In detail: do-it-yourself repair of satellite dishes from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
Repair of a satellite convector at home using scrap materials. After a yearly inspection of your satellite dish, you accidentally discovered a defect on one of the convectors. Do not panic and run straight to the store and buy a new convector. The new satellite converter is not always better than the old one. And the LNB converter for several receiver outputs is much more expensive. Why do you need extra cash expenses?
Quite often, a problem occurs when a crack appears on the protective cap of satellite convectors. As a result, moisture gets into the inner part of the LNB. All these factors are constantly influenced by weather conditions - sun, frost, rain, snow.
Most often, the problem is detected when there is no longer a signal or a bad signal from your favorite TV channel. But this does not always indicate a breakdown. Such converters work for a long time and are used for high-quality repairs. If you find a converter with a cracked protective cap.
First of all, you need to look inside for water, rust, oxidation. If there is, then we remove the convector and remove the defects. In this case, do not touch the receiving pins of the waveguide. To make it easier to remove the protective cap, we lower the converter with a lid for several minutes in hot water. Your main task is to choose a protective cap for the satellite converter instead of the cracked one. Some craftsmen put plastic bags in several layers on the antenna and wrap them with tape, elastic band or electrical tape. I do not think that such a renovation will last for a long time, but nevertheless it has the right to be.
Video (click to play).
The repair will be of better quality if you use an electric soldering iron. For small cracks, it is fine. We solder the crack with a plastic patch. The main thing is that plastic does not reduce the quality of the receiving LNB signal.
Very well, instead of a protective cap, different types of lids from home chemicals (deodorant, shoe polish) are suitable. You can pick up something that fits snugly instead of our protective cap.
Plastic bottles are also great. Cut off the desired length from the bottom, put it on the converter and fill it with epoxy resin or silicone sealant. The quality of such a cap is much higher and it works for a longer time.
Hello, dear readers of the blog Man in the House.Ru. In today's article, as you probably already understood, we will consider the most common causes of a malfunction in the operation of a satellite dish and how to eliminate them.
It is no secret that repairing satellite dishes can be done by hand. Calling a specialist for a tincture can be unreasonably expensive for you. To save the family budget, let's take a look at how to repair a satellite system with our own hands.
Often, after repairs, cable problems arise. The antenna cable, through which the "head" of the satellite dish is connected to the receiver, can simply be interrupted or short-circuited after the next repair. There are also cases where the coaxial cable breaks along the line of the central core. To accurately determine the reason for the failure of satellite television reception, first, check the condition of the cable. Often, a visual inspection is sufficient to detect obvious breaches in the sheath insulation, fractures and pinches in the cable.
You can more accurately determine the condition of the cable by armed with a special device - a digital multimeter.If you don't have such a device at home, then a low-voltage incandescent light bulb from a flashlight and a mobile phone battery will be enough. Such a simple folk device for checking electrical circuits is popularly nicknamed "arkashka". To check with the "arch", you need to connect the tested core to a rupture of the simplest electrical circuit with a battery and a light bulb. If the light comes on, the conductor is intact, and if not, there is an open circuit. Checking a coaxial cable both with the help of a digital device and with the help of a folk notion such as "arkashka" is simple: we check the central copper core and braid one by one.
A working cable should normally call back between the beginnings and ends of the conductors of the same name, but not between the opposite ones. Simply put, the central core at the beginning and at the end of the wire should ring normally with the device (the "arch" lamp will light up), as well as the beginnings and ends of the braids. It is important to take into account that the device should not ring between the braid and the core (the light will not light up). The resistance between these elements should be high - a few mΩ. A low resistance between the aluminum braid and the copper core of the coaxial cable indicates a short circuit.
Situations are also possible when it is not possible to check the integrity of the conductors of the cable conductors in this way due to the remoteness of the plate and the receiver. It is for this case that the following diagnostic technique can be recommended: firstly, we check if there is a short circuit between the central core and the screen, and secondly, we deliberately short-circuit the core with braided shielding on one side, and on the other, we check with the device. If the device beeps or the "arch" lights up, it means that both the braid line and the core line are completely intact.
