how to receive Turksat in blocks of flats

[huseyin]

Hi first of all its my first post so greetings to every body.
my issue is about setting up the reciever but I dont know if I am in the right area. I would like to explain properly so that I may get the help I require. I live in the UK and moved to a new sets of blocks. Inside the blocks there is a socket which has SAT1 SAT2 SAT3 and a phone socket. So that means the dish is already installed all I need was a reciever. I brought a reciever (Next&nextstar HD minix Cool blue) and it only has 1 lnb input. I usually watch Turksat 42e so I use the SAT3 socket which I know SAT1 & SAT2 sockets are for sky & freesat. Now the problem arises here. Even though I use socket SAT3 by changing the port on reciever I used to easily pick signals from turksat & hotbird through 1 lnb. But then I brought a diseqc switch in order to watch Sky, turksat & hotbird. So I connected the diseqc with 2 inputs through sockets SAT1 & SAT3. sky works perfect via port 4 whilst Turksat works fine via port 3 but the hotbird stopped working (port2). Before the switch the hotbird & turksat was working fine via SAT3 socket but with port 3 (turk) port 2 (hotbird). Why doesnt it work when connected via disqc switch. Sorry for the long post but I would be grateful if some one can help regarding this issue. Thanks

 

[A nonymous]

Would you be in Hackney by any chance?

Sounds very familiar to some systems i worked on a few years ago. If i recall correctly ports 1 & 2 were for Astra 2 @28e and Hotbird @ 13e whilst port 3 & 4 were for Astra 2 @ 28e and Turksat @ 42e thats if its the same setup.

Nano

 

[huseyin]

Yes your certainly right. I live in hackney estate and the flats were built by berkeley housing. The problem is when I take the diseqc switch off and just insert turksat lnb in the reciever I get turksat via port 3 whilst recieve hotbird signal by port 2. But when the switch is placed I only get turksat with port 3 but nothing happens when I try hotbird port 2

 

[hairybadger]

Maybe the LNB on port 2 is a monoblock, and thus itself contains an integral diseqc switch? Have you tried using diseqc and switching around A and B when attached to 2 and 3?

 

[huseyin]

Maybe the LNB on port 2 is a monoblock, and thus itself contains an integral diseqc switch? Have you tried using diseqc and switching around A and B when attached to 2 and 3?

Hi. Like I said I have a diseqc switch that enables 4 lnb input. It has symbols such as S1 S2 S3 & S4. so I inserted the turksat port 3 lnb to S2 and sky lnb port 4 to S1. I aint using S3 & S4 as when I try them the signal dont pick up.

 

[huseyin]

But I think u are right because before I brought the diseqc switch I used to use that lnb on one input but I was using 2 ports. Such as port3 for turksat and port2 for hotbird through 1 lnb. So if thats the case what do I do next. How do I resolve the issue

 

[A nonymous]

The system compromises of two 9 wire IRS systems if i remember correctly. I only used to cover service calls on these blocks when the assigned engineer was off on holiday or if it was a total system failure as i used to mostly cover Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea.

Would i be right in asumming the dishes and cabinets were painted the same colour as the building? That would confirm if we are talking about the same blocks.

Ports 1 & 2 on the first IRS switch will operate 28e and 13e using AA & AB Diseqc commands. Ports 3 & 4 on the second IRS Switch will operate 28e and 42e using AA & AB diseqc commands. If you wish to use a diseqc switch to combine all three you will need to set it up using diseqc 1.1 on the receiver as you need to get the first diseqc switch to select a port AA ( 28e and 13e) or port AB (28e and 42e) and then after that you need the receiver to select AA or AB on the main switch.

If your receiver supports DISEqC 1.1 that is what you will need to use. I cannot remember if 28e or 42e was the default position on the second switch so you may need to change the command to suit. Its been a good 2 years since i worked on those blocks.

 

[huseyin]

On my reciever I only have the diseqc 2.0 option. But on below that I have options such as ports 1-16 or mdu etc. I will snapshot it and upload it soon as I get home. Even though I tried every single port it still doesn't pick signal from hotbird.

 

[huseyin]

By the way if I try switch 1 or 2 it may pick hotbird but this time the turksat may not work. Is it worth a try to get an lnb cable with 2 ends (twin/dual)

 

[A nonymous]

You have to remember the system that is in your building is not designed to work with an external DISEqC switch. Its designed to either use 13e and 28e or 42e and 28e as individual pairs not all three positions at the same time. That is what was requested by the buildings owners rather than paying for the more expensive 13 wire switch that would work through a standard twin plate using DISEqC 1.0 commands.

