(Use these tips for other satellites too! Get the transponder
information you need at
http://www.lyngsat.com/america.shtml )
1. From your computer, download the satellite finder program from the
Q&A page of our site at
http://www.americansatellitedistributors.com/main/qa.html . Look for ‘Satellite
Finder Program Download’.
2. Open the program after installing, and enter your zip code and then
click COMPUTE. Your coordinates for the major US satellites will appear
on the right of the page. “Azimuth” refers to the compass setting or
direction the satellite dish needs to face to receive programming from
the satellite listed. “Elevation” is the angle the dish needs to be
pointed toward the sky. The elevation reading is on the side of the
satellite dish mount. Move the dish mount to the elevation required and
then tighten. Do this before placing the satellite dish on the
satellite mast.
3. Unpack your receiver and place near the television. Connect the
cable from the satellite dish to the connection on the satellite
receiver that says “LNB in” or “Satellite In” or “Digital In”. The
cable from the receiver to the TV or VCR should come from the port
marked “TV Out”, or “Out to TV”.
Select either channel 3 or 4 on the back of the receiver. Turn your TV
to the channel you selected. You should have an on-screen menu, and you
may address it with your remote control.
4. Go to DISH SETUP. The same category may be called ANTENNA SETTING
in some receiver menus. For the LNB type, most of the LNBFs we send
out are not UNIVERSAL. (NOTICE!!! This is where most self-installers
drop the ball. Your LNB may be a standard LNBF. Look at the label to be
sure! If the LO frequency says 10.75 GHz, then your LNBF is a standard
LNBF, not universal! Make sure that your menu reflects the settings
below:
Satellite Telstar 5 (or
Intelsat Americas 5)
Dish Type Fixed (If you are
installing a motor, change this to DISEQC later.)
LNB Type use
'UNIVERSAL' if your LNBF has an upper limit
other than 12.2
use 'STANDARD' or
'NORMAL' if the LNBF label lists an upper limit of 12.2
LO Freq
10750 (5150 if you are looking for C-Band
signals)
22Khz OFF
DiSeqC OFF
0/12V 0 or none
14/18V NONE
FTA Only NO
LNB Power ON
5. Go to TRANSPONDER SETUP (might say TRANSPONDER SETTING or EDIT
TRANSPONDER). Make sure you are looking at Telstar 5 (Intelsat 5). If
Telstar 5 is not loaded into the receiver, you will have to load it.
There should be one transponder with the following settings:
FREQUENCY- 11966
SYMBOL RATE- 22000
POLARITY- Horizontal
*Scroll through the list of transponders. If you don't see one with the
settings listed above, add it manually.
After you have the transponder loaded, look for a signal meter (it may
say 0% at this point) on the screen. This is the meter you should use
while aiming for the signal. If you don’t have a signal meter, you can
call on the telephone from the dish to someone who is sitting in front
of the TV watching the signal quality meter.
6. Back to the dish! Make sure your dish is level. The only way your
dish will be level (plum) is to install the dish mast without the dish
on it and make sure it is level.
Hold a level vertically against the up-and-down portion of the mast (the
little bubble in the level should be in the middle between the lines).
If you don't have a level, you will have a tough time.
7. Set the elevation adjustment on the side of the dish to the
elevation you need for your area. Now drop the dish on the mast that
you just leveled. Hook up the cable line to the LNBF on the end of the
dish and run it directly to the receiver LNB IN (might say FROM LNB).
Eliminate all signal splitters and splices in the line for now. Run the
cable through a window for now if you must, but get your signal first.
After you acquire the signal, then you can hook it to the existing cable
in your house. If your signal goes away, you know not to use your
existing cable, but don't waste hours and hours only to find out that
you ran your line through some old washed out cable or a splitter that
was under the floor.
8. Where are you aiming? Is your azimuth 180? 220? Do you know what
the numbers mean? Do you have a compass? If you do, try this method:
Put your compass on the ground. Wait until the arrow stops. See the
point on the arrow? It’s pointing at ZERO, or true North. Now if true
North is ZERO, it only makes sense that true South is 180 degrees. It
then follows that true East is 90 degrees and true West is 270. So draw
a visual line from the middle of the compass to the azimuth you have
figured for the satellite you are aiming for. That is your aiming
vector. Simple, huh?
