Paksat 1R 38E

[nelson_b]

Yep, it's just evading capture Nelson. I'm about 1dB down on it this morning's scan compared to last evening's scan
Might have a bit of a mini tweek & see if it will go up a bit

Just had a quick look prior to going out for the morning ... Locking - just - but getting frozen images only - 5.6 db

 

[moonbase]

Well done .. you got there in the end

Thanks Nelson,

There is another frequency I should be getting according to your SNR dB levels. I am getting only 3.1 dB for 3770 V, SR 7700 (24 News) whereas you are getting 8.1 dB. Quite a few of my other signal levels are just under the levels you are getting but this one is a lot below. Similarly, I am a lot below your SNR levels for the other lower frequency cluster of 3719 V, 3761 V and 3777 V.

The Titanium WiMax LNBF I am using is specified for 3700 - 4200 MHz so I should be OK? Perhaps the bottom end of the specified range is not so good for fringe signal reception where every squirt of juice needs to be sucked from the beam? I might try another LNBF for the 3700's to see if I get any better result.

 

[moonbase]

Tried it on three other rx's as well as the PC card but just couldn't grab that extra smidgin of signal to lock it.

You probably do not wish to disturb your feed arrangement after allocating a lot of time to getting it setup. However, I found with this satellite that an LNBF direct onto the dish and not in a pipe gave me better results.

 

[nelson_b]

Thanks Nelson,

There is another frequency I should be getting according to your SNR dB levels. I am getting only 3.1 dB for 3770 V, SR 7700 (24 News) whereas you are getting 8.1 dB. Quite a few of my other signal levels are just under the levels you are getting but this one is a lot below. Similarly, I am a lot below your SNR levels for the other lower frequency cluster of 3719 V, 3761 V and 3777 V.

The Titanium WiMax LNBF I am using is specified for 3700 - 4200 MHz so I should be OK? Perhaps the bottom end of the specified range is not so good for fringe signal reception where every squirt of juice needs to be sucked from the beam? I might try another LNBF for the 3700's to see if I get any better result.

This really is an odd satellite ... in the past you folks in the south have generally had a slight advantage ..

Yes trying a different l.n.b. may give you a result ? .. i intend to try other l.n.b,s for comparison to see if i still get good results in the 3700,s .. but probably not today as there is a strong cold wind here.

just looked at 3770 V, SR 7700 (24 News) and its ok for me at the moment despite the time of day ?

 

[John]

You probably do not wish to disturb your feed arrangement after allocating a lot of time to getting it setup. However, I found with this satellite that an LNBF direct onto the dish and not in a pipe gave me better results.

Yep, spot on Dave - - i have to keep remembering that i'm running a bit of a compromise feed system with the modded Prodelin Circ polorizer for motorised H/V/L/R pols and that i must be loosing a tad of signal through mis-match etc but i think i'm running at max smoke as it is now. If i get time today i will have a quick scalar ring tweak just out of curiousity

 

[nelson_b]

Thanks Nelson,

There is another frequency I should be getting according to your SNR dB levels. I am getting only 3.1 dB for 3770 V, SR 7700 (24 News) whereas you are getting 8.1 dB. Quite a few of my other signal levels are just under the levels you are getting but this one is a lot below. Similarly, I am a lot below your SNR levels for the other lower frequency cluster of 3719 V, 3761 V and 3777 V.

The Titanium WiMax LNBF I am using is specified for 3700 - 4200 MHz so I should be OK? Perhaps the bottom end of the specified range is not so good for fringe signal reception where every squirt of juice needs to be sucked from the beam? I might try another LNBF for the 3700's to see if I get any better result.

Some additional info -

The "part time" AJK Channel is currently transmitting .. so below is a signal strength pic

 

[moonbase]

...just looked at 3770 V, SR 7700 (24 News) and its ok for me at the moment despite the time of day ?

View attachment 127524

I have listed below my signal levels for the 3700's where I am way down on your levels. For most of my other signal levels I am only a little bit adrift of yours.

