Skybox F3, peak signal=45%?

[f3nock]

Hey all... Recently got interested in FTA and kitted myself out with an inverto ultra black LNB and a Skybox F3 to see what I could pull in.

I figured I'd try for Galaxy 19 first, since most forums make that sound like the "My First FTA" experiment. Okay, so I plugged in my coordinates to SatSig's dish pointing guide. Manually tweak the dish to the azimuth, elevation, and polarization appropriate to my location (perfectly comfortable doing that, background in amateur astronomy... It may need a few nudges but I feel pretty confident I have it within a degree of true, perhaps 5 degrees on the polarization).

I'd also mention that I used an inline standalone meter to help me get it peaked, although it has disconcertingly wide range of "peaked". Figured that would get me to the point I could use the F3's antenna setup to do the fine adjustment (like the LNB polarization).

So I add Galaxy 19, 97W, 9750-10600 22k auto H/V polarity, and set up Transponder 14 (just a random choice) at 11966 H 22000. Then I go to the antenna setup page for my signal strength and quality, and here it gets weird.

I always have 45% strength and 10% quality (with the LNB actually connected). If I physically unplug the LNB, that drops down to 32%, so I know it measures something, but darned if I can figure out how to get it any higher. I've nudged the Az, El, Pz, even tried slightly shifting the focal point of the dish a few inches plus or minus, no change. Always 45%, no more, no less. I can even remove the LNB from the dish (but not disconnected from the F3) and point it at the ground, and still get 45%.

So I have to presume I've missed some really basic step here. Anyone else recently fight this same battle and have some tips to save my sanity?

And yeah, I know, newbie with a stupid question. But I swear I've Googled for every variation of this problem I could find, with no luck. Could I just have a bad F3 or LNB? Though in the latter case, I would expect the signal meter to show nothing.

Thanks!

[katieb]

disconnect any other boxes you have connected to the satdish and just leave the f3 plugged into the dish. other than that it could be cable or cable ends.

[mdt]

you will find it easier if you can get a pre-made list for galaxy19@97west so you can select a fta channel and ss/sq osd. you will then know when you are on the satellite when the correct channel is displayed on screen and you can then peak the signal from there. regards mdt

[Hadron]

f3nock...where abouts in the world are you?

[digicon]

f3nock...where abouts in the world are you?


I would say with a View of 97? west Galaxy 19 would place him somewhere in North America

[f3nock]

Hi all, thanks for the feedback!

digicon / hadron - Dead on! Knowing this site caters primarily to a UK audience, I should have mentioned that I live in the northeastern US, but I figure the basics don't much matter where you live. Unfortunately FTA doesn't really have a big presence in the US (I suspect most folks in the states just want their TV, and don't care about the "how" or "how much". Myself, I don't even watch TV, and just like the hacker-in-a-good-way aspect of FTA. :joyous:

katieb - Thanks for the suggestion, I should have tried that before I ever even posted, but didn't think of it. I have now tried a nice clean LBN-to-receiver run of RG6... Unfortunately, no difference.

mdt - Will do. Would AJ's list include Western satellites like G19, or just those visible from your part of the globe? Kinda annoyed about that, though - I hate Amazon Marketplace; the seller specifically said this thing came pre-loaded with birds visible from North America, and yet every one one it ends in an "E". :eviltongue:

[Hadron]

AJ's satellite list covers 72e to 58w. The channel list itself is just for 28.2e.