• No TV output

• Rolling Picture

• Unable to lock on the signal with a C band dish

• Unable to lock on the signal with a fixed dish

• TV Picture freeze, or intermittent no signal message.
   

If you are unable to see anything on the screen, you may have a connection problem. See TV Connection.

• Do you have your digital receiver powered up.

• You may have mixed the TV Antenna in and out coax cables. Check the wiring

• Your TV may not be on channel 3 or 4 depending on the switch setting on the back of the digital receiver SatCruiser.

• The switch on the the back of the Sat Cruiser may be set to channel 4 instead of channel 3 (or visa versa if you are using channel 4)

• If you are using a Satcruiser 201P with UHF output, the TV output is to channel 40. Make sure your TV is set to AIR not CABLE.

• Try to connect using the RCA wires directly to the television set. Set your television set input to Video (external input).

• Press the menu button on the remote, if the menu still does not appear, contact our technical department 1-716-854-2701.

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When the picture on your television screen keeps rolling, that means that someone has change the TV output format from NTSC to PAL.
To change it back to NTSC you need to change the TV output format back to NTSC
For Satcruiser or StarCruiser 9000 models, tht TV output is in the "system setting" menu.  You can either initialize the unit and re-program it again or just change TV output field.

Satcruiser/StarCruiser 9000 models
To initialize the unit, use your remote control and press the following keys
exit
menu
up arrow (game) [Please note the old Satcruiser 101ACE has no game, in that case, skip this step]
up arrow (system setting)
ok  (enter system setting menu)
up arrow (point to initialization)
ok (activate initialization step)
ok (confirm initialization)
Your receiver is now initialized to factory default. You will need to search all the TV channels.

If you wish to just change the TV output format without initializing the unit
exit
menu
up arrow (point to game)
up arrow (pint to system setting)
ok (enter system setting)
down arrow
down arrow
down arrow
down arrow (point to TV output)  [I may be off one one down arrow steps]
volume up (keep pressing volume up until the picture stops rolling. 1 to 3 presses)

StarCruiser 5000 and SkyCruiser 7000 models
Your remote control has PAL button.  Just press it once to change the format

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In order to get the utmost out of your digital satellite receiver, it is imperative that your dish be finely tuned, especially for those weak satellites.

• The first thing you should do is to check your cable connection and to make sure it is correct. This alone can save you hours of wasted time.
  If you are splitting the C and Ku band, check that the power pass line goes to the analog receiver. You must use high frequency splitters to split the C and Ku bands (5 to 2050 MHz), your Radio Shack 5-900MHz will not work. Also use RG-6 wires, not your standard VCR or TV wires.  If you have an electronic switch such as 0/12 volts or 22KHz switch then make sure that the receiver is connected and set up correctly.
  Click on the appropriate hyper text to verify your connection.

• Try to lock on a strong satellite.  Try Intelsat America 5 for Ku band and Galaxy 11 for C band.

• Verify that your analog receiver is on the right polarity. For example for Intelsat America 5, even channels set the dish to horizontal polarity, odd channels set it to vertical polarity.  On the other hand, Galaxy 11 has inverse polarity. Even channels will set it to vertical polarity, and odd channels will set it to horizontal polarity.

• Your polarizer may not be working, or intermittent.  Select an analog channel and change the polarity (Skew) and see if the picture gets worse to the point of disappearing. If it stays the same, or does not disappear, then the polarizer is the culprit.

• Verify that the receiver is sending 13 Volts DC for vertical polarity, and 18 volts DC for horizontal polarity out of the "digital input" on the back of the receiver.  The receiver will send this voltage only if the LNB power is turned ON in the LNB power menu.

• Your LNB base frequency could be slightly off. Even though the Sat Cruiser will check a range of frequencies, we have had experiences where the LNB base frequency is off by as much as 3MHz. For example if you are trying to tune to frequency 4120 and the unit fails, try all frequencies between 4117 and 4123.  If the unit locks on a signal at a different frequency, try other frequencies. If all frequencies need an offset, then instead of adjusting each and every frequency, you can adjust the base frequency in the LNB table (Menu, LNB configuration on the Satcruiser DSR-101), for example you can change the frequency from 5150 to 5153.  If the unit still fails to lock, then most likely your dish needs fine tuning. Set the unit back to its original setup and adjust the dish as described below.

• This paragraph is specific to the Satcruiser product line.
  If you are not using an electronic A/B switch you can skip this bullet.
  Verify that the LNB power is turned on. Press Menu, Installation, LNB power.
  Check that you are on the correct satellite using the correct receiver setting, if you are searching a Ku signals on Telstar 5, then your LNB setup for Telstar 5 should be set to 10750 (if you have a wide band LNBF such as the Grundig S-12, the setting should be universal with LO frequency 09750 and HI 10600).  If you have a big dish, then you most definitely have a standard 10750 MHz LNB.
   
