Quality problems

[bigwegg]

Hi all.

I have moved out of my house whilst it is being refurbished after the summer floods. The property I have rented is only about 0.5 miles from my house. I have errected a dish on the side of the house but unfortunately, the dish was originally looking straight at next doors bedroom bay window. I have since changed to a dish on an arm with adjustable skew and this is then attached to a J pole which is bracketed to the side of the house. I can get most channels most of the time even though signal quality is only about 10 to 15 % according to my Thompson Sky + box (the Comags meters tell a different story).

The dish is obviously clear of the bay window next door and as said the signal strength is about what I get at home. However, there are trees in the way and lighting pylons (of football stadium) in the line of sight and I am wondering if these are the cause of my quality issues. However, others down the street have sky dishes. Maybe this house is just right in the wrong place. I do not want to move this dish since this would cause further holes to be drilled into a house which does not belong to me and the land lord was kind enough to allow me to install a dish in the first instance so I do not want to take the rise. Also, I have previously tried a long J pole to bring the dish further away from the wall and this made no difference to the strength or quality.

The LNB is not the problem since I get about the same on two different single LNBs on that dish (marginly less quality).

The question is, will a zone 2 dish improve matters and secondly, would amplification improve matters. There are some transponders which I still cannot get, but basically, if I allign to get these, I cant get others and it is very critiacal. Strangely, I can get 19E with no major problems with the dish at the same location (obviously re aligned) even though this should be more shielded by the house and next doors bay.

Also found it very critical alligning dish for sky plus. Any droop on the mounting putting the dish slightly un level meant only one input working. BTW, is input 2 less sensitive on a plus box than input 1? As a test, I swapped the feeds. The same feed gave 70% strength on input 1 with 15% quality, yet when connected to input 2 the strength was there but no quality. Can these gauges be trusted one wonders?

Anyway, suggestions welcomed. Will upload photos if they will help.

Thanks - Rob

[Robbo]

Originally Posted by bigwegg

The dish is obviously clear of the bay window next door and as said the signal strength is about what I get at home. However, there are trees in the way and lighting pylons (of football stadium) in the line of sight and I am wondering if these are the cause of my quality issues. However, others down the street have sky dishes. Maybe this house is just right in the wrong place. I do not want to move this dish since this would cause further holes to be drilled into a house which does not belong to me and the land lord was kind enough to allow me to install a dish in the first instance so I do not want to take the rise. Also, I have previously tried a long J pole to bring the dish further away from the wall and this made no difference to the strength or quality.

The LNB is not the problem since I get about the same on two different single LNBs on that dish (marginly less quality).

The question is, will a zone 2 dish improve matters and secondly, would amplification improve matters.
Thanks - Rob

Hi Rob,

Yes definitely upload some photos.

To get a good consistent signal quality, good line of site is essential. Anything in the way will muck it up. The effect of trees will depend on how wet the tree is, and whether there is leaves.Metallic objects will always cause a problem.

A larger dish may improve things a little, as the gain will be increased, as long as it's view of the satellite is not completely blocked.
Amplification would not improve matters at all.
The best solution, although not ideal is to try and find a place where the view of the satellite is not blocked.

I know it's not reccommended, but with a small dish like a minidish you can get away with it, if you drill into the mortar and not the brick, you will be able to fill them back in again without them being noticed.

Robbo

[bigwegg]

If I cut a spare minidish in half and rivet these bits on to the existing minidish to elongate it or stretch it would this work to increase the size of the dish? Has anyone tried this?

Cheers - Rob

[Robbo]

Originally Posted by bigwegg

If I cut a spare minidish in half and rivet these bits on to the existing minidish to elongate it or stretch it would this work to increase the size of the dish? Has anyone tried this?

Cheers - Rob

Excellent idea a good bit a recycling going on.

It wouldn't work though.

It would no longer be a parabola.
The LNB wouldn't see the extra bit you stuck on.
Moving the LNB further away so it could, wouldn't work either, as it would no longer be at the dish focus.

When I first started with satellite, I had a similar idea.

[Jimdefruit]

Bigwegg, just re-reading your first post, have you tried tilting the dish down slightly? You say you are getting a good signal from 19.2 east and to do that you would have to tilt the dish up from the 28.2 sat angle.

The other possibility is water in the cable. That would reduce the quality.

[bigwegg]

Hi.

Thanks for all your replies. Tilting the dish will not help. It has been locked off in the best position. It would appear that I am also having a lot of problems with my ADSL at this property. I am begining to wonder if something here and around is generating RF. I will have to borrow works Spectrum analyser or get my bug sniffer out!

Could WiFi or wireless CCTV cause these problems one wonders?

With regards coax and water, unless Maplins sell it with water added, then we can rule this one out since the problem has been apparent since installation. As I say, can't fault signal strength, but signal quality is dire.

To remedy my intermittent broad band, I have just hard wired in a propper telephone extension using cat 5 utp. This should be better than the pound shop telephone extension I was using which seems to be made from wires which are not twisted, hopefully the twist will improve noise immunity and signal rejection.

Any more ideas, please feel free to keep them comming.

Your thoughts please.

Cheers - Rob

[Robbo]

Cordless phones have been known to cause a problem.

Although, it is difficult to understand that if there was an interference problem, why was it ok on 19.2E.?

Were you using the same receiver on 19.2E, or the Comag?

Using the Sky box on 19.2E would prove the receiver is ok, and at the same time prove that the LNB is ok.

If all your equipment is OK, it only leaves one thing, not enough signal reaching your LNB. i.e your obstruction or your alignment.

Robbo

[bigwegg]

The Sky box won't receive 19.2E will it?

[Robbo]

Originally Posted by bigwegg

The Sky box won't receive 19.2E will it?

Yes, it will.

Its a bit of a bugger for everyday viewing, but for a quick test yes it will.

You have to go into the add channels menu, and manually enter the TP's and scan.

You are limited to the symbol rates that the sky box does.

Check on lyngsat for the freqs.

I can't remember the exact details of the procedure to do it on the sky box, but it is well known. I did it on my Sky box when I used to use it.

[bigwegg]

Moved dish on Sunday. Whilst still not brillo, quality is now sitting between 25% and 50% and so system is usable. Still some channels can't be got but I guess thats the way the cookie crumbles. At least the channels we watch are avaialble and don't pixlate (apart from Discovery).

Thanks all for advice.