Newbie news Help !

rookp

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Website
Visit site
My Location
pj::
Bit of a query here. I've connected up my new Triax dish (Grundig LN:cool: through a sat finder to the Digibox (Grundig). I'm getting a signal on the sat finder - yet no signal strength or quality shown on the digibox? Am I possibly pointing at an analogue satellite or is there a fault somewhere ???
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
Hi there,

If you are not showing any signal at all on the Digibox, it could be a problem with the box itself, but you are probably on the wrong satellite.

There are a couple of nearby satellites which have limited transmissions, so I would have another scan around with the satfinder.

For 28.2E the dish face (with most makes of dish) will only be a few degrees off the vertical, leaning back by only a few degrees. The signal for this sat is very strong, so if doing a sweep it should beep the highest.

If sitll no signal at all, then check the connections to the box and also that the LNB power is switched on, may have inadvertantly activated the short circuit protection, so unplugging and reconnecting the box would solve that


Rolf
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
Just a quick addendum to the last post, I am assuming that the grundig LNB is a universal and not an older enhanced unit.

Rolf
 

rookp

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Website
Visit site
My Location
pj::
Thanks for your help -

The LNB allegedly is a digital LNB (marked on the side) - not sure myself - any way of checking ??

I've got a large blip / swing on the sat finder where I believe Astra 2B/2D to be - seems to add up on my calculations - but absolutely nothing on the digibox. Power is being supplied to the LNB as the sat finder is powered off the digibox.....

Another point I've just thought of - my digibox has no FTA or Viewing card in it. Would that affect things at all ???
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 10-Aug-02 AT 02:16 PM (GMT)]The LNB should have universal written on it, or a U in the model number, or a local oscillator LO of 9.750/10.600.

You should still get a signal strength reading when you are on Astra 19.2, although you will get no quality.

Not sure of the type of sat meter you are using, but it should be getting a series of beeps or tones when on a good satellite. By panning in an arc, you should get peaks from at least 3 or 4 positions.

Is your dish face almost vertical?

If your dish face is actually vertical, you are probably on Turksat at 42E

Rolf
 

rookp

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Website
Visit site
My Location
pj::
Thanks for the ongoing assistance - have removed the LNB - it's a Grundig Universal AUN 14 S. Should it giving a signal strength reading ONLY on Astra 2B/D etc or would it give a reading on other satellites.
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
It will give a reading on any satellite which has a transponder that is close to the default transponder on 28.2, but you will only gain a lock on 28.2. Also worth checking that you have a skew of around 15 degrees off the vertical on the LNB it should be about the angle of the forward slash on your keyboard / if you are in the UK (as you look at the dish from behind the LN:cool:

Rolf
 

rookp

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Website
Visit site
My Location
pj::
Thanks for your help Rolf - still no joy - beginning to wonder whether the digibox is faulty - any ideas on a 'hard' reset.

Would the lack of a viewing card or FTA card have any effect also ?
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 10-Aug-02 AT 03:32 PM (GMT)]The viewing card should make no difference, a reset can be done simply by unplugging at the mains and replugging after a minute or so.

You could try a forced download of software, but you cannot do it until you know for sure that it is on the right satellite, otherwise you may lose everything.

Have you found signals from any other satellites? I have known people to persevere for several days on the same satellite, thinking that they were on 28.2, only to find that they weren't. You could try the find other channels function and type in a frequency from astra 19.2 http://www.lyngsat.com/astra19.shtml


Rolf

PS can you try the receiver on a friend's dish to see if it works?
 

rookp

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Website
Visit site
My Location
pj::
Thanks for your help - thank God there are good people like yourself out there willing to help us thickwits !!

Beginning to think that either the Digibox or the LNB is faulty as it seems to be giving me a very minor shock when I touch the shield cable to the LNB

Cheers
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
They'll normally do that, as I say, the best way to test is on another dish, then at least you can isolate the problem.

rolf
 

rookp

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Website
Visit site
My Location
pj::
A massive thanks to all you guys especially Rolf - checked the digibox on a friend's dish and found it to be fine.....

Peserved with locating Astra 2D - which suddenly 'appeared' on my digibox / sat finder this afternoon. Great signal strength and quality so looks like everything is working AOK now.

Keep up the good work with www.satellites.co.uk - it is a valuable tool for guys like myself who were told by a Sky installer that 'you'll never get Sky here mate because of that tree !!!'

Looks like they're wrong !!!
 
Top