I have a dish that seems to have moved.

The house down the road has the same system and works fine. This one
keeps saying "weak signal".

I'm assuming this means that the dish has moved.

Does anyone here know whether a cheapo finder is going to help? I don't
want to spend lots as it prolly won't get used again.

https://www.amazon.es/medidor-campo-tdt-satelite/s?
k=medidor+de+campo+tdt+y+satelite

Some there for sub 30€.

BTW, there are 2 dishes and the other one works fine, so I guess not a
cabling issue.

--
Paul.

https://paulc.es/elpatio

On Thursday, 6 January 2022 at 15:38:27 UTC, Paul Carmichael wrote:

> BTW, there are 2 dishes and the other one works fine, so I guess not a
> cabling issue.

Surely each dish has its own cable from the LNB (or whatever) to the amplifier/decoder
or whatever?

It could be the LNB that's fucked couldn't it?

El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 07:57:21 -0800, Stephen Packer escribió:

> On Thursday, 6 January 2022 at 15:38:27 UTC, Paul Carmichael wrote:
>
>> BTW, there are 2 dishes and the other one works fine, so I guess not a
>> cabling issue.
>
> Surely each dish has its own cable from the LNB (or whatever) to the
> amplifier/decoder or whatever?

To the diseqc.
> It could be the LNB that's fucked couldn't it?

Dunno.

--
Paul.

https://paulc.es/elpatio

El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:38:24 +0000, Paul Carmichael escribió:

> I have a dish that seems to have moved.
>
> The house down the road has the same system and works fine. This one
> keeps saying "weak signal".
>
> I'm assuming this means that the dish has moved.
>
> Does anyone here know whether a cheapo finder is going to help? I don't
> want to spend lots as it prolly won't get used again.
>
> https://www.amazon.es/medidor-campo-tdt-satelite/s?
> k=medidor+de+campo+tdt+y+satelite
>
> Some there for sub 30€.
>
> BTW, there are 2 dishes and the other one works fine, so I guess not a
> cabling issue.

It seems I didn't have all the information. Dish number 2 has the same
problem. It'll be working fine and then suddenly we get "weak signal".

I suppose I should make up a cable to go directly to either of the
dishes. The existing cable goes all around the roof, through the loft etc.

--
Paul.

https://paulc.es/elpatio

On 06/01/2022 15:38, Paul Carmichael wrote:
> I have a dish that seems to have moved.
>
> The house down the road has the same system and works fine. This one
> keeps saying "weak signal".
>
> I'm assuming this means that the dish has moved.
>
> Does anyone here know whether a cheapo finder is going to help? I don't
> want to spend lots as it prolly won't get used again.
>
> https://www.amazon.es/medidor-campo-tdt-satelite/s?
> k=medidor+de+campo+tdt+y+satelite
>
> Some there for sub 30€.
>
> BTW, there are 2 dishes and the other one works fine, so I guess not a
> cabling issue.
>

I used a really cheap needle on a dial one at 'the chateau' back when it
was still within the Astra 2D footprint. Think I left it there for the
new owner.

Not that much help. The signal strength settings function on the ex Sky
digibox was as good - just had to drag a portable TV to where I could
see the screen while manhandling the dish. That was only on a bungalow
though, which helped = plus a compass.

--
Moto Morini 2C/375, Moto Morini 2C/350
Gilera 175 Sport, Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen
1937 Sunbeam Model 14 250 Sports
"Do not adjust your mind, there is a fault in the reality"

On Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 4:24:21 PM UTC, Paul Carmichael wrote:

> It seems I didn't have all the information. Dish number 2 has the same
> problem. It'll be working fine and then suddenly we get "weak signal".

Sounds like an intermittent local interference generator. AIUI satellite TV
signals are pretty weak and easily disrupted.

What you do about it is another question. Might be worth checking that you
both get the "weak signal" problem at the same time?

--
WUN

On 6 Jan 2022 15:38:24 GMT, Paul Carmichael <wibbleypants@gmail.com>
wrote:

>I have a dish that seems to have moved.
>
>The house down the road has the same system and works fine. This one
>keeps saying "weak signal".
>
>I'm assuming this means that the dish has moved.
>
>Does anyone here know whether a cheapo finder is going to help? I don't
>want to spend lots as it prolly won't get used again.

