Cant seem to find RTL germany or RTL austria on Astra1?

[cookus]

Hi,

I have a spiderbox. I can find some channels on Astra1 (for example bbc world) but The box cannot get a signal for the RTL channels when I put in the address details - has anyone got a clue what is going on?

thanks

[echelon]

make sure you havent exceeded the maximum number of allowed channels or transponders (including radio)

[cookus]

No I dont think thats it as I cant even get a signal for the address before I search for it

[Mickha]

Are you certain you're on Astra 1, 19.2E?
Try going into the Spiderbox menu. Select Manual Scan. Press the green button, then add the following:
Frequency 12226
S/R 27500
Polarity Hoirizontal
Modulation DVB-S QSPK

What happens when you start searching? What are your signal readings?

[echelon]

12188H and 12226H are both ok on my spiderbox

make sure lnb is set to universal

[cookus]

Ive searched the whole of astra1 and only get 424 channels?

[echelon]

Ive searched the whole of astra1 and only get 424 channels?

you have a serious problem there then

check the lnb is set to universal (like I said) and check you havent exceeded the maximum allowed channels and transponders (like I said)

you may even have a faulty lnb

[cookus]

Yeah its strange cause a few days ago we had a lot more channels including both the RTLs (for the f1)

[cookus]

you have a serious problem there then

check the lnb is set to universal (like I said) and check you havent exceeded the maximum allowed channels and transponders (like I said)

you may even have a faulty lnb

How can you check the number of channels?

[echelon]

How can you check the number of channels?

obvious really

add the total number of TV CHANNELS to the total number of RADIO CHANNELS to give you an overall total of channels, then make sure your total is less than the box allowed maximum

[Mickha]

Can you please post your signal strength, and especially quality, readings.
Also check the channels, a failing/faulty LNB will often allow one set of polarities, e.g. Vertical, but will not switch to Horizontal.
What size dish do you have?
Where is your general location?
Is this a fixed dish setup?
Have you checked the dish hasn't moved, we recently had some very strong winds in the UK.

[cookus]

I dont think its a prob with wind as Im still getting some channels on astra1 and i have moved the dish both ways and still not getting a signal. Yeah its motorised 98cm - was getting the rtl channels fine up until a few days ago. Ahh yes what it looks like is that I can get signal for the V channels but not the H channels.

So a faulty LNB then? Are they easy to replace and install?

[echelon]

I dont think its a prob with wind as Im still getting some channels on astra1 and i have moved the dish both ways and still not getting a signal. Yeah its motorised 98cm - was getting the rtl channels fine up until a few days ago. Ahh yes what it looks like is that I can get signal for the V channels but not the H channels.

So a faulty LNB then? Are they easy to replace and install?

should be like for like - so YES, although I would recommend getting an inverto ultra black lnb which is what I swapped mine out with last year

[cookus]

Are there benefits to this LNB then? and also should I get a twin or quad etc?

[echelon]

Are there benefits to this LNB then? and also should I get a twin or quad etc?

it gives a better "gain" than most other lnb,s , so better signal and better quality, and they are a reasonable price too

only you can decide if you need a single , a twin or a quad, depends how many outputs you need

[Mickha]

It might not be a faulty LNB, but that is the most likely cause.
Another cause could be the receiver, or even the LNB rotated too far, skewed, allowing only one polarity. You will quickly know when you examine the LNB and change it.

[TonyO]

Many years ago I lost the whole horizontal polarity with an lnb, there was a crack in the cap underneath that I couldn't see and a small spider set up home inside the lnb wiping out the H signals but not the V ones, check for insects or water in the lnb.

[cookus]

Something really weird is going on because now I can scan the H channels as well. Well some of them at least for example ZDF HD

[echelon]

there are 2 horizontals and 2 verticals m8

H-HI
H-LO
V-HI
V-LO

the states are switched by 2 different voltages and by the 22 khz tone

[cookus]

there are 2 horizontals and 2 verticals m8

H-HI
H-LO
V-HI
V-LO

the states are switched by 2 different voltages and by the 22 khz tone

good stuff well i have ordered that LNB so all should be ok

[Mickha]

When you change the LNB check the cable, for signs of water ingress, or general damage. If the connector, or protection, has become loose, or damaged water can soon get into the cable, and LNB.

