Dish Tuning

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

I got rid of my Sky years ago and bought a freesat HD kit which worked fine. I haven't used it for ages, but it isnt working now. I got my basic sat/signal finder out which showed 2 bar (out of max 5). I bought a duel LNB ages ago for the freesat to replace the single that was there so I swapped this over. Still got 2 bar but a very bad picture at least. I noted channel 5 was perfect & showed 75% signal and 50% quality on the DVR. Quick scan showed I could get 12 channels.  Played around with all settings on the dish including spinning the LNB but no good. I am being dragged out now to a wedding (Greek friends, on a sunday !!!!)  anyhow will read all you can tell me tonight, Ta

 

[ProDave]

forget cheap in line signal meters, they will read any old rubish as a "signal"

Instead concentrate on using the signal strength and quality meter built into the satellite receiver. To do that you need to position a tv where you can see it as you adjust the dish, which might mean temporarily moving the satellite receiver outside as well.

There's a good website that describes it all www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk

 

[batty]

I never did get mine working have gone back to a freeview  box connected to a new aerial in my office. I am still convinced the LNB supplied with the kit I brought was faulty.

 

[Andy™]

forget cheap in line signal meters, they will read any old rubish as a "signal"

Instead concentrate on using the signal strength and quality meter built into the satellite receiver. To do that you need to position a tv where you can see it as you adjust the dish, which might mean temporarily moving the satellite receiver outside as well.

There's a good website that describes it all www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk

+1. also, the meter may say your getting an excellent signal... and you may well be getting an excellent signal... from the wrong satellite....

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Thanks all, I am aware that you dont know what sat the cheap meters are looking at. I thought I may be in luck as I wasnt going to move the dish, just change the lnb.

 

[Steve3948]

Used with the compass and elevation finder, then the meter it gets you close, then a fine tune tweak, up,down or twist.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

When i left it the other day i eas getting a few channels, now nothing. Too busy to look at the moment

 

[ProDave]

Before you too much else, take your box to a friends house and try it on their dish.

Could be that scourge of modern electronics, the cheap failed electrolytic capacitor. There might not be anything wrong with the dish.

 

[buzzbang]

hi  as has been said forget cheap in line signal meters, they are as much use as a chocolate fire guard i find the signal meter on box works best ,move l n b  in one axis  till you get best signal and it wont go any higher and dose not drop ,then do the same with other axis ,also rotating l n b will alter signal as well. 

 

[steptoe]

I done one for my mate a while back, 3 hrs with a signal meter and got fed up,

had a go with eye and got it spot on in 20 mins,

out in the middle of nowhere and just a compass and a watch to get the general direction.

done my own at the beginning of the year, stuck the dish up, lined it by eye, switched on box and had a picture, 60% signal, havent been bothered to try and improve it yet,

the dish needs to look almost vertical in any I have done, but, my eyes are pissed so that may help me somewhat.

 

[Joseph Howarth]

To make sure your pointing at the right satellite if you don't have a compass, a tip I found was to start with the dish facing east, then rotate it slowly south, the first satellite signal you get is the correct one (Astra 28.2°E =TV, Eurobird =TVGuide) and as steptoe said you have to be careful with the tilt otherwise you will find the satellite dish picking up freeview channels not freesat channels :facepalm:

My Freesat stopped working after we had all that snow and hail over christmas, so ladders out and a tap with the hand further south, strength came back to 80%, it always amazes me how just a little movement no more than a couple of mm can throw the signal off

 

[streetlighter]

When you change a single LNB to a twin/quad the Elevation angle of the dish will need to be raised slightly as the new LNB is heavier and will drag the feed arm down slightly.

There where some FTA satellite kits sold a few years back under the fortec star brand where the LNB needed skewing ( turned in the holder ) more than usual due to an internal fault.

The cheap satellite meters can be useful but the problem is the instructions supplied are next to useless, If you want Freesat/sky then your looking for Astra/eurobird at 28.2/28.5 east of south but there are other strong satellites near them 19 and 13 that you might line the dish up on as the cheap meters dont identify the satellite. Good website to go on with information and videos is satellite for caravans

I do offer a satellite installation service and the meter i use is a Horizon nanosat its simple and easy to use comes loaded with 13,19,28.2 east as standard you select the satellite and it beeps when you have found the correct one, then adjustments can be made using the signal bar graph.

If using the inbuilt signal meter of a cheap FTA box then i would advise using a strong signal like BBC/ITV then switching to Euronews as thats on the weaker eurobird satellite at 28.5 and doing fine tuning of the dish on this signal.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Thanks all. I have had family staying from abroad so have got nothing done. Since the dish is now out of tune i am going to move it up to the eaves. The lazy Sky muppet fixed it with 2 & 1/2  bolts at about 7ft off the ground & have been meaning to move it for years

 

[OnOff]

Met some new neighbours today, meet and greet / cup of tea sort of thing. Theirs is originally a barn conversion (before they moved in) down the road from us, kids at the same school etc. Mentioned they had brought their Sky box with them but it wouldn't work on the existing dish. Offered to have a quick look & shown to the upstairs living room and the nice big flat screen etc. My eye was drawn to the fact they were running the telly, Sky box, DVD, consoles et al off of an extension and I said on the lines pity they didn't have a socket local to it all.

Mentioned they have heard "birds" in the eaves so I'm thinking rat/squirrel damage maybe. I go outside the house to look at the dish cable route and the fella gets into the eaves. Quad LNB with only two used. Crawling down the eaves and he shouts he's found "two bits of cable" one loose and one disappearing into the wall. It appears to be in fact two bits of 2.5mm sq the other side of the stud wall where a socket obviously was meant to go! A quick stab with the Fluke volt stick and both liver than a live thing. Guessing the upstairs ring has had this break in it forever. CU is Wylex dual RCD etc on a TT. Like spaghetti junction! No certs etc. I've fitted Wagos on the ends and said they need an EICR............won't know more without testing.

As for the Sky box, remade the F-plug ends and all good!

 

[batty]

Lucky you turned up I think.

 

[Steve3948]

At 11:00am point it at the sun  :slap

However getting there at 11am could be a problem and if it's not sunny you have no chance  :red card

But it does work.  :innocent