Signal Strength lower limit? & setup and alignment question

[Cassa]

I have setup my dish and receiver (Dreamlink HD) and am receiving a fairly good picture. I do get pixilation and scrambled signal on occation. I just received an Acutrac22 PRO, from work, and am about to re-check the alignment of the dish.
The question I have is, what is considered an acceptable signal strength for the receiver. I currently get about 65 for 110, 119,& 128 and 85 for 82 and 91. 65 seems low, hense the re-check.
Also, what is the best way to align the dish? No experience with setting up a system, let alone the Acutrac, but more than willing to learn. Do I take reading of the 2 'outside' sats and the middle one should be OK? If so are 110 and 128 the outside LNB's on the dish.

TIA.

[Terryl]

If the dish is setup for 3 LNB's and looking at 110, 119 and 129, then you peak it out on 119 as it's the center satellite for that setup.

Then once you have 119 as good as you can get, you tighten down on all adjustments and then skew the dish to align it to 110 and 129,(like turning a steering wheel) this is a very very slow adjustment and should be done in very small increments.

You need to use TP 12457 on 119 and TP 12516 on 129 to find and adjust for the best "Q", you "S" readings are for the signal from the LNB not for from the satellite.

I have dishes setup with an "S" of 45% and a "Q" of 40% without major problems.

[fn59]

Always remember when working on dishes, power down the receiver before disconnecting any cables.
The first thing I would do is find the dish settings for your area, then make sure the masts are plumb. If the mast is not plumb on a multi-sat setup, those settings won't mean much.

[whoknows]

You don't have to necessarily start loosening bolts to tweak a dish. Gently pull or push on top or bottom, side to side and see if the quality improves. If it does loosen bolt and move dish in very small increments. I always mark dish on the pole with a black marker so you can get back to starting point if you get lost.. good luck

[Cassa]

I was getting a great signal beside the dish, in the high 80's low 90's. When I get back to the TV it's around 70. The run must be close to 100 ft, would it improve the signal if I got a Diseqc switch that was powered??

[whoknows]

You may not be on the same tp when you got back to tv. As long as it is constant 70 or more it should be ok. 100 ft is a lot for a disq switch to work properly especially if the coax is not top of the line. Now saying that I am a little further than that with a chieta disq switch and has worked good for years. I do have to replace the switch every couple years.
For that length you should have one continuous length with no barrel connectors and rg6 not 59. I believe you can purchase an amp, but I have never used one.
Not sure whether it was asked before, but these are legacy lnb correct, and not dpp?

[Cassa]

Yes, legacy LNB's

[whoknows]

If you are reading the quality on the tv, it is just an indicator and not necessary true gauge of what your quality is. Does the picture stay now with no pixelation after adjusting the dish? Do you know what the coax is (rg59 or rg6)? Is any of your coax under ground?

[Cassa]

Sorry don't know what the coax is. I'll check it today to see if there is any writing on it. It doesn't run underground. From peak of house, down the side to the utility box into the house, across the basement to the distribution panel then to the TV room and Upstairs bedroom.

[whoknows]

Quote>across the basement to the distribution panel then to the TV room

Are there any switches at the distribution panel. If these are legacy l nb the closer the switch is to the box the better it switches. Downside of switch being closer to the receiver is you have to run alot more coax (cable or wire) from each port on the dish when using dual legacy lnb. I use but one run or coax for three to six ln b over a hundred feet and most of the time it is good reception.
You cannot go through any bell switches with f ta receiver.
I am presuming you have a fairly large dish. I ask this as you mentioned 110 119 129 91 and 82 and you didn't say you had multiple dish. Give us a rundown on what dish, how many ln b, how many switches, and what is at this distribution centre you are referring to? If you are trying to supply more than one tv? Also a ruff idea of where you are located. let us know

[Cassa]

