Satellite alignment. Got Astra 1 but want Astra 2
Steve
I'm having problems aligning my new dish and wondered if anyone can advise.
I get very strong signals from Astra 1F at 19.2E and Astra 1E at 23.5E with
the same dish position - loads of channels. Signal strength and quality are
about 80% for both 1F and 1E.
But I want 'Astra 2' at 28.2E and can't find it. My satellite-finder meter
give a very strong signal for the Astra 1s but reducing the elevation and
going east a few degrees gives only a weak signal the receiver doesn't
recognise.
A couple of questions occur to me:
1. When I point the dish at the Astra 1s, the dish is vertical, as the
offset angle equals the elevation (about 24deg). Astra 2 has a smaller
elevation so I have to point the dish downwards and I get a lot background
radiation from the garage roof when the dish is pointing downwards. Could
this mask Astra 2? If so I'd have to raise the dish's height or change it
for one with a smaller offset angle. Aargh.
2 Is Astra 2's signal strength a lot weaker than Astra 1s? So should I be
looking for a much weaker signal than my meter gives for the Astra 1s? With
the Astra1s, the signal is so strong that the meter is off the scale even
with the sensitivity fully down.
For information I'm in the UK (Devon) which is Zone 1. I have a new 60cm
dish and a new Labgear DV3 receiver.
Suggestions gratefully received.
Steve
Graham.
"Steve" <stevesc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OI6dnd2macKOSSbU...@bt.com...
Are you sute Astra 2 isn't behind the roof from the POV
of the dish or at least its lower half?
--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%
tony sayer
>> dish and a new Labgear DV3 receiver.
>>
>>
>>
>> Suggestions gratefully received.
>>
>>
>>
>> Steve
>
>Are you sute Astra 2 isn't behind the roof from the POV
>of the dish or at least its lower half?
>
Indeed!, ASTRA 28.2 is about the brightest thing in the Sky, normally
can align it without a meter just using the built in one in the Sky
box!....
--
Tony Sayer
Steve
news:gpgncf$pde$1...@news.motzarella.org...
>
<cut>>
> Are you sute Astra 2 isn't behind the roof from the POV of the dish or at
> least its lower half?
>
> --
> Graham.
Thans Graham. Yes - I worked out the elevation/azimuth carefully and made
sure I had a clear lline of sight before mounting the dish. It's only a few
degrees from Astra 1 which is compltely in the clear and gives a very strong
signal.
Steve
PeterK
I'm no expert and I had a lot of trouble aligning my motorised dish that was
resolved after a lot of googling established that the Fortec Star LNB was
non standard and the setting angle was wrong. The two links below may help
with basic alignment
http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/2007/08/12/satellite-alignment-calculator-v2/
http://www.puntodepartida.com/en/guides/point_and_install_satellite_dish/5pointing_the_dish.php
Pete
Michael Chare
>
>
>
> I'm having problems aligning my new dish and wondered if anyone can
> advise. I get very strong signals from Astra 1F at 19.2E and Astra 1E at
> 23.5E with the same dish position - loads of channels. Signal strength
> and quality are about 80% for both 1F and 1E.
>
>
>
> But I want 'Astra 2' at 28.2E and can't find it. My satellite-finder
> meter give a very strong signal for the Astra 1s but reducing the
> elevation and going east a few degrees gives only a weak signal the
> receiver doesn't recognise.
>
>
>
> A couple of questions occur to me:
>
>
>
> 1. When I point the dish at the Astra 1s, the dish is vertical, as the
> offset angle equals the elevation (about 24deg). Astra 2 has a smaller
> elevation so I have to point the dish downwards and I get a lot background
> radiation from the garage roof when the dish is pointing downwards. Could
> this mask Astra 2? If so I'd have to raise the dish's height or change it
> for one with a smaller offset angle. Aargh.
>
>
>
> 2 Is Astra 2's signal strength a lot weaker than Astra 1s? So should I be
> looking for a much weaker signal than my meter gives for the Astra 1s?
> With the Astra1s, the signal is so strong that the meter is off the scale
> even with the sensitivity fully down.
>
>
The signal strengths should certainly be comparable.
I am a little surprised that you can receive from 19.2E and 23.5 at the same
time. Maybe you need to site the dish higher so that it has a clear view
over your garage roof.
The off set angle makes no difference to the location of the dish. i.e.
changing the dish won't help. The radio waves from the satellite just need
an unimpeded path to the dish surface.
Think of the radio waves as a beam of light which has to be able to shine on
the dish.
The digitalspy forums are a good source of technical info.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=11
--
Michael Chare
Graham.
>>
> <cut>>
>> Are you sute Astra 2 isn't behind the roof from the POV of the dish or at
>> least its lower half?
