Advice Needed Oscillating signal strengths (5W transalpine)

[Stevenvc19]

Maybe playing gently with your LNB Skew can also help! Make sure you mark the position of your LNB before playing around with it.

 

[Channel Hopper]

+1

https://www.eutelsat.com/files/contributed/satellites/pdf/polarisation-skew-eutelsat-satellites.pdf

 

[astra19]

The dish isn't in the most accessible location, so I'll see how I get on with tweaking the USALS settings first.

 

[Gladstones]

Are you able to lock at all? I'm not too worried about this TP since the one that I do get has all the main channels, luckily. But it would be nice to get a bit more choice.

No lock sometimes signal comes and then disappear
Today it’s no signal at all on
11509H
12648V

 

[astra19]

It seems like I’m just lucky to get what I have then. I was able to make a tiny improvement by changing my USALS settings but I was already close to the best.
Question about skew: how much does it matter on a motorised dish since the dish is moving too? I don’t want to get up the ladder to adjust the skew only for one sat. Though I do wonder if that might explain why my Hispasat is coming in so poorly.

 

[sonnetpete]

Question about skew: how much does it matter on a motorised dish since the dish is moving too? I don’t want to get up the ladder to adjust the skew only for one sat. Though I do wonder if that might explain why my Hispasat is coming in so poorly.

If you can get to the LNB safely, move your motor to zero (not your due South satellite) and check that the LNB is vertical. Don't forget that the LNB is at the end of a chain of mechanical adjustments, so any slight misalignment of your setup will be exaggerated at the LNB end. Admittedly the difference may not be great but all things should be considered. However, I'd also check the alignment of your mount and motor if you are also having problems with Hispasat.

 

[Gladstones]

It seems like I’m just lucky to get what I have then. I was able to make a tiny improvement by changing my USALS settings but I was already close to the best.
Question about skew: how much does it matter on a motorised dish since the dish is moving too? I don’t want to get up the ladder to adjust the skew only for one sat. Though I do wonder if that might explain why my Hispasat is coming in so poorly.

Are you still receiving 11509H29500
What’s the signal strength today

 

[MCelliotG]

Nothing changed here in Thessaloniki, as powerful as ever! I was lucky for once....

 

[astra19]

Are you still receiving 11509H29500
What’s the signal strength today

It's good, about 70%. The other TP hovers around 60% but not consistent enough to lock it seems.

 

[a33]

+1

https://www.eutelsat.com/files/contributed/satellites/pdf/polarisation-skew-eutelsat-satellites.pdf

But 5W is not in the list for the 3.535 degrees preskew?
See page 50, where is says 0.0 degrees: https://www.eutelsat.pl/files/contributed/support/pdf/azimuth-elevation-polarisation.pdf

BTW Also 28E is listed as 0.0 preskew, but I always thought it had the 7.5 degrees (Astra) preskew? Never tested this, though.

Greetz,
A33

 

[ozumo]

BTW Also 28E is listed as 0.0 preskew, but I always thought it had the 7.5 degrees (Astra) preskew? Never tested this, though.

Calculated skew for 28.2/5E for me is around 19.5°, I just measured the LNB on my fixed zone 2 and it is around 11.5°, so there appears to be pre-skew. The missing half degree could be caused by a non-plumb pole or a lack of alignment skills

 

[a33]

The missing half degree could be caused by a non-plumb pole or a lack of alignment skills

Or by the internal antenna in the LNB, that is not exactly at the right angle. That is far from uncommon in LNBs, if I'm informed rightly...

I always thought it strange, that an eutelsat document would mention 28E data; as that isn't eutelsat, right?
But I do think the list would be trustworthy, for the sat-positions that list the 3.535 degrees preskew.

Greetz,
A33

 

[Channel Hopper]

Without knowing the date of the documentation it is difficult to know the accuracy of the data.

The Eutelsat link to Astra 28 and others is just the nomenclature given rather than any ownership, possibly for the DiSEqC positions in licenced software.

 

[ozumo]

Or by the internal antenna in the LNB, that is not exactly at the right angle. That is far from uncommon in LNBs, if I'm informed rightly...

I always thought it strange, that an eutelsat document would mention 28E data; as that isn't eutelsat, right?
But I do think the list would be trustworthy, for the sat-positions that list the 3.535 degrees preskew.

Greetz,
A33

Thinking about it, a non-plumb pole would not affect LNB skew

Perhaps 28E was included as Eurobird 1 used to be located there

I wonder about 5WB, when it came into service I remember tweaking the skew of my 5W dish, though that may be because the signal was weaker than 5WA which didn't need such careful alignment.

 

[astra19]

I got myself up the ladder this morning and tweaked the skew but it seems like I was bang on where I should have been already. Moving slightly in either direction made it worse. I think I was lucky to have what I did! Still not sure why the westernmost part of the arc is so bad for me. There aren't any obstructions but the signal is so poor.

 

[a33]

Still not sure why the westernmost part of the arc is so bad for me. There aren't any obstructions but the signal is so poor.

Did you do the usual testing? Moving dish left and right, and up and down a bit, while at your westernmost position, to check when improvement occurs?

Greetz,
A33

 

[Gladstones]

11509H29500
12648V29500
Solid lock tonight on both TPS
Both are around 70-80%

 

[astra19]

I'll try again when it's cleared up. 11509H has a bit of breakup right now but decent.

 

[Gladstones]

11509 & 12648 still above 74%

 

[astra19]

12648 is at 68% for me, a wee bit stronger than usual, but still not enough to lock.