Two Digiwave elliptical dishes, Eastern Ontario. First dish, 2 LNB's, Second, 3 LNB's. First dish mounted on side of house with good Line of sight to the bird. Second, on peak of roof, to get relief from house next door and provides unobstructed view to it's 3 birds. two 8x1 QSAT Diseqc switches, for 2 Dreamlink receivers. Both coax paths follow the same route, just one is shorter. Longest, 3 LNB's Roof to switch (approx) 70', switch to furnace room 25', Connection to internal Coax and 25' run back to DL receiver.
Short dish run just 5' from Diseqc then 25' to internal and finally 50 to upstairs bedroom. (the Distribution Panel, is just a central wall box where all the coax terminate to. Setup and labeled before I moved in. Lines checked Ok by a Fluke meter)
There are 3 connections from the dishes to the DL receivers, LNB to end of dish (2'), end-o-dish to Diseqc, diseqc to panel, panel to DL.

BTW: Thanks for the active interest.

[whoknows]

Just going to suggest a couple of items I would check if I were having this problem. Take your box or your signal checker and check signal at switch, then after switch, then at the end of the 25 foot connection before it goes back to receiver. This way you can see if signal is dropping gradually, or one of the pieces of coax is defective. Do the same with both runs. When you have the connectors apart, check the the ends are copper colour and not corroded. If they are corroded, then you can try to clean with a knife, or if you have new ends(connectors) you could replace.
You could also check that all coax is infact rg6 and in relatively good condition, particularly the coax outside. It will be written on the outside of the coax.
Correct me if I'm wrong but you have two different setups as you have 2 different switches. So one has nothing to do with the other and the bev setup(82 and 91) is ok?
Any reason you need 8x1 disq switch?
PS: make sure receivers are off from rear when disconnecting coax.

[Cassa]

I have 5 LNB's on 2 dishes going to 2 independent DL receivers. BTW: I did find a split on the outside cover of the coax yesterday, close to the dish, on the roof. I replaced it and the system seems better, but, good weather so my be too early to tell.

[whoknows]

Well you could always replace coax as it is not that expensive. I believe you can buy for between 40 and 80.00 for 500 foot roll. I have not seen quality drop that much because of coax, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.
I have never used a powered disq switch and only because I didn't have power near my dish. Plus the fact they are meant to be indoors. If you were going to use it indoors, then you would have to buy more coax to supply each l nb. I had a switching problem years back and the chieta disq switch cured my problem.
Your signal should be with bev, in the high 90's "if" the dish is aligned properly and you are not along way east like New Brunswick or Nova Scotia.
Another way to check to see if it is coax that is the problem is to purchase some, run a straight length(no connectors) from lnb back to receiver and see if you have quality drop.
Anyways it is always good to get to know your system and setup as alot don't. That way if you have a problem, and sooner or later you will, you will know your way around.
Forgot to mention, if you have some dielectric grease it will keep your connections good, and a baggie over your disq switch should keep the moisture out to save yu a future headache.
If you are still having problems then let us know.

"gold rush" is on channel 182 tonight at 9pm I believe and the ecm has passed so all is good here.....lol....

[Terryl]

For that long a run of coax you will have some DC voltage drop, legacy LNB's use 13 and 18 volts to both run the LNB and switch transponders.

Finding the split in the coax PVC cover tells me that the system is old, and the coax should be replaced.

When coax ages it's internal DC resistance goes up, this causes a drop in the DC voltage, when the voltage tot he LNB drops, so does it's performance, some of the older coax used a copper plated steel core, this can rust, when it does all sorts of things happen.

If I were you, get some good RG-6 quad shielded coax with a pure copper center conductor, your legacy system will be much happier with new plumbing, and the pure copper core will deliver a better voltage to the LNB's.

Now for your legacy LNB's, 100 feet is a bit of a run for a legacy system, I would change them out for some DP type LNB's, these use a band stacking system to get the transponder signals back to the receiver, and you can use them at greater distances then a legacy LNB.

In some cases I have used them on really long runs, I put a DC powered switch at the half way point, one case was 350 feet, I put a DPP44 switch at the half way point and the system works great.

Just be sure your coax can handle the job, on long runs (over 75 feet) use good RG-6 quad with the pure copper center conductor, and be sure that it can handle the signals out to 2.5 GHz or better, and your system will be happy.