Fortec Star Lifetime Classic with Metronic 450907 Motor Setup problem

Les Holmans

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I have had the above system set up by a professional aerial installer but am having trouble changing satellites.

The receiver picks up Hotbird1_2_3 ok but if I try to change satellite say to Astra2D there is no signal.

Going into the Antenna Setup menu shows for Hotbird 1_2_3 Signal Level 77% Quality 76%. Poistioner DISEqC1.2 Set-up NOT SET.

For Astra2D the Signal Level is high but Quality is Zero.

I have tried to increase the signal quality by going to Move Step and pressing the right cursor to move east after pressing the Goto Ref button but cannot get good signal.

Help and advice would be apprciated please. Thanks

Les
 

Llew

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The clue to your problem appears to be the fact that your Diseqc 1.2 positioning has not been set up in your receiver.

Did the installer demonstrate that he had indeed correctly implemented the Fortec's Diseqc positioning to receive other satellites? Sounds suspicious to me.

Llew
 

Les Holmans

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Thanks Llew for your reply.

He showed me the antenna setup menu and what should happen with the hotbird satellite to get a good signal but said that somewhere deep in the manual there must be something to show why the dish does not move after going to new satellite and pressing Goto Ref before scanning for new signal on. He said that the Fortec receiver was not one he had worked with before.

I am going to get him to return to me.

Incidently how do you set the Positioner so that I can ask intelligent questions of him.

Thanks

Les
 

Les Holmans

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I am a complete novice as you can probably gather.

I should explain better that if I go to the Hotbird1_2_3 satellite in the Satellite install menu and go to the DISEqC1.2 menu and press the Goto Ref button the satellite dish moves to zero. I then press the right cursor button and the dish moves to the left until I get a good quality signal.

Howver, if I go to another satellite and do the same functions the dish does not go back to zero or moves if I press the cursor keys.

What am I doing wrong

Les
 

Llew

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Can't give you precise details on setting up the Fortec with Diseqc 1.2, I use a separate positioner. The manual is pretty rubbish anyway.

Don't you have to allocate a position number for the each satellite you want to store? Maybe only then you can move the dish to other sats. I'm assuming Hotbird has already been allocated a number.

Llew
 

rolfw

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What concerns me most is the fact that you are on Hotbird and I have heard no mention of due South settings, if the installer was unable to move the motor with the receiver, how is it pointing at Hotbird?

When you press Goto Ref, how far does the dish move away from Hotbird?
 

Les Holmans

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Thanks for the replies.

The manual that came with the Fortec satellite receiver did not seem to match the menus on its pages with those on screen, even though it was headed Lifetime Classic. So I guess it must have been awkward for the engineer.

I have now downloaded a new manual from the Fortec website which much more closely resembles the menus on screen but not quite.

The receiver shows that the S/W Version is FT4.4 Sep 25 2005. H/W Version FT6.01 Mar 22 2004. Bootstrap V003

The new manual does state to allocate a position number at page 18 4.1.9 but this menu does not appear on my Antenna setup screen as far as I can see.

Just some more info.
My location is in Kent Latitude 51:18:25N (51.307) Longitude 0:26:10E (0.4361).

The dish has been set at Elevation 32 Latitude 58
Does this seem reasonable?

Also when I went into the Hotbird1_2_3 satellite antenna setup screen if I changed the TP from 1 to 3 I got a much better Level (79%) and Signal (94%). I scanned and then pressed exit to save but when going back into the menu it was still reset to TP1. I guess I have not understood something on saving.

LLew, the Hotbird has been allocated number 1 on the menu.
Rolf, when pressing GOTO Ref on the Hotbird satellite the motor turns the dish and returns to 0. If I press the right cursor button I can get the dish to move all the way to the left and if I press the left cursor I can get the dish to travel all the way right. But this is not possible on other satellites.

Thanks again Les
 

rolfw

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Right, your lattitude setting on the motor needs to correspond with your actual lattitude, so should be set to 51 and if the setting is for elevation (it will be in the motor handbook), whatever the corresponding elevation figure is. You need to send the motor to "0" and then using the East and West button, find Thor 1W, the transponder menu will probably always return to number 1, as it is simply a list of transponders on that satellite, you will often have to change the transponder when searching for a satellite, to one which can be easily received from the UK. There is a list in a sticky thread at the top of this section.

Let us know whenb you find Thor and also where the motor has moved to.
 

Les Holmans

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Thanks for your reply Rolf.

Before I logged on again and saw your reply I was trying out various things on the receiver/dish.

I went to Hotbird in Antenna Setup and reset the dish to 0 and exited. I then went back into Antenna setup and went to Astra 1B and found that the Dish moved when I pressed the "east" right cursor key in "Disecq" menu. I got a 98% quality signal and this time automatically got a new window "antenna has changed, yes, no". I pressed the yes button and scanned and got and viewed the channels ok. The "Positioner" was changed to Set Up on this Satellite. The dish was set to 30. I thought great!!
I reset the Dish to 0, went back into Hotbird and moved the dish back to 12 and got a good signal. I got the automatic window again and confirmed the dish had changed. Got the Hotbird Channels and Positioner showed Set Up. Great I thought. Wrong!!

