Newbie Here Signal Power/Quality Issues with HD channels

1337Pilot

New Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2013
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Age
30
My Satellite Setup
Viasat SMT-S7140
My Location
London, UK
Hey,

I was looking around internet, trying to diagnose my problem but nothing I've found was useful so far.

Some details:

I have a SMT-S7140 receiver from Viasat. It is HD and it is connected with 2 cables coming from the satellite LNB, dish itself is 1.2 meters in size. It was installed few months ago but I didn't really care about HD channels, since it only has around 5 of them, but hey those are some great channels...Viasat Motor HD, National Geographic HD, MTV HD and so on.

The problem:

Basically once I got on Viasat Motor HD channel, I get 'No signal' message. I then go to check the signal for that channel, and I get the results as shown in the first picture which I have uploaded.

Now if I go to non HD Viasat Motor channel, it has 40% power which I guess means signal strength and I can watch the channel with no problem in SD even though it has no quality strength.

So my problem is really not having enough quality nor strength on HD channel...can anyone guess why is this happening? What can I do to fix it?

Do I need some kind of better LNB? Bigger dish?

I am really bad at this so if you need some information, please ask and I'll try to provide. THANKS
 

Attachments

  • 20131024_232706.jpg
    20131024_232706.jpg
    174.3 KB · Views: 55
  • 20131024_232809.jpg
    20131024_232809.jpg
    176.3 KB · Views: 51

Mickha

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
5,974
Reaction score
884
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
1.2M Channel Master, 1224 motor, VU+ Duo 2
My Location
North West
Nothing is really wrong, as we are not supposed to get these channels, in the UK, the beams are not meant for us.
There are more than 5 HD channels, on the viasat package:
Code:
http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/viasat.html
Given your location, London, think you should just about get them, on a quality 1.2M dish, that's aligned correctly, but your receiver might not help pull in weak signals.
I can't see a better quality LNB making that much difference so perhaps a bigger dish is required.
Do you currently lose signal, during rain, or at other times?
 

1337Pilot

New Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2013
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Age
30
My Satellite Setup
Viasat SMT-S7140
My Location
London, UK
Nothing is really wrong, as we are not supposed to get these channels, in the UK, the beams are not meant for us.
There are more than 5 HD channels, on the viasat package:
Code:
http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/viasat.html
Given your location, London, think you should just about get them, on a quality 1.2M dish, that's aligned correctly, but your receiver might not help pull in weak signals.
I can't see a better quality LNB making that much difference so perhaps a bigger dish is required.
Do you currently lose signal, during rain, or at other times?

Well it's Lithuanian Viasat package so it only has 5 or so HD channels.

During rain, yes even my SD channels are stuttering and if it starts to rain heavier it usually loses the signal completely.
 

Mickha

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
5,974
Reaction score
884
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
1.2M Channel Master, 1224 motor, VU+ Duo 2
My Location
North West
I thought you might, given the low signal quality reading in your pictures.
You will probably need a bigger dish, maybe even a CM 1.8M, to get all the channels, including the HD ones, which requires planning permission, unless you take a chance and hope no one complains.
Since the technology improved and satellites started becoming more precise with their beams, we are seeing this problem more often, especially compared to the early days of satellite viewing.
A lot of this can be traced to pubs showing the EPL games and upsetting Sky UK and the EPL seem to have forced an improvement in security, card pairing to receivers and making it more difficult to receive the channels in the UK.
It has also stopped a lot of channels being used in card sharing.
 

1337Pilot

New Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2013
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Age
30
My Satellite Setup
Viasat SMT-S7140
My Location
London, UK
I thought you might, given the low signal quality reading in your pictures.
You will probably need a bigger dish, maybe even a CM 1.8M, to get all the channels, including the HD ones, which requires planning permission, unless you take a chance and hope no one complains.
Since the technology improved and satellites started becoming more precise with their beams, we are seeing this problem more often, especially compared to the early days of satellite viewing.
A lot of this can be traced to pubs showing the EPL games and upsetting Sky UK and the EPL seem to have forced an improvement in security, card pairing to receivers and making it more difficult to receive the channels in the UK.
It has also stopped a lot of channels being used in card sharing.

