Please help! I can not receive Astra!

[Vipersan]

Originally Posted by Huevos
Works with Seca and Irdeto


Hi Robert ..this would usually indicate that the internal card slot/reader is configured to work with both Seca and Irdeto encryptions/cards by the manufacturer..
rgds
VS

ooops pipped at the post
Sorry Huevos

 

[Robert_winter_1000]

Huevos & Vipersan,

Many thanks for your explanation.

Regards,

Robert

 

[Lazarus]

Today I was in an Rx shop.

Hello Gordon,

Please tell me what does Rx, DiSEqC equipped Rx means (maybe it is a silly question!).
regards,
Robert

Doh! I really started something there .....

 

[Robert_winter_1000]

Doh! I really started something there .....

Yes Gordon, You never know what you will see after few months

 

[Robert_winter_1000]

Hello all,

I bought the Vantage 8000 CS as advised by Huevos. It is a nice modern Rx which has many nice features which my old Rx didn’t have; Thank you Huevos again for your advice.

I went to install the Vantage 8000 CS: It has a choice for 3 Astra’s: Astra 1E-2C, Astra 1D-3A, Astra 2 and one Hotbird which is: Hotbird 2.

I pointed the main LNB to Hotbird (pic. 2) which gives a signal strength of 84%. The secondary LNB get an Astra 1E-2C signal strength of 78%. The rest of Astra’s has almost no signal. I scanned for both Hotbird & Astra 1E-2C. All chanels in Hotbird and Astra 1E-2C are OK except the Dutch chanels i.e Ned1, Ned2, Ned3, RTL4, Rtl5 etc…which are missing.

I decide to change the dish (it is crazy but I want to be sure that this is not the reason!). New scan with the same results.

I had a look in Google. Many people are having this problem. Looking to this article :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astra_1E

Which is telling that Astra 1E was moved to Astra’s new DTH orbital position 23.5°E. In the mean time the Dutch chanels are moved to Asra 1L. The question: Is this the reason why I am not getting the Dutch chanels? Why the menu of the Rx does not include the Astra 1L? By the way, I tried to make a blind scan on Astra 1E-2C which is successfully done but still without the Dutch chanels!

Any advice will be highly appreciated!

Regards,

Robert

 

[Robbo]

Your dish setup enables you to get the Astra(s) at 19.2E and Hotbird and 13E, nothing else.

What you have to make sure of is that whatever satellite you have selected, you have all the correct transponders listed for it, so that you can scan them easily. It doesn't matter much if the satellite names don't match exactly.
The satellite names for the various Astras on sat receivers are often wrong, or wrongly grouped.

By the way I have just checked Ned1 on 19.2E, 12515H and its scrambled, but very strong signal. So switch to 19.2E and check the signal quality on that tranponder.

 

[Robert_winter_1000]

Hello Mark,
Many thanks for your answer. I just put the information you gave me and scan it manually. Indeed I got Ned1, Ned2 and Ned3 but with very week signal (no pic). I am doubting now on the Monobloc if it is the correct one which I should use to get Hotbird and Astra (Dutch chanels)!
Robert

 

[Robbo]

No picture does not necessarily mean poor signal. Have you checked the signal quality?

Your monoblock is correct for 13E and 19E.

Also, after a quick scan through the thread, (it is long now) you now have the Astra part of the LNB at the focus is that correct? So the monoblock used would not be an issue. Does the dish need aligning better?

Could it be that you just can't descramble it?

 

[Robert_winter_1000]

Mark, if you look to picture 2, the right LNB (with the black holder) is directed to the Hotbird and it receive a very good signal. The left LNB is taken some signal (Astra?) with some channels which I am not familiar with it. I tried to directed the right LNB to any other Hotbird but there is none (this is the only position which can the right LNB take a signal from the Hotbird). Here is the antenna settings maybe you find some thing in it?