I then went to view the Astra 1B channels again and found "No Signal" Went back into Antenna setup for Astra 1B and the Positioner still showed "set up" but signal red. After going back to Hotbird to reset the dish to 0 and replicating earlier moves I tried to moved dish East but it does not move again.

It is obviously something I am doing but I cannot fathom it out. At least Hotbird Positioner is now Setup which is one step better.

Any ideas before I try Rolf's suggestion.
 

rolfw

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You really need to set to zero and find Thor on 1W, then you have a fighting chance of getting the others right, at the moment you are making it far more compicated than it needs to be.

When I set up a motor, I make sure the motor is set to zero, set the lattitude or elevation setting on the motor body, mount the dish onto the motor and then mount the whole assembly on the mast pointing roughly South.

I then get my meter (you will have to use your receiver and a portable TV) and find Thor by moving the motor assembly on the mast and dish elevation adjustment, this gives me the top of the arc. I lock up the dish and motor brackets, then and only then do I touch the motor controls in the receiver.

PS. I realise that it was supposed to be set up for you, but you need to ascertain that the top of the arc is correct.
 

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When you are sure the dish is correctly aligned, check in Antenna Setup that all configurations for each satellite are the same, i.e. in the menu, LNB type is Universal, and other parameters are the same as for Hotbird. I mention this as you get the 'Antenna has changed' window, this may have some bearing on your problem.

Llew
 

Les Holmans

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Thanks Rolf & Llew for your help and patience, I am fumbling to understand the technicalities.

I will try this another day in daylight. I don't have Thor as a Satellite in the list on my receiver. I assume I add a new satellite and give a parameter of 1W.

Les
 

rolfw

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You may have it as Intelsat 10-02, but if not, then add one and add a transponder from the list in the sticky thread at the top of this section.
 

Les Holmans

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Hello Rolf, Llew,

I created a new satellite on the receiver and used a TP as you suggested from the sticky patch. Thor has been located and the pointer on the motorised arm is just off 0 (it only has markings for units of 10). I did a single satellite scan and was able to view a program called Edusat.

The receiver now has recorded on it, in the antenna setup, 1 Hotbird, 2 Astra 1B, 3 Astra 2ABD, 4 Astra 3A, 5 Sirius 2_3, 6 Telecom 2A and 7 Thor.

The settings are the same for LNB Type (UNI), LNB Power (14/18), 12V (Off), LNB Dish (motor). The positioner is shown as setup for Hotbird, Astra 1B, Astra 2ABD and Thor. The positioner is shown as Not Setup for Astra 3A, Sirius 2_3 and Telecom 2A.

If I move onto Hotbird the dish moves and locates a good signal. Likewise if I move back to Thor from Hotbird.

The dish remains static if I move onto the other satellites with a red level and 0 quality signal.

Les
 

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I have not mentioned this before but it may be relevant. The engineer said that a neighbour's jutting wall meant that I could not have the dish installed on my house wall because I did not have a clear view. He therefore installed it on a mast which is 5 feet above ground in the back garden. Is this high enough?

I have tried to contact him but have not had a reply. I seriously think I have been fleeced of £250.00 for a pole, satellite cable, F plugs, cable ties/clips plus his labour.

I guess the dish is not aligned sufficiently to follow the arc of satellites. I should have a meter by the week-end and will try to tweek things then.
 

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I have altered my dish to latitude 51 for my location and adjusted the dish's angle to get a good signal on Thor. From there I got a good signal for Hotbird too.

However, if I want to move the dish for Astra 2D I have to disconnect the LNB cable from the motor, reset the dish to 0 and move to 28.2E. Then reconnect the LNB. I save the location. I get a good signal level/quality for Astra 2D and can view the programmes. If I then go onto another satellite, say Hotbird, the dish moves to it and I can view that satellite's programmes. But if I then go back to Astra 2D the dish does not move off Hotbird and does not respond to Goto Ref in Antenna setup.

I am obviously doing something incorrect in the setup. Can anyone tell me what I need to do please?

The configurations for all the satellites are the same, eg LNB Type (UNI), LNB Power (14/18), 12V (Off), LNB Dish (motor).

Thanks
Les
 

rolfw

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If you just use standard DiseqC 1.2 and search for the satellites manually, saving when found, it will work on all of them, that's what I do on the Dreambox with the Moteck, as USALS/Goto does not always work properly.
 

Les Holmans

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I am not sure that I can just go to a DiseqC1.2 menu and do a manual search on the Fortec Lifetime Classic. I have to go into Installation, Antenna Setup, choose a satellite, change the dish from fixed to motor and then get a Positioner DiseqC screen. This is the one that does not respond until I disconnect the LNB lead.

The manual screens do differ a little to those I have from the receiver so I will send an e-mail to the Fortec helpline. They are a little slow in responding though 1-2 weeks.

I will get back to you when I have some more news.

Les
 

Les Holmans

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Good news.

Firstly I must apologise to the installing engineer for my misgivings. He came round to offer a loan of his receiver until my problem was fixed.

However, the problem was due to old software within the receiver and now I have exchanged the Lifetime Classic for a Lifetime Diamond and all works well.

Thanks to everyone for their help.

Les
 

Llew

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Good to hear it, Les. Hope you find this one OK. Any queries, just ask - we do try to help (sometimes :D )

:-sugar

Llew
 
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