Checking for signal and LOS for new install

[derwin0]

A friend of mine is looking to switch to Directv from Dish Network.
He wants to upgrade to an HD package.
Problem is that there are trees everywhere around him.

He first had a Dish guy come out to upgrade him. The Dish guy took a look and said there was no way he could get 61.5 so he left. Could be true, as the back end of the house to wooded pretty thoroughly. 129 would be easy, but being Eastern Pennsylvania, we use 61.5 instead.

Next step was to call Directv. The Directv guy came out and said he wouldn't be able to get anything. The installer even told him that the existing Dish 500 wouldn't be able to get 110 & 119, to which my friend called him a liar and told him that he gets a kick ass signal with it (which is true as I helped him install it, as there is a gap in the trees in that direction). The installer still refused to even try, and left.

So I'm going over this afternoon to try to sight in the birds. The equipment I have is:
- Sadoun SF95L Satellite Signal Meter (little analog meter with buzzer).
- Dish 300 with both legacy and dishpro dual lnb's available.
- Directv Phase 3 triple lnb dish with triple lnb (was left at my house when I moved in).

So, we are going to check for LOS at 101, hopefully if 101 is good, then 99 & 103 should be fine as well.

My questions are:

If I use the Phase 3, with either the meter or Dish Receiver be able to help me established signal strength on the 3 birds, particularly 101?

With the Dish Twin/Quad, the outputs are keyed to one particular satellite prior to a switch test so I could reliably test for both satellites, but I don't know if either of the 4 outputs on the Directv Triple are keyed to anything. I know that 110 is mapped to 119(28, 30, 32 to 8, 10, 12), so are the outputs keyed to 101 & 119? If so, which ones?

Can I use the Dish Receiver to check signal strength's with the Phase 3, knowing that it'll see 110 as part of 119, to check strength's on all 3?

Failing that, could I use it with the Dish 300 to check 101 strength's?

thanks,

[carl6]

I am not familiar with Dish equipment at all, however I do not believe you can use the Dish receiver to check any DirecTV signal (or vice-versa).

Your simple signal meter will tell you if you have a signal, but you have no way of knowing what satellite it is coming from.

The 3-LNB dish uses a 22KHz tone to select 110/119 over 101. Unless you have a way to generate that tone you won't be able to see a signal from 110/119 on your meter. Further, to verify 110 you would need either a very expensive meter, or a DirecTV receiver.

I can't think of any procedure you could use with the equipment you have to determine if you can see the 3 orbital slots you are concerned with.

Carl

[derwin0]

I know that 110 & 119 are doable from the current setup.
So it's really 101 we're interested in. The current setup is on a tower, so we can try this one right below it.

Am I correct in that without a tone generator, we'll be seeing 101? If so, then we should be okay, as that's that one we need to verify can catch a strong signal (hopefully if it's strong, then 99 & 103 should fall in line.)

If we verify a strong signal, then we'll call Directv out again and ask for a supervisor this time with proof that LOS exists.

[tj177mmi]

It really all depends how close the trees are to the house. I've had LOS issues with DTV, but have had Dish Network at my house and got great signals. The DTV guy came out and said I had LOS issuses with 119, but I didn't put 2 and 2 together until I came back inside and jumped on the Internet.

I don't know for the 3 LNB, but the 5 LNB points toward 101. But, I have seen a 3 LNB DTV dish down the road from me that points directly at a house next to it, so I don't know.

www.dishpointer.com should help you out!

[K4SMX]

I know that 110 & 119 are doable from the current setup.
So it's really 101 we're interested in. The current setup is on a tower, so we can try this one right below it.

Am I correct in that without a tone generator, we'll be seeing 101? If so, then we should be okay, as that's that one we need to verify can catch a strong signal (hopefully if it's strong, then 99 & 103 should fall in line.)

If we verify a strong signal, then we'll call Directv out again and ask for a supervisor this time with proof that LOS exists.
In Seven Valleys, PA, using a compass, you need to have an unobstructed view in the arc from 224 degrees at 39 degrees elev. around to 246 degrees down at 27 degrees elevation. If you currently receive the 101 with no problem, you should have no problems with the 99 and the 103, because they are only 2 degrees either side of the 101, which is at 226 degrees.