>>
>> --
>> Graham.
>
> Thans Graham. Yes - I worked out the elevation/azimuth carefully and made
> sure I had a clear lline of sight before mounting the dish. It's only a
> few degrees from Astra 1 which is compltely in the clear and gives a very
> strong signal.
> Steve
It ts certinly possible to have perfect 19.2E reception and zilch from
28.2E due to an obstruction
How much elevation have you got to spare between the rooftop and
Astra 2? It must be quite close if you are worried about thermal
radiation; could you have miscalculated I wonder?
Finally, if you are using a Sky box as a meter, it can help to
power cycle it, if it accidentally locks onto the wrong bird.
--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%
Steve
>
> I'm having problems aligning my new dish and wondered if anyone can
> advise. I get very strong signals from Astra 1F at 19.2E and Astra 1E at
> 23.5E with the same dish position - loads of channels. Signal strength
> and quality are about 80% for both 1F and 1E.
> But I want 'Astra 2' at 28.2E and can't find it. My satellite-finder
> meter give a very strong signal for the Astra 1s but reducing the
> elevation and going east a few degrees gives only a weak signal the
> receiver doesn't recognise.
>
> Steve
Thanks for the replies all.
To answer some of the points, I have plenty elevation (over 20deg over the
garage roof) from the dish to where I believe Astra2 is - the line of site
is unobstructed,. My suspicion about the 'thermal radiation' from the
garage roof arises because of the LNB offset: the LNB is well below the
dish's axis, so the line of site is well above the dish's axis, but the
dish's axis points towards the garage roof.
I'm using a hand-held satellite finder with a built-in meter and audible
signal, the thing 'screams' when pointing at Astra 1 but nothing for where I
believe Astra 2 is. And I do get both Astra1s (19.2 and 23.5) strongly from
the same dish position!
Oh well, will try again tomorrow.
Thanks again.
Steve
tony sayer
<stevesc...@hotmail.com> scribeth thus
--
Tony Sayer
Harry Bloomfield
So far as I am aware there is no Astra at 23.5 - only the 19.2 and 28.?
--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
Graham.
The garage is not an issue. Can you get Hotbird 11E on the other side
of Astra 1?
--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%
Michael Chare
news:8s+8lUA9...@bancom.co.uk...
See http://www.satcodx2.com/eng/
--
Michael Chare
tony sayer
<Munders...@chareDOTorg.uk> scribeth thus
Ta .. Lyngsat was down last nite!..
Seems very very odd that the OP can see that but not 28.2 tho. Any
chance of borrowing a working Sky box to hang on the LNB there to see if
its not something odd in the receiver?..
--
Tony Sayer
Steve
"Harry Bloomfield" <harry...@NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mn.75447d936...@NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk...
> Steve brought next idea :
>> Steve" <stevesc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:OI6dnd2macKOSSbU...@bt.com...
.
> So far as I am aware there is no Astra at 23.5 - only the 19.2 and 28.?
> --
> Regards,
> Harry (M1BYT) (L)
> http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
>
19.2 and Astra 1E at 23.5 as two different satellites. And I get good
signals from both. Also a Google search for Astra 23.5 give loads of stuff.
Steve
Michael Chare
Well my satellite receiver thinks that 23.5E is Astra3.
You really need to check a partiular channel by looking at the Dog /
programme material to find out what channel it is. Armed with this
information and the frequency, symbol rate and polarity from the receiver
you can then use websites such as SatcoDx, Lyngsat to work out what
satellite you are receiving from.
--
Michael Chare
tony sayer
<Munders...@chareDOTorg.uk> scribeth thus
And of course there are that many anti dog people around;!...
--
Tony Sayer
Steve
>
> meter give a very strong signal for the Astra 1s but reducing the
> elevation and going east a few degrees gives only a weak signal the
> receiver doesn't recognise.
<cut>
.
> Steve
>
Thanks to everyone. If anyone is still reading this thread, the problem is
now solved.
When I got the receiver it was pre-loaded with the transponder data
(frequencies etc.) for a wide range of satellites. But some were completely
wrong - the pre-loaded Astra 1 transponder data (for both 19.2E and 23.5E)
were in fact the Astra 2 data!!! This is how I apparently could pick up 2
satellites at once - I was actually picking up the Astra 2 transponmders all
along, but the receiver falsely identified some as Astra1F (23.5) and some
as Astra 1F(19.2). The Astra 2 data was all wrong.
With the correct transponder data against the correct satellite description,
it now works a treat.
Thanks again.
Steve
tony sayer
<stevesc...@hotmail.com> scribeth thus
sometime now even the old Echostar's we had there have that in them,
'tho not all the latest transponders;!...
--
Tony Sayer