Multiswitch, Quattro LNB, VU+ issues

[superduperstriker]

Hi Everyone,

I have recently moved into my new house and am having problems with my setup.

I have a 80cm dish with Quattro LNB pointing to 28.2.
The 4 outputs lead to an EMP-Centauri Multiswitch 5/12.
All the wiring is done and I am testing the system with a Vu+ Duo.

How can I test if the system is working in terms of the Tuner Configuration?

I have a feeling the installer has mixed up the polarities and the wrong cables are plugged into the wrong inputs on the multiswitch.
Either that or the dish alignment is out.

Any help would be appreciated.
Many thanks.

[twol]

Hi Everyone,

I have recently moved into my new house and am having problems with my setup.

I have a 80cm dish with Quattro LNB pointing to 28.2.
The 4 outputs lead to an EMP-Centauri Multiswitch 5/12.
All the wiring is done and I am testing the system with a Vu+ Duo.

How can I test if the system is working in terms of the Tuner Configuration?

I have a feeling the installer has mixed up the polarities and the wrong cables are plugged into the wrong inputs on the multiswitch.
Either that or the dish alignment is out.

Any help would be appreciated.
Many thanks.

So do you get any signal/quality readings? No signal? ??? Can you qualify the problem?
Why did you go with a Quattro/Multiswitch environment? (no criticism, I use a 16 port multiswitch system, connected between 2 dishes and each room in the house.), but it can be overkill :)

Not much help, but I colour coded both ends of my cables before they went up, as well as personally connecting the LNB's and multiswitch - otherwise you are entirely in the hands of an installer.

[dfdream]

The easiest thing to do is to connect the receiver to one of the feeds from the multiswitch and see if anything works.
If not connect the box directly to one of the quattro cables and see if any channels work.
Maybe put a meter on them to see if the alignment is OK....

[superduperstriker]

So do you get any signal/quality readings? No signal? ??? Can you qualify the problem?
Why did you go with a Quattro/Multiswitch environment? (no criticism, I use a 16 port multiswitch system, connected between 2 dishes and each room in the house.), but it can be overkill :)

Not much help, but I colour coded both ends of my cables before they went up, as well as personally connecting the LNB's and multiswitch - otherwise you are entirely in the hands of an installer.


The easiest thing to do is to connect the receiver to one of the feeds from the multiswitch and see if anything works.
If not connect the box directly to one of the quattro cables and see if any channels work.
Maybe put a meter on them to see if the alignment is OK....

I have been using Vu+ Duo successfully for a few years now. Previously in my old house with a Diseqc switch. Moved out of that house a year ago and since then it has been used as a freesat box at parents. Been working on new house for 6 months and whilst work was being done I laid all data and sat cables. All cables were labelled properly. Installer was only tasked with putting dish up and connecting LNB and making a note of connections. I asked for the details of connections but I wasn't too convinced with his answers. He was talking about not being able to test that LNB and he had never seen one before! (Cheap is not always good).

Connected multiswitch and switched on Vu+ and did an automatic search which brought back about 10 services.
Changed the order of the input cables on multiswitch and managed to get 200 services.
It was around this time that I discovered the Tuner Configuration page which has too many settings for a novice like me to make sense off.
I also discovered the Satfinder page which dosent make sense.

So my question is about the "Tuner Configuration" page and "Satfinder" page.
Do I need to change any "Tuner Configuration" settings to reflect my setup?
Can I test my setup with the "Satfinder" settings?
Which type of search should I using "automatic or "manual"?

Many thanks

[digi247]

You need to be testing for the 4 inputs that a quattro use V/H V/L H/H H/L a full scan on 28° east should return in excess of 900 channels, if you dont get these then the 'installer' has eother connected the 4 inputs from the lnb wrong and you will need to swap them over or it could be the EMP-Centari switch which IMHO are one of the best for multisystems such as yours.