The easiest way to resolve your problem would be to use a receiver that has two tuners. That way you can set one tuner for 13e and 28e and the other for 28e and 42e. The switches in use don't usually respond that well to being used through an external DISEqC switch, escpecially if you are far away from the nearest headend/repeater cabinet.

As for your receiver, its not one that i am familiar with i probably won't be able to help you with setting it up. If it was sitting infront of it i would probably be able to work it out, but trying to explain to someone how to do it, when you don't know how that receiver works in the first place is not going to be easy.

As for the wiring you will need one cable between the receiver and first DISEqC switch and another cable going from port 1 & 2 on the DISEqC switch to the connections on the plate. You should only need to use ports 1 and 4 on th plate to aquire the required sat signals.

I have no idea who services your block now, I've been out of London for over 2 years and i no longer work for the company who installed the system. It may be worth finding out who it is who now looks after the block and asking them if they can set it up for you.

Nano

 

[huseyin]

You have to remember the system that is in your building is not designed to work with an external DISEqC switch. Its designed to either use 13e and 28e or 42e and 28e as individual pairs not all three positions at the same time. That is what was requested by the buildings owners rather than paying for the more expensive 13 wire switch that would work through a standard twin plate using DISEqC 1.0 commands.

The easiest way to resolve your problem would be to use a receiver that has two tuners. That way you can set one tuner for 13e and 28e and the other for 28e and 42e. The switches in use don't usually respond that well to being used through an external DISEqC switch, escpecially if you are far away from the nearest headend/repeater cabinet.

As for your receiver, its not one that i am familiar with i probably won't be able to help you with setting it up. If it was sitting infront of it i would probably be able to work it out, but trying to explain to someone how to do it, when you don't know how that receiver works in the first place is not going to be easy.

As for the wiring you will need one cable between the receiver and first DISEqC switch and another cable going from port 1 & 2 on the DISEqC switch to the connections on the plate. You should only need to use ports 1 and 4 on th plate to aquire the required sat signals.

I have no idea who services your block now, I've been out of London for over 2 years and i no longer work for the company who installed the system. It may be worth finding out who it is who now looks after the block and asking them if they can set it up for you.

Nano

Thanks for your helps but I didnt really get the part you said about 2 tuners etc. Still I have taken the snap shots for you to have a look. And as with the reciever its normal for you to not be familiar as it aint been too long since it has come out. Anyway please check the pictures and tell me where I am doing wrong. ( Note that usually 42e & 13e works with one lnb not 2

 

[huseyin]

Here are the rest

 

[A nonymous]

Sounds like its one of the first blocks that were done. 28e and 13e on ports one and two, single sat port is for 42e.

Its a nine wire and a five wire system, Fracarro IRS headend, one of the expensive ones and not the crappy Televes IRS systems that ended up in the other blocks

Connect up as per diagram below



You need to use DISEqC 1.1 protocol on the receiver, The DISEqC switch should support it.

One cable from receiver to DISEqC switch.
Port 1 on DISEqC switch to port 3 on plate for 42e. DISEqC AA only.
Port 2 on DISEqC switch to either port 1 or 2, set DISEqC to port AB then AA for 28e and for 13e set DISEqC to port AB then AB.

Some satellite receivers like the Amiko Alien 2 or Vu+ Duo have two satellite inputs in much the same way as a Sky+ box. One can operate the IRS switch to switch between 28e and 13e whilst the other can be dedicated to just 42e.

Its a bit more expensive to do it this way but its a lot more reliable. A lot of DISEqC switches on the market dont work the way they are supposed to, escecially the cheaper ones.

I always use Global Invacom switches as they have never once let me down.

Nano

 

[BlindFaith]

A single 4/1 diseqc switch might be the better solution. I doesn't need a complex 1.1 setup ;)

 

[A nonymous]

A single 4/1 diseqc switch might be the better solution. I doesn't need a complex 1.1 setup ;)

Using DISEqC 1.1 commands is the only way to do it Blindfaith. Ports one and two on the wall plate will just give you 28e without a DISEqC command to switch to 13e. You have to imagine that the IRS switch that feeds the block is like a monoblock lnb. You have to give it a DISEqC command to get it to switch between 28e and 13e. Doing it your way would just give you 42e and 28e, you won't get 13e as its requires a DISEqC AB command as without it the switch just defaults to 28e. You have to get past the first DISEqC switch first to get to the second one in the IRS switch. These systems are designed to primailly work with Sky HD boxes which don't have DISEqC capability so ports 1 & 2 will always default to 28e if no DISEqC command is received.

