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Thread: Tutorial - Using The UEC VAST PVR Dish Alignment Feature

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    Default Tutorial - Using The UEC VAST PVR Dish Alignment Feature

    For those who have the UEC VAST PVR decoder.....

    Here's how to use the Dish Alignment & Tuning Feature.

    When you power up the decoder, press the Help button on the remote when you see the tuning screen appear when the decoder is booting up.

    You will then see the location screen, showing a map of Australia.




    Using the direction arrows on the remote, position the crosshairs over your approximate location on the map and press enter.

    You will then see the Alignment Screen, indicating approximate azimuth, elevation and skew settings for your dish and LNB.





    Press enter and you will see the LNB Selection Screen.





    Select the LNB you are using (I recommend a 10700) then press enter.

    You will then see the Signal Scale Screen.




    Use this screen to make fine adjustments to your dish/LNB to obtain the highest reading.

    You may need to 'sweep' the dish east/west and adjust elevation slightly to locate the signal.

    Once you have the best signal... press OK to start the tuning scan... and you're done.

    **Note** AFAIK, this feature is only available on the PVR version of the UEC VAST box at this time, as the non-PVR uses different firmware.

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    Thanks mtv

    The caravan & campers will love this "Dish Installation Assistant"..... I think

    Yes it is only on the UEC PVR Vast STB's with the latest Firmware, (ATM)

    (It may come to the UEC Standard Vast STB's if the OTA firmware upgrade ever "happens")

    nice tutorial, great screenshots,

    how did you get your screenshots ? (may I ask)

    cheers
    Last edited by OSIRUS; 24-04-12 at 07:02 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by OSIRUS View Post
    how did you get your screenshots ?
    Very conventional method.... camera.

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    I hope UEC reads this very helpful.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mtv View Post
    For those who have the UEC VAST PVR decoder.....

    Here's how to use the Dish Alignment & Tuning Feature.

    When you power up the decoder, press the Help button on the remote when you see the tuning screen appear when the decoder is booting up.

    You will then see the location screen, showing a map of Australia.




    Using the direction arrows on the remote, position the crosshairs over your approximate location on the map and press enter.

    You will then see the Alignment Screen, indicating approximate azimuth, elevation and skew settings for your dish and LNB.





    Press enter and you will see the LNB Selection Screen.





    Select the LNB you are using (I recommend a 10700) then press enter.

    You will then see the Signal Scale Screen.




    Use this screen to make fine adjustments to your dish/LNB to obtain the highest reading.

    You may need to 'sweep' the dish east/west and adjust elevation slightly to locate the signal.

    Once you have the best signal... press OK to start the tuning scan... and you're done.

    **Note** AFAIK, this feature is only available on the PVR version of the UEC VAST box at this time, as the non-PVR uses different firmware.
    Is there anyway you can incorporate 801 D3 tuning channel to assist caravaners to actually find the satellite? It used to be sooooo easy on Aurora as it didnt do a rescan at every stop. The huge problem for most RVers is we cant see the screen whilst tuning so we need the "noise" the tuning channel makes. Its also more foolproof than using a simple sat finder. Thanks for the brilliant (for all us oldies!) instructions!

    Thanks
    Last edited by Bob&Chrissy; 06-05-12 at 01:55 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob&Chrissy View Post
    Is there anyway you can incorporate 801 D3 tuning channel to assist caravaners to actually find the satellite? It used to be sooooo easy on Aurora as it didnt do a rescan at every stop. The huge problem for most RVers is we cant see the screen whilst tuning so we need the "noise" the tuning channel makes. Its also more foolproof than using a simple sat finder. Thanks for the brilliant (for all us oldies!) instructions!

    Thanks
    Pleased you found the tutorial useful.

    Obviously, the Dish Alignment Assistant is available now on the non-PVR box too.

    Unfortunately the VAST decoders don't have pre-set memories stored, unlike how other decoders worked with Aurora.

    Every time power is disconnected to the VAST decoder, it goes through a self-check procedure, then when signal is found, it rescans, meaning you can't tune/display anything until you have your dish & LNB aligned correctly.

    The best solution I've found to that is to use one of these tuning meters.



    They are so much more than just a simple satfinder, as they show signal strength amd signal quality for the desired VAST frequency, so you know when you are on the right satellite and can optimise the signal quality looking at the meter. It also has a tone indicating you are on the correct signal for VAST.

    Simple tone/moving needle/LED scale type meters cannot display signal quality and can't even tell which satellite you are receiving.

