Can't see THOR

[MarkieS]

Hi all,

Wonder if anyone has any advice here: I can't see THOR (at ~1W). No signal whatsoever.

I can see everything else (that I've tried, anyway) from 30W to 28E, and the two nearest satellites (5E and 7W) give good signals, so I'm pretty confident the system is well aligned. But nothing at all at 1W.

I have a fairly nobbly horizon (chimneys and things) but I don't think there's anything in the way.

It's an academic question, because there's nothing I want on this satellite. Just interested because it "should" work.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[rolfw]

Check that the transponder you are using for that bird is a valid one, there is a list at the top of this section of good active default transponders.
http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?t=28972

A small question though, how did you ascertain your correct due South for the motor, if you have not been able to lock onto the satellite located almost exactly at that position?

 

[MarkieS]

Check that the transponder you are using for that bird is a valid one

Thanks, will do. I'm using the one which was pre-programmed into the receiver (software dated ~February 2005). I'll check it.

A small question though, how did you ascertain your correct due South for the motor, if you have not been able to lock onto the satellite located almost exactly at that position?

I set the motor to "0" and twisted it on the pole until I found "something". Scanned it (fast scan, using presets for THOR) and was lucky enough that there were a few overlaps giving me a few channels. Compared the channel list with the line-up printed in What Satellite magazine, and ascertained I had found Hotbird 13E. Set the motor to 13E, and twisted it on the pole until I was back where I started (but with the motor now due south).

It was a bit hit-and-miss to be honest. I wasn't looking for 13E, I was hoping to find THOR or at least something closer to south, but that was the first thing I found and it seemed to do the trick.

Thanks for the help!
-Mark

 

[Jeff_19341]

Hi Mark

Most people in the UK use BBC World on 1*west for setting up the south satellite its on 11325H, 24500, 7/8.
You can use any satellite for setting up your system as you have found. But you will find that if you do not use your south satellite to set up the motor some anomolies are likely to occur when tracking the arc.

 

[kallquk]

Hi all,

Wonder if anyone has any advice here: I can't see THOR (at ~1W). No signal whatsoever.

I can see everything else (that I've tried, anyway) from 30W to 28E, and the two nearest satellites (5E and 7W) give good signals, so I'm pretty confident the system is well aligned. But nothing at all at 1W.

I have a fairly nobbly horizon (chimneys and things) but I don't think there's anything in the way.

It's an academic question, because there's nothing I want on this satellite. Just interested because it "should" work.

Thanks,
Mark

After ensuring about correct transponders, use a receiver that has USALS function on Diseqcs menu, in order to fix the position