Port 3 on the plate will just default to 42e as the five wire switch only does one satellite position.

I have lost count of how many of these type of systems i have installed, so you could say i know how they work, i also used to do the service calls on the blocks in Hackney where to original post starter lives so i know what i'm talking about

knowing exactly what is in the cabinets that feeds the block gives me that much more of an understanding than those that haven't seen whats in the cabinet.

 

[huseyin]

Sounds like its one of the first blocks that were done. 28e and 13e on ports one and two, single sat port is for 42e.

Its a nine wire and a five wire system, Fracarro IRS headend, one of the expensive ones and not the crappy Televes IRS systems that ended up in the other blocks

Connect up as per diagram below

View attachment 72149

You need to use DISEqC 1.1 protocol on the receiver, The DISEqC switch should support it.

One cable from receiver to DISEqC switch.
Port 1 on DISEqC switch to port 3 on plate for 42e. DISEqC AA only.
Port 2 on DISEqC switch to either port 1 or 2, set DISEqC to port AB then AA for 28e and for 13e set DISEqC to port AB then AB.

Some satellite receivers like the Amiko Alien 2 or Vu+ Duo have two satellite inputs in much the same way as a Sky+ box. One can operate the IRS switch to switch between 28e and 13e whilst the other can be dedicated to just 42e.

Its a bit more expensive to do it this way but its a lot more reliable. A lot of DISEqC switches on the market dont work the way they are supposed to, escecially the cheaper ones.

I always use Global Invacom switches as they have never once let me down.

Nano

Nano the issue here is that the socket image I showed was that on Sat1 sockets for sky. SAT2 Sockets for god knows what as ive never tried that but assuming its for freesat. And the final Sat sockets for Hotbird & Turksat. Now when I connect Sky (Sat1) on diseqc switch I dont have a problem at all. The problem comes when I connect (Sat) Socket (Turksat/hotbird) lnb. If I connect the sat socket to diseqc switch S3 it picks signal for turksat on port 3. When I go to hotbird and change the port 2 nothing happens. But when I connect the sat socket lnb to diseqc switch s2 it picks hotbird on port 2 but this time the turksat on port 3 doesnt respond. I am stuck here.

 

[A nonymous]

I think we may be possibly taking about a different building here, is your block classed as one of the Hackney Homes blocks?

Usually when an IRS system is installed 28e and 13e are on port 1 & 2 on th wall plate and any other satellite position is on other ports. Can you try just plugging the cable from the receiver into port 2 on the plate and see if you can get 28e and 13e from it just by using DISEqC command AA and AB just so we can figure out how your Landlord has the block setup. Also try port 1 on the plate in the same manner.


Nano

 

[huseyin]

Nano I actually live in Manor house area. There is a booklet that describes the switchs at home. It says "There are 3 sockets for satellite tv and phone sockets, and they are as follows SAT1 (SKY) SAT2 (FREESAT) SAT 3 (Turksat 42e/ hotbird 13e). Thats all so as u see the socket sat3 is for both 42e & 13e

 

[A nonymous]

Ok so now we know how the system is set up.

Port 1 & 2 are 28e(Sky & Freesat)
Its just a case of flipping what was said earlier on in the thread.

Connect cable from receiver to DISEqC switch.
Connect Port 1 of DISEqC switch to Port 1 or 2 on plate.
Connect Port 2 of DISEqC switch to Port 3 on plate.



In receiver

28e DISEqC 1.0 port AA
42e DISEqC 1.1 port AB then AA
13e DISEqC 1.1 port AB the AB

That should work providing 42e is the default sat position on plate port 3.

 

[huseyin]

I think I got it now. I guess I now know whats the issue. I was trying to figure out what u mean by your diagram. The issue was I didnt use a lnb splitter. I will have to use that but will have to buy that tomorrow. I will let you know the outcome. Thanks very much for taking your time trying to help me.Its all appreciated mate.