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    I have successfully set up my VAST system and it works well. I put a dual LNB in my Austar dish, orienting the new LNB to mimic the position of the old one.
    The signal screen indicates 100%, but the quality is only between 75 and 81%: is it worth bothering to try and better this? The Austar and VAST displays are both perfect as far as I can tell.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Guppy View Post
    I have successfully set up my VAST system and it works well. I put a dual LNB in my Austar dish, orienting the new LNB to mimic the position of the old one.
    The signal screen indicates 100%, but the quality is only between 75 and 81%: is it worth bothering to try and better this? The Austar and VAST displays are both perfect as far as I can tell.
    Signal quality of 75% - 80%+ is fine.

    I doubt you'd do better.

    Well done!

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    Thanks mtv, and thanks to all for this great website and all the help.

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    Post Optus C1 sat finder feature on my box

    My standard UEC STB has the sat finder feature installed from an auto download last month.
    Travelling around OZ I bought a UEC non pvr box at Mt Isa. When put on air an auto download appeared and the sat find feature was included.
    If I cant lock on to the sat I press HELP on the remote control and the the feature is enabled as described before/above.
    I only use a cheapo analogue meter and dont have any trouble finding C1.
    Important: YOU MUST GIVE THE DISH CLEAR SKY WITH NO TREES ECT ANYWHERE IN FRONT. TREES GIVE OFF ELECTRICAL NOISE AT THESE HIGH FREQUENCIES.
    Gone half way around OZ anticlockwise so far no problems yet. Will keep you posted.

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    Yes, since the firmware upgrade, the non PVR VAST boxes also have the dish alignment assistant... which is very helpful.

    As with any satellite reception, any obstruction in the signal path will interfere, but as for trees giving off electrical noise at Ku frequencies???

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    Quote Originally Posted by mtv View Post
    When you power up the decoder, press the Help button on the remote when you see the tuning screen appear when the decoder is booting up.
    Can you include a photo of the "tuning screen"?

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    Default Polarity

    With the VAST dish alignment feature there is one floor. It is the Polarity of the LNBf as if not done correctly the Horizontal channels on Optus D3 will over ride the signal from C1. Some LNBf's are aligned at 90 degrees vertical on the East Coast while are others vary up to about 60 degrees clockwise, looking from in front of the dish. This is where the signal quality comes in to tweak it which is easy. It must be remembered the polarity changes the further west one goes.

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    Quote Originally Posted by gaois View Post
    With the VAST dish alignment feature there is one floor. It is the Polarity of the LNBf as if not done correctly the Horizontal channels on Optus D3 will over ride the signal from C1. Some LNBf's are aligned at 90 degrees vertical on the East Coast while are others vary up to about 60 degrees clockwise, looking from in front of the dish. This is where the signal quality comes in to tweak it which is easy. It must be remembered the polarity changes the further west one goes.
    Can you clarify this. What do you mean by polarity Are you talking about skew angle

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    Quote Originally Posted by jimboo View Post
    Can you include a photo of the "tuning screen"?
    If understand what you want look at the thread 5 above or 1 at the top .

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rodnic View Post
    Can you clarify this. What do you mean by polarity Are you talking about skew angle
    Yes the skew for Vertical polarity.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jimboo View Post
    Can you include a photo of the "tuning screen"?
    To enter the Dish Alignment Assistant, You press the Help button if you get the below screen for about 30 seconds (indicating that the STB cannot find a signal)



    it is just before you get this screen



    If you have enough signal strength & signal quality, it will not stop, but will scan in the Vast Bouquets, & TV Services & Radio Services, & Transport streams (all the Vast channels)
    Last edited by OSIRUS; 07-07-12 at 07:53 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by gaois View Post
    Yes the skew for Vertical polarity.
    The Dish Alignment Assistant gives LNB skew angles to suit most "popular LNB's".......

    But some LNB's do have odd markings, & odd LNB cable out positions.... I guess in these situations, you may need to experiment with your LNB to know the position of your LNB polarity... (maybe mark a point on the LNB, that you can then use the Dish alignment Assistant skew angles with)
    Last edited by OSIRUS; 07-07-12 at 08:35 PM.
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    I use cam and card in dreamax and the more beer i drink the harder it gets to align. android phone app
    dreamax 600,strong 4663

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    I used this the other day to help a friend do an install and found that the degrees azimuth figure is TRUE and not MAGNETIC. And it doesn't even say on the screen whether it is true or magnetic. Magnetic declination in Tassie is over 13 degrees so it is not trivial. Better to use the dishpointer website.

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