The most commonplace option for a short circuit in a cable is improper termination of cables and incorrect connection of f-connectors. It's no secret that novice satellite dish installers strive to install this very dish as soon as possible, not giving a damn about the reliability and quality. Their main goal is to get the coveted 500 rubles as soon as possible.
To prevent a short circuit, which can cause damage to both the receiver and the LNB, it is necessary to carefully check the correctness of the termination of the cable. There is no special trick in this process: you need to carefully strip the top insulation by 1.5-2 cm, remove the silver screen back, strip the central gold vein and screw on the f-connector. Then all that remains is to trim the central copper core so that it protrudes no more than 2-3 mm from the f-connector.
The main mistake newbies make is that they don't pull the hairs of the aluminum braid shield back well enough. These very hairs can eventually come into contact with the central copper core and disable expensive equipment. In fact, a short circuit will occur, which in the worst case will "kill" the receiver. It is also a mistake to cut off the aluminum foil. It is better to simply slide it back so that the f-connector better connects and holds on to the coaxial cable. In any case, it is necessary to carefully check whether there is no short circuit between the center conductor and the "ground" of the shield braid. After energizing the receiver, it will be simply impossible to fix anything.
LNB head failures are also very common. Hit of atmospheric precipitation, short circuit, as well as overvoltage - these are the main reasons for the failure of satellite dish converters. To check the breakdown of a specific LNB, simply unplug the disk (if you have several converters, of course) and connect the heads one by one directly to the receiver. In this simple way, you can quite accurately determine the faulty converter.
Hello. This is the second time I have lost my Sirius signal. After replacing the head, the last time, the signal was about 3 hours, then it disappeared. I changed the connection port 1, with the Sirius cable to Hotbird. Hotbird works, but Sirius does not. It turns out desex + cable + port 1 of the hotbird signal passes, and port 1 + the same cable + head of the working signal NO. Astra and Hetbird are working. What could it be. Vladimir
Eh, dear Vladimir! Do you know how many disks were made to me to change. I have ten satellites and normally none of them have a signal. Is there a standing master in Pyatigorsk? Give his number, please. Thank you in advance!
Hello. After filing 360 V, the tuner burned out. We bought another, wanted to invite a tuner. However, they admit that everything burned out. Is it possible to check the performance of the heads and other equipment ourselves?
Hello, I have such a problem. There are plates for two TVs. When I turn on one tuner, a signal appears on another TV and it is on the satellite that I turn on on the first tuner. There is no signal on other satellites And so on each satellite .. when I turn off the first tuner on the second tuner, it shows no signal. . When I change Two disks, everything works fine. But not for long for half a year. And then the same situation is repeated again. Tuner OPENBOX X-820BL. What can it be, please tell me. Thank you
Newbie
Group: Users Posts: 22 Registration: 12/21/2009 User #: 11955 Thank you said: 0 times
Is it in our time? At a cost of 2 bucks?
p.s. The head is an LNA, a complex microwave device. Repair requires knowledge, skill and expensive devices. =============================================
New LNBs are miniature, the body is filled with a compound. It was possible to repair the old type heads. Everything is on screws, and the board is 3 times larger. Here is the LNB Cambridge board
LNA_old_head.jpg (205.26 kilobytes) Number of downloads: 62
Everyone knows that satellite television is one of the pinnacles of modern technology. But there is such a principle: everything ingenious is simple. It is not difficult to handle satellite television subscriber devices, and installing a satellite dish with your own hands is quite within the power of a citizen who does not know how to use a soldering iron and who has completely forgotten Ohm's law. But accuracy, ingenuity, an accurate eye and a faithful hand are required, as well as the ability to use a compass and basic knowledge of astronomy.
Do I need to coordinate home satellite TV in some authorities, register, get permission? There is no need. Satellite broadcasting is free. True, when you "catch" a satellite, tune the receiver and see a list of channels, then many will be marked with an asterisk, exclamation mark or some other icon. These are paid channels. To watch them, you need to buy a key card. If you know in advance which of the paid channels you need, you can purchase a card for them together with the receiver, or from a satellite broadcasting company.
