Installing a Satellite Dish II- The Nightmare

[Isaanbiker]

   I'm posting this to warn others who are eventually planning to set up a satellite dish with a receiver. We got up very early yesterday, I had my wife and 21-year-old son with me, many tools, all the bits, and bytes that were needed, and we found a great place to attach the dish.

 After all, there's no signal at all, and the option "update" didn't work. The receiver showed a 21 to 22 percentage of signal in red, but that was also without the dish being attached. 

 

  But even after trying to change all settings, there's no signal, and we had to give it up, drive back to the shop where I'd bought the set to get the receiver tested. The dealer, not happy to see me connected it to his collection and he experienced the same shi_e.

 

   After getting a new one, we drove back to replace the receiver, and we thought that's it. Nope, the damn thing showed the same problem. No signal, a 22 percentage of a signal in red and no damn freaking extraterrestrial signal, no matter what we did.

 

    Knowing that cable was fine, I took the LNB and receiver out, and we drove home and let it be over the weekend, working in the heat's a joke. When we drove into town, we saw a PSI shop, one where I had been asking some questions beforehand. Even on a Saturday at 5 pm, there were still four employees, and I spoke to a woman and a guy who seemed to be the owner. Unbelievable, but the receiver worked well, either with an HDMI, or the "standard AV, three wire set up). I was shocked.  After a long chat, they told me that my LNB would be faulty, a new one would be 480 baht, but it was reduced to 250 baht when my son looked at the girl in a way that made her lose face. 

 

     We're all burnt out, in a terrible mood, but I decided to drive the 25 km back once more, get the job done and all would be done and dusted. We put the new LNB in, tried all we could, but there was- again- no damn signal!!! I went to a little shop I bought some cold beer and sat down to think. 

 

     Then Buddha had sent a village electrician from a neighboring village who had shown up with his wife; obviously, our excellent electrical skills were already widespread over the borders of lower Isaan, and the couple came by, even having another receiver and way more experience in doing such an installation. Of course, he had to follow the same steps we had already done, but in the end, we looked at the zero signal again. It just wasn't there. After 2 hours, they connected the other receiver, and I couldn't believe my eyes, after turning the dish a bit, the signal was there! The problem is that you can't update a unit that doesn't get a signal! 

 

    What he did was he updated the LNB to the hardware that was attached. ( I'd think so?) After the adjustment of the dish, I could see a smiling mom in law, and we were all more than happy that the nightmare was over.

 

    If you're ever planning to do something similar by yourself, let some specialists do it, or ask for an update of the whole set before you even think about installation. 

[fredob43]

Just buy a good set up in the first place. I have for the G/L and daughter a PSI set up in two rooms one off payment 3.500bt including fitting. Had it 4+ years never a problem. Well except you only get Thai stuff on it some 200+ channels all in HD. Keeps them happy anyway. Oh took the fitters less than an hour to install.

[Isaanbiker]

1 minute ago, fredob43 said:

Just buy a good set up in the first place. I have for the G/L and daughter a PSI set up in two rooms one off payment 3.500bt including fitting. Had it 4+ years never a problem. Well except you only get Thai stuff on it some 200+ channels all in HD. Keeps them happy anyway. Oh took the fitters less than an hour to install.

Thanks, I have learned my lesson. It was obviously old crap that the guy sold me. New equipment doesn't need updates, methinks? 

[fredob43]

5 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

Thanks, I have learned my lesson. It was obviously old crap that the guy sold me. New equipment doesn't need updates, methinks? 

You could be correct. So far so good with the PSI thing we have it has never needed updating. Unlike the Kodi box I have. That runs through the internet, that gives me all the World TV news sport films, I will ever need but you do have to update it now and then.

[Isaanbiker]

Neither the receiver nor the LNB was "updated." How should I have known that beforehand? 

[fredob43]

1 minute ago, Isaanbiker said:

Neither the receiver nor the LNB was "updated." How should I have known that beforehand? 

Tip. Never buy anything that you have to fix yourself. Always make sure that the shop has a local man to do the job. It might cost a few 2/3 hundred bht but worth it in the end. As you have found out. At least you have a day of rest now. So enjoy.