3719 V 0.5dB - Nelson 5.8dB
3761 V 0.1dB - Nelson 5.8dB
3770 V 1.6dB - Nelson 8.1dB

For the "92 News" frequency on 4023 V which gave the most dificulty for a lock I am on a par with you at 5.6dB (Nelson 5.7db). The reason for the huge SNR gap on frequencies in the 3700's is a mystery. I will have a sniff at that 3777 V frequency in a short while.

 

[John]

Yep, it's just evading capture Nelson. I'm about 1dB down on it this morning's scan compared to last evening's scan
Might have a bit of a mini tweek & see if it will go up a bit

... Had a mini tweek today - using the difficult '92 News' ch at 4023 V i "Think" it went up a tad when i moved the scalar ring back by just less than 1mm but that could be caused by a change in general reception conditions that coincided at the same time as me having a tweek ??.

 

[nelson_b]

Was right on the edge of this one last night ... locked briefly and scanned but would not give any pictures

But its come good tonight and given me chance to take some snapshots

I think i,v reached my limit here now ... i will try/compare with another couple of l.n.b,s that i have here. when i have the time and the weather allows it .

Off for a day on the Lake District fells tomorrow

 

[moonbase]

Another Update:

I managed to lock the Mehran TV frequency on 4104 V, SR1600 with an signal level of 6.4 dB. I think this will be the last one I can get with the Precision 2.0m dish as there are no others reasonably close to a lock that I can try for.

After a good bit of time allocated to messing around on 38.0 East I managed a total of 11 frequencies locked with pictures. I have attached below a couple of channel screen grabs from the Mehran TV, the latest one locked.

.

 

[John]

Another Update:

I managed to lock the Mehran TV frequency on 4104 V, SR1600 with an signal level of 6.4 dB. I think this will be the last one I can get with the Precision 2.0m dish as there are no others reasonably close to a lock that I can try for.

After a good bit of time allocated to messing around on 38.0 East I managed a total of 11 frequencies locked with pictures. I have attached below a couple of channel screen grabs from the Mehran TV, the latest one locked.

.

That's a pretty decent catch from that bird on the 2 mtr MB, i'm lucky to see 2/3 rd's of those up here in North Notts with the 2.2

 

[nelson_b]

Another Update:

I managed to lock the Mehran TV frequency on 4104 V, SR1600 with an signal level of 6.4 dB. I think this will be the last one I can get with the Precision 2.0m dish as there are no others reasonably close to a lock that I can try for.

After a good bit of time allocated to messing around on 38.0 East I managed a total of 11 frequencies locked with pictures. I have attached below a couple of channel screen grabs from the Mehran TV, the latest one locked.

.

An excellent set of results M.B. - From what is a very difficult satellite to catch anything from here in the uk . and i,m well aware of how much time you will have spent getting those results too

As i think we discussed,, each transponder seems to require its own unique dish position and - or l.n.b. / scalar adjustments to get the best from... And on top of this the transponder signal strengths seems not to be constant either - but varies day to day / week to week . The last one that i struggled so hard to lock a few nights ago (in clear weather) now seems to stay locked all day and runs without freezing (in cloud and rain), .... whereas others i locked without issue a week ago wont lock, or will only lock briefly in the evenings.

So i would not rule out other transponders being possible to lock in the future .. Its just very time consuming l.o.l.

 

[moonbase]

@John & @nelson_b

Thanks, I think I may have spent more time tweaking the dish setup and scanning 38.0 East than for any other satellite. The Precision 2.0m dish is due to be relocated back onto the mobile platform on the patio in the next day or so for a quick sniff at a few Westerly satellites in C-Band so I will lose visibility of 38.0 East.

I have attached below what will probably be the final scan result table for 38.0 East from this current period of testing.

.

 

[nelson_b]

@John & @nelson_b

Thanks, I think I may have spent more time tweaking the dish setup and scanning 38.0 East than for any other satellite. The Precision 2.0m dish is due to be relocated back onto the mobile platform on the patio in the next day or so for a quick sniff at a few Westerly satellites in C-Band so I will lose visibility of 38.0 East.

