Help Required for Newbie - Sat Dish Setup Issues

[Peter_82]

Hey All,

I have just purchased the below equiptment and am having a few issues.
The Signal Strentgh keep hovering around 20-23 % and im getting no picture.
The lady at the shop tuned in the channels, so i know that the Strong Box is working, and ive pointed the dish towards North West as advised, but even with slowly moving as a test to different directions i cant get any better signal. Is it common for the LNB parts to be faulty?

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My Euiptment purchased from BASsat, Mays Hill, Sydney:
1 * 75 cm Dish,
1 * Strong 4653 Decoder Box,
1 * BAS LNB (KU Band)
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Any Business/Tradesman around the Parramatta area that does housecalls on weekends to tune/etc Sat TV?

Thanks,

[LeroyPatrol]

I doubt very much that your LNB is faulty. Does the signal levels on the box vary when you wave your hand in front of the LNB?

Leroy

[Peter_82]

Hi, Thanks for the fast reply,
Signal meter just seems to continously hover up and down from aroun 20 - 23, so hard to tell if it makes any difference when puting my hand in front of it.

[mickc]

north west?
what sat are you after and where abouts are you

[mickc]

if its c1 you are after have a look here
thier are a few sats close by so you will get signal strength when you lock on to 1
you will only get strength and quality when you lock to the sat your box is setup for
its fiddley without a sat meter of some type but it can be done

[bulbous]

The pointing of a satellite dish is not difficult (after some practice) but is quite critical of pointing accuracy. You can use the analogy of pointing a spoltlight at a car-sized object 30,000km away - you have to be quite accurate !

If your system is just going to be used as a 'set and forget' setup on OPTUS C1 you may as well pay someone to do the job, but if you want to explore all the satellites and signals available to you it may be a idea to get yourself a cheap 'satellite finder' which makes the pointing job much easier.

The LNB on your dish also needs to be adjusted for best 'signal quality' - the metering of which won't do anything until you have the dish pointed correctly. You simply (!) rotate the LNB in its holder whilst viewing the (satellite receiver) 'Quality meter' on a television, which means being in a position to see a television while you are at the dish. Dragging a 26" TV set up onto the roof is not a suggested method, a small portable set is obviously a better choice but other methods such as someone shouting the results at you can work but is no fun in practice....and your neighbours may decide you are a fruitcake.....

Someone near your location will probably have FOXTEL which also uses transponders on C1, so you can study such a system near your location and get the LNB skew (rotation of the LNB in its holder) fairly close by eye, then fine tune this skew position and the dish position after you have locked a transponder and can see some 'Quality'.

The television at the dish is a great way of learning what the adjustments all do, and you will understand this need when you see the 'Quality' meter changing its value even whilst tightening the dish mount/bracket bolts....yes, it is that critical.

'Near enough' is not good enough, as you will likely be aiming the dish in good weather - rain and/or heavy cloud drops the signal strength and you will see picture breakup or total signal loss in shitty weather - just when you want to be inside watching something !

So, look at other dishes and have a go yourself - and gain frustration as many users do on their first attempts - or pay the man.

Good luck !

EDIT :- I have just realised that you have not nominated the required satellite or service provider, my above pointing hints apply only to C1, and I see you have written a vague reference to "towards North West as advised".....um....what programming/services do you seek ?

[Peter_82]

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the help/suggestions.
Im trying to pick up FTA channels, ERT in particular.
Once i can get this one working, then ill start experimenting with other info ive found on these forums.
Im off to try to find a Sat-Finder, and will give it another attempt.
Will let yous know how i go once ive had another crack at it.

(Im on Victoria Road, Parramatta - my balcony is facing North).

Thanks,

[mickc]

a sat finder will help
to get you close a watch or a clock can be used
point 12 to the sun then point your dish half way between 12 and little hand
dont use a digital

[Peter_82]

Thanks,
I just bought a Sat Finder from Jay Car, Still no luck.
Dont know if its just me, or what the hecks going on.
Signal Meter on Receive box keeps hovering on 20-23, but on the sat finder, no matter what the gain is set to it just stays around 0-1.
Does anyone know anyone that does calls on Sunday to tune in, Parramatta area.
Thanks,

[Peter_82]

Hey All,

Thanks for the help, though after all that and numerous hrs tring to figure out what was wrong, i managed to get aSat TV installer to come out and check it.
The damm LNB was faulty, and he replaced it, and pictures fine now.