# This may seem silly, but what do your numbers look like?



## spweber (Aug 29, 2006)

As a new DirecTV customer as of a month ago, I have been fascinated by the satellite signal values. (It helps to know that I am a ham radio operator).

I have also read the posts on this forum every day, and I own 2 R-15's, and a D11.

I was just curious as to whether everyone else gets values similar to me---assuming you have a nice clear sky to the satellite (no obstructions).

I don't have HD....just the simple, basic installation, round dish and single LNB.

Here are my R15-300 values from Tuner #1 (with ver. 104B as of 8/27/2006)

1 - 8 : 96 94 94 96 95 96 94 90
9 - 16 : 94 94 93 96 96 96 94 91
17 - 24: 93 0 95 0 96 94 95 90
25 - 32: 95 80 95 0 96 94 93 88

When the installer got the signal--he said, "I tune in on transponder #12 when adjusting your dish and LNB."

Well, transponder #12 (on satellite @ 101 degrees) is always at "96" for the R-15's. 

Interestingly transponder #12 is ALWAYS at "100" on my D11........

Not sure what to make of the difference.

Anyway.......do your signal values look similar to mine?



Sincerely,
Stan

Parker, CO
WB5UDI


----------



## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

These numbers are calibrated differently in different DirecTV receivers/DVRs, so you cannot compare them across different models. I have several different brand/models of DirecTV Receivers and DVRs, and they all yield different numbers when comparing the same satellite/transponders.


----------



## spweber (Aug 29, 2006)

litzdog911 said:


> These numbers are calibrated differently in different DirecTV receivers/DVRs, so you cannot compare them across different models. I have several different brand/models of DirecTV Receivers and DVRs, and they all yield different numbers when comparing the same satellite/transponders.


Well, yes I did say that this may seem silly 

But seriously, I realize that the values are going to be different--which is why I referenced my own D11---but this forum is for R15's.

So, I was curious as to how the signal values (in my case R15-300) compared to other R15-300's.

I take it you must not own an R15-300....but I appreciate your reply!

Sincerely,
Stan


----------



## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

I have two R15-500's and a D11. I'm feeding my Phase III triple LNB dish into a 5x8 multiswitch where I am also mixing a cable feed, then take the outputs to the various DVR or receiver inputs, some directly, some through diplexers.

There are differences between all units.

I don't know how DirecTV receivers determine "signal strength", but it is almost certainly not the same as in a typical quality radio receiver (S meter type reading). At best it is only a relative reading of some sort that you can use to peak a dish alignment (86 is better than 83 on this specific transponder of this specific receiver on this specific dish), but has absolutely no relevance when compared to a different receiver (some of mine vary by as much as ten "units", but the diplexers easily account for much of that).

Carl


----------



## spweber (Aug 29, 2006)

carl6 said:


> I have two R15-500's and a D11. I'm feeding my Phase III triple LNB dish into a 5x8 multiswitch where I am also mixing a cable feed, then take the outputs to the various DVR or receiver inputs, some directly, some through diplexers.
> 
> There are differences between all units.
> 
> ...


Thanks Carl---that makes sense....the signals are most likely relative, as you state. I also think the signal frequencies are in the microwave region.


----------



## rlambert7 (Feb 7, 2006)

spweber said:


> Here are my R15-300 values from Tuner #1 (with ver. 104B as of 8/27/2006)
> 
> 1 - 8 : 96 94 94 96 95 96 94 90
> 9 - 16 : 94 94 93 96 96 96 94 91
> ...


I'm in S. Calif. Those numbers look pretty much like mine. Mine aren't quite that good because I've messed with the dish, and haven't gone back to tweak it (weather TOO HOT!). I don't see how you'd get them to be much better.

I'm sure someone has posted a website that has which channels are associated with which transponders. I have a couple that are "low" like your transponder 26 (@80). If you could determine which channels are on transponder 26, you might want to see how well you receive them. If they're OK, then....


----------



## spweber (Aug 29, 2006)

rlambert7 said:


> I'm in S. Calif. Those numbers look pretty much like mine. Mine aren't quite that good because I've messed with the dish, and haven't gone back to tweak it (weather TOO HOT!). I don't see how you'd get them to be much better.
> 
> I'm sure someone has posted a website that has which channels are associated with which transponders. I have a couple that are "low" like your transponder 26 (@80). If you could determine which channels are on transponder 26, you might want to see how well you receive them. If they're OK, then....


Yes, thanks for that!

I found a couple of websites that do just that, and I'm sure there are many others.

