HotBird 13B, 13C, 13E - mixed up with 7.0E?

[SatelliteStuck]

I have just replaced my old satellite system with a much newer system, in particular a Mix Digital 1.1m mesh dish, a 4 way LNB holder along with 3 LNBs (Inverto Black Single Ultra 0.2dB High-Gain Low-Noise LN. I am currently using a Technomate TM-1500 CI* Super set top box and it has been okay since I have got it, but I may look at changing the box at some point in time.

Anyways, I came to do a blind search on Hotbird (I'm ignoring other satellites at the moment) and spent a long while wondering why I'm not getting any of the correct channels. After a little bit of research I've found out that I'm picking up all the channels from 7.0E (Eutelsat 7A)!

What was very confusing was I aligned the dish while looking at the telly and made sure that both the signal strength and quality of the hotbird signal was high - and it certainly was - far higher than my previous setup (80cm dish single LN. So why would Hotbird give a fantastic signal yet in fact I was scanning Eutelsat 7A 7.0E?

When recieving the satellite strength, is the satellite name not also sent? What could cause such a problem?

 

[Archive-8]

I have just replaced my old satellite system with a much newer system, in particular a Mix Digital 1.1m mesh dish, a 4 way LNB holder along with 3 LNBs (Inverto Black Single Ultra 0.2dB High-Gain Low-Noise LN. I am currently using a Technomate TM-1500 CI* Super set top box and it has been okay since I have got it, but I may look at changing the box at some point in time.

Anyways, I came to do a blind search on Hotbird (I'm ignoring other satellites at the moment) and spent a long while wondering why I'm not getting any of the correct channels. After a little bit of research I've found out that I'm picking up all the channels from 7.0E (Eutelsat 7A)!

What was very confusing was I aligned the dish while looking at the telly and made sure that both the signal strength and quality of the hotbird signal was high - and it certainly was - far higher than my previous setup (80cm dish single LN. So why would Hotbird give a fantastic signal yet in fact I was scanning Eutelsat 7A 7.0E?

When recieving the satellite strength, is the satellite name not also sent? What could cause such a problem?

Some boxes, using diseqc 1.2/usals will give you the name of the satellite, but not all! They pick up the network id tables.

It sounds to me that your dish is out of alignment.

 

[Lazarus]

Or the 4 way LNB holder isn't correctly set up.

Or both.

 

[SatelliteStuck]

So, the satellites do transmit the name (or at least a unique ID), but not all boxes will pick this up? In which case it is possible I just changed the box to HotBird and as I found a valid signal, it assumed it was hotbird - correct?

Actually just to add - if the box is not correctly identifying the satellite, how can I possibly line the dish up correctly without trying a channel scan each and every time?

 

[Archive-8]

So, the satellites do transmit the name (or at least a unique ID), but not all boxes will pick this up? In which case it is possible I just changed the box to HotBird and as I found a valid signal, it assumed it was hotbird - correct?

Actually just to add - if the box is not correctly identifying the satellite, how can I possibly line the dish up correctly without trying a channel scan each and every time?

That’s why we use a sat meter at the dish.

As @Lazarus said you could have the lnb holder set up wrong, remember for an easterly satellite the lnb would be on the opposite side.

Can you post up some photos please?

 

[SatelliteStuck]

That’s why we use a sat meter at the dish.

As @Lazarus said you could have the lnb holder set up wrong, remember for an easterly satellite the lnb would be on the opposite side.

Can you post up some photos please?

I'm afraid I don't have any photos at the moment and I'm nowhere near the dish... When you say a sat meter, I'm assuming you mean something better than a £5 thing from eBay that just shows the signal strength?

 

[Archive-8]

I'm afraid I don't have any photos at the moment and I'm nowhere near the dish... When you say a sat meter, I'm assuming you mean something better than a £5 thing from eBay that just shows the signal strength?

You can use either, the £5 meter will only tell you if you have a signal, not necessarily if you are on the right satellite.

I use a satlink meter ws-6933 that gives me signal and quality and I can set the channel list up to what satellite I want.

Overall it does make life easier.

 

[SatelliteStuck]

You can use either, the £5 meter will only tell you if you have a signal, not necessarily if you are on the right satellite.

I use a satlink meter ws-6933 that gives me signal and quality and I can set the channel list up to what satellite I want.

Overall it does make life easier.