Sorting the 4 cables without a Pro meter wont be easy but it can be done with trial and error and a lot of patience

[twol]

I have been using Vu+ Duo successfully for a few years now. Previously in my old house with a Diseqc switch. Moved out of that house a year ago and since then it has been used as a freesat box at parents. Been working on new house for 6 months and whilst work was being done I laid all data and sat cables. All cables were labelled properly. Installer was only tasked with putting dish up and connecting LNB and making a note of connections. I asked for the details of connections but I wasn't too convinced with his answers. He was talking about not being able to test that LNB and he had never seen one before! (Cheap is not always good).

Connected multiswitch and switched on Vu+ and did an automatic search which brought back about 10 services.
Changed the order of the input cables on multiswitch and managed to get 200 services.
It was around this time that I discovered the Tuner Configuration page which has too many settings for a novice like me to make sense off.
I also discovered the Satfinder page which dosent make sense.

So my question is about the "Tuner Configuration" page and "Satfinder" page.
Do I need to change any "Tuner Configuration" settings to reflect my setup?
Can I test my setup with the "Satfinder" settings?
Which type of search should I using "automatic or "manual"?

Many thanksIf the cables are marked, any chance you can get close enough to the dish to check connections... Its a lot faster than playing with the cables at the Multiswitch.
At the tuner end I always use manual settings as i like to control what i am doing.
The installer should at least have aligned correctly, I am not surprised that he has not seen a quattro lnb before

[basilyoung]

the prorabiltys are that the dish is not aligned correctly

the lnb itself has the freqs identified for each leg

here, my cables are coloured red/yellow/green/black, so easy to identify

in your case, if not as above, you need to find 4 fta channels, one on HV, LV, HH, LH,

Disconnect 3 ( identify each cable with its orig connection ) of the cables, and test on the remaining cable with the fta channel

but really, a fairly good sat meter would be a good investment

[superduperstriker]

Thanks for all the help guys.

Due to my busy weekday schedule the only time I get time to work on things is the weekend.
I got in a professional satellite person and the problem was sorted within the hour!
I had the multiswitch inputs in the wrong order as suspected and he had a very expensive tester that made the job easier.
I get all the channels now (free ones).
I am off now to find the latest image and bouqets.

Thanks for all the help and advice

[basilyoung]

Pleased you are sorted, and now hopefully, you can enjoy your setup

[rallynug]

Sorry to reopen this thread, am having similar issues:

Just installed 125cm dish with Quad LNB for Astra (Freesat). I'm in the SW of France so size is necessary. Have also tried installing EMP-Centauri 5/24 switch which does state it is compatible with Quad LNBs. Have checked all four LNB outputs to verify dish is correctly pointed - am getting Intensity of about 80/90% and quality ranges from 50 - 75% which is about as good as anyone near us gets since the new spotbeam implementation. When I connect the LNB leads to the switch then run a Satlink finder (WS9606) the signal intensity stays on 40% and quality is approx 3%. These results show on the meter whether the switch is powered on or off. Am frustrated and confused. The manual states that if using Quad LNB it makes no difference what order the LNB outputs are arranged as the switch is supposed to regulate and control the LNB. If anyone can shed some light and point me in the right direction I would be grateful.

[adm]

The manual suggests that its got inbuilt 0 to 15dB adjustable attenuators. Have you got the attenuator set to 15dB rather than 0dB?

[quote from the manual]
For all SAT inputs, it is possible to change level of signals by means of attenuators in 15 dB
range; the minimum attenuation is in clockwise stop position, the maximum attenuation is in
counterclockwise stop position. Set attenuators very gently, do not turn them behind stop
positions by force.

[twol]

You also need to set dip switch 3 or 4 (depending on how many LNB's you can attach) to off.
With quad it is immaterial of cable order as long as long as you have set the dip switch to force 22 kHz signal to satellite inputs (hence you always have high band on these 2 ports) ... this must be done for Quad LNB.... hence it acts just like a quattro (without the integrated switch knowing)
Its a great multiswitch I currently have both quad and quattro lnbs running.