However, if you live in an apartment building, you will need permission from the owner or the building operator to install the antenna on a wall or roof. But if the antenna is fixed to the balcony fence, and the supporting structures did not move during its installation, then permission is not needed.
True, in this case, the antenna will sway more in the wind, and in bad weather the reception will be unstable. Therefore, many subscribers order the installation of satellite dishes from specialized companies, and they themselves coordinate all issues with the housing office. In Russia, the largest of these is Tricolor.
Broadcast satellites are located in geostationary orbit, 35 786 km above sea level in the plane of the Earth's equator. The orbital speed at this altitude is equal to the speed of rotation of the Earth, so the satellite hangs over the same point on its surface. The location of a satellite in geostationary orbit is called a stationary point.
In reference manuals, satellite positions are indicated by their geographic longitude: the angular distance from the zero (Greenwich) meridian. This must be taken into account when orienting the antenna and a correction should be made: from a given point, the Greenwich meridian is "visible" at an angle inverse to the longitude of the place. How some stationary satellites are visible from Greenwich is shown in the figure.
Example 1:longitude of the center of Voronezh - 39 degrees 15 minutes east. The position of the satellite Eutelsat II F4 is 7 degrees to the east, i.e. from Greenwich, this satellite is visible 7 degrees to the east. If the Eutelsat II F4 hung exactly over the prime meridian, the antenna would have to be rotated 39 degrees 15 minutes towards Greenwich to receive it, i.e. west. And since Eutelsat II F4 has already been "shifted" by 7 degrees to Voronezh, the antenna must be turned to the west by 32 degrees 15 minutes.
From the Earth, a stationary orbit is "visible" in the sky in the form of the so-called "Clark's belt". It should not be confused with the celestial equator. The angular height of the celestial equator changes throughout the year, and the Clarke belt is "visible" as an arc of a curve that degenerates from a circle at the poles to a straight line at the equator. Clark's belt "rests" on the horizon exactly in the east and west, regardless of location.
At a particular geographic point, the highest point of the Clarke Belt is located exactly to the south, and its angular height is equal to the reciprocal latitude of the place: 0 at the poles and 90 degrees at the equator. Therefore, at high latitudes, the reception of satellite television is difficult or completely impossible: the Clarke belt "falls" on the horizon, and the satellite signal, even if it "shines" here, "stalls" in the atmosphere.
Example 2:the geographical latitude of the center of Voronezh is 51 degrees 20 minutes north. The highest point of the Clarke Belt can be seen from here at 90 degrees minus 51 degrees 20 minutes = 48 degrees 40 minutes exactly in the south.
Satellites do not emit signals in all directions; that would be too wasteful. The transmitting antennas of the satellites are directional and, as a rule, "illuminate" the territory of the owner country, or the region to which the broadcast is being conducted. Therefore, all the satellites visible from a given location cannot be “caught”: it may be visible, but it “shines” in the other direction.
If the satellite "shines" exactly downward, then, in principle, it can broadcast to the entire hemisphere below it, having an antenna with a directional pattern with an aperture of just over 10 degrees. However, at a distance of 36,000 km, this requires a transmitter power of more than 10 kW, solar panels of the appropriate area, and an entire such satellite must be launched into orbit with a heavy carrier. Therefore, there are not so many broadcast satellites.
Let's say right away: manual alignment (i.e. orientation to the desired satellite) of a highly directional antenna is a delicate matter. It is not theoretical knowledge that decides here, but experience, working skills ("muscle memory") and just flair. Therefore, when buying a "dish", at least in the same Tricolor TV, it is better to immediately order an installation with adjustment. With the masters who have filled their hands, this is arguing, so the service is not too expensive.
However, even if you are not a big fan of doing everything, after a storm or heavy snowfall, the antenna may need to be re-aligned. Therefore, the alignment procedure will also be described below. But before aligning, the antenna with the equipment must be selected, purchased and installed.