IME yes, a cheapo signal metre can really help. Don't forget that as
well as horizontal and vertical alignment you have the rotation of the
LNB itself to consider.

How large is the dish? That is the most important factor when trying
to get reception on the edge of the footprint. We had two dishes at
our French house, used them both separately (each feeding a single
decoder) for a while but had to move to a multi-head LNB on the larger
dish when Sky moved the majority of channels to the weaker signal.

--
Ace
http://www.chaletbeauroc.com/

El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:29:54 -0800, WUN escribió:

> On Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 4:24:21 PM UTC, Paul Carmichael wrote:
>
>> It seems I didn't have all the information. Dish number 2 has the same
>> problem. It'll be working fine and then suddenly we get "weak signal".
>
> Sounds like an intermittent local interference generator. AIUI satellite
> TV signals are pretty weak and easily disrupted.
>
> What you do about it is another question. Might be worth checking that
> you both get the "weak signal" problem at the same time?

I'm referring to dish 2 at the diseqc here. The other house has 2 dishes
that work without a problem (2 doors away).

I've just ordered a 20m roll of coax to try a direct-through-the-window
test. Should nail it down. If that works then it's time to redesign the
cabling.

--
Paul.

https://paulc.es/elpatio

El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 16:25:04 +0000, Pete Fisher escribió:

> On 06/01/2022 15:38, Paul Carmichael wrote:
>> I have a dish that seems to have moved.
>>
>> The house down the road has the same system and works fine. This one
>> keeps saying "weak signal".
>>
>> I'm assuming this means that the dish has moved.
>>
>> Does anyone here know whether a cheapo finder is going to help? I don't
>> want to spend lots as it prolly won't get used again.
>>
>> https://www.amazon.es/medidor-campo-tdt-satelite/s?
>> k=medidor+de+campo+tdt+y+satelite
>>
>> Some there for sub 30€.
>>
>> BTW, there are 2 dishes and the other one works fine, so I guess not a
>> cabling issue.
>>
>>
> I used a really cheap needle on a dial one at 'the chateau' back when it
> was still within the Astra 2D footprint. Think I left it there for the
> new owner.
>
> Not that much help. The signal strength settings function on the ex Sky
> digibox was as good - just had to drag a portable TV to where I could
> see the screen while manhandling the dish. That was only on a bungalow
> though, which helped = plus a compass.

The problem I have here is that the one dish is pointed at intelsat 907
(we have a hacked box to get brit stuff) which is almost in line with
hispasat, so I need to know which sat the signal is coming from.

--
Paul.

https://paulc.es/elpatio

El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 17:36:12 +0100, Ace escribió:

> On 6 Jan 2022 15:38:24 GMT, Paul Carmichael <wibbleypants@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>I have a dish that seems to have moved.
>>
>>The house down the road has the same system and works fine. This one
>>keeps saying "weak signal".
>>
>>I'm assuming this means that the dish has moved.
>>
>>Does anyone here know whether a cheapo finder is going to help? I don't
>>want to spend lots as it prolly won't get used again.
>
> IME yes, a cheapo signal metre can really help. Don't forget that as
> well as horizontal and vertical alignment you have the rotation of the
> LNB itself to consider.
>
> How large is the dish? That is the most important factor when trying to
> get reception on the edge of the footprint.

Snot like that. We have a big dish pointed at astra, but that's just for
German Europsport and some other German stuff.

See my reply to Pete.

--
Paul.

https://paulc.es/elpatio

On Thursday, 6 January 2022 at 16:24:21 UTC, Paul Carmichael wrote:
> El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:38:24 +0000, Paul Carmichael escribió:
>
> > I have a dish that seems to have moved.
> >
> > The house down the road has the same system and works fine. This one
> > keeps saying "weak signal".
> >
> > I'm assuming this means that the dish has moved.
> >
> > Does anyone here know whether a cheapo finder is going to help? I don't
> > want to spend lots as it prolly won't get used again.
> >
> > https://www.amazon.es/medidor-campo-tdt-satelite/s?
> > k=medidor+de+campo+tdt+y+satelite
> >
> > Some there for sub 30€.
> >
> > BTW, there are 2 dishes and the other one works fine, so I guess not a
> > cabling issue.
> It seems I didn't have all the information. Dish number 2 has the same
> problem. It'll be working fine and then suddenly we get "weak signal".
>
> I suppose I should make up a cable to go directly to either of the
> dishes. The existing cable goes all around the roof, through the loft etc..

