Setting up a fixed dish for Astra 1 & Hotbird

[slimsim]

thanks mickha for all your help so far, i need it again how do you set up hotbird from the astra sat, i have got a duel LMB with one wire out that supports astra and hotbird but try as i might i cant get a signal from hotbird at all i have one of those cheap led/beep sat finders but still nothing do i need to alter the degrees up or down, which way do i turn the dish to the left or right etc i have had to leave it back on astra now , any help would be very welcome

[Mickha]

Hi slimsim,
I have moved your post to the appropriate section, please try to start a new thread, in the relevant section, when changing subject, as posts tend to get overlooked.
It doesn't matter which satellite you have your dish lined up on as both are very powerful and should give a good signal.
Are you using a 6 degree monoblock LNB?
The easiest way to set it up is to first just set up for Astra, so you know you have your dish correctly aligned. Then fit you monoblock, or second LNB, to the correct side, remembering that you are probably using an offset dish, so work out where the signal, from Hotbird, will be reflecting to.
Once you have both satellites working you have to set up your receiver to switch automatically between both LNB's.
There is an easy guide, already posted some where, I'll try and locate it and post a link, This isn't the thread I was thinking of, as that one had a diagram, showing where to position your LNB's, but this should help:
http://www.satellites.co.uk/satellit...monoblock.html

[Robbo]

I found this if it's any help.

_http://www.sateuropa.co.uk/support/faq/#Q7

It says to line up with Hotbird as your focus.
The picture is correct for that.

To move the dish from Astra1 to Hotbird it has to be swivelled right and up a bit (from behind). You may then have to twist the LNB a bit to peak the signal on Astra.

Robbo

[slimsim]

thanks for those answers but i still cant get hotbird, i have astra fine with my monobloc connected and have set the discEq to A for hotbird and B for astra, when i change to hotbird it says no signal, i have put my hand over the lnb for astra and the signal goes off but it also turns off when i put my hand over the hotbird side, i take it hotbird will work with a old analogue dish as i have not even received a picture from it at all, i marked the dish before i took off the old lnb and the dish has moved about 1/4 of an inch, the lnb about the size of the monobloc and i have twisted the monobloc down on the astra side to pick the picture up any ideas as i have been at it hours now and still no hotbird

[Mickha]

What size dish are you using?
Which side have you got your second LNB positioned? It would help if you could post a picture, or diagram, of your dish and monbloc.
You could try swinging your dish 6 degrees west and aligning on Hotbird first.

[Robbo]

Which LNB is at the dish focus?

As I can't quite see how you could move the astra1 down if it is at the focus.

Can you post a photo?

Robbo

[rolfw]

You have to be aware that on some monobloc LNBs the Astra LNB is port A, when you are seeing astra satellite, which LNB do you have to cover to lose the signal?

[slimsim]

i have had some success, last night i had a bit more time so i scanned astra for the channels and this time i found over 900 (last time it was over 500) but some are stop start and some no signal, i then did the same for hot bird this found over 1200 channels this is where i thought hotbird was not there the first 100 or so channels have no signal but the rest have some are the same as the astra stop start or they just pop and no picture, only problem with hotbird is that i get most saying scrammbled or bad info, i did update my dragon card to 3.60 last night but still nothing it worked on astra though, any help again would be very welcome as i feel iam nearly there, by the way thanks for all the replys they have been of great help

[Mickha]

You will not open many scrambled channels, on Hotbird, with the Dragon Cam.
Providing you get an amended Predator 360 you can open SRG Swiss channels, Polsat and one or two others but not as many as some patches or the Diablo Cam.
On Astra 1 you can open both Premiere and D+ packages, at least for the next few weeks until D+ finish upgrading their subscription cards.

[slimsim]

mickha
will i be better getting a diablo light cam i borrowed the one mentioned in earlier posts, what will happen to the d+ on astra will it turn off , thanks for all the help once again, iam going to tweak the lnb now the rain has stopped to hope that the channels that skip and pop will work ok.

[Mickha]

D+ are upgrading their encryption, what happens following that is anyones guess.