Bizarre ..silly ..or Just Plain Daft ?

[Vipersan]

Thanks Pete ..I suspect I'm very close indeed to the max I can get to the East ..
I could only ever get 40 East in C band ..Yamal @ 49 East I've never seen ..
So I suspect that 15db might increase post autumn..
No way would this have been possible without the extra height gained by extending the pole..but I had a suspicion Hellas _might_ be possible...as maybe are sats between 55 and 66 East ..once the TT has shed its load.
rgds
VS
..oh and yes could you tell me what you currently get from Iraqia sport (36 east) ?

Doh ..you already posted it ..
must pay more attention...
;)

 

[Vipersan]

...More to be had I think ..but it's not going to be easy until the leaves drop ...
East and West extremes are still obscured ...but managed 13.5 db TAY on Turksat..and 5.5db DoveVision 37 West..
Happy with results so far though..
;)
rgds
VS

 

[Captain Jack]

Very nice - keep going!

 

[Vipersan]

..Well the addition of Neil to the 'farm' brought with it some problems ..not least of which was only moving the diseqc motor and V box required as neccessary..

I always use port 2 for Cband (Christina) ..and _never_ pass lnb signals through the Vbox ..thus I needed a way to discriminate between moving Neil only when port 4 disqc 1.1 is selected ..

..and Christina which uses 2x daisychained Vboxes ..

Problem ..

The EMP Centauri switch wont pass disec 1.2 when set in diseqc 1.1 mode ...which I need for the various LNBs ..

I don't want to move a dish I'm not using ..and power a motor or LNB I'm not using..

The Gecen diseqc 1.1 switch doesn't provide such good isolation as the Centauri ...but it does pass diseqc 1.2 even though its a diseqc 1.1 switch..

The answer came to me ...

Use both switches ..

The Gecen to switch motor control ..and the Centauri to switch lnbs..

..and a nice T splitter to provide a split feed from any receiver wanting to use any dish/lnb combination via the smart priority switch chain I employ..

Here is a basic diagram (much simplified) ..obviously only showing 4 ports in use ..

The Centauri does appear to pass diseqc 1.3 in 1.1 mode ..so the usals motors don't (so far) need isolation through the Gecen switch..

Its made my head hurt ...but so far so good..

rgds

VS

 

[wod]

you dont like to make it easy for yourself, i was getting confused looking at the diagram.

you must be using more than the dr hd f15 to control all this ?

Is the new dish all sorted now, so you can have a rest and watch some tv.

 

[Vipersan]

you dont like to make it easy for yourself, i was getting confused looking at the diagram.

you must be using more than the dr hd f15 to control all this ?

Is the new dish all sorted now, so you can have a rest and watch some tv.

Not yet Wod ..Neils 'arc' is close ..but rain stopped play for now ..which is why I concentrated on solving this new switching problem..
..and yes there are 5 receivers queueing up to use the dishes ..plus 1 sat card..
though only 1 receiver at a time can access using the SPS chain.
Errr ..whats this 'TV Watching' ...not reet gud at that ...as brain is always fixed on the next project.
I do make an exception for Amy Pond ..and the good doctor on Saturdays tho'

 

[Vipersan]

The rain finally ceased here ..but not for long by the look of the dark cloud above..
However ..it gave me a chance to tweak the arc some more ..
Telemedia1 at 36 east is possible at 12.5 >13db ..and BBC world news at 1West now 16.7 db ..
Of course I had to try 9A at 9East again for saorsat didn't I ..
The blocking carrier appears to have gone now ..so I assume what I'm actually getting is the Saorsat carrier ..much reduced.
Well below lock theshold but is roughly 3.6 with occasional 4db flashes..
Anyone care to comment what the lock threshold is for this mux on and F15 or F16..?
Is it worth trying again on a very clear night ?....or am I just grabbing onto moonbeams...??


...oh I'm Assuming nothing has changed re mux details...

24995-1/2
10765 (convential receiver) as opposed to 20185 L on a dedicated stb..

 

[Captain Jack]

To be honest, I'd be very surprised if you got Saorsat carrier in Manchester... but you never know. I would have said with a FEC of 1/2, you would be getting a lock at 4dB. BUT... it's DVB-S2.. not sure how it affects things.

What are you getting on 12245H on 36E? It's strongest at this time of the day and I am getting between 7 and 7.3dB right now. Also, what are your Amos 3 results (11258, 11389)?

 

[Vipersan]

Currently I have the ka lnb on Neil ..and sadly have to go to work now CJ ..but I'll swap back this evening and check both frequencies..
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Swapped back to the black ultra ku....
Checked ANN @9 East for reference before moving Neil..
15.4db

Then moved to check 12245H on 36E = No lock at 5:50 only 2.5db (too late in the day perhaps or maybe more tweaking needed)

AlIraqia Sport 7.3db

Amos 5W
11258, 11389 =
11258 H = unlocked 2.3db
11389 H = 2db unlocked

So take your pick rain ....Time of day ...more tweaking required ..
;)
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

More Tweaking it seams ..Hispasat has dropped a bit ..and Dovevision at 37W has all but disappeared ..
I suspect the azimuth has changed ..probably all that blaady wind we've had..
Doh..
Start again ..
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

BIG favour to ask of any H180 owner with a camera and easy access to the motor top..