If both systems have the same problem then it's either the signal's changed
(footprint of satellite modified for some reason) or as WUN pointed out a
local interferer has cropped up. I think that the LNB downmixes from sat
frequencies to an IF somewhere in the 1-3GHz region?

If that's the case could it be everyone's 5G switching on following all of
the vaccinations we've had?

El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:57:51 -0800, Stephen Packer escribió:

> On Thursday, 6 January 2022 at 16:24:21 UTC, Paul Carmichael wrote:
>> El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:38:24 +0000, Paul Carmichael escribió:
>>
>> > I have a dish that seems to have moved.
>> >
>> > The house down the road has the same system and works fine. This one
>> > keeps saying "weak signal".
>> >
>> > I'm assuming this means that the dish has moved.
>> >
>> > Does anyone here know whether a cheapo finder is going to help? I
>> > don't want to spend lots as it prolly won't get used again.
>> >
>> > https://www.amazon.es/medidor-campo-tdt-satelite/s?
>> > k=medidor+de+campo+tdt+y+satelite
>> >
>> > Some there for sub 30€.
>> >
>> > BTW, there are 2 dishes and the other one works fine, so I guess not
>> > a cabling issue.
>> It seems I didn't have all the information. Dish number 2 has the same
>> problem. It'll be working fine and then suddenly we get "weak signal".
>>
>> I suppose I should make up a cable to go directly to either of the
>> dishes. The existing cable goes all around the roof, through the loft
>> etc.
>
> If both systems have the same problem then it's either the signal's
> changed (footprint of satellite modified for some reason) or as WUN
> pointed out a local interferer has cropped up.

No, I meant the 2 dishes at this house, not both intelsat dishes. It
seems that we keep losing both intelsat and astra at this house but not
at the other.

I've ordered some cable for testing.

--
Paul.

https://paulc.es/elpatio

On 6 Jan 2022 16:45:28 GMT, Paul Carmichael <wibbleypants@gmail.com>
wrote:

>El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 16:25:04 +0000, Pete Fisher escribió:
>
>> On 06/01/2022 15:38, Paul Carmichael wrote:
>>> I have a dish that seems to have moved.
>>>
>>> The house down the road has the same system and works fine. This one
>>> keeps saying "weak signal".
>>>
>>> I'm assuming this means that the dish has moved.
>>>
>>> Does anyone here know whether a cheapo finder is going to help? I don't
>>> want to spend lots as it prolly won't get used again.
>>>
>>> https://www.amazon.es/medidor-campo-tdt-satelite/s?
>>> k=medidor+de+campo+tdt+y+satelite
>>>
>>> Some there for sub 30€.
>>>
>>> BTW, there are 2 dishes and the other one works fine, so I guess not a
>>> cabling issue.
>>>
>>>
>> I used a really cheap needle on a dial one at 'the chateau' back when it
>> was still within the Astra 2D footprint. Think I left it there for the
>> new owner.
>>
>> Not that much help. The signal strength settings function on the ex Sky
>> digibox was as good - just had to drag a portable TV to where I could
>> see the screen while manhandling the dish. That was only on a bungalow
>> though, which helped = plus a compass.
>
>
>The problem I have here is that the one dish is pointed at intelsat 907
>(we have a hacked box to get brit stuff) which is almost in line with
>hispasat, so I need to know which sat the signal is coming from.

Ah, then no, the signal metre will not help to distinguish between the
two. But if you're getting reception of the one you want, the metre
will help you to maximise the signal and hipefully show you two high
spots, one of which will be correct.
--
Ace
http://www.chaletbeauroc.com/

Stephen Packer wrote:

> LNB

?

