Problems tuning multisat unicable setup

[armanic78]

Hi all,

First post, but long time lurker, great info here, but can't just find the answer I need for my problem.

Firstly, my setup:

• a SelfSat H22dCSS+ Unicable, pointed at 28.2e Astra 2 (original setup)
• a 90cm dish, with 2 x GT-Sat GT-S1DCSS24 SCR/dCSS Unicable LNBs, centered on 13.0e Hotbird and 19.2e Astra 1 offset with a multilnb holder (this is new)
• a Gigablue UE 4K with OpenATV 6.4, with 2xDVB-S2X FBC and 2x DVB-T tuners in optional slot
• a simple Technomate 4x1 Diseqc TM-4S
• a server with a TBS6909 DVB/S Octo feeding into TVheadend + a card for DVB-T.. can't recall the model

The Selfsat dish has been up for a while along receiving Freesat, and I have separate a terrestrial feed (am in Ireland, DVB-T is for local Saorview). These have been feeding my previous box (Formuler F1) & TVheadend ok for a while with no issues. I upgraded recently to the Gigablue UE 4k and then also put up the new dish which I had previously + 2 new unicable LNBs, and introduced the diseqc into mix:

- port 1 = 28.2 Astra 2
- port 2 = 19.2 Astra 1
- port 3 = 13.0 Hotbird
- port 4 = unused

I've completed what I think is the tuner setup on the Gigablue, and am getting 28.2 coming in ok (as well as the terrrestrial) but I cannot get any signal on 19.2 or 13.0, or not at least consistently. There are 2 cables feeding into the DVBSX2 ports on the gigablue. I should also say that I've tested the output from the 2 new unicable LNBs by putting a meter on their legacy ports, and am getting 80%+ signal on the Hotbird, and high 60s%+ on the Astra 1 and both are locked and displaying channels.

I had originally setup all 8 tuners, to be multisat:
- LNB 1:
- - Astra 2
- - appropriate Unicable SCR & freq
- - Diseqc 1.0
- - Port 1
- LNB 2:
- - Astra 1
- - appropriate Unicable SCR & freq
- - Diseqc 1.0
- - Port 2
- LNB 3:
- - Hotbird
- - appropriate Unicable SCR & freq
- - Disqec 1.0
- - Port 3
.. times 8 for each of the tuners, changing the SCR setting each time to give them a unique address on the 3 LNBs, but I decided to pare this back til I got things working.
At some stage, I had stumbled across configuration setting which meant that I was getting some channels coming in on Astra 1 19.2 once I did a scan, but I dunno what I had set :-S

Note that TVHeadend has a similar setup, but is able to tune both Astra 2 & Hotbird, i.e. not Astra 1 19.2, so am not thinking that it's a cabling issue, especially when 28.2 works ok
Here's a sample of the settings for one of the tuners, pointing at 19.2 :
tuner_d_pg1.jpgtuner_d_pg2.jpg

My hunch is its something to do with getting getting the Diseqc working correctly, but can't work out what's the best settings for me.

Thanks in advance!

[abu baniaz]

You are not meant to use diseqc switches with unicable LNBs. You are meant to use programmable LNBs and use combiners and then select the programmed position. That being said, there is a way to use diseqc switches with Unicable LNBs. Sorry, I cant post a link as I will get an infraction for rule break. Have a search on another forum. The thread is called "Aan de slag met Unicable II LNB's"

I should point out that ATV uses different unicable code, so you may get better advice from their forum.

Read the term/option "connected" as "are you getting signal through the wire connected to another tuner?"

Can you confirm whether you are using the legacy LNB ports to connect to the diseqc switch? That will work, but your config has to be correct and match it.

[armanic78]

Hi abu thanks for the quick response & the heads up on that other thread, I'd never have found it.. Looks like quite a comprehensive walkthrough of what needs to be done, but unforunately I dont have a unicable programmer .. least I think that what was used, Google translating Dutch ..! Looks like someone was also trying to do that programming via their E2 box.. must research that a bit more..

Seeing as how the TVHeadend setup can tune the Hotbird/Port 'c' lnb ok, I'm also going to have another dig around the settings there & in Enigma to see if it throws any light on the matter. Do you know of any good explainer on what all the options around Diseqc mean here? e.g tuning algorithms etc?

Got you on the 'connected' option - I guess all the leaf tuners in the FBC setup on the Gigablue should be 'connected' to Tuner 'a' (or B)

No, am not using the legacy ports on the LNBs at all, though I gues that would be a fall back for me, and use those & the diseqc in a more traditional config.