Reference guides indicate the locations and signal parameters of all fixed broadcast satellites. But in a particular locality, the conditions for their admission can vary significantly. An ordinary hillock, especially in the northern regions, can make the satellite invisible, which actually shines well here.
Therefore, when buying an antenna, consult with the seller which satellites are well received by you, choose three (one antenna can receive up to 3-4 satellites), and write down the parameters of their signals:
The choice of the antenna itself is reduced to determining its diameter. For home reception in the southern regions, a "plate" with a diameter of 60 cm is sufficient; in places from St. Petersburg and to the north, for stable reception, you need an antenna mirror with a diameter of 1.2 m.
Many people think that it is easier to “catch” a satellite with a large “saucer”. Just the opposite. A large mirror provides a signal of a higher level and quality, but this is achieved by narrowing the radiation pattern, so it is more difficult to “catch” a satellite with a large “dish”. Large aperture antennas are used most of all as signal sources for terrestrial broadcasting systems and in other cases where further transmission is required.
If you are going to receive several satellites, then you need to purchase a multifit along with the antenna - a mounting plate for installing several converters with the ability to adjust their position separately. As a rule, sellers immediately ask: "One socket or multi-fit?" In any case, you can put one converter in the multifit, and then add another one; multifit is inexpensive. So it is better to immediately buy a "plate" equipped with a multifit.
The next step is choosing a converter. The converter is the very "head" that converts the signal from the satellite, which "pierces" the atmosphere well, into a signal for the receiver, which ordinary electronics can process without much difficulty.
Converters are of three types: circular polarized, switchable H-V and fixed. The former are the least sensitive, but they can receive any signal. The latter are the most sensitive, but to receive signals with different polarizations, they must be rotated 90 degrees. Under normal reception conditions, it is better to use a circular or switchable converter.
The sensitivity, the level of intrinsic noise and the stability of the local oscillator frequency (on which the level and quality of the signal depend significantly), as well as the protection of the converter from weather influences (after all, it is outside) vary greatly from model to model and from manufacturer to manufacturer. It is better to choose a specific model, suitable for the price, according to the recommendations of the antenna seller and the reviews of experienced subscribers.
But the quality and signal level almost do not depend on the model of the receiver in domestic conditions. Here you need to focus on service functions and price. Only one condition: if you are going to watch TV “in digital” with HD quality, the receiver must have an Ethernet output (computer network connector). You don't have to worry about the compatibility of standards: all modern network devices "understand" all commonly used communication protocols without additional explanations.
As for the additional equipment, you need to purchase DiSEqC - a power switch for converters. A household receiver (by the way, in Russian, a receiver is a receiver; tracing paper from English is made so as not to be confused with radio receivers) provides power for one converter; to switch from satellite to satellite, you need to switch the power to the corresponding "head".
What should be the correct installation of a satellite dish, you can see in the figure. An important circumstance: the mounting part ("neck") of the pipe stand (highlighted in green) must be strictly vertical in two planes. Otherwise, aligning the antenna will turn into a long painful work.
The location for installing the antenna must be chosen carefully. There should be nothing in the alignment of the mirror, not even window glass. The side of the mirror does not coincide with its geometric axis: oblique incidence mirrors are used for satellite reception. Where the mirror is actually "looking" is also seen in the figure. The fact that the southern part of the sky should be viewed from the antenna installation site does not require explanation.
If you live in a private house, do not be lazy to raise the antenna higher. Raising the antenna by 10 m reduces the dustiness of the air around it by half, which greatly affects the quality of reception.
First, only one pipe stand is mounted.A set of a mirror, its adjustable mountings, a bracket and a converter is assembled at home - this is more convenient, first of all, to verify the verticality of the tube stand.
Fastening the satellite dish to the wall cannot be done with self-tapping screws in plastic dowels - the antenna will "go away" over time. Collet pins with a length of at least 200 mm and a diameter of at least 8 mm must be used, a base plate is put on them and secured with nuts and locknuts.