Yeah bigger this is one of the things I was thinking about, I'd be willing to risk having a bigger dish, but I'd really want to be sure before buying one that it's gonna solve the issue. I 'heard' some people do get those channels in HD like you've mentioned in pubs and what not, but perhaps they're in a better area or something.

Viasat HD receivers are not very sensitive - I know this, because I have one.

The HD channels are all on SES-5 satellite - check this thread >> http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/threads/ses-5-4-9°e-reception-reports-please-and-map.159831/

I fail to understand what you're implying because my knowledge in this is zero lol. :(
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
I fail to understand what you're implying because my knowledge in this is zero lol. :(

There are two physical satellites up in the sky for Viasat's position at 5E. The first one is Astra 4A, whose Nordic beam reaches the UK with a relatively good signal strength. This is where all of the SD channels are, as well as some HD channels, that Viasat HD box isn't tuned into.

The second satellite is called SES-5, on which most of the HD channels reside. This is much weaker in the UK than Astra 4A, hence why you're having issues. Read the thread I gave you - it will give you an idea of what people are receiving and where from SES-5.

Whereabouts in London are you? You should be able to receive something in HD in the east of London on that size dish, though you'll probably have more issues in the west.
 

Lazarus

Retired Moderator
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
27,078
Reaction score
8,664
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
80cm Motorised.
Several small Dishes.
Much else.
My Location
North York Moors
I fail to understand what you're implying because my knowledge in this is zero lol. :(


1. There isn't just one Beam from the Satellite, but several. Some of these are shaped in such a way that you cannot receive them reliably (if at all) without an even bigger dish than you've got.

2. The Channels you do get reliably are on one or more of the stronger Beams

3. Apart from Dish size, there are other factors which have some effect on the ability of your system as a whole to perform: Whilst Dish size is far and away the most significant, things like the sensitivity of the tuner in your receiver and the performance of your LNB can make the difference between successfully and failure with regard to receiving fringe channels.



Edit: "Sorry, CJ: Sticky fingers on my keyboard"
 

1337Pilot

New Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2013
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Age
30
My Satellite Setup
Viasat SMT-S7140
My Location
London, UK
There are two physical satellites up in the sky for Viasat's position at 5E. The first one is Astra 4A, whose Nordic beam reaches the UK with a relatively good signal strength. This is where all of the SD channels are, as well as some HD channels, that Viasat HD box isn't tuned into.

The second satellite is called SES-5, on which most of the HD channels reside. This is much weaker in the UK than Astra 4A, hence why you're having issues. Read the thread I gave you - it will give you an idea of what people are receiving and where from SES-5.

Whereabouts in London are you? You should be able to receive something in HD in the east of London on that size dish, though you'll probably have more issues in the west.

I see.

I am in South East London in the Lewisham area. What I did not tell you yet is that around few months ago, couple of days after having the system installed I did notice MTV HD working but it was stuttering very badly every couple of seconds and sometimes it worked fine for minute before starting to stutter again.

My satellite dish is facing facing pretty much in the same direction too South East that is.

1. There isn't just one Beam from the Satellite, but several. Some of these are shaped in such a way that you cannot receive them reliably (if at all) without an even bigger dish than you've got.

2. The Channels you do get reliably are on one or more of the stronger Beams

3. Apart from Dish size, there are other factors which have some effect on the ability of your system as a whole to perform: Whilst Dish size is far and away the most significant, things like the sensitivity of the tuner in your receiver and the performance of your LNB can make the difference between successfully and failure with regard to receiving fringe channels.



Edit: "Sorry, CJ: Sticky fingers on my keyboard"

Thanks for clarifying those things.
 
Top