  If you are using a 22KHz switch check that the LNB is configured correctly in the LNB configuration by pressing (menu, installation, T-P Configuration, select the satellite and press OK). In the LNB field press OK to go the the LNB menu and set the 22KHz to OFF for C band satellites and ON for KU band satellites.  If you are using a 0/12 volts switch, check to see if your LNB configuration is set where the C Band LNB 05150 is configured for 12 volts and the KU Band LNB 10750 is configured for 0 volts
  

• Before making any adjustments to the dish, check if your receiver is tuned for that satellite. Most analog receivers have an auto tune feature that will let the receiver find the best position for the best signal strength and best polarity.  If you happen to have an old receiver that does not have such feature, try to move the dish east or west slightly, then try to lock unto the digital signal. While moving the dish watch the signal strength on either the analog receiver or the digital receiver. Store the dish position where you get the highest signal level.  If you are still unable to lock on the signal, try changing the polarity (skew) in small increments. If you are still unable to lock on the digital signal, you will most likely have to adjust your satellite dish.

• Make sure to mark your starting point with a water proof fountain pen. Mark your starting point for each nut and bolt before you make any adjustment to the dish. If you happen to lose your starting point, it could be very difficult and time consuming to get back to it.

• The majority of tuning problems have to do with incorrect tracking the satellite arc.  Your dish should be able to track the satellite arc from F3 all the way to PAS9 perfectly. Having an analog signal does not necessarily mean that your tracking is correct.  Make sure that the analog signal is clean of snow noise for each and every satellite (barring obstructions such as trees or houses).

• The dish elevation angle may be too low or too high. Even though, you may be able to receive a clean analog signal, you may still be unable to receive the digital signal because your dish is aimed either too high or too low. We found out through experience that even a single turn of the elevation nut can be the difference between locking on the signal or missing it completely.

• The True North South heading of your dish could be slightly off.   You may have to slightly adjust the True North South heading by loosening the bolts around the pole. Make sure that you mark your initial position, otherwise you will be for a VERY long day.

• Check the focal point of the Feedhorn, you may need to move the Feedhorn in or out, or turn it slightly to get the best signal and polarity. (Again, mark your starting point).

• Your LNB could be very old and noisy. You may have to replace it. Use this as a last resort, if your Ku LNB has a noise level of 0.8dB or lower, and C LNB is 25K or lower, they may not be the top of the line, but they should work.

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If you are connecting the Satcruiser with a small 30" dish and the signal still eludes, you check the following

• Ensure that their is no obstruction in front of the dish, like trees or houses.  A dish may work well in the winter when the trees have no leaves, but it will stop working as the leaves start to grow in the spring.

• Use a carpenter's level to ensure that the dish mast is plumb (perpendicular to the ground).

• Check the LNBF position. Make sure the LNB is tilted slightly to adjust for the skew (exact tilt could be clockwise or counter clock wise). Use this small DOS based "look" program to determine your skew (tilt).

• The LNBF should be fastened to the LNBF arm at the center of its neck.

• Use RG-6 cable wire when connecting the LNBF to the "digital input" of the digital receiver.

• Make sure you are aiming in the general vicinity of the satellite. Use our azimuth calculator to find out where to aim the dish, use an inexpensive compass to get the direction.

• Set the dish elevation to the calculated elevation, and the dish position to the calculated azimuth position (do not forget to adjust your azimuth to the magnetic deviation using the map on our azimuth calculator page).

• Watch the signal level meter found in the TP configuration screen screen, if you are aiming at Intelsat America 5 at 97 West, go down to a strong frequency like 12146 and press OK.

• Move the dish (extremely slowly in one direction) and watch changes in the signal level (upper meter) as it increases, you are getting closer to the satellite position.  You will be able to lock on the signal only when the signal level meter registers a signal.  If you move the dish by more than 30 degrees, yet fail to get the signal, move the dish in the other direction and watch for changes in the signal level.

• If moving the dish east or west did not improve the signal level, lower the elevation by 1/2 degree and try the same procedure again moving the dish ever so slowly east then west west.  Repeat the procedure until you have gone 3 degrees below the calculated angle.  If you are still unable to lock, go back to your starting position and raise the elevation by 1/2 and repeat the procedure

• Once you get the signal,  adjust the dish to get the maximum signal quality level. Tighten the screws while keeping an eye on the signal quality meter as the dish will tend to twist a little as you tighten the screws which will drop the signal level.  Tighten the elevation screws first.

• Visit our dish installation section for more details and a diagram.

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If the TV picture freezes, your dish needs adjustment.  If you are using a fixed dish, try to adjust the elevation first. If you see no improvement, then your elevation is okay, adjust the dish position by moving it east or west slightly.  Always, mark your starting position with a felt pen (both, elevation and azimuth).  As you tune the dish position watch the signal quality meter.  Some frequencies are stronger than others, for example frequency 12146 and 12177 on Intelsat America 5 are much stronger than frequency 11874.  After you tune the dish to the strong frequency, go to the weaker frequency 11874 and maximize the quality signal reading 
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