Unity 4000 Technical Issues

 

GE-3 Satellite Facts and Data

Satellite	AMC-3 (formerly GE-3)
GE Center of Box Information Phone Number	1-800-526-4214
Orbital Location	87° West Longitude
Transponder	17
Transponder Center Frequency	4040 MHz
DVB Carrier Center Frequency (as of 10/1/2001)	4043.42 MHz
Polarity	Horizontal
Subcarrier Frequency	Preset in Digital Receiver
Azimuth/Elevation of satellite dish	Determined by receiver location

 

Antenna Requirements

Item	Minimum required	Recommended
Dish Size	2.8 meter (9 feet)	3.1 m (10 ft) or 3.8 m (12 ft)
Antenna Gain	At least 40 dB	Dependent on your location
Antenna Beamwidth	At most 1.8 degrees
Antenna First Sidelobe Level	At least 20 dB down from main beam
Antenna Cross-pol Interference Level	At least 30 dB down on main beam
Dish Type	Mesh Reflector	Solid fiberglass or Aluminum reflector
LNB Type	Any Good Phase-Stable LNB	PLL Phase-Stable Unit
LNB Temperature	40°	20°-35°
LNB Gain	55dB	65dB or greater
Cable Type	RG-6	RG-11
Cable Length		Less than 500 ft.
Number of Receivers per Dish		3 or fewer (unless amplified)
Dish Mount	Azimuth/Elevation	Polar Mount (for ease of pointing)

Notes:
• Older 4-degree bandwidth dishes will not work with today's satellites spaced 2 degrees apart.  If in doubt about your dish, contact your manufacturer.
• If dish is roof-mounted, a pentrating mount will offer better stability in windy conditions.
• Roof-mounted dishes are often less accessible for snow/ice removal
• If dish is mounted on the ground, ensure that it is protected from damage by surrounding objects (vehicles, lawnmowers, trees, etc.)

Alignment Issues

With analog signals in the older, less-hostile satellite environment, television and analog satellite receivers were commonly used.  In the more hostile current digital and video environment, however, a spectrum analyzer is no longer a luxury- it's a necessity.  It's impossible to use a satellite receiver or signal strength meter to find the minimum cross-polarized interference.  Now, the maximum signal strength is no longer the target for which to aim: the minimum interference will ensure the best signal.  And a spectrum analyzer is the only way to achieve minimum interference. 

IMPORTANT: Do not attempt to use the Wegener receiver as your audio source when aiming your satellite dish. Since this is a digital receiver, you will not be able to hear the audio getting better or worse as you aim your dish.  Your receiver will mute when it does not receive adequate signal strength. You will not hear the noise and scratchiness heard on analog receivers as your signal degrades.

As you're aiming your dish, you'll need to know what the new carrier looks like on the spectrum analyzer. Sample plots of good and bad downlink installations are found here.

Footprint (Coverage Map) of AMC-3

Another characteristic of a digital signal is the ability to encode the signal.  Only the Wegener Unity 4000 will be able to properly decode the audio and relay commands.

• Downlink Installation Checklist
• General Troubleshooting Information
• Preparing for semi-annual sun fade outages