# Arrghh... Trying to tune satellite...



## HDNewb (Jan 10, 2007)

SOOOO i went up and adjusted my dish with some help of a friend. Im still not getting my missing channels (309 and 325 to name two) altho 203 and 247 did start coming in, but there's a screeching sound and the picture is VERY pixelated (thata word?). Instead of having to call and pay directv to tweak my dish, is there a good meter I can buy that would help me get it aligned? I'd rather pay moeny for that an know I can use it later on than have them take the cash and need to call them back out.

Thanks for any help!


----------



## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

It would be cheaper to have a DirecTV installer come align your dish than buying a suitable signal meter. And it will preserve your sanity


----------



## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

There are several meters that could serve your purpose. I have an Accutrac 22 Pro, which is a decent middle of the road device that should let you do most dish installs/alignments you need for DirecTV. There are better ones, and there are worse ones.

You can expect to pay anywhere from about $100 to $700 for a meter, depending on the brand and model.

Carl


----------



## ISWIZ (Nov 18, 2005)

The R-15 has a meter in the set up menu. Using that, a cheap compass and 2 cell phones is much cheaper.


----------



## rlambert7 (Feb 7, 2006)

ISWIZ said:


> The R-15 has a meter in the set up menu. Using that, a cheap compass and 2 cell phones is much cheaper.


I don't have a cell phone, but I have a little 13" TV. I put that and my stardard receiver in a box, and hauled it up on the roof. I used standard receiver and my little TV for my "meter".

I meticulously plumbed the mast, and adjusted the elevation. I [thought] I was very careful to point [using a compass] the dish to the correct azimuth. When I hooked up my "meter", I got nothing (searching for satellite...). SIGH. So, just for the heck of it, I twisted the dish several degrees to the east. My "meter" came to life, and I had a signal strength in the low 90s. This was in the horribly hot summer, and I was about ready to pass out. I locked the dish, thinking I go back sometime later to tweak it more. I've never gotten around to that. Last night I ran a test. I have signal strengths on the various transponders ranging from 92 to 96.


----------



## Mrpalmer420 (Jan 9, 2007)

92 to 96 is the best i have ever got. i am usually happy with anything above 80. Is it possible that not getting those other channels has something to do with D* themselves and not the alignment? I don't know the answer to this but i would think that if you get that high then you should get everything fine.


----------



## HDNewb (Jan 10, 2007)

I've tried the 2 cell phones and the meter on the screen, but just cant get it right. Sat A (101) gets about 75% of the transponders 80 and above..the others are either zero or 7-80. I spent a whole day tweeking the thing and nothing better. 

That's why I was thinking about getting a meter I could use up there.... the R-15 is kinda slow in responding to my changes to the dish postion... i was hoping the meter would be quicker and more accurate.


----------



## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

There are a number of spot beams on 101 (all will be even numbered), which means it is very normal to have some transponders read zero, and it is very possible to have some transponders read very low (if you are on the edge of a spot beam). Those don't matter to you except for the spot beam for your locals (which will typically read very high). I think the spot beams are 4, 12, 20, 26, 28, and maybe a couple of others.

It sounds like your readings were okay for 101. Once you have it at that point, check and see if you are getting all of the channels you are interested in. If so, lock it down.

Carl


----------



## rlambert7 (Feb 7, 2006)

carl6 said:


> There are a number of spot beams on 101 (all will be even numbered), which means it is very normal to have some transponders read zero, and it is very possible to have some transponders read very low (if you are on the edge of a spot beam). Those don't matter to you except for the spot beam for your locals (which will typically read very high). I think the spot beams are 4, 12, 20, 26, 28, and maybe a couple of others.
> 
> It sounds like your readings were okay for 101. Once you have it at that point, check and see if you are getting all of the channels you are interested in. If so, lock it down.
> 
> Carl


I think Carl is someone who would "know". I am not one of those folks, but I can confirm what Carl said from my own experience/observations. I have a bunch of transponders that read 0. I'm sure those are the ones I am NOT supposed to get. I have a couple that read 100. I'm sure those are the one I AM supposed to get. I noticed one, the last time I ran a test, that read 20. I'll bet that is one that I am not supposed to get, but am get a little bit of "spill over" from.


----------



## HDNewb (Jan 10, 2007)

carl6 said:


> There are a number of spot beams on 101 (all will be even numbered), which means it is very normal to have some transponders read zero, and it is very possible to have some transponders read very low (if you are on the edge of a spot beam). Those don't matter to you except for the spot beam for your locals (which will typically read very high). I think the spot beams are 4, 12, 20, 26, 28, and maybe a couple of others.
> 
> It sounds like your readings were okay for 101. Once you have it at that point, check and see if you are getting all of the channels you are interested in. If so, lock it down.
> 
> Carl


Hrmm... it sounds like my dish if fine then. Maybe it's my lines or the multiswitch I installed. Would you know if there is a list online that shows the channels versus the satellite and transponder they arrive on?

It's realy wierd, court TV 2-3 was a channel I wasn't getting. After the latest tweak, it still wasn't coming in, day later it came in almost perfect except with a few pixels here and there. Today it's out again ' "searching for signal".

Ive got a small TV I can put outside to test the lines and fine tune the dish. I might take another stab at it.... I know Im asking for a pain, but wht the heck, I got time =)


----------



## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Here is a list of channels versus transponders for the 101 satellite: http://www.dbsforums.com/tx_map.html

The fact that a channel was not coming in, then was but with pixels, then wasn't again, does suggest dish alignment, or perhaps a tree branch or something moving in and out of the signal path.

Also make sure your coax is good, and especially that your connectors are good and are properly installed. Use high quality compression connectors only, don't use crimp on or twist on. Make sure you don't have a single, almost invisible thread of shield wire touching your center wire. Etc.

Carl


----------



## HDNewb (Jan 10, 2007)

carl6 said:


> Here is a list of channels versus transponders for the 101 satellite: http://www.dbsforums.com/tx_map.html
> 
> Also make sure your coax is good, and especially that your connectors are good and are properly installed. Use high quality compression connectors only, don't use crimp on or twist on. Make sure you don't have a single, almost invisible thread of shield wire touching your center wire. Etc.
> 
> Carl


MUCH Thanks for the listing and information. I have a clear sky behind my house, so no obsstructins at all. But you mention sone nice info on the connectors. I used both twist on and crimp on. I looked around at Home Depot, Lowe's and a general hardware store and those were all I could find.

I got the spool of RG6 at Home Depot, but wasn't sure about stripping and connecting.... I know there's a cable wire surrounded by white solid insullator (i believe), around that is a thin metal shilding (like aluminum) and outside that is the very thin metal wires. Around that is the outside cable. I stripped the line down to the thin metal alumin type wrap and put on the connectors. maybe I did this part wrong..... I've done many coax cable, but not satelite....


----------



## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

I know home depot sells compression connectors, the compression tool, and the proper stripper to prepare the end of the coax for the connector, as that's where I buy mine. There are different connectors for regular RG6 and for quad shield RG6 (slightly different diameters). Ask for help in getting the correct items, it is worth the effort.

Twist on connectors are the worst - often do not make a good connection and are easily untwisted enough to make them not work. Crimp on can work, but you need to be very careful putting them on and crimping them properly.

Carl


----------

