Problems with ACP test, need help

[greg_23805]

I thought I would maybe get better upload by checking and adjusting my cross-pol settings. I am not able to pass the test. I have tweaked the dish every which way, all 3 directions and I cannot get a cross-pol signal over 61, therefore, the test doesn't pass.

The maximum signal strength I can get prior to the ACP test is 62, then when the ACP test starts, I can barely get it to read 61. Seems that if I can't get my receive signal in the 70';s, there is no hope.

I checked the cables, which are about 60 feet long and they are not shorted. Resistance is 4 ohms when shorting one end out. I cleaned the satellite dish, checked all connections on both ends, made sure there weren't any wasps or anything else under the plastic cover on the end of the dish.

I have no clue what to do except wait for possibly a stronger signal. I'm using dial return right now.

Any suggestions? This is wearing me out going back and forth.

The frequency when I was running with the transmitter was 1410, I don't see any satellites with 1410 in the name. The satellite I'm using is G11_1350_20k.

Friday, I was successful in doing the ACP and getting it to pass. I thought I'd try tweaking it one more time and this time, I am having no luck.

Any help appreciated.

[cholla]

I don't have satellite so this might not be the problem at all.I have read something about grounding the dish itself.I think there is a kit for this more or less its a strip of aluminum foil

that glues to the dish with a ground wire attached..

[loon_tune]

Ok, here goes. First, what dish/modem do you have (4000, 4300, 6000, 7000?) Then, follow the cable, it should have markings on it such as Commscope 2200mhz 75 ohm standard, then a ft marking. Write back with the cable specs. Then tell me for sure what your signal numbers, acp number and frequency numbers are. Also, don't screw with tinfoil at all, just unplug the receive and transmit cables from the back of the modem and touch the center wire to the outside of the barrel connector on the modem. then write back to me. I think your gonna have to call dway and get a professional reaim. The beam is so tight that your average joe will do nothing but get aggravated trying to aim these in. You also would need to have a long ass extension cord, your modem and a computer out where the dish is to do any good without having the right meter.

hope i helped

[loon_tune]

also, g11 sucks ass, your gonna wann tell your installer, if possible to change you to G4r (99 west), i beleive g11 is 95 west and not as good.

[greg_23805]

OK, update. I'm back online transmitting. Adjusting the side to side setting did the trick but I applied a trick. So for those like me without the fancy meter you can plug in outside at the dish to get your numbers:

1. After you think you have the side to side and up/down set as good as you can get it. Boy that side to side setting sucks big time!!, use 2 way radios and have someone sitting at the computer watching while running the manual test. Don't go to ACP yet.

2. Push out on one side of the dish from the back and see if moving the dish slightly to one side pushes up the receive signal, then do the other side, you will see which way you have to go with the dish to get it just right. Then below for the trick.

3. After you figure out which way the dish has to rotate side to side, back out one of the bolts that bolts the dish to the square metal plate and size up some washers that will fit the bolt. Then, loosen the other bolt on the same side as the one you just took out, this is the side you have to kick out to get the highes signal. Put a washer between the square metal plate and the fiberglass back of the dish. Ask the person watching the screen if the signal is high like when you pushed on that side, if so, push out just a little more, if the signal goes down, you know you don't need anymore washers. Tighten up the 2 bolts and confirm you still have a high signal.

This method got my receive strength high enough. Then on to the ACP manual test.

1. The numbers given to setup the cross polarization was 9.3, with that setting, I was running 44 in the ACP mode. I ended up rotating the dish to about 16.5 to get the cross-pol up in the 80 range and the test passed with flying colors.

Lessons learned:

1. The regular antenna pointing mode without '/manual' at the end of the properties for the shortcut, runs about 10 units higher in strength then the manual test. So get the highest receive signal you can in manual mode before going to ACP with side/side and up/down and apply the tweak with the washers for highest receive strength.

2. The polarization number to start with is way low or is just a start, I guess this depends on how perfectly level the satellite mounting pole is.

3. After you pass the ACP test, exit and then run websetup, the transmitter will not work until you run websetup after passing the ACP.

Sheeesh, I have about 8 hours in this adjustment, thank God I finally decided to use the washers for the side to side tweak. Trying to rotate the weight of the dish in a small enough increment to get the highest receive strength is just a really rough adjustment. Maybe Dway or other vendors now have a fine adjustment that can be done with a bolt or something.

Now to try an upload test which is where this all started, trying to get better upload speeds. I can tell by just how pages are loading right now that it's quicker but I'll test and post results.

[greg_23805]

Ok, so one upload at 46, the next at 16. We'll see how it runs on average. Download at 1275. I'm satisfied, at least things are working again.

Thanks for the replies to this post, hopefully my lessons learned will help someone else.

Incidentally, this is with DW4000 USB modems.

I have the dish transmitter grounded and removing the ground wire made no difference in the receive strength.

Later

[cholla]

greg_23805: The dish ground I suggested is just supposed to discharge static electricty off the dish.The transmiter & coax ground don't necessarily do this at least on a "plastic" dish.Also I have read you need to be careful with a DW4000 because it is always "hot" if the transmitter is on.Sounds like you got it working OK .