What causes missing transponders...

peter_dublin

This may seem like a strange question, but what actually causes missing transponders, as an example I am currently missing 11307 V.. Nothing at all 0 percent signal and 11307 H is not much better.

Yet some others have 99 percent signal and quality. But what actually causes this.. as I understood once you have line of sight it should be possible to recieve all transponders or can obsticals such as tress cause certain transponders to be missing.

I would have taught it was all or nothing... I'm not looking for a solution as I will be adjusting the LNB skew anyway to resolve it as allignment per two sat meters is okay but i'm more interested into what actually causes it. Seems the 11000 transponders are weaker.

Cantona's Collars

Sometimes channels are moved from certain transponders which then aren't used anymore or until needed.The results can be seen by those using fta boxes which 'lose' channels.

Peter Rhea

peter_dublin wrote: »

. . . I will be adjusting the LNB skew anyway to resolve it as allignment per two sat meters is okay but i'm more interested into what actually causes it. Seems the 11000 transponders are weaker.

Proper sat. meters? Were they connected at the receiver or on their own cable at the dish?

The cable between the dish & receiver may not be up to the job of passing all frequencies reliably; adjusting lnb skew won't change that.

peter_dublin

I was using a combination of a standard (cheap) meter and fastsatfinder in combination with a TBS6981. Switched off my cordless phone base station which was sitting on the PC and transponder 11307 went from 0% Signal and Quality to 74% signal and 33% Quality. In comparison 11053 gets 83% Signal and 98% quality so next on the list I will look at the LNB Skew which at the moment is at 5.

Also should mention the cabling is standard sky fair so copper core and copper shielding. Next to turn off Wifi router and check the result and then swop out the LNB for an Inverto Black Premium as a test.

Peter Rhea

Eurobird 1 (11307 mHz tp, among others) seems to require more skew than the Astra satellites (about 8 degrees at my location), so some compromise is needed. Afaia the Astra 1 & 3 sat. positions also break the general pattern wrt skew.

11053 tp is on Astra 1N (currently at 28E) which is certainly a stronger beam (in Ireland) than Eurobird 1.

The Inverto lnb will be for a 'round' dish so won't work properly with a Sky minidish, if that's what you have in mind.

I'd say it's a skew issue. I was realigning a dish for a friend of mine recently, he could not get a lock on 11307 V at all. Turns out the LNB wasn't skewed, as soon as I corrected it I got a stable lock.

peter_dublin

Double Post. Text Deleted.

peter_dublin

Karsini wrote: »

I'd say it's a skew issue. I was realigning a dish for a friend of mine recently, he could not get a lock on 11307 V at all. Turns out the LNB wasn't skewed, as soon as I corrected it I got a stable lock.

Hi.

I don't actually think this is it, the lnb was skewed to 7 oclock already and the signal quality was peaked @ 30%. I switched out the SKY lnb for a Inverto Pro and the signal strenght increased to 80 percent from 70 percent but the quality didn't increase. Also I would say there a tiny window in which I can recieve the signal for 11307 or nothing at all, maybe a mm literally and to find it takes a lot of gentle tapping of the dish to find it, where as the Astra signal can be got over a wider arc per say.

I am going to look into moving the dish, the signal I had last night was gone this morrning and after 30mins of tweaking the dish mm by mm I found the signal again. Dish hasn't moved a bit, the plan now to move the dish 1ft east tomorrow for a better line of sight as I believe the edge of the building might be overshadowing the dish reducing the line of sight if this is possible as I have got 80 - 90 % and greater signal strenght for the Astra sats, Eurobird seems to be the issue. Also testing tomorrow with an Ariva 120 to rule out the TBS6981.

Peter Rhea

peter_dublin wrote: »

. . . I will look at the LNB Skew which at the moment is at 5.

On a Sky lnb, 5 is the wrong setting for Ireland, should be more like 2 or 3. You've probably checked the full range anyway . . .

peter_dublin

Peter Rhea wrote: »

On a Sky lnb, 5 is the wrong setting for Ireland, should be more like 2 or 3.

Thanks Peter. I did read than, hence my adjustment this morning of the LNB but still not 11307 at any sort of decent quality. Time to break out the SDS tomorrow and move the dish.

Compton

peter_dublin wrote: »

Thanks Peter. I did read than, hence my adjustment this morning of the LNB but still not 11307 at any sort of decent quality. Time to break out the SDS tomorrow and move the dish.

