Is my Satcruiser up to the job?

[rblampain]

I have a Satcruiser DSR 301IR Ace (IRDETTO embeded - twin CAM slots) I purchased about 5 years ago to watch the national channels from Optus (Australia). I left it unused for the past 3 years and now, I am trying to set it up for Selectv assuming it is suitable and a better (from what I read) receiver than the one supplied by Selectv.

I purchased the Selectv 'smartcard' but I haven't activated it yet. I read on the net I should set up a tp on 12526MHz, symbol rate of 28800, FEC 3/4, Polarization H and the LNB at 11300 or 10700, all this is OK except that the menu of the decoder does not ask for the FEC value and I entered the wrong value for the LNB (I'll try again tomorrow).

I know nothing about the technical side of this and I wonder what I should do about the FEC, if anything.

Does the decoder need an update/upgrade? How do I do that?

I have been trying to get the signal from PAS 8 using a 'satfinder', I got a strong signal from the approximate azimuth/elevation but not exactly where I expected it and I wonder if my coordinates are correct, I used to get them, is that site suitable for the dish I have?

My location latitude and longitude are -30.750 +121.470 and I get azimuth 64.16 magnetic and elevation 30.28 for the orientation of the dish.

Thank you all for your valuable comments.

[Redwight]

Some sat boxes work out the FEC figures from the data coming into them for themselves, my old strong 4800II is one of them. If it's not an option then don't worry about it yet, I find mine shows the FEC value during tuning, and the information is useful to be sure your locked onto the right satellite.
That transponder they reccomend is whats referred to as a "home" transponder as it will carry information on the others that some boxes can use to set everything up including other transponders.

Does the decoder need an update/upgrade? How do I do that?

That would be explained on the manufacturers website, mine requires the sofware to be loaded onto my PC then a special lead is used for programming the box. It is a readily available lead although I just made my own.

You may not have the right satellite yet, 2 to 3 degrees is a suprisingly small shift on most dishes, there are some free to air channels on IS8 (the new name for pas8) and they can be tuned in if your on the right sat before you "tune" the Select channels and activate the cards, There is a list and if memory serves me Syria TV was the one I could get easiest.

[big mick000]

don't forget to turn NIT, or network search/scan to "ON" when you scan in 12526 28800 H, and it will scan in ALL select channels.

[rblampain]

Thank you for your advices, I've tried everything for a couple of days but I am getting no signal at all on the satfinder from the direction the dish is supposed to be pointing to. I can only think of 3 causes for this:
1) my coordinates (as above) are wrong
2) moving the dish by hand is too coarse
3) I have an incorrect LNB

About five years ago I set up a 1.8m dish for Optus and at the time I found I had to make a gadget using threaded rods to move the dish horizontally and vertically, that way I could turn a nut a fraction at a time and get fine adjustment. Do I need to do the same now?

Perhaps someone can check my coordinates and the label on my LNB says: STgold lo:10.7GHz
11.70-12.75GHz Ku-Band Digital LNBF
I set it to 10700.

I should also mention this is only a temporary set up on a tripod because I will move to another place in the near future and will have to repeat this procedure.

There is also another point that bothers me, the LNB can be moved farther or closer to the dish in its plastic holder, does that position affect the signal? Being all pressed metal parts does not look like the whole assembly has much precision at all.

Any comments or advice welcome.

[Redwight]

Yes all adjustments are as fussy as ever, you are trying to get a signal from an object quite far away in the sky. I have a 3.1 meter dish here and becuase of a fault in the mount a strong breeze can make it move enough to not get signal. The LNB needs to be focussed in and out for signal strength and the axis will need adjustment too once you get the satellite your after.

Perhaps someone can check my coordinates and the label on my LNB says: STgold lo:10.7GHz
11.70-12.75GHz Ku-Band Digital LNBF
I set it to 10700.

I thought if you had one of them you had to set both a high and low frequency, maybe someone else can speak up on that.

[rblampain]

Thank you Redwight, I know what to do now.