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Tutor

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5 Messages

Saturday, August 27th, 2011 2:09 AM

Signal Strength 50 and below

II've got a portable dish and std receiver for my RV. At home I've got trees that limit signal strength to 50-55. I've been watching directv all summer and as of 2 days ago my signal is gone...as in I can't even get a sniff. Will the receiver signal meter measure strength below 50 and display it? I've done the following :

 

Tried another receiver

Repeatedly tried repointing the dish

Receiver test...all check good.

I do have 13.7 v at the LNB head

 

I've gpt one of the cheapo pointing signal meters and I do get variations in signal strength with it in-line as I repoint the dish but I never get anything but a 0 on the receiver strenght meter.

 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Tutor

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5 Messages

14 years ago

My receiver is Model D12-500.

ACE - Sage

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46.4K Messages

14 years ago

That's simply too low.  You need to remove some tree branches, or find a better dish location. 

Tutor

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5 Messages

14 years ago

I realize it is low and not optimal but I am puzzled as to why it has been working in decent weather and now is just gone. Will the receiver strength meter show values below 50 if the dish is pointed properly?

ACE - Sage

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46.4K Messages

14 years ago

Maybe.  But there's sort of "cliff effect" once the signals get too low.  Remember, those numbers are not actually signal "strength", they're signal quality.  I'm amazed it ever worked with signals of only 50.  

ACE - Expert

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14.1K Messages

14 years ago

Typically there won't be signal strengths of below 50 or so, they will drop to zero. As litzdog says, it's not really signal strength anyway.

Expert

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20.7K Messages

14 years ago

Quote: Originally Posted by vetontheway 

 

I've got one of the cheapo pointing signal meters and I do get variations in signal strength with it in-line as I repoint the dish but I never get anything but a 0 on the receiver strength meter.

 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

The cheapo meters are cheapo and yield similar results.  There are all sorts of satellites clustered around 101 W and it's quite possible that you are seeing the wrong satellite on the meter.  Most folks set the elevation and tilt (if an oval dish) to the markings on the dish, set the azimuth about 10 degrees East of the listed setting using a fairly good compass, then move the dish a degree or less at a time to the West, all the while monitoring the 101 signal strength meter on the receiver.  Go to this site and you can put in your address and see your house.  Set the dish to 101 W and it will show you the proper settings for your dish type.  It will also show the trees, if any, as they appeared a year or two ago.


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