newbie setup weird problem

S

scotty38

Member
My Satellite Setup
legend 3000-a (maxx 100) motoe and 85cm dish
My Location
uk
Hi, real new to this, 2 days to be exact, just set up a motorised dish with a maxx100 clone.
called `legend A-3000` setup everything correct but cannot get a quality signal, had a constant 55% signal strength and would fluctuate when tweaking, also could see the quality jumping from zero to 40 but would not hold, decide to pull the sat lead from the back of the receiver and i still have 55% signal strength, this dont seem right to me. is this normal or is this receiver damaged.
Thanks
Scot
 
Yes, it is normal for some receivers to show some signal strength even when not on a satellite, or even connected to the dish. Have you used the motorised dish with another receiver, or tested with a meter to show that it is aligned properly?
 
Hi Rolf, the whole kit was brand new 2 days ago, ive not tested it with any other equipment as i have none, will try aligning the dish again, my friend popped round and had a quick go at it and said, seem like the lnb is dud, at the point of just going round in circles trying get a signal on the little sat meter. checked the voltage at the lnb and that is good, going to recheck the little screw on ends. Thanks for letting me know it not the box at fault. Horses for courses on this one, which i could get an installer that wouldn`t rip me off. any offers anyone, cash in hand at nn172hz
Scot
 
Can you take some photos of the installation and upload them Scot?
 
Here are the pictures:
 

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Please use the picture uploading feature in future - this loads the images up onto our server.

The first thing you need to do is sort that mount out. Those pressed steel L mounts are far too flimsy to use with anything bigger than a Sky minidish - I guarantee that on the first reasonably windy day it will be bouncing around like the boobs of a braless gogo dancer.....

Get yourself a set of T&K brackets and a length of steel tube - something like a scaffold pole.
 
I hear you, Im a fabricator by trade so ill make one this week, i thought it was crap so i made the base bigger, thanks for the help so far, managed to tune to astra so i think the system is ok, Still cant find Thor, I think maybe my house in a dip and the other house are in the way.

Scot
 
scotty38 said:
Still cant find Thor, I think maybe my house in a dip and the other house are in the way.
Click to expand...

Scot,

If the house was indeed in a dip and stopping you catching Thor, I think you'd have issues with all the other satellites. Fact is that for most of the UK, Thor is at the very top of the arc, and should be your most easily accessible satellite. Good idea to change the mount, I had no end of trouble until I changed from an 'L' shaped mount to a T&K arrangement.
 
Hi Sonnetpete, sure thing i will get it dont this week, ran out of daylight today, bit wet and slippy but getting there, learning curve as always and steep. I will take that onboard if im getting astra i should get thor. Thanks again. Scot
 
soory for the typos, had to have few beers after the satalite episodes.
Peace
Scot
 
Hehe. enjoy the beer.

When you are looking for Thor 1W make sure you are searching for the frequency with the fta BBC News transmission on it - thats a nice strong one.
 
Hi, fitted new mount and spent the afternoon trying to align to Thor but no joy, got astra again with lots of radio channels i could hear, also a list of tv channels but yet to see a picture, going to try again on thursday but seem to be just going in circles, put the pics of new mount in my photo album, hope ive done it all right this time.
Thanks
Scot
 
Scot,

I located your photos (though it would be easier if you could add them as attachments to one of your posts on this thread, like you did before). Very impressively engineered mount, however to me it looks like the pole you have mounted your dish/motor on is leaning backwards towards the wall. It might be just a perspective problem with the photo but not having the pole dead plumb (front to back and left to right) will cause you all sorts of problems in trying to track the arc.

I suggest you make sure of the 'plumbness' of the pole, ensure the correct latitude/longitude coordinates are entered into the receiver, check the latitude setting on the motor is correct, the elevation setting on your dish is roughly correct, then start again to search for Thor. Oh, and read through the 'stickies' on motor and dish setup on this forum.....then read through them again!!

I was very much in the dark when I tried to set up my first motorised setup, but persistence and help from the forum got me there in the end. We're here to help.
 
Sonnet, its bang on 90 with my digital spirit level i use at work for special occasions only,so its never abused, will read more tonight and start again in the morning. If i got Thor it would be great, then im getting there, will keep you posted, Analoguesat says search for the frequency with the fta BBC News transmission on it, Im just setting the reciver to Thor and then adjusting the dish, really dont know what is meant by searching for a frequency, i thought i had to get the satalite first. as i say i will read more tonight. Thanks again
Scot
 
The BBC World transponder on Thor is 11325 H 24500; when setting the receiver to Thor, if you can go into the Menu and figure out how to select that transponder or alternatively if the receiver had previously been populated with channels, you can simply 'tune' it to the supposed BBC World channel on Thor and keep aligning until picture turns up on it --- the frequency option is better though.
 
Bigtee, I can make a user setting for the satallite and enter my own numbers, I will try this in the morning, hopefully a full day on it might get it.
Thank you
Scot
 
scotty38 said:
Sonnet, its bang on 90 with my digital spirit level i use at work for special occasions only,so its never abused..................

Im just setting the reciver to Thor and then adjusting the dish

Scot
Click to expand...

If you're using a digital angle finder I'm sure it will be plumb (maybe the walls not true!!)........

Reading your sentence about the receiver and dish, can I just clarify something. To set up on Thor, ask the motor to go to reference (0°), then send to Thor using go to X. Then move the motor and dish together manually until you find Thor, pinch up the motor and make elevation adjustments, on the dish only to peak up the signal. Check that you have indeed hit the right satellite. Then you can 'finesse' your adjustments of motor/dish on pole and dish elevation.

If you get this bit right, all the other sats should fall into place. Fine adjustments of dish elevation may be required at the further ends of your arc, but for now I would just concentrate on ensuring you can pick up Eastern and Western sats, after nailing Thor.

One last thought; where in the UK are you? It's just possible that if you are far enough West, Thor may not be your due South sat....
 
Sonnet
Doing everything you said, seems some has taken Thor from the sky, going to give it another 2hrs then going to work, i need a break off them ladders. my location is east midlands uk, Thor should be best for me. .. now got a picture on hotbird 13E. just got to get it back to Thor now. Wow got TV :)
 
Scot,

Can you confirm that you've received channels from Hotbird (i.e. have you checked the ones you're getting against a list from KOS or Lyngsat?) If it is correct, you should be able to just motor round to 1°W and pick up Thor. I'd check a few more sats nearer the top of the arc and indeed those a bit further West and East. Write down which ones you can get and which you can't. You might see a pattern.

Should Thor not appear in any form, though you still have others either side of the top of your arc, I reckon the mount is not plumb. Yes, I know you've checked it and I don't doubt your word, but it's the first thing I'd look at. Check also that you haven't confused the latitude markings on the motor and set your latitude on the declination scale. Some motors have differing scales on either side. Other than those, I'm getting towards the bottom of my skill set, though I'm sure someone else can suggest something.
 
yes channels match Hotbird 6, I have been moving the whole disc not using the arc yet, hotbird is booming through, now getting that i would expect to rotate the dish 14 deg west from here should take me to Thor, but i just cant get it.
 
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