HD channels missing on 1west

[deckymckeown]

Not sure if there is a problem with my set up, I'm getting around 70p/c signal on 1west using a 90cm dish in Belfast, which is more than enough signal I think

Recently some channels are occasionally not working, like sometimes C More Hits HD works, sometimes it says "INGEN SENDING" whatever that is

I had to do a scan recently, I have noticed lots of HD channels no longer there, C More First HD for example. Has something changed on this sat or is it likely to be an LNB/signal issue?

[Rob van der Does]

Not sure which image you're running, but ViX has Thor/Intelsat 10-02 at 0.8W, not at 1W.

[deckymckeown]

Not sure which image you're running, but ViX has Thor/Intelsat 10-02 at 0.8W, not at 1W.


Yes sorry Rob, I'm referring to Thor 0.8w (I have it stored as 1west on my setup but its that sat I'm referring to). And I'm using Vix image

Any ideas?

[Rob van der Does]

From my place (mid-France) the same applies. So my guess is (but I didn't follow the changes) that many transponders have become 'more difficult' (8PSK, high SR, low FEC). This is often done to allow for more services in one mux (--> cheaper).

[deckymckeown]

From my place (mid-France) the same applies. So my guess is (but I didn't follow the changes) that many transponders have become 'more difficult' (8PSK, high SR, low FEC). This is often done to allow for more services in one mux (--> cheaper).

Yes I got you, that would make sense....... thanks

[deckymckeown]

From my place (mid-France) the same applies. So my guess is (but I didn't follow the changes) that many transponders have become 'more difficult' (8PSK, high SR, low FEC). This is often done to allow for more services in one mux (--> cheaper).

A quick update on this, I opened a slightly older version of my channel file with dreambox edit, copied over some of the channels I'm now missing from Thor, C More Hits, C More First, C More First HD etc...

The channels copy into my current channel file, they appear in my bouqets when I reboot the receiver, the transponder info is correct as per kingofsat.net, I can also see the EPG data for the channel but the there is no signal and obviously no picture on screen??

Strange I'm getting the EPG data, and I don't mean by downloading it, its populating itself as if it recognises a signal on that channel

[Rob van der Does]

That can indeed be the case.
It is not uncommon for a provider to transmit all their EPG-data on all their transponders. So if you are tuned to one of those services for some time, the EPG for all their services will show on your GUI, even if that specific service can't be received at all.

[Rob van der Does]

Additional: if your receiving issue is indeed due to 'difficult' parameters, it's worth trying to adjust your dish. Don't forget the LNB-skew.
Is it a fixed, single LNB dish?

[deckymckeown]

It's a quad lnb motorised dish rob- we had a few storms here lately and I had to do a bit of adjusting. I'm picking up other HD channels on this sat, a scan gets me around 100 channels which is a good bit less than from when I started to have issues

Signal on the channels that are working is around 70

[Rob van der Does]

You know that you can adjust your latitude (a bit) to make corrections?

[deckymckeown]

Manually? I've used the positioner on the receiver to maximise the signal on each sat, fine movements left and right.

I'm thinking though my need to do slight adjustments at the dish manually, perhaps the angle of the dish where it's attached to the motor?

[Huevos]

90cm in Ireland is too small for any 8PSK transponders on K1 spot beam. 1.5-1.8m would be more realistic.

[deckymckeown]

90cm in Ireland is too small for any 8PSK transponders on K1 spot beam. 1.5-1.8m would be more realistic.

That would tie in with what Rob was saying about them cramming more channels on the same transponders then? Because they were working up until lately, always had a problem with C More Hits HD, but never with C More First HD and now it's gone as are loads of others.

Well cheers for the advise, saves me getting up and down the ladder like an idiot then ��

[Rob van der Does]

Manually? I've used the positioner on the receiver to maximise the signal on each sat, fine movements left and right.

But those fine-movements are not being stored (assuming you use USALS).
What i do is as follows: when receiving (a number of transponders of) a satellite is getting worse, I use the positioner (indeed: fine movements) to see if I can get a stronger signal. If so, I change my position (in tuner config) a bit. If I had to move the dish to the east, I move my own position to the west (just 0.1 degree), and then repeat the procedure.
Luckily not often needed, but indeed sometimes after a huge storm. And alignment then changes only a very small amount: I would never be able to correct such a small misalignment mechanically.

Besides: you said you have Thor on 1W. This means you are using your own satellite.xml: why do you do that and are you sure it's a correct & up-to-date one?
And a difference of 0.2degree may already be enough for weak transponders to be unreceivable.

[deckymckeown]

No Rob I'm not using USALS, I have never been able to get the system working properly with that. Since the installation I have never used USALS and as such store the position on the motor , and if I do move it slightly via the receiver or manually at the dish I update the store position on the menu.

This is where the confusion of 1w comes in, and I referred to it incorrectly in my first post, apologies. The sat im having issues with is 0.8w. The positioner number I use when I've got the signal as high as it can be is relevant to the sat, just for my own benefit so I know which is which e.g 28 for 28.2e , 13 for 13e and in this instance 1 for 0.8w.

I know I am def on the right sat, I'm picking up around 100 plus channels on the scan, some of them in HD and the signal is showing around 70 . This number of channels is way less than before though and some of the channels that it had been suggested that it maybe would have been impossible for me to get on 8psk transponders on 90cm dish, I was receiving until lately, C more First HD etc.

Strangely the standard def version of that channel was trying to come through last night (from the old boquets I copied over not from a scan because it doesn't pick this channel up in a scan now) with the picture breaking up and being badly pixelated. Which suggests to me some fine tuning needed just

I will try this when I get home , but it's strange to me that the signal is around 70 on the channels that are working and I do get some HD channels like H2 etc

[Rob van der Does]

OK, clear.

Is the skew of the LNB correct (i.e. zero for a motorised dish, knowing that this will not be perfect on the 3 Astra's)?

[deckymckeown]

Ah right ok.... I'm not at home at the minute but from what I can remember the lnb is slightly twisted to the left or right. Il try that then placing it dead central to the dish and whilst it's already positioned at 0.8w

And from what ur saying there , obviously it is normal that the signal will reduce at the likes of 28.e, 13e etc by doing that. The signal is currently in the 90's at those sats anyway so I'm guessing that won't cause me major issues.

Il post my findings later when I get home... Thanks again for ur help

[Rob van der Does]

With zero-skew I mean zero relative to the dish. That means the actual skew (relative to the horizontal) is in accordance with the satellite the dish is pointing at.
What I mean by the wrong skew for the 3 Astra's is that those sats have a different skew. The intention of that is that the skew of the LNB of a fixed dish is around zero (relative to horizontal) if you're in the intended area of the satellite. But for a rotating dish this is not optimal. Having said that: in reality I never had issues with that for the Atstra's, although a perfect skew undoubtedly would have increased the SNR.

I hope I made myself clear; if not I hope Huevos will step in, as he'll be able to explain it far better then I do.

[Huevos]

If USALS doesn't work the dish is aligned wrong and not tracking the arc.

[deckymckeown]

Yes I understand what u mean... Thank u both, realignment def needed I think, and I need to get my head around using USALS when it's configured properly