I have attached below what will probably be the final scan result table for 38.0 East from this current period of testing.

.
View attachment 127574

Thanks for your scan - chart ...
I,m going to stay with this sat a little longer, and when the weather and time allows it - i want to try a Zinwell l.n.b on some of these tricky transponders, and see how it compares to the BSC 421 that i,v been using.

 

[John]

An excellent set of results M.B. - From what is a very difficult satellite to catch anything from here in the uk . and i,m well aware of how much time you will have spent getting those results too

As i think we discussed,, each transponder seems to require its own unique dish position and - or l.n.b. / scalar adjustments to get the best from... And on top of this the transponder signal strengths seems not to be constant either - but varies day to day / week to week . The last one that i struggled so hard to lock a few nights ago (in clear weather) now seems to stay locked all day and runs without freezing (in cloud and rain), .... whereas others i locked without issue a week ago wont lock, or will only lock briefly in the evenings.

So i would not rule out other transponders being possible to lock in the future .. Its just very time consuming l.o.l.

Agree with you here Nelson - a right quirky little bird is this one

 

[moonbase]

...I,m going to stay with this sat a little longer...

Before the dish gets relocated back to the mobile platform I had another chew at the bone but only ended up swallowing a bit of gristle. I was trying to get 3770V which needs 7.9dB for a lock, unfortunately I could only manage 7.4dB stable with occasional flickers up to 7.5dB - 7.6dB.

The main issue with 3770V is that when the dish is aligned accurately on 38.0 East the frequency is getting swamped out with bleed over from 40.0 East. At that alignment I am getting about 3.1dB signal level for 3770V. By moving the dish about 3/4 of a degree West it finally escapes the bleed over from 40.0 East and the 3770V signal rises to 7.4dB.

The re-alignment West by 3/4 of a degree for the Precision 2.0m dish is the optimum. Anything less and the 3770V signal is reduced by bleed over from 40.0 East, anything more and the dish is getting to far off the satellite.

.

 

[nelson_b]

Before the dish gets relocated back to the mobile platform I had another chew at the bone but only ended up swallowing a bit of gristle. I was trying to get 3770V which needs 7.9dB for a lock, unfortunately I could only manage 7.4dB stable with occasional flickers up to 7.5dB - 7.6dB.

The main issue with 3770V is that when the dish is aligned accurately on 38.0 East the frequency is getting swamped out with bleed over from 40.0 East. At that alignment I am getting about 3.1dB signal level for 3770V. By moving the dish about 3/4 of a degree West it finally escapes the bleed over from 40.0 East and the 3770V signal rises to 7.4dB.

.

So close ... The challenges with this sat are quite addictive .. l.o.l.

I,m not affected by the bleed over from 40 E to the same degree as yourself .... but i also have to move a little West for some transponders to get the best from them ...

I have mostly a free day today - and the weather is quite calm and dry .. so i think i will have a go here with the Zinwell l.n.b. this afternoon / evening , just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[moonbase]

...I,m not affected by the bleed over from 40 E to the same degree as yourself .... but i also have to move a little West for some transponders to get the best from them ...

Yes, the wider beamwidth of my 2.0m dish is the deal breaker for almost all of the frequencies on 38.0 East below 4000 MHz. The only frequency I can lock below 4000 MHz is Kohenoor News on 3952 V which has no close proximity frequency on 40.0 East.

 

[nelson_b]

Curiosity satisfied ..
The Zinwell didn't reveal any more channels l.o.l. ... but if i fiddled around enough it would equal in general the BSC 421 that i,v been using .
I also tried an ESX 241 which again could be made to give good results but was very tricky/sensitive to adjust
TitaniumCIW-Pll was generally 0.5 db down overall no matter how much i fiddled with it
The best results were with the old Gardinier 20k no new transponders but a slight increase in strength on most that i tried it on

 

[scopus]

Kohenoor News coming in nicely today with the Zinwell through the AVComm barrel with skew..