Would someboby turn the satellite on

i received my dreamcatcher kit a couple of weeks ago. i’ve spent the last 4 days attempting to get a signal. the software was no problem. i followed the setup guide and most things were straight forward. the only difference is i got an avenger pll321s-2 lnb. that is not listed in the tuner setup so i selected maverick 1. also i could not find any reference to set it as an active or passive antenna so i picked active. under diagnostics the lnb is detected and everything is normal. one other thing that needs correcting in the setup guide is the reference to the satellite calculator software in the apps folder. there is no apps folder and no software. no big deal i used dishpointer. according to dishpointer i need to set an elevation of 52.2 and an azimuth of 175. there are a passel of tall leafless trees around but at 52 degrees i can still get clear blue sky. i have the dreamcatcher connected directly to the lnb. no extra cable. i am using a 4 amp 5.2 volt power supply. i have tried multiple locations around the yard and have never gotten any signal. any useful suggestions?

Try the other LNB in the tuner settings.

All dual-LO (dual band) LNBs should use the “Othernet Dual band” LNB setting.

this lnb says digital ku band single lnbf. as you sugested i changed to othernet dual band and i started getting data on the status tab but it is still not a useful connection.othernet_status

Slowly adjust elevation and azimuth until the signal peaks. Dont forget to set skew.

i tried that. it only got worst. can’t win them all. thanks.

Don’t give up. I’m sure you’ll get it with a little patience. Took me quite a while to work out how to align mine. Now I can get it first time. Like others have said, very minor moves.

You might have something obstructing the signal. That is a problem I had with just a bare lnb. The satellite was right at the top of the tree line and I would frequently lose lock. I used an old dish because it was easier but you could add a cone to the lnb to increase the gain a little.

Try this - - it has worked for me. Ken

Dreamcatcher Satellite Acquisition Guidance

Power up the Dreamcatcher/LNB outside, and point to the satellite. Othernet is on SES-2 on Ku-band North America Beam (87W), and Astra 3B on Ku-band Central and Europe Beam (23.5E).

Based on where you are, find your elevation angle, skew, and magnetic azimuth from a site such as http://www.dishpointer.com . For your first satellite acquisition effort, select a location with a clear unobstructed view of the equatorial sky. (Later, once you confirm your system is working, you can try to find a better more permanent location. Many people are able to operate thru windows or off balconies with partially obstructed views.)

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Example: For Washington, DC, mount the LNB on a camera tripod with the appropriate skew angle set to 12.1 degrees clockwise (more on skew below). Using a magnetic compass chose the Azimuth (magn.) to get a sight line on close in objects which you can use to point your LNB towards the satellite at 206.4 degrees magnetic. If you use a cellular phone, you may have to use Azimuth (true) to get the sight line. Use an Adjustable Sliding Bevel and a carpenter’s level to get a precise elevation angle (EA) of 43.8 deg for Washington, DC, set on the LNB. In the picture below, the obtuse angle inside the Adjustable Sliding Bevel is EA + 90 degrees or 43.8 + 90 =133.8 degrees with the vertical side of the Adjustable Sliding Bevel perfectly perpendicular to the ground.

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Skew allows you to match your LNB’s horizontal/vertical orientation with the satellite’s horizontal/vertical orientation to maximize signal strength. When you set the skew, make sure you rotate the LNB so that skew angle is pointed directly overhead. Skew is given in degrees either clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW). If the reported LNB Skew direction for your location is shown clockwise, you stand behind the LNB looking at the satellite and rotate the LNB clockwise until you arrive at that number. For Washington, DC, you set the skew to 12.1 degrees by turning the LNB in a clockwise direction. Viewing the same satellite on the same longitude, but from South of the equator, result in an opposite rotation skew angle.
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Skews less than 10 degrees CW or CCW don’t make much difference, but if you live on the far edge of a satellite beam, skews may approach 30 degrees which is significant. If your satellite has a built-in offset as in EU’s Astra 3B, use the Skew that http://www.dishpointer.com provides which is correct.

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Hmmmm. Thanks for this. I’m beginning to wonder whether I’m aligned properly now? I certainly do not have the skew set up. I should have 13.5 degrees according to dishpointer.com and I’m also suspicious of my azimuth alignment too. Perhaps that’s why a long skinny waveguide does not work whereas none or a wide short one does?

During our experimenting the past two years, @kenbarbi Ken and I have found that a cone that approximates a two inch opening at one end and four inch at the other, with a length of around eight inches seems to be a pretty good formulation. We tried all kinds of cans, funnels, screens, both squared and rounded shapes. Several other members have tried stove chimney pipes, old cooking pots, etc., and found some success, so keep trying and you will come up with a workable unit.

i am retired. i am a piddler. at my age there is plenty left to do and not so many days left to do it. since i did not want to make a carreer of getting this to work i bought a winegard ds2076 dish. i am pulling in a great signal inside the house through the tree tops. the ds2076 has been discontinued by winegard. if anyone wants to get one now is the time. i got mine on ebay from solidsignal. now i’m going to move the dish to the attic. great work guys. thanks

I’m so sorry to hear that, Grumpy. I believe you can get some relief though. There’s probably a medication for that. Getting old sucks!! :slight_smile:

the tried and true medication for piddle’n is lots of toys.

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