Could be a faulty LNB

Tony

You might also check the cable for kinks or other damage

peter_dublin

Just to update everyone. I move the dish today approx six inches and the issue was resolved.

Peter Rhea

Interesting one, if that was indeed the cause of your problem. I'd imagine it wouldn't be easy to deliberately find a location for a Sky dish where 28.5 was blocked but 28.2 wasn't (not that I've ever tried).

Strawberry HillBilly

I have similar problem to OP - cannot get 11307 to stay locked on - had a mate of mine around tonight to adjust the skew this evening at 6 pm getting 65% signal - all coming in loud and clear - went back to show the kids the channels their dads (sorry our) new system is so much better than SKY and the bloody channels are gone again !!!

Is there any chance he is amplifying signal whilst up adjusting the skew ? Using a 80cm dish with 28e, 13e and 19e coming in rock solid except for this transponder

Peter Rhea

Strawberry HillBilly wrote: »

Is there any chance he is amplifying signal whilst up adjusting the skew ?

Maybe moving the lnb temporarily improved a dodgy connection (or maybe not).

There's nothing special about the 11307 tp, apart from the same frequency being used on H & V, so sensitive to skew. A properly set up system should have no problem with it whatsoever.

Is 28 east on an offset?

Strawberry HillBilly

28 on offset with 19e on centre.

I I had dodgy connection surely I would have issues with other transponders - noticed 11307H has retained some signal (going between 25 and 45% rapidly) when it was also dead as indicated by signal meter on Ariva 120 ? Perhaps not skewed enough ?

peter_dublin

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Interesting one, if that was indeed the cause of your problem. I'd imagine it wouldn't be easy to deliberately find a location for a Sky dish where 28.5 was blocked but 28.2 wasn't (not that I've ever tried).

I agree :-) Especially since I had both dishes up and alligned in under an hour and it was only when I tried to tune in the Childrens channels for one resident did the issue come to light. I believe the issue was the dish was mounted on a porch built to the side of the building recessed about 2m from the south facing wall, both apartment blocks face due south with the porch on the west side but on checking it, the building with the issue is not exactly due south like the other block, so moving the dish I believe most likely moved it out of the shadow of the building for 28.5. I moved it 6 inches west when looking north at the dish and signal went from nothing to 40%, another six inches and signal quality increased to 56%. There are a lot of trees close by so this I believe explains the low signal quality as is but all channels are being received. The plan is to relocate the dish to the far side of the building come March.

As I said I had changed the LNB, tried three differant cables, two tuners and eventually moving the dish resolved it. Seems to be one of those chance cases.

Compton

6 inches seems an awful lot for a re alignment

shblob

shblob wrote: »

6 inches seems an awful lot for a re alignment

I thought this myself. Even 6cm might be a bit too much.

Peter Rhea

shblob wrote: »

6 inches seems an awful lot for a re alignment

It's not a realignment, the dish was moved to a new location albeit only 6 inches from its original mounting.

Peter Rhea

Strawberry HillBilly wrote: »

28 on offset with 19e on centre.

I I had dodgy connection surely I would have issues with other transponders - noticed 11307H has retained some signal (going between 25 and 45% rapidly) when it was also dead as indicated by signal meter on Ariva 120 ? Perhaps not skewed enough ?

I'd doubt you only have poor signal on one tp, it's just this one that's the worst.

If the Eurobird 1 frequencies are noticeably worse than others, you could try moving the 28 east lnb slightly to the west which might get you a better signal from 28.5 east.

Gerry Wicklow

If it only one specific frequency affected, you should also consider local interference such as a cordless phone, WiFi, baby monitor or such like.

Strawberry HillBilly

Thanks Peter R - will try and see (probably be weekend now)

Gerry - thought of that and shut down WiFi and phone but no effect ?

Used to get this transponder loud and clear on SKY for years, then the LNB failed and I decided to get new dish and expand to 3 LNB's - been an issue since so I am guessing it is probably an alignment/Skew issue

Strawberry HillBilly

To update - changed out the SKY Elliptical LNB for a universal LNB and bingo all back and running. Right tools make the right job easy !!!

Martin_F

I had a similar issue before on my box in the kitchen. Tiny Pop would sometimes vanish - and for a while I lost some of the More 4's etc. Eventually I replaced the cable running from the wall plate to the box and problem solved (I knew that bit of cable was below grade). On all other channels I had 90% signal & quality - so for a long time I thought it was LNB / box fault.