Sincerely,
Stan


----------



## spweber (Aug 29, 2006)

spweber said:


> Yes, thanks for that!
> 
> I found a couple of websites that do just that, and I'm sure there are many others.
> 
> ...


This forum wouldn't let me post those URL's until AFTER posting 5 posts---which the last one was # 5. 

They were:

http://www.widemovies.com/dtvtransponders.html

and

http://richardk.digitalrice.com/transponders.asp

Sincerely,
Stan


----------



## Lantian (Aug 26, 2006)

my signal strength are always 88-90 on both tuners


----------



## Phroz (Jul 3, 2006)

Here you go:


----------



## tony4d (Sep 5, 2006)

Hey guys, I just checked mine (R15) and I have 0 for both 4 and 12 transponders. Furthermore, 26 is always at 50 strength. I looked at those sites that tell you what channels correspond and I see that transponders 4, 12, and 26 all deal with channels in the 900's.

Looking at directv's channel line up these are not used yet as far as I can tell, but anyway, did my installer not line my stuff up good or what? All other transponders are 90 -100, most at ~ 95 or above.

I’m new to satellite tv and I’m just learning these things, so thanks for any help you might provide, in advance


----------



## AnonomissX (Jun 29, 2006)

Per the Directv help site for agents, and AFAIK, the transponders on satellite 101 that may normally be 0% are 4, mumble mumble, 20, oh yeah, 18 (going backwards here), 28...I think I missed a couple, anyhoo...you are ok, the ones that are 0% shouldn't be affecting you.


----------



## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

4, 12, 18, 20, 26, 28

These are spot beams. "Your" spot beam should be at or near 100. A neighboring spot beam may be very weak (like the 50 two posts above). Spots that are not broadcasting signal anywhere near you will be 0.

Here's a map:
http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/dtv.html
I believe this map is completely unofficial, generated by users submitting signal strengths and zip codes (which, BTW, I believe was my idea, but I didn't implement this site).


----------



## tony4d (Sep 5, 2006)

Ah, are spot beams the local channel signals?


----------



## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

Yep.  That's the only feasible way to get locals into so many markets.


----------



## Phroz (Jul 3, 2006)

walters said:


> 4, 12, 18, 20, 26, 28
> 
> These are spot beams. "Your" spot beam should be at or near 100. A neighboring spot beam may be very weak (like the 50 two posts above). Spots that are not broadcasting signal anywhere near you will be 0.


So those are the spotbeams on the 101? They must be some pretty big "spots" if I get good readings on every single one. 

I know my locals are on the 119.


----------



## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

This site is a bit out of date, but it shows the coverage of DirecTV's main spot beams ....
http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/dtv.html


----------



## rlambert7 (Feb 7, 2006)

litzdog911 said:


> This site is a bit out of date, but it shows the coverage of DirecTV's main spot beams ....
> http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/dtv.html


Yes, I figured that when I saw the site creator's comments were dated 2002, and nothing more recent. Nevertheless, that map matches my situation: S. Calif, and my signal strength test shows 100 on the 18 & 28 transponders, and zeros for all the other spot beam transponders. I sumbited my data to his site.


----------



## Greg Bimson (May 5, 2003)

walters said:


> 4, 12, 18, 20, 26, 28
> 
> These are spot beams. "Your" spot beam should be at or near 100. A neighboring spot beam may be very weak (like the 50 two posts above). Spots that are not broadcasting signal anywhere near you will be 0.





Phroz said:


> So those are the spotbeams on the 101? They must be some pretty big "spots" if I get good readings on every single one.
> 
> I know my locals are on the 119.


Phroz, your case is much different...

DirecTV is using transponder 28 to broadcast the lesser Boston channels in one spot-beam. The spot-beam containing transponders 20, 12 and 4 is being used to deliver the Boston networks, the New York non-networks, and the entire Philadelphia slate of local channels. Then, transponders 18 and 26 are delivering the DC, Baltimore and Harrisburg local channels on another spot-beam. Because Maine is so far east and north in the US, and because the DC/Balt/H-Burg beam is so large, there is actually a signal that far north.

For the 119 satellite, the spot-beam transponders are 23, 25, 29 and 31.

This is so far the best information I can gather...

HERE.


----------



## spweber (Aug 29, 2006)

Wow!

My initial question sure has yielded a lot of very interesting information.

I really appreciate the links provided by several members to better undertand the use of transponders and "spot" beams.

Thanks again!!!




Sincerely,
Stan


----------