[The Fat Controller]

In our building we have found that if the receiver boxes have missed a couple of OTA (Over The Air) updates they become stuck on an old software version and are no longer able to update.

 

Even the local specialist is unable to update our admittedly old boxes using a computer and cable to "flash" the software as he could in the past, they still work but channels go missing when Thai Sat move things around.

 

As for initial set up, best to get the local installer, even if you have to pay a small "farang" premium.

 

[Isaanbiker]

16 minutes ago, The Fat Controller said:

In our building we have found that if the receiver boxes have missed a couple of OTA (Over The Air) updates they become stuck on an old software version and are no longer able to update.

 

Even the local specialist is unable to update our admittedly old boxes using a computer and cable to "flash" the software as he could in the past, they still work but channels go missing when Thai Sat move things around.

 

As for initial set up, best to get the local installer, even if you have to pay a small "farang" premium.

 

Thanks for the heads up! I've done such an installation many years ago and thought, well, that's a piece of cake. And considering that the same guy had fixed two TV's at the same time when I bought the set, I didn't think that such things could occur.

 

But we're all learning by doing mistakes, aren't we? Cheers- ????

[KittenKong]

2 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

After 2 hours, they connected the other receiver, and I couldn't believe my eyes, after turning the dish a bit, the signal was there! The problem is that you can't update a unit that doesn't get a signal! 

The problem is that satellite dishes have to be correctly aligned, and the LNB has to be given the right skew. The only proper way to do this is with a digital satellite meter. Anything less will be a bodge up, though of course bodging things is standard practice here. You cant just point them vaguely in the right direction as you can with terrestrial antennas.

 

Without accurate alignment there will be no signal and from your description this is exactly what your problem was.

[Isaanbiker]

59 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

The problem is that satellite dishes have to be correctly aligned, and the LNB has to be given the right skew. The only proper way to do this is with a digital satellite meter. Anything less will be a bodge up, though of course bodging things is standard practice here. You cant just point them vaguely in the right direction as you can with terrestrial antennas.

 

Without accurate alignment there will be no signal and from your description this is exactly what your problem was.

Thanks, for pointing that out. You are right, I was still in the analog thinking, used a Pathfinder that wasn't the best idea. But I've learned a lot and the damn thing's working now. 

 

   I've paid a high price but wasn't too cheap to send a team to the village, I just didn't know how difficult it can get. 

 

       Even having looked it up before, I felt more than helpless. I could have set up the LNB at home, but I just didn't know it.

 

Gotta give the LNB back tomorrow, these people were so sure that it can only be the LNB after telling them about the issue. And these people install them every day, it's their income. 

 

  And the first non-functioning receiver was, of course, a very disgusting part of it. 

[Fruit Trader]

1 hour ago, KittenKong said:

The problem is that satellite dishes have to be correctly aligned, and the LNB has to be given the right skew. The only proper way to do this is with a digital satellite meter. Anything less will be a bodge up, though of course bodging things is standard practice here. You cant just point them vaguely in the right direction as you can with terrestrial antennas.

 

Without accurate alignment there will be no signal and from your description this is exactly what your problem was.

The workers in a camp down the street throw the dish up on a stick do a little dance to find a rough signal then bring it in on position and scew using the receivers built in digital meter. One or two pokes during heavy rain and it spot on aligned.

[Peterw42]

3 minutes ago, Fruit Trader said:

The workers in a camp down the street throw the dish up on a stick do a little dance to find a rough signal then bring it in on position and scew using the receivers built in digital meter. One or two pokes during heavy rain and it spot on aligned.

I have seen the same, a security guard at our condo turns up at night with a dish, sits it on the fence and watches Thai TV all night.

[Isaanbiker]

2 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

I have seen the same, a security guard at our condo turns up at night with a dish, sits it on the fence and watches Thai TV all night.

Or Japanese soft porn........????

[Crossy]

39 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

Or Japanese soft porn........????