[cookus]

Right Ive got that new LNB in. Scanned Astra1 and found 868 channels. The only thing thats a bit worrying is that most of the channels are only about 60% quality. Do you think that the LNB needs repositioning or something?

I have adjusted the LNB and I am only get between 58-66% for RTL Austria, 98cm Kent - is this about right?

[Mickha]

Sounds like your dish has moved slightly, when you replaced the LNB. Try all the other satellites, on your arc, if it has moved treat it like a new installation, zero the motor, send it to your nearest true south satellite, get the best signal quality, then check the other satellites.

[cookus]

Sounds like your dish has moved slightly, when you replaced the LNB. Try all the other satellites, on your arc, if it has moved treat it like a new installation, zero the motor, send it to your nearest true south satellite, get the best signal quality, then check the other satellites.


Now I cant move the motor as I use to, is this because the LNB is of a different type>?

[cookus]

It seems to be the higher the frequency the lower the quality

[cookus]

Move the lnb in or out from bracket to see whats best position for your dish.

have done that mate and there isnt too much difference (getting max of 70% now for RTL austria). The biggest thing now is that the motor isnt moving anymore.

[echelon]

have done that mate and there isnt too much difference (getting max of 70% now for RTL austria). The biggest thing now is that the motor isnt moving anymore.

if you were using usals before, make sure you have changed back to usals after resetting the motor, add your longitude and latitude and save it
then reboot the spiderbox through the menu and test

if you need to adjust to get a better signal, mark the motor and dish brackets with a marker pen
then try moving the dish up or down slightly until you peak the signal and tighten the dish up again

[cookus]

thanks but the motor is still not responding

[cookus]

adjusted the dish down very slightly and now we are getting around 80% for rtl

[Mickha]

What about the motor? Is it working?
Can you manually move the motor, if it has the option?

[TonyO]

I get higher signal than that with a 38cm dish on astra 1, if you have trees or bushes in front of your dish or a house extension move your dish or cut the trees down.

[TonyO]

I cant get bulsat on 39e on my motorised dish, there is a fir tree two gardens away, I have an 80cm dish 5ft away which can see it and a diseq switch works well to cover that bird.

Strangely I can receive 42e but the tree stuffs 39e.

[echelon]

adjusted the dish down very slightly and now we are getting around 80% for rtl

are you using usals or diseqc v1.2 to move the motor ?

what method were you using when it worked before ?

is it working now or not

[cookus]

are you using usals or diseqc v1.2 to move the motor ?

what method were you using when it worked before ?

is it working now or not

Sorry I was away for a few days. I have not looked at it again. No the motor isnt moving. Think it was on diseq1.2 but i think i have used usals also before.

There is a house some feet away (20 odd) BUT i dont think that it interferes with the signal as the dish is above its line if you know what i mean

I have also a Technomate 15000 ci so I think I might try and use that to see if it can move the motor etc...

BTW i have never been able to get the sats past 28e although I could get all the way around to 42w


Not being able to move the dish isnt too important at the moment because we only want it to watch the F1 on RTL astra1 channels. But come the new epl season it might be good if we could pick up Bulsat 39e (if its still on of course).

[echelon]

if you are using diseqc v1.2 to move the dish then when you reset it I would think you have lost the storage positions on the motor for each satellite. this means you must move the motor using the menu to find each satellite and store them all again

usals relies on you inputting your location and from that info it can locate all the other satellites

[Mickha]

Please check if your Spiderbox software limits have changed.
If eveything is set correctly then please try disconnecting the LNB, to see if this is the problem, then try moving the dish using your Spiderbox.
By disconnecting the LNB I mean disconnect the cable, from the LNB, at the dish.

[cookus]

ok I will do these things but i cant at the moment as im not at the house