--
Simon

On 6 Jan 2022 20:12:04 GMT, "sweller" <sweller@mztech.fsnet.co.uk>
wrote:

>Stephen Packer wrote:
>
>> LNB
>
>?

I guess it's a bot much to expect you to be up to date with late 20th
century technology. Or even to jfgi.

It's the electronic gobbins that the dish fousses on and actually
converts the sat signal to send it down the line to the decoder (e.g.
the sky box).

I've long since given up on that old tech though, all TV is online
these days, so why fight it?

--
Ace
http://www.chaletbeauroc.com/

sweller <sweller@mztech.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
> Stephen Packer wrote:
>
>> LNB
>
> ?

Low Noise Block (Amplifier)

--
FJR1300A, GL1000, KLR650A6F, EX250J9A, DR200SE, Vespa Ciao

Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote in news:g5vetg1iua9q0309eqqeini6fbdlmraagu@4ax.com:

> On 6 Jan 2022 20:12:04 GMT, "sweller" <sweller@mztech.fsnet.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>>Stephen Packer wrote:
>>
>>> LNB
>>
>>?
>
> I guess it's a bot much to expect you to be up to date with late 20th
> century technology. Or even to jfgi.
>
> It's the electronic gobbins that the dish fousses on and actually
> converts the sat signal to send it down the line to the decoder (e.g.
> the sky box).
>
> I've long since given up on that old tech though, all TV is online
> these days, so why fight it?
>

I was thinking that but did not like to mention it to the honourable member
from the 20th century. Perhaps he is still on dial-up?

On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 00:38:48 +0100, Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote:

>I've long since given up on that old tech though, all TV is online
>these days, so why fight it?

We have a FOAD satellite dish in the garden, looks like a refugee from
some clandestine tracking system, two meters or so diameter. It's not
connected up to our house for now (the Russians next door apparently
still take a feed from it) but I am seriously thinking about
reconfiguring things. Internet access where we are is terrible -
forget fibre, ADSL hardly works at all (I think the exchange is in the
next county, less than 1 Mbit/s) so we are usually reduced to using a
very poor and highly contended 4G link which most days drops back to
an even poorer 3G if I don't watch it carefully. Latency might be a
bugger, but at least we shouldn't get the 60% or so dropped packets I
see too often and the missus would be able to watch her TV without the
five minute breaks.

--

Pete
Garage vacancy now filled, N+1 incremented accordingly
F800R

On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 10:38:48 +0100, Pete <pemur@btmungeinternet.com>
wrote:

>Internet access where we are is terrible -
>forget fibre, ADSL hardly works at all (I think the exchange is in the
>next county, less than 1 Mbit/s) so we are usually reduced to using a
>very poor and highly contended 4G link which most days drops back to
>an even poorer 3G if I don't watch it carefully.

Move somewhere less pikey (tm).

--
Ace
http://www.chaletbeauroc.com/

On 06/01/2022 20:12, sweller wrote:
> Stephen Packer wrote:
>
>> LNB
>
> ?
>

"What do you call that little box that's attached to the side of a
satellite dish?"

"A council house".

--
/Simon

El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 16:43:15 +0000, Paul Carmichael escribió:

> El Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:29:54 -0800, WUN escribió:
>
>> On Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 4:24:21 PM UTC, Paul Carmichael wrote:
>>
>>> It seems I didn't have all the information. Dish number 2 has the same
>>> problem. It'll be working fine and then suddenly we get "weak signal".
>>
>> Sounds like an intermittent local interference generator. AIUI
>> satellite TV signals are pretty weak and easily disrupted.
>>
>> What you do about it is another question. Might be worth checking that
>> you both get the "weak signal" problem at the same time?
>
>
> I'm referring to dish 2 at the diseqc here. The other house has 2 dishes
> that work without a problem (2 doors away).
>
> I've just ordered a 20m roll of coax to try a direct-through-the-window
> test. Should nail it down. If that works then it's time to redesign the
> cabling.

Works perfectly. Now to investigate what I did almost 8 years ago
(mixers, splitters, etc).

--
Paul.

https://paulc.es/elpatio