800 Posts
    Rep Power
    5260
    Reputation
    249784

    Default

    When I lined up my dishes i use a foxtel frequency 12136 v SR 27800 its the one with Aljazeera English fta never had a problem.

  • #14
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    10

    Default

    Hi and thanks to all, had to recharge my sat finder. Hazman found a satellite with your numbers. (2nd sat I have found which kind of says my sat finder lnb and cables are fine. Only problem is hazman I found the satellite at due north, about 26 degrees on dish with lnb at 15 degrees. Which is now where near the 53 degrees Im supposed to find my vast satnav. Cheers Rod.

    Anyone else have ideas why I cant get a signal anywhere near right angle in sky but Ive managed to pickup two different satellites which being much lower on horizon I assume must be further away. Thanks.

  • #15
    Administrator
    mtv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    19,893
    Thanks
    7,508
    Thanked 15,066 Times in 6,761 Posts
    Rep Power
    5647
    Reputation
    239305

    Default

    There are no satellites you'll receive at 26 degrees elevation from Port Maquarie.

    There is something drastically wrong with your setup.

    Again... please post photos of your setup and test on a known-working installation (Neighbour with Foxtel if possible)

  • #16
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    10

    Default

    If you can tell me how I would, I see icon to insert image but then it asks for an url. (beyond my computer capabilities Im afraid. ) I assume you want photos to confirm elevation in degrees and pointing in correct direction. I have 4 different compasses all confirming direction of north and dish has degrees listed and I have used a level with a 45 degree bubble to confirm setting on dish is accurate. Nothing to obscure dish, have tried with both new and old lnbs which have markings. lnb is positioned so coax is coming out of lnb in approx 7oclock position on an old analogue clock. Cheers Rod.

  • #17
    Administrator
    mtv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    19,893
    Thanks
    7,508
    Thanked 15,066 Times in 6,761 Posts
    Rep Power
    5647
    Reputation
    239305

    Default

    Upload your images to

    Copy and paste the link back here.

    The dish mount will have elevation markings. Just go by those, no other method.

    Use the direction guide on dishpointer.com.

    All settings are indicative only.

    Start with the correct LNB skew.

    Start with the recommended elevation from dishpointer and the green line and sweep left to right very slowly watching the signal scale and adjusting the elevation slightly lower or higher with each sweep.

    You really need to test your meter on a known-working set-up.... it may be giving you false readings.

  • #18
    Premium Member
    OSIRUS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    3,592
    Thanks
    10,571
    Thanked 2,467 Times in 958 Posts
    Rep Power
    1071
    Reputation
    38001

    Default

    There are a lot of Vast Dish Setup videos on Youtube

    This is just the first one on the list I came to (may not be the best .... have a look yourself ...if you want to)

    Become a Premium Member and support the Austech Forum

  • The Following User Says Thank You to OSIRUS For This Useful Post:

    mtv (06-10-21)

  • #19
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    10

    Default

    Thankyou all for your help. Also sorry for delay in answer fell off a ladder. Anyway figures out I had two issues. firstly my used dish had elevation marking on it which were wildly incorrect, got hold of my granddaughters school protractor to figure that out. Also my brand new sat finder which had only been charged once continued operating at a lower voltage than it should instead of shutting down giving me strange reading. Only realized when the screen started flicking on and off that it was down to 6.5volt instead of the 18volts. Anyway all good now except for my back. Just wanted to thanks everyone for their assistance. Cheers Rod.

  • #20
    Administrator
    mtv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    19,893
    Thanks
    7,508
    Thanked 15,066 Times in 6,761 Posts
    Rep Power
    5647
    Reputation
    239305

    Default

    It's worth remembering that offset dish elevation markings relate to the angle the LNB 'sees' not the angle of the bracket.

    The offset is typically around 22 deg.

    This is why offset dishes appear to be pointing much lower (physically) than prime-focus dishes.



  • The Following User Says Thank You to mtv For This Useful Post:

    Softek2 (11-10-21)

  • Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •