Issues with sat finder on my first install

[cric2k]

hi,

Today I've been trying to install a static dish in my house to compliment my motorised system. I got a simple Sky Mini Dish off eBay.

I have stuck the thing under my older dish aligned it up to point in the same general direction as the motorised when pointing to 28e.

At first I was able to fine tune with my little satellite finder, it was lit up and buzzing with me finely moving the satellite. Now for some reason it has stopped working, when I plug it into my old dish it buzzes again, when I disconnect the LNB from the new dish and change channel on my receiver it buzzes again, but when I reconnect both my new LNB and my receiver the thing just dies instantly, and won't come back until I've disconnected it from the new LNB and changed the channel again.

Anyone any ideas?

 

[satelliteman]

Check the usual connections for a short circuit on the cable.

 

[Lazarus]

Yes. Not just short circuit but also a less than solid connection even if the centre core of the Meter's cable stub is mated with the LNB F connector.

The provided cable stub is made of really poor, flimsy cable with the weediest inner core you've ever seen.

I recommend making your own cable up - then you'll be more likely to avoid short circuit and will secure a much better connection.

 

[cric2k]

I think my STB (VU+ Duo) was cutting out as soon as the other LNB was connected with no signal and not retrying.

I've connect my DM800 to it now it continues to buzz until I connect the LNB, then it dies. As soon as I disconnect the LNB it starts buzzing again. I am using my own cable to the LNB.

Now this is my first ever install, and I'm probably doing a hell of a lot wrong - but will a normal little satellite finder continue to buzz on it's highest level when a LNB pointing at nothing is connected, or am I now getting normal behaviour (no LNB connected = buzz, LNB connected while pointed at blank sky = no buzz)?

 

[satelliteman]

Either the LNb is faulty or the receiver is measuring an over current and shutting off.

 

[cric2k]

It was a dodgey connection on my own wire to the LNB, managed to get it sorted after making a new one. Added a few hours to my first install but glad to say I am up and running now

 

[satelliteman]

Result....;)

 

[cric2k]

Well I thought I was sorted, certainly my static dish pointed to 28.2e is perfectly aligned. I've got my DM800s running solely from my static dish at the minute through a diseqc 2.0 switch (on it's own, I need a bigger ladder to get to my motorised to rewire it into the other switch port) and it's running fine. My original problem with the VU+ Duo in the other room seems to be still there, if I wire the satellite finder between the LNB and the STB the satellite finder just dies. I know my static dish is aligned properly so I moved on and connected a single feed from each of my two dishes to another diseqc switch and on to the VU+ (the other tuner in VU is still solely attached to the motorised until I get a ladder and some parts tomorrow).

So when looking at my VU+ tuner which is connected to both dishes I appear to be getting no signal. I'm not sure if it's the configuration, the wiring, the switch (I've tried two) or the VU+ itself. I've got my VU+ tuner configured to simple/diseqc A/B and I've tried setting both ports to 'nothing connected' while having the other set to 28.2e (both dishes currently pointed to 28e). I am running my DM800 with the same settings, Port A pointed to 28.2e and Port B having nothing connected (since I haven't reconnected my motorised to the other port yet).

Considering both boxes run on Engima 2 and both using an image from PLi I'm not sure if it's the configuration when one doesn't work and the other does. I bought the Sky Mini Dish and LNB off eBay for £20, it seems to be an official Sky dish and certainly a Sky branded LNB - so it could be a problem with buying cheap crap. On the other hand it could be my awful wiring, I'm just nicking a bit off the end of the coax (20m bought from B&Q for £20) with a stanley and putting an end on it, not sure if it's the most efficient connection.

Sooo, anyone any ideas?

 

[cric2k]

Ok got it properly sorted, it was cheap cabling in the end not making good connections with the diseqc switch - decent bit of recabling this morning and I'm sorted.

So my final question, on my VU+ I have the following connections.

Tuner 1:
Diseqc Port A goes to static 28.2e
Diseqc Port B goes to control Motor - then to moving dish

Tuner 2:
Diseqc Port A goes to static 28.2e
Diseqc Port B goes to moving dish

So how do I possibly configure this so that on both tuners 28.2 go straight to Port A, and anything outside of 28.2 goes to Port B - except for when the satellite needs moved, then it needs to go to Tuner 1, Port A?

Cheers!