Help With Power Inserter Setup

[bacchus73]

I've had my motorized sat setup with an nfusion HD for quite a while (years). A power surge took it out, and I bought a Dreamlink T5. My lnb is a Invacom qph 031 with about a 75 foot cable run, and everything was fine until the surge. I replaced everything... the box, lnb, and the switch.

With the Dreamlink T5, I can get the motor to run, but the signal always shows 97 Quality and 97 Signal. I figure I will need a power inserter for this new box, but I don't know what to buy. My dish is completely across the yard as I live in a very wooded area. There is no power supply by the dish itself. The inserter would have to be near the receiver, if not inside the house itself.

Could someone lead me in the right direction as to what to buy. Any help would be appreciated. :noidea:

[Terryl]

With a single LNB and motor you should not need the extra DC power inserter, and with a motor inline you can't use one as it would have to be after the motor.

Check the back of your new receiver, look at where the coax from the LNB/motor connects, what dose it say for the maximum DC current? Most boxes have a 500 mA rating, this is just fine for what you need to do.

What type/brand of coax did you run?

Some coax has a copper plated steel center conductor, this type of coax should not be used over 50 feet with a motorized system as the DC voltage drop may be too high for the system.

Coax with a pure copper center conductor should be used, also the coax should be rated for satellite work, it should say "2.5 GHZ" or "Swept to 3 GHz", if it says CATV on it then your not getting the full signal levels at the high end transponders.

Did you buy a new Invacom LNB? If so then point the dish at 97W and try bypassing the motor using an "F" barrel connector, (be sure to shut the receiver off with the switch in back first or you may damage something) then see what the signal levels do.

[bacchus73]

It sure does say 500 ma on the back of the receiver. I will have to check the cables. I ran them almost 10 years ago... underground and under cement. I put the dish in before I put in the walkway to the house. :( I just wonder why it would run n nFusion fine, but not this one. I don't usually ask questions or post really, as I've done set ups several times. This one is just annoying. I REALLY don't want to have to run a whole bunch of extension cables and a small tv out there again to get this straight. Ugh. Oh, and just to let you know, my wife REFUSES to sit in front of the tv and yell signal strength to me across the yard. I'm no good with the meters. I keep an old coolsat 5000 for alignment. :)

[Terryl]

I also use an old CoolSat 5K to align and trouble shoot dishes and LNB's, that and a small (9") LCD TV and it works.

Did you run the coax inside conduit or PVC pipe??? IF not then it may be time for new stuff, also wht type of center conductor does it have???

It could be that the nFusion is able to tolerate the older coax, you may have water in it.

If you have an OHM meter, or DVM with ohms settings, then try this, disconnect the coax from the motor and back of the receiver, set the ohm meter/DVM to the highest ohm setting (some have an auto function) check between the outside of the connector to the center conductor, you should read a very high ohms reading (over 1 meg ohm) if around the 1 to 10 K ohms then you have a problem with the coax, you can also check this using a 9 volt battery and the volt meter set to DC volts (20 volt scale or higher) you will need some test clips.

To do this, out at the dish you short the center conductor to the shield on the coax going to the house using one test clip, you then connect one terminal of the battery to the center conductor using another, measuring from the other terminal on the battery to the outside of the coax connector you should get the DC battery voltage (check it first) less a half to three quarters of a volt, if you get less then 8 volts (or so) you have a resistive short in the coax and it needs to be replaced.

[bacchus73]

I guess will have to test the lines. By the way, the coax does say cable, but it specifically says up to 3 ghz.

[bacchus73]

Thanks for the help. Turns out I had a bum receiver. I sent it back, and the hdmi and motor is running as it should. I like that it's smaller than the nFusion, but its build doesn't seem as strong, if I may. Anyway, thanks. I just have to figure out how to get rid of all these blank channels from the over scan. :(