First FTA in Papua New Guinea

[gimpel]

Howdy,
I know you've probably read a lot of newbie help requests, I know I have before posting. I simply haven't found anyone with my situation yet. Maybe this will present a challenge to you. I'm an American living in Papua New Guinea with a background in computers. This probably explains my interest in trying to make FTA work. I was searching for an interesting hobby AND tv channels. Enough jibber jabber.

I'm a relative newbie to FTA satellite. I have however, read much online before coming to the point where I would post.

My lat/long is 6.40659/145.9633
I derived this from my GPS. I derived my sat math from several websites, all of which have been mentioned in these forums before. I do want to thank you as a complete newbie with no instructions, using your site I was able to get at least 2 channels going.

I ordered a complete FTA solution from an in-country provider however when I received the equipment there were absolutely no manuals of any kind, AND one of the lnb mounting poles (tripod) was dented or slightly bent.

I have therefore researched and based on pictures, believe I have assembled everything right.

I have a 1.8m prime focus (phoenix) solid dish. I have mounted it with a crystal clear line of sight in 360 degrees on my roof. The pole is plumb, as plumb as I can get it here. The LNB is a Zinwell C band.

I have aligned it for AsiaSat3 and have tuned in 1 transponder on my Dreamax DT470 decoder to about 45% Quality/ 44% Level.

This allows two or three other transponders to tune in, and their channels. Still I'm not happy with barely having a green signal on 3 TP's and I'd like more channels.

So I got back up on my roof and started skewing the lnb. There are no marking as to which way is 0degrees, so I started rotating it using the Fconnector as my guide for how much I was turning it.

As a result the best signal is with the F connector down around 6 o'clock.
And then, if I moved it out of the feedhorn a bit... the further back the better, changing the focal point... it got even better signal.

I'm peaking out at 47% and I still think that reception is not good enough.

I'm wondering if perhaps the tripod arms holding it are somehow forcing it to misalign and I'm losing signal.

Based on what I've read here.

I used a digital inclinometer and a magnetic compass AND a gps compass to aim it. I'm concerned that because there was no assembly instructions on the dish, that maybe I got the feedhorn and lnb aligned improperly.

I've been taking my time with this, making small adjustments over several days, and the most promising results I've had was moving the lnb back a bit until it was fully out of the feedhorn and I lost all signal.

If you have any tips for me, I sure would appreciate it, as I'd like to see my signal almost double.

I have zero assistance here as the satellite company can not reach my location to help with installation. So I have no idea what type of signal strength I can expect at my location.

I am suspicious that my LNB is not directly at the focal point, even though I've tried all the suggestions I've read here... measuring, adjusting, skewing, bending, all of it. I simply can NOT get over 45%.

Any help?

[chief100]

You mention a C band LNB - so you have a BUD (big ugly dish) or a smaller dish usually ku band around 26-36"?

[chief100]

Free TV from Australia - LyngSat

Here are the sats you should be trying to hit.

[gimpel]

I have a 1.8 meter dish, which some folks here call "small".
sorry if I didn't mention that.

I'm aiming at Asiasat 3

[coorslightly]

im sure the members in that part of the world can help you out! best bunch of guys around.

[gimpel]

you have members in that part of the world?

[gimpel]

okay well let me ask this,
do you have to pay attention to the dish TILT for a perfectly round dish?

I have these stats:
Azimuth angle:
277.45° (True North)
Elevation angle:
42.76°
LNB tilt (Skew):
-80.18°

the LNB is a zinwell, and looks like little more than a tin can. There are no numbers on the side of it (other than focal distance) so I can't tell where to skew it...

The dish itself has no gauges on it, and there is a LOCKING bar in place with only 2 holes, so 'tilting' it really isn't possible other than 3 positions.

I'm really hoping to get more than 40% reception here... any ideas?

[gimpel]

so am I posting in the wrong forum? Is there an AsiaPac forum?