Finding Optus D2
hey guys,
i have been trying to find optus D2 or the past 3 days and there has been no luck the quailty is at 30 and the power at 65
the setup im using is:
Dish: 65cm
LNB: Mediastar 10700
Diseqc switch
RG6 coaxial cable
Receiver: Mediastar HD900s
I have found Intelsat 8 on the other satellite and its working fine, that's why I'm using a Diseqc switch.
i have changed the LNB to a new one and the Diseqc switch but still no luck
can someone tell me whats wrong I'm in the area of South Penrith
regards
gner8r
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Quite likely LNB skew hasn't been optimised.
What method have you used to adjust the LNB skew?
Do you realise Optus sats have a skew around 40 deg different to other sats?
If you have set the skew the same as the LNB on IS8, that will be the problem.
G'Day Cobber.Originally Posted by gner8r
Methinks you are misinformed.
There are a few options, but you will not lock more than one Satellite with a fixed Dish.
Please, more information as to what you are trying to achieve will help?
Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".
Reading between the lines (the missing bits) I interpreted it as there are two separate dishes... with an LNB on each dish selected via the diseqc switch.
Even if there were two LNB's on a single fixed mount dish, it's still possible... but pushing it a bit for IS8 and D2 on a 65cm dish.
Agreed.... clarification on the setup from the OP would help.
G'Day Cobber.
Methinks you are misinformed.
There are a few options, but you will not lock more than one Satellite with a fixed Dish.
Please, more information as to what you are trying to achieve will help?
Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".
ok sorry guys for the missing information
well i have 2 dishes, 1 thats point to Intelsat 8 and 1 which is for optus d2 but i cannot find optus d2
You first post suggested you had found D2, but signal level and quality were low.
65 for signal strength is OK, but higher is better... 30 is probably a bit low for signal quality, which i why I suspected LNB skew being the issue.the quailty is at 30 and the power at 65
You haven't answered my questions about your LNB skew.
Have you found Optus C1/D3?.... D2 is slightly higher and a bit to the west (to the left, when viewed from behind the dish) from C1/D3.
How are you performing the dish alignment... satfinder, decoder-only.... which D2 transponder frequency are you using for tuning?
More info needed to help.
location is also missing from your post. for the cost a of dish these days I would not even bother with a 65cm. go for a 80cm you'll find sats abit easier.
I agree and also when stormy you will have less of a chance of signal drop outs.
Strada, he stated his location as South Penrith. With that information I can assure you that, although size does matter, your 65cm dish should work under most conditions. I bought, a 65cm dish on ebay for $5 and pointed it to D2 for the 2 Italian channels and the signals start cutting out under significant cloud cover or rain. Note that I'm about 25km from your location so reception, for all intents and purposes, is identical.
So to some technical stuff...
1. Did you align your dish using a local landmark found on dishpointer.com such as a tree, pole, neighbour's antenna mast etc. This helps in fine tuning location?
2. Is the mast plumb? Not a big issue if you compensate for it, but it will throw your elevation, azimuth and skew out if you rely on the official figures?
3. Is the LNB skewed to about the 7 O'clock position. Most LNB cables attach the same way. That means that the cable insertion on your LNB should be pointing to the 7 o'clock position looking into the dish (5 o'clock from behind).
4. Was the elevation set via calibrations on your dish or using an angle finder?
5. Did you correctly program your receiver with a transponder frequency, as per lyngsat.com,
6. Did you position your receiver on the correct DiSeCq setting for D2?
7. Have you performed an East to West swipe of the dish about the presumed azimiuth (given the elevation was set correctly) with a satfinder attached to indicate max signal strength?
8. Is there an obstruction along the line of sight?
If you answered YES to all of the above (except the last), then you should be receiving a signal.
Cheers
OC
Last edited by Optima Collins; 01-12-11 at 09:28 AM.
thanks for all your help so far guys,
the LNB skew according to dishpointer.com is 2 degrees so that's what i set it to, is this wrong?
in regards to Optus C1/D3 there is another satellite that is set to that and its receiving it fine but i did not set that satellite (i'm using it as a reference).
answers to below questions
1. Did you align your dish using a local landmark found on dishpointer.com such as a tree, pole, neighbour's antenna mast etc. This helps in fine tuning location? YES
2. Is the mast plumb? Not a big issue if you compensate for it, but it will throw your elevation, azimuth and skew out if you rely on the official figures?
YES, the mast is 100% level i check
3. Is the LNB skewed to about the 7 O'clock position. Most LNB cables attach the same way. That means that the cable insertion on your LNB should be pointing to the 7 o'clock position looking into the dish (5 o'clock from behind).
