Which Motor and Dish ?

[robert lucas]

I would like to upgrade from my sky dish, I had a motorised system about 15 years ago and the only thing I can remember is what a nightmare it was to setup trying to get the arc set right.

But I am sure things have changed and might not be so difficult now as the motor looks very different to what I had, I used to have a large actuator and separate power and feedback cables.

I like the look of the Technomate TM2600 motor which works from the LNB cable, so is this a good option on a 80cm dish and will it all work with VU+solo2 ?

Is a duel LNB so you can record one thing and watch another ?

Im located in Shrewsbury if any member can recommend somebody that could install this if I have problems.

Many Thanks

 

[Mick12334]

You can use that motor, and dish, combination, quite easily with the VU+ Solo2, and it should be quite easy to set it up.

Check on the dishpointer.com website, to see where it's best to install your dish, and to get your Latitude, and Longitude, needed when using Usals.

You might also want to consider looking at other dishes, like the Penta 85cm, not only does it look good but also out performs a lot of other dishes.

You can use a twin, 2 outputs, or quad, 4 outputs, LNB, on your system.

 

[robert lucas]

Thanks for the info, never even heard of USALS, but after spending afew hours reading up on it I now understsnd, things have changed from 15 years ago, sounds far too easy, but I expect its still a game getting it set up perfect.
What im not sure of is how do you set the elevation on the motor, if its not set right the arc will not be right, is there also a way to set this from our postcode ?
I have looked on a couple of the big sites for the Pentra, but still not found it in stock.

Many Thanks

 

[Mick12334]

Pulsat have them listed, both the Brick, and White, coloured versions, to help blend in.

Motor, and dish, angles are a bit of a lottery, I've never known them to work exactly.
The best way is to get the basics right.
1. Ensure your pole is absolutely plumb.
2. Set everything to zero, motor, dish, and LNB.
3. Enter your Latitude, and Longitude, into your receiver, then use your receiver to send your dish to the satellite you want to use for alignment. Best to select one near to your True South position, this is your Longitude position. Negative Longitude values = West, positive = East.
Go to dishpointer.com, enter your postcode, then zoom in on the map, to your house, and move the green icon to where you want to site your dish.
4. Once you have the strongest signal, on your chosen satellite, e.g. 0.8W, then send your dish to your furthest |East, usually 42E, or 39E, then to the furthest West, usually 30W. Check the signal quality readings.
If they are a bit low then send your dish back to 0.8W, adjust the brackets, get the strongest signal again, on 0.8W, then send to 39E, and 30W, to check again.
Keep doing this until you're satisfied with the signal quality readings then scan in the other satellites.

 

[del6600]

Setting up the old jack is not that difficult if your stand is 100% upright and on solid flat ground, I use 6 patio slabs. Find .08W (1W) find 30W and 28.2E (or whatever) It's a matter of using the 2 dish settings. Then seek out all the satellites, I currently have 27. I did mine over 18 years ago. USALS looks very easy, only problem is the size of dish, I use 1.25mt this would be a bit heavy for USALS but I see some shops now saying the motor can handle up to 1.5mts!! Remember size matters if you what the best out of your motorised system, some signals are very weak, an 80cm would not see. Ideally 1.2mt - 1.5mt or bigger is recommended. Good luck

 

[robert lucas]

Thanks for the info, I have spent the last few days setting up the VU and leaning how to do everything.

The new dish is going to have to go on hold, I live in flats and have been told some of the neighbours moaned when people had a 80cm dish, so they put a dish on the roof and we all have sky sockets connected to this dish, but some of us including me still have the sky dish on the balcony.

So my question now is can I get Hotbird with this unsed sky dish? I have had a basic sat meter come today, so if I stand behind the dish I understand I need to move it to the right and up a touch ?

I have no idea what I need to do with the VU with regards to tuners and LNB setup. im hoping I just need to do scan once I find hotbird ?

Any tips would be good

Many Thanks

 

[Mick12334]

Finding hotbird should be easy.
Attach your satllite meter to the LNB, attach the cable, from your receiver to the other end of the meter.
Move the dish right, so you're no longer getting any signal from sky.
Adjust the meter settings, usually by turning a knob, but some have buttons, until you get the meter reading 5, then adjust the dish until it reads 10. Turn the knob again, until it reads 5, then adjust the dish until it reads 10.
Keep doing this until you get the maximum signal.
Now check your receiver, to see which satellite you're on.

we need more information, to help with teh tuner issue.
Are you going to use a Diseqc switch, to get both 28.2E, and 13E, on 1 tuner?
Are you going to have 13E on its own tuner?

 

[robert lucas]

Thanks for the info, I have the solo2, so can I just have a dish on each tuner, or do I still need to get the switch ? going to give it a go in a bit once I pick up some f connecters.

 

[Mick12334]

You can have each dish assigned to one tuner, or have both dishes attached to both tuners, providing both LNB's have at least two outputs, twin, or quad, LNB.

 

[robert lucas]

OK will do some more homework on that setup, but for now I have moved the dish, got a good signal, but cant seem to select any other satellite in the VU+

If I go into settings and Satfinder I only have 28.2 selected and also in Tuner setting I cant select any other satellite, do i need to download some sort of file to get all the other satellites and then will they be listed in Satfinder ?
Or should the name of the satellite be listed once the dish lands on it as im sure I have a good signal from something.

Many Thanks

 

[Mick12334]

You need to first set up the Tuner.
Go into the menu, system searching, Tuners. Select Tuner B and set it to simple, fixed dish, Hotbird 13E.
If you want your Tuner to scan more than 1 satellite you change the settings to motorized, or Diseqc, or you can use the advanced options.

 

[robert lucas]

I can go into Tuner, simple, I can then have Mode which I can change from single/tonebursta-b/diseqc ab/
Under Satellite is Astra or Nothing connected

If I change it to Advanced I can then select Astra and All Satellites 1 to 4

So cant see any settings for fixed dish and Hotbird

 

[Mick12334]

Which image are you using?
In Black Hole select Simple, Mode Single, and select the satellite.

 

[robert lucas]

yes black hole, im on the right page what your talking about, I have simple selected and then Mode = Single, but then in satellite I can only select Astra or Nothing Connected

 

[robert lucas]

I have been searching google for the last hour and might be getting somewhere, If I open up Dream Explorer and goto the satellites.xml I only have Astra listed with pages of transponder info, should all the other satellites be listed in this folder ?

 

[Mick12334]

So when you press the left/right arrow buttons, when on Satellite, you only get Astra listed?
Which Astra, Astra 2, 28.2E, or Astra 1, 19.2E?
Is this the same when you try the Advanced option, and check the satellites?

 

[Mick12334]

The satellites.xml file should contain a list of most available satellites.
Try connecting to your receiver using Filezilla, go to the var folder and click on + sign, click on tuxbox.
You should now see satellites.xml. Copy this to your PC desktop and open with Microsoft Excel.

 

[robert lucas]

The default is Astra2a/2c/2e/2f/Eutelsat 28a (28.2e) then I can only select Not Connected with the left/right keys.

If I change it to advanced I can then select All Satellites 1 to 4

 

[robert lucas]

OK have the sat file on the PC and it that is listed is

<sat position="282" flags="1" name="Astra 2A/2C/2E/2F/Eutelsat 28A (28.2E)

 

[robert lucas]

I guess I need to replace this file with one that has all the others ? or at least hotbird for now, just trying to find that file now, thanks for your help, I will keep going with it as I feel its almost there