signal meter question

[wrate]

I have been trying to find Echostar 5 using a 6 foot offset dish without any luck. I am in Mexico City :)

So, I bought an analog satellite finder signal strength meter.

I had previously located both DirecTV's 101W sats as well as Echostar 7 at 119W. I marked both dish mount positions (the dish mount sits on top of a pole and can be rotated 360 Degrees).

With the satellite finder, about half way from 119W to 101W I found a signal. But the receiver (3000) displays 0 signal strength on all transponders. I also tried my RCA DTV receiver on transp. 28, 30 and 32. 0 signal strength.

According to lyngsat, the ONLY satellites that transmit in the DSS band (12.2 Ghz- 12.7 Ghz ) going from 101W to 119W are Echo 5/DTV1.

So, my question is, since the satellite finder will not tell you what is the satellite whose signal you have found, if by connecting the satellite finder to a Dish/DTV LNB, I am limiting its sensitivity to ONLY satellites that transmit in the 12.2 -12.7 Ghz band?

If the answer is yes, then: is the satellite finder so much more sensitive than the Dish (3000) receiver that I can get a clear signal strength with it and 0 with the receiver's signal strength meter?

Thanks in advance for any comments/ideas.

Wrate

[Scott Greczkowski]

Set your point dish Screen for Transponder 11 and see what you get.

Transponder 11 seems to be the magic number now. :)

Let me know how this works!

Scott

[HTguy]

Does your 3000's "Point Dish & Signal" screen have a box for 110? They originally shipped w/o multi-sat software altho if it's been seeing 119 for a while it should have taken SW downloads by now if left in "standby."

Anyway, if you have the 110 option make sure it is checked. Since E5 doesn't have spot beams it shouldn't matter what transponder you're on but getting it on T11 won't hurt. Then see if it locks on your signal.

[wrate]

Thanks a lot. I will try tonight (if it stops raining) and let you know.
Oh! The receiver has the 746 sw which includes the Dish500 sw and the multidish thing. So I am able to select 148, 110, 119, and that other one.

Scott, why do you say that about T 11?

And finally, has anyone ever reported receiving this satellite anywhere close to Mexico City?

Again, much thanks.

Wrate

[HTguy]

In another thread in this forum a couple of monthes back someone South of the Gulf of Mexico (we're not sure exactly where he was) was having trouble. I just don't know if you're in the "footprint" for 110 DBS from either service.

[wrate]

HTGuy, OK, I am west of the Golf of Mexico.

But, do you know if the fact that the satellite finder is connected to a Dish/DTV LNB keeps it from detecting signals from any other type of satellite which does not transmit in the 12.2 - 12.7 freq range?

The thing is that in between DTV's 101W sats and Dish's 119 Echo 7 there are many satellites, some of them KU band (11.7- 12.2 GHZ, I think) and the signal I am detecting with my signal strength meter could be from one of this other sats UNLESS the signal strength meter is LIMITED by the Dish/DTV LNB to ONLY detect signals from the 12.2 - 12.7 GHZ freq. range. Because Echo5/DTV1 are the only sats that tranmit in that freq. range and are between 119W and 101W.

So my question continues to be that. :)

And the rain won't stop here in Mexico City, so I cannot do tests for the time being. :(

Thanks again,

Wrate

[HTguy]

Originally posted by wrate


But, do you know if the fact that the satellite finder is connected to a Dish/DTV LNB keeps it from detecting signals from any other type of satellite which does not transmit in the 12.2 - 12.7 freq range?

The thing is that in between DTV's 101W sats and Dish's 119 Echo 7 there are many satellites, some of them KU band (11.7- 12.2 GHZ, I think) and the signal I am detecting with my signal strength meter could be from one of this other sats UNLESS the signal strength meter is LIMITED by the Dish/DTV LNB to ONLY detect signals from the 12.2 - 12.7 GHZ freq. range. Because Echo5/DTV1 are the only sats that tranmit in that freq. range and are between 119W and 101W.
Wrate

No, I don't know for sure if your meter is picking up other birds. And if your on the D* bird your 3000 won't lock on the signal.

Your probably going to have to "nudge" your dish around in every direction a degree or 2 to find E5. I suspect you will find it but I'm not sure there will be enough SS for a "lock."

[RJS1111111]

In the full-conus slots, only the DBS birds use circular
(left/right) polarization. The Ku birds there all use linear
(horizontal/vertical) polarization, so their signal strength
should be very low indeed when using a DBS LNBF, and
vice versa.

[wrate]

Ok, I will have to do the 2 degree search. I aimed the dish to what I suspect to be Echo 5, and I get 0 strength on all transponders. I hope that although some people have said that two transponders on Echo 5 are already at double-power, this is not true, because if it is, then there is no hope for me. :(

The only strange thing that did happen was that on transps. 2, 12, 22 and 24, the signal strength meter while it stayed completely off (0 signal) at times would show 12 signal strength two or three times in a row in a ten seconds lapse.

I had seen this 12 and then back to zero signal strength thing before, but it happened once, not two or three times in a row. But I don't know if this means anythng.

Regarding the ability of the satellite finder to sense anything other than what the LNB it is connected to can tune in, logic dictates that it shouldn't. I would still like to hear this from an expert. :)

Thanks a lot for you commets.

Wrate

[Jacob S]

Transponders 1-10 dont have a signal any longer unless you live in a spot beam area then you receive the transponder(s) that they are beaming into your area for LIL (locals) and have to start at transponder 11 and up.

[wrate]

Jacob, you mean Echostar 5 at 110W now has Spot Beams? I did not know that it had such capability.

Wrate

[HTguy]

Originally posted by wrate

Regarding the ability of the satellite finder to sense anything other than what the LNB it is connected to can tune in, logic dictates that it shouldn't.

The meter on the rcvr's Point Dish & signal screen won't recognize or lock on anything but a E* satellite.

But your analog meter may read a signal from any bird your dish is aimed at.

E5 @ 110 does not have spot beams. E8 does. That's the new satellite which is supposed to launch in about 10 days & will go to 110.

If your rcvr has taken an SW update recently it will consider T11 to be the "home" transponder, tho. So I would still set the PD/S for 110, T11 while you look for it.

[Jacob S]

Transponders 1-10 not coming in because of spot beams only pertains to the 119 satellite.