LNB Skew is set to 2 degrees to the right (when behind the dish)
4. Was the elevation set via calibrations on your dish or using an angle finder?
via the dish markings which is 50.2 degrees
5. Did you correctly program your receiver with a transponder frequency, as per lyngsat.com,
YES, as per lyngsat tp settings as follows 12734 V 22500
6. Did you position your receiver on the correct DiSeCq setting for D2?
YES DiSeCq LNB 2, and also have changed the DiSeCq switch just in chase it was faulty but no luck there
7. Have you performed an East to West swipe of the dish about the presumed azimiuth (given the elevation was set correctly) with a satfinder attached to indicate max signal strength?
YES, tried to use a sat finder but the signal peaks at the sat finder but not at the receiver
8. Is there an obstruction along the line of sight?
YES, cut down 2 trees because of that and still no signal
before i was using a sat finder but the power dropped so i stopped and I was using the signal meter on the receiver
G'Day Cobber.
You do need to reset the Skew as suggested.
Is the Sat Finder self powered or from the decoder?
Have you checked the cable and connections?
Have you measured the 18V and 13V at the decoder?
And at the LNB?
You could try swapping the decoders.
Also try a straight through connection without the switch.
Give that a go and report.
Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".
Last edited by beer4life; 01-12-11 at 01:52 PM.
3. Is the LNB skewed to about the 7 O'clock position. Most LNB cables attach the same way. That means that the cable insertion on your LNB should be pointing to the 7 o'clock position looking into the dish (5 o'clock from behind).
LNB Skew is set to 2 degrees to the right (when behind the dish)
OK, this may be a problem because the Optus sats are inclined at 45 degrees and dishpointer doen't take that factor into account. Neither does satlex:
Do as I said above. Skew the LNB slowly until it is at about the 7 oclock position and the signal will eventually peak at the appropriate angle.
7. Have you performed an East to West swipe of the dish about the presumed azimiuth (given the elevation was set correctly) with a satfinder attached to indicate max signal strength?
YES, tried to use a sat finder but the signal peaks at the sat finder but not at the receiver
Then the problem can be a configuration issue, connection issue or a faulty cable
before i was using a sat finder but the power dropped so i stopped and I was using the signal meter on the receiver
Unless you inadvertently moved the dish, that definitely implicates a faulty connection/cable. Also note that a satfinder gives you real-time readings a receiver always lags in response which means you may have difficulty finding a sat if you move it too fast.
OC
Last edited by Optima Collins; 01-12-11 at 01:54 PM.
Try using 12407 vert 30000 2/3
thats the tune channell for D2
That makes it hard to tell which Optus Satellite that you are on without seeing the picture.
mmm if I was in this position I would break out the Johny walker then try again after the drink wore off (don't dish align and drink)
roger that
ok so I'm pretty sure that the LNB skew is the problem i will try to rectify that and then try to sweep for a signal, but when i was sweeping before i was getting max 65 for the power is that fine (will that change when i fix the LNB)
also to clarify the LNB skew i have to set it to approx 43 dregees (45-2) which is approx 7 o'clock looking at the image below
the cable has to be at the 7 O'clock mark (looking into the satellite not behind the satellite), pretty much clock wise
thanks
No the test pattern clearly states OPTUS D2That makes it hard to tell which Optus Satellite that you are on without seeing the picture.
SS Dave (01-12-11)
Gner8r.
in regards to Optus C1/D3 there is another satellite that is set to that and its receiving it fine but i did not set that satellite (i'm using it as a reference).
Are you sure that it's not what your looking for (D2)
Do as MTV said find C1 and the move smigingly to the left (from behind) and up a micky hair and you will get it.
Set your box to an active transponder 12.407 and you should see the Tunining channel Optus D2 152 deg east.
Last edited by toyboy11; 01-12-11 at 04:51 PM.
Think of it this way. If you were to put both of you hands vertically (or horizontally) up to the sky so that you were, figuratively speaking, looking at the satellite through the slit between each hand, your field of view would only consist of what was not obstructed by your hands. For our Optus sats that means you would only see a small part of the satellite. Now by moving your hands progressively to 45 degrees you would see more and more of the same bird until it all come into view. In this instance, your hands are acting like the LNB. If it isn't skewed properly, it can't really see all of the signal, be it Horizontal or Vertical, so you won't get a strong signal, if at all. Likewise, you should be able to appreciate that if the LNB is skewed in the opposite direction you will still get a strong signal, however, your receiver will see your signal polarities as being inverted, i.e. a vertical signal will scan as horizontal and vice versa.
I hope that explains it better to you.
OC
Last edited by Optima Collins; 01-12-11 at 05:42 PM.
To optimise the LNB skew.. you MUST be able to see the signal scale on a screen as youturn the LNB in very small increments, then wait a second or so after each movement to allow the tuner to 'catch up'.
A cheap satfinder will not give you any indication of signal quality, which is why you MUST be able to see what the signals are doing with either the decoder, or a meter which displays signal quality, whilst you make any adjustments to LNB skew.
The 6-7 o'clock position is only a starting point and you WILL have to fine-tune the LNB skew position for maximum signal quality.
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