iSat dish bodge

[colin]

For the few like me who stuck with a iSat system that locks onto Astra1 but won't lock on to Astra2, there is a 'bodge' to get it to work. I've only tried this in a strong signal area, once you cross channel or go to Scotland it might be more effort than it's worth.

A bit of background, I spent best part of two years trying to get my system sorted through the (new) importers and manufacturer. The importers are pretty useless when it comes to this system (and I suspect with any other if it involves anything other than admin), even the manufacturers struggled to understand how to fix it and kept sending out the wrong parts until they eventually admitted defeat and said there was no way to update it.

You can tune in to a satellite by using the manual controls, but I found this to be a PITA, in fact I find it much easier to use a completely manual dish than the somewhat clunky controls on the iSat. I t then occured to me that if I was to get it locked onto Astra1, then moving it 'manually' to Astra2 might be viable, and yes it is.

N.B I can easily grab the control unit and view dish by standing on bed steps and popping  head through skylight, I did have to slightly change satellite cable to give me a couple of foot of slack to do this.

First, on the lower edge of rotating part of dish I marked (with marker pen) 12 roughly equal marks (every 30 degrees), on the upper edge of fixed part of dish I marked 13 (12+1) marks which would cover one section of the 12 marks on rotating part (every 2.5 degrees).

Astra 2 is nearly 10 degrees east of Astra 1, so set iSat to lock on to Astra1, once this is achieved I turn on tv, then enter 'manual' control for dish and rotate dish roughly 10 degrees to east until picture comes up on tv, if you overdo it you can 'nudge' it back a little, in strong signal areas this will do, but I note you can scroll through settings and get back to vertical setting and 'nudge' it down, note on mine (and I guess all), it will only move a little then lock up, this will slightly better align dish with satellite.

When I first tried it out was a PITA as you only get one go at each setting, if you move on to next then going back will only let you move it a fraction before it locks, and if you don't get it right you have to shut down and start again. But once you've done it a couple of times it's relatively easy.

If none of above makes no sense, just ask and I'll try and explain better, but I'm not renown for giving understandable instructions.

 

 

 

[weldted]

Yes ten degrees left and 1 or 2 degrees Dow to go from Astra 1 to Astra 2. On ours on the four button control panel, set it to auto find Astra 1 wait till it locks on, change to manual search, left right. 10 degrees left, change to up or down go down 1 degree wait if no picture go down another 1.

[thebishbus]

Why not just buy a Satellite finder from Amazon. £9.99. ? You can then find any Satellite.

                          BrianB.

[colin]

2 hours ago, thebishbus said:

Why not just buy a Satellite finder from Amazon. £9.99. ? You can then find any Satellite.

                          BrianB.

I've got several satellite finders which I've accumulated over the years, not any good trying to use them with a iSat auto dish.

[thebishbus]

Sorry I thought you were moving the dish manually which would be easier to optimize the signal with a sat finder in the lead.

                               Brian B.