Now, one last adjustment: If your azimuth is around 180, your LNB
should be set straight up and down. If your azimuth is a number higher
than 180, your LNB should be tilted slightly counterclockwise in the
collar (looking at the front of the dish). Only slightly, unless your
azimuth is more to the west. If so, you might turn your LNB to 11
o’clock or even 10 o’clock to get better signal quality. (Why are there
two meters on the on-screen menu?) One is for signal strength and one
is for signal quality. Strength may be high, but if your quality
reading is less than 55 or so, you will not scan any channels into
memory when you search. If you have a high signal strength number, you
may still be aiming at another satellite. Only when you see the quality
reading rise, do you know when you are aiming at the satellite that you
are looking for.)
Conversely, if your azimuth is less than 180, the LNB should be tilted
clockwise. See the diagrams below.
9. Move the dish slowly from far left to right. SLOWLY! Either use a
satellite finder or use a cell phone to call a buddy who is patiently
sitting in your living room looking at the transponder signal screen.
(If you never get ANY signal quality, adjust your elevation up or down a
degree or two and try again. Remember, SLOWLY!)
10. When you get high signal strength AND quality readings, scan the
transponder. You will need to do it twice to get the receiver to
recognize ALL of the transponders (channel bunches). The second time
around, change the scan mode from 'SCAN 1 TP' to 'SCAN 1 SAT' or 'ALL
SAT'. If you think you are missing one, go to
http://www.lyngsat.com/america.shtml and click on Intelsat Americas
5 and scroll down to see if all of the transponders loaded for you
automatically. If not, manually add the ones that were missed. At
lyngsat.com, the transponder frequency is located in the first column,
along with the polarization. A little ‘V’ underneath the frequency
means Vertical. A little ‘H’ stands for Horizontal. The symbol rate is
located in the sixth column. The symbol rate is always given in the top
row of each transponder listing. It’s usually 5 digits, but sometimes
it’s only 4.
11. If you don't get signal, here are the problems in order of
popularity:
a. Dish is not level (no amount of faking it will work here)
b. Cabling is compromised somehow by a splice, signal splitter or bad
connector
c. Aiming at wrong place because of lack of compass (should have
purchased an install kit)
d. A tree or roof overhang is blocking the path (the dish receives
signal from a higher angle than you think)
e. Satellite receiver on-screen menu settings are incorrect (see above
hints)
f. No voltage from the receiver through the cable leading to the dish
(may be checked, see below)
g. LNB is bad (may have been dropped creating shock-loss)
h. Dish is assembled incorrectly
*-Checking voltage- A voltmeter is $6-$10 for a low-end unit at Home
Depot or Lowes. Unscrew the cable from the LNB. Take one lead (black)
and hold it against the outside of the cable connector. Take the other
lead (red) and touch it against the center wire of the cable. Make sure
these leads do not touch each other, as it will ground out your
circuit. (Make sure the voltmeter is turned two clicks to the left from
the off position. There should be a reading of 13V or 18V. If so, the
receiver is sending voltage and the unit is probably OK. If you can't
find the voltage, try all of the voltmeter settings before giving up.
Your voltmeter may be set up differently. If you ever see 13V or 18V,
your voltage is OK.
After checking all of these items, you might need to consider a
professional installer. *Suggestion- Finish the installation of your
satellite system. Tidy up before the installer comes, as he is likely
to charge you only for a service call if he thinks that most of the work
has been done. We can refer you to an installer in your area should you
need one. E-mail us at
technical@americansatellitedistributors.com to make a request for a local
installer.
If at any time, the installer or yourself determines that the receiver
or LNBF is faulty, send an e-mail to technical support and tell them you
would like a replacement and detail your findings. You will be issued
an RMA (return merchandise authorization). All returned items must have
the RMA number inside the box and written on the outside of the box.
Send the item to us in its original box. Make sure to track it, either
with UPS, FEDEX or US Post Office. Send another e-mail to
technical@americansatellitedistributors.com stating the cost of the shipping.
If our bench test determines that the unit is faulty, you will not be
charged for shipping of the replacement. Should our bench test
determine that the unit is functional, your shipping charges will not be
eligible for refund. A charge of $15 plus shipping costs will be
assessed for all items that are found functional and then returned to
the customer
If you return an item that is not faulty you will possibly be charged a
restocking fee if the item is not in perfect condition.
Thanks for your patronage. Happy channel surfing!
American Satellite Distributors