 

Years (many of them) ago when satellite TV was new (and analog) in Europe there were many channels free to air on assorted birds. Anyone remember Scarlett the puppet mouse on Tutti Frutti a German quiz that invariably ended with the female contestants in various states of undress?

 

One of my (not really) favourites was Polsat, a Polish channel that carried English language programming. Sadly it had a Polish overdub, possibly done live by a guy who previously worked for the UN. He did ALL the characters both male and female (and any on-screen text) in a dead-pan monotone, not an ounce of emotion included - "ooh, ahh baby, that is good, do it some more ...".

 

[NCC1701A]

satellite dish solar cooker

 

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, Fruit Trader said:

The workers in a camp down the street throw the dish up on a stick do a little dance to find a rough signal then bring it in on position and scew using the receivers built in digital meter. One or two pokes during heavy rain and it spot on aligned.

It is possible to bodge it and that will work passably well once you have found the satellite. But if you want the best possible signal - which is a real advantage in rain - then a digital meter should be used as it does the job in seconds and gives a perfect result.

 

Any dedicated bodger would know that in the absence of a digital meter you dont need to wait for rain to align the dish fairly well. Just put a wet cloth over the LNB and adjust the dish using the receiver's built-in meter for guidance. But it's still a bodge.

 

Luckily the satellite signal here is very strong, and the small dishes needed for it have a much wider acceptance angle than the larger dishes needed for weaker signals. So you can get away with a lot of bodging.

[sirocco]

Loved your very amusing descriptions.
Finally, everything works, it's the main thing.
Good TV.

[Isaanbiker]

6 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

satellite dish solar cooker

 

At least 199 channels ........ 

[johng]

On 5/5/2019 at 12:55 PM, Isaanbiker said:

we looked at the zero signal again. It just wasn't there. After 2 hours, they connected the other receiver, and I couldn't believe my eyes, after turning the dish a bit, the signal was there! The problem is that you can't update a unit that doesn't get a signal! 

Well yes it makes sense to me you can't update the receiver if you have no signal because the update comes from the Satellite, therefore you have to have your dish pointed  precisely at the correct satellite..the LNB must be working and the  coax cable must be in good condition..its very difficult to align a dish with out a signal meter especially now its all digital...in the analogue days it was a bit easier but I remember spending a whole week every evening after work trying to align my 1.2 meter  motorised dish

(even harder than a fixed dish)  with just a compass, inclinometer and a protractor  as already stated you don't just wave it in the general direction it need precise  pointing.

 

On 5/5/2019 at 5:13 PM, Crossy said:

Anyone remember Scarlett the puppet mouse on Tutti Frutti a German quiz that invariably ended with the female contestants in various states of undress?

I remember one of the mainstream French TV channels maybe TV6

showed a "naughty film" once a month

"Filmnet" and  "Tv1000" every weekend  then came "Red Hot Dutch"    when it went digital  the Spanish,Italian,German,French,Scandinavian versions of "SKY"  had 24/7  naughty bits and dedicated  channels like Hustler,Playboy,SCT   and  a few more can't remember all the names appeared...now its all on the internet.

[Isaanbiker]

2 minutes ago, johng said:

Well yes it makes sense to me you can't update the receiver if you have no signal because the update comes from the Satellite, therefore you have to have your dish pointed  precisely at the correct satellite..the LNB must be working and the  coax cable must be in good condition..its very difficult to align a dish with out a signal meter especially now its all digital...in the analogue days it was a bit easier but I remember spending a whole week every evening after work trying to align my 1.2 meter  motorised dish

(even harder than a fixed dish)  with just a compass, inclinometer and a protractor  as already stated you don't just wave it in the general direction it need precise  pointing.

 

I remember one of the mainstream French TV channels maybe TV6

showed a "naughty film" once a month

"Filmnet" and  "Tv1000" every weekend  then came "Red Hot Dutch"    when it went digital  the Spanish,Italian,German,French,Scandinavian versions of "SKY"  had 24/7  naughty bits and dedicated  channels like Hustler,Playboy,SCT   and  a few more can't remember all the names appeared...now its all on the internet.

Yo naughty boy!