Since I can't use the motor scale underside of the motor to ascertain 0.8West of True South ..

I wonder if you would mind moving your motor to peak signal at BBC world ..then taking a photo directy square above the motor so I can compare to mine in order that I can 'judge' 0.8 with the motor position relative to the line in the plastic case and the rotating arms holding the dish..

I know mine has moved ..

This is currently the max signal position on my setup which shows the motor to be to square on ..and 0.8west is actually coming in at true South according to the photo ..thus the whole assembly needs some rotation anticlockwise as viewed from above ..

How much rotation is debateable as I cannot see the under scale ..so need to know roughly 1 degree of rotation for accuracy.

Hope this makes sense ..


Should be more like the red boxes in the second picture..


Once I have this azimuth (in the abscence of Sol to make the job easier) ..I'll drill an extra hole through the pole mount and pop another bolt through the whole shebang..

That should prevent the wind doing the dirty on me again.

rgds

VS

 

[Mickha]

Hi VS,
I can't take a picture but I can tell you how I was told to set up my old Jaeger 1224, and similarly the Motek H180. Instead of using a positioner, in my case an old Echostar receiver, I had the motor, on a work bench, and used a 12V battery, one I borrowed from my house alarm, to move the motor, to the desired position, prior to installation.
With this method you can have the motor pointing upwards, as it was manufactured to be installed, thus viewing the scale, and move the motor using the battery.
I had to move mine about 2 degrees east so that the 0 would be pointing at true south when aligned to 0.8W.

 

[aceb]

A bit early to be climbing on the shed to take a photo of mine too but my method was as follows.
Set it as square as I could manage by eye with the dish on (with my wonky brackets) then checked it by taking a photo from directly underneath with the camera against the pole. A simple line drawn in photoshop from the LNB to the pole is enough to confirm it was accurate.
Hook up the positioner and roughly get some signals at the top of the arc, using the wet cloth trick to make things more critical count how many pulses per ° between 4 and 5°W.
Come back to the original dead straight line and count west the required amount, in my case 10 'clicks' of the V Box.
Peak up Thor by rotating the assembly on the pole. ISTR it needed a minute amount of rotation after this which was acheived by slacking bolts one side and tightening the other.

While I was at it after I'd done this I went back to 0° removed the sensor wires from the positioner and using a short loop of wire set the V Box to show 000, this might be considered slightly OCD though. O-Ha

 

[Vipersan]

Thanks for your input mates..

Decided to try a suggestion similar to one of Pauls ..

Set the camera to macro and managed to get this underview image ..

Taked with me standing to the west of the motor.

Looking at the scale ..and if it is to be trusted then I am currently rotated anticlockwise about 1 to 2 degrees from the zero mark ..and currently at max signal from 1 west..so very close indeed.

rgds

VS

 

[Vipersan]

My word close call indeed..
Just managed to grab the photo above ..and was about to go outside to do some tinkering ..when surprise surprise ..the heavens opened and it's raining stair-rods again.
cest la vie.

 

[Vipersan]

Oh well ....this project has been halted for the moment ..unless I can come up with a solution..
The dish/motor assembly has been removed again...and the problem found..
The pole itself has deformed ..due to bracket tightening ..and wind power..
Still basically plumb ..but the top of the pole is now a little oval and no longer circular..
I'm going to try and find a piece of steel about 2cm thick ..cut a disc and make a plug for the pole top..
Failing that I'll have to obtain a better quality pole and replace it in the ground ..
In other words ..start over..
Steel aint what it used to be ..
cest la vie

 

[Vipersan]

Giving up for today ..
More wind ..more rain ..and cold with it ...can't feel my fingers now ..but got the pole top fairly circular again by applying pressure at 90 degrees to the initial 'crush' injury..
Used a U bolt and a couple of wood strips..
This so called steel ..is barely stronger than ally in crush situation..
Doh!.

 

[wod]

What thickness is the pole ?

Mine is 5mm thick steel and galvanised, it should be too the price it cost me.

Did the extension part distort when it was welded ?

best get a cap welded on to make it more rigid.

 

[Vipersan]

Sadly only 1.5>2mm wall thickness ..

No distortion when welded ...the only distortion is from the crushing effects of tightening the motor clamps ..and the weight of this assembly under the strong winds we've had recently.

A cap would be a good idea ..but in the process of making a solid steel plug for the pole top ..

1 inch thick ..solid steel but having to grind it down to fit inside the pole..

laborious job but should solve the problem if I succeded.

Looks a bit like this ..

VS