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[red]

Hi everyone....

I'm having a really hard time setting up my system.. i've got a Humax IRCI540Z and a big offset Pansat dish, and a universal LNB...

The Humax tells me that signal strength is about 36%, but quality is always zero, and the search always fails...

i'm really pretty sure that i've got it aimed right, but in any case, no matter how i aim it (even if i point it at the ground) the signal strength stays the same. If i unplug the RF cable, it goes to zero...


Bad LNB maybe? i'm stumped....


If this isn't the right place to ask, please direct me to where i can!

thanks in advance for any advice.....

[rolfw]

On many receivers the signal strength reading will not drop below a certain level, even when aiming at nothing, the LNB will pick up background radiation.

How are you aiming the dish, the reason I ask is that it must be exact and is near impossible to get on beam without using a meter or at the very least the signal meter in the receiver.

What size dish have you got, which satellite are you trying to receive and where are you?

[red]

Thanks for your reply...

i'm using:

Pansat 3 ft offset dish (F90-u on this page http://www.pansatusa.com/product/antenna.htm, except it has stabilising legs for the feedhorn arm)

Humax receiver: http://www.humaxdigital.com/global/p...ci-5400z_l.pdf

pansat LNBF 7600, http://www.pansatusa.com/product/LNB/PF-7600.htm

i'm aiming at Hotbird, at 13deg East, trying to get Nova (http://nova.gr)

i'm in Athens, at:

Athens Coordinates: Latitude 37.983 Longitude 23.733

Elevation 147 m

(according to http://www.greeklandscapes.com/maps/athens_map.html )

Using this calculator http://www.satsig.net/ssazelm.htm

i get that i should be pointing at about 194 from True North...

when i use the signal meter in the receiver, it's up around 47%, and stays there pretty much no matter what i do. Even if i point the dish at the ground, or north....

Interestingly, if i put my hand in front of the LNBF, the signal shown actually goes UP, about 2 or 3 %....

??

Anyhow, thanks again for helping!

(ps: i've got access to a spectrum analyser, too... )

[rolfw]

Ah, if you have access to a spectrum analyser, then that is what you should be using to locate the satellite. The larger the dish, the harder it is to get a good focus on the satellite, but with a spectrum analyser you can see instant changes as you pan the dish.

[red]

Thanks.. that seems counter-intuitive... larger dish harder to aim? It does get better gain though, right?

the spec-a isn't mine, i have to borrow it (and the expertise to use it...)

According to what i've found, Nova transmits on 10.930 H, 11823 H and 12169 H..

Does it matter which of these freqs i tune on with the spec-a?

And, unfortunately i don't have the paper that came with the dish... it has an elevation guide (crude...) stamped on it, though.. i know it will have an offset.. is there a way to calculate the right offset? i can't find any references online...

[rolfw]

The bigger the dish the tighter the beam angle, hence the harder to focus, but the better signal due to the larger collection area. The spectrum analyser can be set at Low band (22 khz off) Vertical (13.8 volt) and it will show you the spectrum for a portion of that band, enough to get a general impression for the lower Nova bouquet. When you've used one for a while, you get to recognise the spectrum for each satellite, but that isn't strictly necessary, as you just have to test each one with a given channel on the receiver.

The elevation scale on the dish should take the offset into account.