testing esx241 lnbf

[Vipersan]

Hi guys ..
Like Nelson I've tried on several occasions to get even 1 transponder from 43W ...
I even tried again when I realised the F15 was the most sensitive receiver I had ever owned ..but to date ..sadly nothing ..
I've not totally given up hope of a 'freak conditions ' catch ...but strongly suspect a dish of about 2.4 is minimum requirement at my location..

I even thought maybe a non petalised 1.8 might do the job ...until Nelson with his offset 1 piece 1.8 discounted that idea
..rgds
VS

..Oh btw Pride ..
Could you identify the strongest transponder on this bird ...encrypted or otherwise ...
..just so we know what could be used as a reference beacon here oop North..

 

[Vipersan]

Just to illustrate the total lack of reception ..

Heres a cap for the DishEye...pointing approx 43W

You can see I'm clipping the tops of a couple of small trees ..but this doesn't prevent 99% reception @40W..

so although I don't expect signals from 43W booming in ...I would expect .._something_ ..perhaps 0.5 >1db ..

Currently ...Nothing other than channels like RTP from 40W bleeding over..

A total lack of anything from this location..

rgds
VS

 

[Huevos]

Could you identify the strongest transponder on this bird

3874 is the strongest FTA transponder. Not sure about encrypted as I never scan for encrypted channels.

I have put an ESX241 in place of my linear LNB. At this point nothing suggests there is any improvement over the Zinwell. If anything the performance is worse.

 

[pride21]

Hi VS the strongest transponder has huevos said is 3874v the maximum quality on my dish is 44% with nederland radio at 40% the other transponders vary cnn at 4040h went up to 40% but would not lock also transponder 3994h was also 40% but would not lock either the others varied between 33% and 37% quality hope that helps, the esx241 lnbf i have been testing the plate on my other lnbfs was between the two probes but with the esx241 its below both probes, wherever that helps the extra gain i dont know.
cheers

 

[Huevos]

43ºW is booming in tonight. Look at the SNR increase compared to my earlier post. Vu+ Duo struggles a bit to lock it in the first instance (maybe 30 seconds to 1 minute) due to the low symbol rate, but once locked it is stable and well above the cliff edge. This channel rates about equal quality to "EADCON2" on 55ºW. Bitrate is a joke.

 

[Vipersan]

..Couldn't resist Huevos ..
Swung the dish to where I think 43W is located ..

..and yes I can concur ...this is the most I've _ever_ seen from this bird ...
Not enugh for a transponder lock ...and the signal fluctuates wildly between zero and 2.5/3db ...but it is indicating its presence ..
Oh for a bigger dish ..
rgds
VS

 

[Huevos]

How does that box cope with low symbol rates?

 

[Vipersan]

Hi Huevos ..
Generally pretty well ..

btw ...
at 11 57 pm ...the signal on Cholusat Sur very briefly topped 3.5 db ...and the F15 locked it ..
Problem was that it wasn't during a scan process ..so sadly I didn't log in the channel ..
But ..it locked ;)

It hasn't done it since ..and the signal appears to have passed the peak ..
..but it makes me think its worth persuing another night ..
If you notice another 'peak' in the signal ..I'll try and go for it straight way assuming I'm around at the time.
Its definately a first for me ..sadly I can't prove it.
rgds
VS

 

[pride21]

hi VS well done in picking up the transponder 3874V like Euevos said you have to wait for lock,have you tried 4000V 1200 i know its a radio channel but i found it easier to lock.
cheers

 

[Huevos]

If you notice another 'peak' in the signal ..I'll try and go for it straight way

It's even stronger today.



Another easy transponder is 3994 H 21090 3/4.

 

[Vipersan]

Hi Huevos ..
Sadly not stronger here atm ..
Cholusat barely makes 2db at its fluctuating peak ..
I'll try again tonight around 11pm ..
Not moved the dish at all ...for fear of losing it totally
;)

Absolutely nothing showing for the radio transponder ..but maybe a stronger signal needed at such a low SR ?

