FTA Problem Help please......

veronica

Hi,
I recently bought a Ferguson FTA dish put it up used sat finder but cannot get any signal. There is a building behind me so could this be blocking my signal,but whats confusing me is that the sat finder digital one lights up like a christmas tree.Any help please......

redout

Not to sure about this but I read that you more or less point it at a bearing of 145° from the Dublin area and 21° vertical elevation angle you should pick up the Astra and Eurobird satellites. As I said not 100% on this but positive I read it off an Irish website.

biologikal

If you're wanting BBC/ITV/C4/etc (28E), building would have to be very close to cause a problem, the satellite is quite high in the sky. If your dish can see the sun between 10am and noon, then it's unlikely that the building will cause a problem. The satellite is roughly in this part of the sky, so if you're getting a strong signal, and the BBC's aren't coming in, then your pointing to the wrong part of the sky.

If you can do an auto scan, see what channels you can get, then you'll be in a position to find out what satellite you are pointing at, and what you need to do to get the satellite you do want.

Another option is to use www.dishpointer.com to get the general direction you need to point the dish from your house.

veronica

did the auto scan for all satellites but no channels appearing. The signal strength stays red but nothing not even red on the quality.There is a gap between the two buildings and can see the sky. I looked at the position of other dishes below mine but they have no buildings in front of them. I am absolutely baffled! Thanks for your replies. Any other suggestions please. When I use the sat finder connect it to lnb and receiver it makes a load noise and all lights light up and the i turn it down to lowest level and then move the dish all the lights light up.Its driving me crazy.

M5

simple idea but it might work, pointh the dish in roughly the same direction as the other dishes, (90% will be pointing at astra 28.2e which carries fresat and sky) as well as setting your elevation 21.5 degrees (thats the vertical angle of the dish). Then rotate the dish slightly untill you get a signal.

veronica

I tried this also still no joy, but they have clear sight behind them.Thanks anyway, please keep them coming.

Zaphod

Check that you can see the sun at 11am - if the sun is blocked by a building at that time, then forget it.

If can see the sun, then you most likely have line of sight to the satellite, and you're doing something wrong. Read this and follow each step closely.
http://bytelive.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=How+to+align+a+satellite+dish

biologikal

Use the link I gave above, and select 28.2 E Astra 2A, etc, and then bring the green pointer to whereever you have the dish sited, and try to point it in the same line as indicated by dishpointer.

I don't know what type of dish you have, but a common mistake is to point it too high; for several of the dishes I've seen, the arm that goes from the dish to the LNB is often horizontal for 28E - doesn't look like the dish is pointing high, but it is (off-set dish).

If you can get the line (roughly) where you need to point the dish, and then swing it about the vertical plane, then you might hit 28E.

veronica

thanks for all your suggestions and taken the time to submit them. Its a bit cloudy outside today so can't check to see if the sun is in line with dish @ 11 am. But its this sat finder is putting me off as it appears to get a signal but nothing on receiver. Anyway will keep trying.