Advice with my dual receiver setup

KBMC-001

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
48
My Satellite Setup
Fortec Star 4200 & Fortec Star Passion +
My Location
Aberdeen
Up till now we have had only a Fortec Star 4200 with a USALS mount. I have a 90cm dish.

The wife decided she also wanted to be able to watch Russian TV in the bedroom upstairs so I got a Passion + HD receiver (works great and quality is good). Now as I inherited a Sky aerial and cable setup when I bought the house, the main cable from the dish enters in the living room downstairs. There is a second cable that runs from downstairs to the bedroom above. So I have used the loop through option on the Fortec 4200 to feed the Passion + upstairs.

Now generally no problems both receivers can operate the USALs mount however My Passion + set upstairs after I have done a scan of the Astra satellites doesn't pick up so many channels as the 4200 does downstairs. For example

Foretc 4200 picks up all the FreeSat channels ITV2, ITV2+1, ITV3 etc. The Passion + of the extra ITV Channels it only picks up ITV2+1 and ITV4+1

Now is this due to signal attenuation in the loop through cable?

Another thing is I did get ITV HD and BBC HD channel show up in the channel lists but I think this was before I upgraded to the latest Firmware.

If anyone can help me out that would be great. I'm also wondering if my dish has been slightly pushed out of alignment due to high winds we get sometimes. I have noticed during high winds that satellite TV is almost unwatchable on most channels which I put down to dish movement.
 

Lazarus

Retired Moderator
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
27,192
Reaction score
8,726
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
80cm Motorised.
Several small Dishes.
Much else.
My Location
North York Moors
KBMC-001 said:
Now generally no problems both receivers can operate the USALs mount however My Passion + set upstairs after I have done a scan of the Astra satellites doesn't pick up so many channels as the 4200 does downstairs. For example

Foretc 4200 picks up all the FreeSat channels ITV2, ITV2+1, ITV3 etc. The Passion + of the extra ITV Channels it only picks up ITV2+1 and ITV4+1

Check the LNB settings in the Passion. Universal or Universal 1 or Universal 9750/10600 (Whatever the Passion calls it!).

Also, check your Transponder lists are up to date - either correlate them with _http://www.flysat.com/28east.php or carry out a Blind/Auto/Network scan if the Passion has that facility.

BUT, most importantly, don't forget that when using IF Loop-Through, only one Receiver can win control over the LNB: So put the lower priority one into standby, or they'll both try to switch Polarity and Band and will generally be in conflict.
 

KBMC-001

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
48
My Satellite Setup
Fortec Star 4200 & Fortec Star Passion +
My Location
Aberdeen
Thanks for that. I will try what you have suggested.

Also didn't know about the LNB thing and 2 receivers. However what if both receivers are set to the same satellite eg Astra 2A etc?
 

Topper

Amo Amas Amant Admin
Staff member
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Messages
24,010
Reaction score
4,024
Points
113
Age
70
My Satellite Setup
Has gone to a good home elsewhere
My Location
Blackburn, Lancashire
KBMC-001 said:
Now generally no problems both receivers can operate the USALs mount however My Passion + set upstairs after I have done a scan of the Astra satellites doesn't pick up so many channels as the 4200 does downstairs. For example

Foretc 4200 picks up all the FreeSat channels ITV2, ITV2+1, ITV3 etc. The Passion + of the extra ITV Channels it only picks up ITV2+1 and ITV4+1

Now is this due to signal attenuation in the loop through cable?

As mentioned it is because of the loopthrough. The polarity of the lnb that is controlled by the first receiver dictates that the 2nd stb will only be able to watch channels on that polarity, thus limiting your viewing choices on the 2nd stb, unless the 1st stb is put in standby then the 2nd stb has control

KBMC-001 said:
Also didn't know about the LNB thing and 2 receivers. However what if both receivers are set to the same satellite eg Astra 2A etc?

The dish can only point at one satellite at any one time therefore you can only receive channels on both stb's from the same satellite at the same time. What I suspect you are experiencing is the re-use of frequencies across the arc which makes it look like you are receiving from two different satellites at the same time
 
Top