Would a half decent set top box be capable of this as well, or would it still get confused between satellites? I have been given a spiderbox HD 7000, which from what I gather is much newer than my box, but have yet to set it up.

 

[Mickha]

Buy a cheap meter, less than £10.

As mentioned it will help find satellites, and maximise the signal quality, then you use your receiver, to check which satellite you are pointing at, and then make the necessary adjustments.
Using a satellite receiver makes it more difficult.

 

[SatelliteStuck]

Buy a cheap meter, less than £10.
View attachment 111226
As mentioned it will help find satellites, and maximise the signal quality, then you use your receiver, to check which satellite you are pointing at, and then make the necessary adjustments.
Using a satellite receiver makes it more difficult.

Hi there Mickha,

That's precisely my problem. The reciever was showing fantastic strength for Hotbird, then after a blind search it found all the channels on a different satellite.

 

[Lazarus]

That's because it was, in actual fact, showing fantastic signal strength for 7E.

The receiver doesn't know where the dish is pointing. So "Hotbird" as a listed Satellite is just a fully editable convenience. Change the label to "The Satellite I'm Actually Aligned To" and all will become clear.

 

[SatelliteStuck]

That's because it was, in actual fact, showing fantastic signal strength for 7E.

The receiver doesn't know where the dish is pointing. So "Hotbird" as a listed Satellite is just a fully editable convenience. Change the label to "The Satellite I'm Actually Aligned To" and all will become clear.

Right, that makes sense now! But, how then as suggested by Mickha would I then be able to:

then you use your receiver, to check which satellite you are pointing at

If whatever the reciever is pointing at is just a convenience rather than a hard fact?

 

[Lazarus]

You've effectively already done that by checking what Channels you got after scanning and either knowing already where they were from or by checking Flysat or other listings site.

So, as you get 7E when scanning the label "Hotbird" , if you shove the dish six degrees further East you'll get Hotbird Channels when scanning "Hotbird".

 

[SatelliteStuck]

Sorry for the questions! The thing is, if the satellite name on the reciever is just a convenience, then why would I get full signal strength and quality on HotBird (which was in actual fact 7.0E), but selecting a different satellite on the reciever would say it has 0% signal quality?

E.g.
1) I go to satellite setup on the reciever & find HotBird.
2) Play with the dish until full strength and quality.
3) Now move the reciever to a different satellite while keeping the dish in the same place

Surely if this is just a label then the new satellite should have the same signal strength as HotBird?

 

[Archive-8]

On a lot of the satellites the data doubles up same freq symbol rate etc.

Yes you will get most of the bird, but not all! It’s best to scan the correct satellite with the correct database depending on what box you are using.

 

[Mickha]

Check the channels you scan in on lyngsat.

https://www.lyngsat.com/

 

[Lazarus]

Sorry for the questions! The thing is, if the satellite name on the reciever is just a convenience, then why would I get full signal strength and quality on HotBird (which was in actual fact 7.0E), but selecting a different satellite on the reciever would say it has 0% signal quality?

E.g.
1) I go to satellite setup on the reciever & find HotBird.
2) Play with the dish until full strength and quality.
3) Now move the reciever to a different satellite while keeping the dish in the same place

Surely if this is just a label then the new satellite should have the same signal strength as HotBird?

Only if the the pre-stored TP list happens to contain parameters in common with a.n.other Satellite.

 

[a33]

So, the satellites do transmit the name (or at least a unique ID)

NO, and NO.
Satellites don't introduce themselves by saying 'Hallo I'm Astra2 on 28.2 east' or so.
And they don't have a unique and unchangeable ID, in the sense of a unique social security satellite number which is sent to you, or in the sense that they only transmit in frequencies that other satellites don't use.

That is the basis.

However some frequencies or combination of frequencies can be typical for only one satellite position, and therefore be used in a satellite meter or receiver for a certain satellite position.
However again, these frequencies can change in time, and/or be used by other satellite positions as well, in time.
So without checking, you can never be sure.

So when you get a strong signal on a satellite, ALLWAYS check if you receive the programms you expect, on the frequencies you expect.
One or two frequencies/programms would suffice, when you find only expected programms.
When you find unexpected programms (or have to do a blindscan to receive any programm at all), you usually have to check these programms on sites as kingofsat, lyngsat, flysat, ...
Kingofsat has a programm-name-search function I believe, to find on which satellite positions a programm can be found.

Greetz,
A33