1
Hotbird 2-8
LNB power: on
Longitude: 13 E
LNB Type: Universal 1
LNB Freq: 9750-10600
DISEqC port: Port 1
Tone 22 KHZ on
Unicable: OK
Motor: NO
DISEqC 1.1: 1


2
Astra 1E-2C
LNB power: on
Longitude: 19.2 E
LNB Type: Universal 1
LNB Freq: 9750-10600
DISEqC port: Port 2
Tone 22 KHZ on
Unicable: OK
Motor: NO
DISEqC 1.1: 2

As well I tried to put the DISEqC 1.1 on 1 but it did not help!
Regards

Robert

 

[Robbo]

Yes, it doesn't matter which lnb goes in the holder, it just determines which sat the dish is to be focussed on. Either way will work. Normally you would tilt the LNB slightly so that the left hand LNB ( as per picture 2) is slightly higher than the right hand one.

 

[Huevos]

Robert, all those channels are scrambled, do you have a card for them. Also what signal and quality are you getting on that transponder? Go in to "manual search" in the menu and highlight that transponder and read the signal and quality from the bars at the bottom. You should be getting quality in the high 90s. Also don't pay any attention to the names of the satellites, 1E, 1L, etc. Even though some satellites have been replaced the transponder frequencies have not changed so a scan of 1E-2C will find all the transponders transmitted from the newer satellites. One other thing what are the choice of Unicable settings? I would have thought "OK" was wrong. Hard to now without seeing the choice though.

 

[Robert_winter_1000]

Normally you would tilt the LNB slightly so that the left hand LNB ( as per picture 2) is slightly higher than the right hand one.

Hello Mark and Huevos,

The problem is solved. The problem was (you should laugh about it ) the left LNB slightly lower (NOT HIGHER) that the right one (picture 2). Therefore the signal of Astra was very low. I tilted the left LNB slightly higher so that it became higher than the right hand one. And it was perfect. Now I am having Hotbird & Astra both on 84% strength. Many thanks again for all your valuable advices.
Regards
Robert

 

[Lazarus]

Of course, had you read back as far as Post #20 .................


Glad all is well.

 

[Robert_winter_1000]

Glad all is well.

Thank you Gordon. Great Forum with great people :-thumb1

 

[Robert_winter_1000]

I thought I know the trick of getting both Astra and Hotbird now, maybe it is a good idea to put the old dish (1 meter) back. I just did it but the result was that I get a very good signal from Hotbird but nothing from Astra. I put back the new dish (about 80 cm) and both Astra & Hotbird are perfect (84%). Thank you gentlemen for all your help & assistance.

Robert

 

[Lazarus]

I thought I know the trick of getting both Astra and Hotbird now, maybe it is a good idea to put the old dish (1 meter) back. I just did it but the result was that I get a very good signal from Hotbird but nothing from Astra. I put back the new dish (about 80 cm) and both Astra & Hotbird are perfect (84%). Thank you gentlemen for all your help & assistance.

Robert

That is because Monoblocks are designed to be most effective with 80cm Dishes.

They will work after a fashion down to around 60cm (in strong signal areas) and up to around 90cm, but not at all well otherwise.

At the lower limit, the reduced efficiency off the offset LNB will soon put performance into the margins and at the upper limit the narrower dish beamwidth means a greater degree of precision is required to get the offset position working - and the rotation of the block may well then throw out the focal position due to incompatible skew.

But you are now officially "an expert", Robert

 

[Robbo]

On a larger than 80cm dish the LNBs will start being too close together, for a smaller dish they will be too far apart. It is because the focal length generally is proportional to dish size, assmuning that the f/d ratio remains about the same.

 

[Robert_winter_1000]

But you are now officially "an expert", Robert

Hello Gordon & Mark,

With your kind help and assistance I really start loving this field. Don’t be surprised if I will ask you some other questions in the future. Many thanks again for all your efforts.

Robert

 

[Robbo]

No problem Robert.

Why not have an experiment with either motorising or added some extra LNBs to your 1m dish.

 

[Robert_winter_1000]

No problem Robert.

Why not have an experiment with either motorising or added some extra LNBs to your 1m dish.

That is exactly what I am thinking now Mark. The only thing is that now I am trying to understand my new Rx and then I am planning to go further.

Mark, Would you like to tell me what for programs can I get (unscrambled) on which satellite?

Regards,

Robert