test equipment for testing satellite setup

vjekob

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My Satellite Setup
4lnbs + multiswitch
My Location
Croatia
I have 4 quattro LNBs + multiswitch satellite setup. The distance from the antenna to the
multiswitch in cellar is approx. 15m and then the cables are run throughout the house to each
room.The problem is that however good I try to setup the satellite, I just can't get a good
enough result and the reception at each receiver is not the same (can't pick up some channels
- may be due to different receivers). Anyway, I need to do a thorough check of everything
(cabling/wall outlets etc.). Could someone please indicate what test equipment and
procedures would be used to make such a test (I have an electronics background/but haven't
worked in the area for a long time, but could get a hold of test equipment and do the
testing).
 

PaulR

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My Satellite Setup
-----------See sig-----------
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Wirral, NW UK and Vaucluse, France.
Which four satellites are the LNBs directed at? Are they all on one satellite dish or separate dishes? Are the dish(es) large enough for the satellites you want to receiver? What multiswitch are you using?

Someone may be able to give you advice on suitable test equipment. What budget do you have to spend?
 

Mickha

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Why not use 1 receiver, at all points, to check if the signal quality is the same, at least this will allow you to eliminate a problem with the cabling, LNB's, switches, or ascertain that the problem lies with the receivers.
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
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A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
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I'd try to get out of the cellar first.
 
A

archive10

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I have 4 quattro LNBs + multiswitch satellite setup. The distance from the antenna to the
multiswitch in cellar is approx. 15m and then the cables are run throughout the house to each
room.The problem is that however good I try to setup the satellite, I just can't get a good
enough result and the reception at each receiver is not the same (can't pick up some channels
- may be due to different receivers). Anyway, I need to do a thorough check of everything
(cabling/wall outlets etc.). Could someone please indicate what test equipment and
procedures would be used to make such a test (I have an electronics background/but haven't
worked in the area for a long time, but could get a hold of test equipment and do the
testing).
Two thoughts on your situation:
1) If you use reasonable cabling (not old stuff left from previous owner), and good connectors, cabling distances are less important <50m.
If you have same cabling to all end-points, and good connectors, you should really see almost the same result.
2) Beyond using the same STB to measure strength and quality at each output, You will need a field strenght meter, also known as a Sat Meter.
This will tell you the signal strength, and the signal-noise ration, plus bit error rates in various forms.
 

Burnham Beech

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As I have an enigma2 receiver I can use my tablet to show the signal quality in db. I can adjust the dish whilst looking at the signal strength on the tablet.

Not every receiver has this facility, but worth investigating what you can do with your receiver.
 

vjekob

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4lnbs + multiswitch
My Location
Croatia
OK, more details (unfortunately can't connect my camera via wifi, otherwise I would have
added a few photos): To start with I'm in Croatia focusing on Astra 19.2E/28.2E and Hotbird 13.2.

I did the whole installation / everything was new (sat cable/wall plates/mutiswitch/receivers)- now maybe 4 years ago.
Following is written on sat cable "sat 17 1.13/4.8 class A <<51/07/L>> meter length info".
It's one sat antenna (I think Gibertini 90cm or 100cm), quattro LNB's and cascadable multiswitch (local production) .

I don't have the same receivers in every room (4 of the receivers are in apartments - so I didn't buy expensive receivers).

The sat antenna is on the second floor balcony/easy to adjust. The LNB's are fitted using two original Gibertini LNB supports.
In order to fit the two supports, I added a stainless piece under the LNB supports to hold everything rigidly - this has offset
the LNB's a couple of mm higher and the rest is standard. I have a monitor/TV, so tried adjusting with
receiver and TV connected directly to the LNB/antenna, but still I couldn't get things working properly (some strong signals
couldn't be adjusted properly).

I have a comass, sat meter (simple one with LED bar graph and sound )as well as the info on the receivers but I just can't
get the setup optimal - something is not right - but what ? So, I'd like to run through each of the parts of the setup and check
everything (LNB, cable, wall plugs, multiswitch). I have several cheapish receivers (2 are HD) - Dreambox DM 500-s, Nytrobox
NB6000 Combo, Yumatu, Nytrobox NB4001T and one more HD for which I haven't got the details here. The receivers don't have
the same sensitivity or there's something wrong with the cabling (I found that out the hard way when World soccer finals were on
and someone in an apartment couldn't pick-up a strong channel like ZDF Germany ;) - I replaced it with a HD receiver which
luckily picked up the HD channel). Funilly, the NB6000 combo picks up the channels best.

Apart from the LNB's being a few mm higher, I did everything "by the book" - center LNB's on central sat, level the antenna mast,
set receiver to center LNB and level antenna, adjust angle, adjust skew and repeat for all LNB's. Whatever I do even if connecting
LNB directly to receiver/monitor, I don't get excellent signal.
 
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