Not giving up easily on this now that I've seen a brief lock ..
Maybe I'll get better results on a cold crisp night.
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

.AAAAArrrrrrrgh ...
This is soooo frustrating.
Have done some tweaking at the lnb assy ...
Waited for the peaks which appear to come in waves..
Have managed to hold the signal ..locked 7 times for almost 30 seconds ...but not long enough to pull the channel info from the stream ..
Its jut so close ..but a fraction more ..and for a slightly longer period of time before the F15 drops the scan in progress ..

Here is at least a snap of the brief lock at 3.1db
VS
..if the weather stays fine this evening ..
Gonna take the F15 outside ...
Shorter cable run from box to lnb ...
You never know ..
Doh!

 

[Channel Hopper]

VS

I take it you have taken the dielectric plate out of the throat for this bird.

If so you should then align the LNB for full minimum cross-pol on the opposite polarity transponders of 43West, assuming any come in.

 

[Huevos]

If so you should then align the LNB for full minimum cross-pol on the opposite polarity transponders of 43West, assuming any come in.

He's not getting any transponders at all from this satellite,... but,... he must have the skew pretty much nailed because he is receiving 37ºW and 55ºW.

 

[Vipersan]

VS

I take it you have taken the dielectric plate out of the throat for this bird.

If so you should then align the LNB for full minimum cross-pol on the opposite polarity transponders of 43West, assuming any come in.

Hi CH ..
Yes indeed ..I don't install anything in the feed horn throat when scanned H/V birds ..

Huevos has it pretty much nailed ...
37 and 55 West aren't a problem for me ...but 43W has always been a hole in the arc ..
the fact that its upped its power a little ..either due to changes in erp or shift in footprint (possibly seasonal) ...and Huevos reported it was up ..prompted me to persue it again ..
Its extremly borderline reception at my location ...real dx stuff on such a small dish relatively speaking .
Results are promising ..but nothing concrete as yet.

Regarding setting up cross polarity on these lnbfs ..
..its relatively straightforward ..as they give you a scale on the back of the lnb to facilitate this ..
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

...Only gone and done it ain't I



3.6 db was all it took to get a lock ..
Its sporadic and intermittent ...but what an achievement
He shoots ..He Scores..
rgds
VS

 

[Channel Hopper]

So, what was it ?

 

[Vipersan]

So, what was it ?

Hi CH ..
If you mean what changed regarding this bird ..
2 things ..
One of which is beyond my control ..

Quite simply ..as Huevos says ..the signal is a little bit stronger ...and changes some throughout the day ..

The second thing ..
I had another one of my daft ideas..

Because my dish is 6 petal construction ..and no way possible they can match perfectly ..
I thought what if one petal outperforms another ..insofaras ..one or maybe 2 align to increase gain ..but the effect is cancelled by a misaligned petal in another quadrant of the dish ..
This being so perhaps I can point the lnb slightly off centre biased in favour of 1 petal or group of petals to the disadvantage of its opposite petal or group ..
So ..I tried off centring the lnb in sequence toward each petal in turn ..until I presume ..the best 'in phase' match was found ..
Voila ...a 'sweet spot' was found ..
it produced the much needed 0.3 db ..and the lock was sustainable ..
at least long enough to drag the channel info from the stream ..
Does this make any sense ?
It did to me ..and the proof as it were ...is in the pudding ..
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

...other relevant factors in this equation ..
The High gain and sensitivity of the F15 ...which I now believe to be the best receiver I have ever owned (gain wise)

..and the ESX lnb ..which shows no improvement in circular polarised signal gain ..
but definately has the edge when used on H/V signals ..

Without either of these 2 factors ..I don't believe this would _ever_ have been possible.
rgds
VS

 

[pride21]

well done VS you have to try different things to get that little bit more gain,at times i get very frustrated on weak channels especially with such a small dish