[mythtv-users] trying to set myth for fta sats 125w and 87w

Fri Oct 24 17:10:55 UTC 2014

On Fri, 24 Oct 2014 10:08:05 -0400, you wrote:

>2014-10-24 2:26 GMT-04:00 Stephen Worthington <stephen_agent at jsw.gen.nz>:
>
>> On Fri, 24 Oct 2014 00:12:23 -0400, you wrote:
>>
>> >i have procurred a tbs 6982 card in order to have a myth-based pvr for fta
>> >broadcasts.
>> >
>> >i have two dishes set up, one aimed at 125w amc21, the other pointed to
>> 87w
>> >ses2.
>> >
>> >each dish has an "Avenger PLL322S-2 Dual LNB"; one output goes to a
>> >geosatpro microhd fta receiver attached to my toshiba flat-panel, the
>> other
>> >output to the tbs card.
>> >
>> >diseqc switches used are "b.e.s.t. germany" 4x1 units. one unit is for the
>> >microhd receiver, the other is for the mythtv pvr.
>> >on both diseqc switches, port 1 is for 125w, port 2 is for 87w.
>> >
>> >using such a configuration, i know that if the geosat receiver sees a
>> >strong signal from a satellite, the tbs fta card should see the same.
>> >it should not be possible for the myth pvr to the hooked to a dish that is
>> >not aimed correctly.
>> >
>> >so i have installed the latest mythbuntu onto that pvr (version 14.04.1).
>> > after downloading and installing the drivers for the fta
>> >card, i have configured myth to use that card, to use a diseqc switch to
>> >access either lnb, and to use "universal (europe)" lnb units (the avenger
>> >units are universal).
>> >
>> >as a "video source", for the time being, i have told myth to use
>> >"transmitted guide only (eit)" as a grabber.
>> >
>> >scanning for channels on both sats has the same result: despite the signal
>> >gauge clearly fluctuating on something as the scan progresses,
>> >no lock is achieved, a "time out, no signal" message is displayed, as well
>> >as "failed to find any channel"
>> >
>> >each time, i have proceeded with a "full scan (tuned)", entering the
>> >frequency of a specific transponder, polarity, symbol rate, etc.
>> >these values are what i see on my geosat receiver, only with some added
>> >zeroes in some cases.
>> >
>> >i have also tried to use the command-line utility "scan-s2" on both sats,
>> >without much more success.
>> >
>> >i think the problem is simple, but the documentation i have found isn't
>> >fully up to date and might be incomplete.
>> >i am sure someone more experienced might see whatever mistake i have made
>> >very quickly.  so, help?
>> >
>> >
>> >to give an idea of the values i have entered, here are the .conf files i
>> >have created to use with scan-s2:
>> >
>> >(in both cases, these are transponders used by pbs)
>> >
>> >87W.conf:
>> >
>> >S2 11812000 H 11149000 3/5 AUTO 8PSK
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >----
>> >
>> >125W.conf:
>> >
>> >S2 12180000 V 30000000 3/4 AUTO 8PSK
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >----
>> >
>> >
>> >here are two attempted runs of scan-s2, one for each sat:
>> >
>> >###start###
>> >
>> >root at myth-fta:~/Downloads/TBS/scan-s2# su root
>> >root at myth-fta:/home/bruno/Downloads/TBS/scan-s2# ./scan-s2 -a 0 -f 0 -s 2
>> >-l UNIVERSAL 87W.conf
>> >API major 5, minor 3
>> >scanning 87W.conf
>> >using '/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0' and '/dev/dvb/adapter0/demux0'
>> >initial transponder DVB-S2 11812000 H 11149000 3/5 AUTO 8PSK
>> >----------------------------------> Using DVB-S2
>> >>>> tune to: 11812:hC35M5S1:S0.0W:11149:
>> >DVB-S IF freq is 1212000
>> >WARNING: >>> tuning failed!!!
>> >>>> tune to: 11812:hC35M5S1:S0.0W:11149: (tuning failed)
>> >DVB-S IF freq is 1212000
>> >WARNING: >>> tuning failed!!!
>> >ERROR: initial tuning failed
>> >dumping lists (0 services)
>> >Done.
>> >root at myth-fta:/home/bruno/Downloads/TBS/scan-s2#
>> >root at myth-fta:/home/bruno/Downloads/TBS/scan-s2# ./scan-s2 -a 0 -f 0 -s 1
>> >-l UNIVERSAL 125W.conf
>> >API major 5, minor 3
>> >scanning 125W.conf
>> >using '/dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0' and '/dev/dvb/adapter0/demux0'
>> >initial transponder DVB-S2 12180000 V 30000000 3/4 AUTO 8PSK
>> >----------------------------------> Using DVB-S2
>> >>>> tune to: 12180:vC34M5S1:S0.0W:30000:
>> >DVB-S IF freq is 1580000
>> >WARNING: >>> tuning failed!!!
>> >>>> tune to: 12180:vC34M5S1:S0.0W:30000: (tuning failed)
>> >DVB-S IF freq is 1580000
>> >WARNING: >>> tuning failed!!!
>> >ERROR: initial tuning failed
>> >dumping lists (0 services)
>> >Done.
>> >root at myth-fta:/home/bruno/Downloads/TBS/scan-s2#
>> >###end###
>>
>> When I was having problems like that here in New Zealand, it was the
>> LNB settings.  I found it very difficult to find the correct settings,
>> and it turned out that at the time, MythTV had a bug in how the setup
>> for the LNB settings worked and I had to use SQL on the database to
>> make it work.  So I would suggest that you do a search for the correct
>> LNB and diseqc settings for your hardware with scan-s2 and see if you
>> have that right.  Once you get scan-s2 working, then try to interpret
>> the settings into how MythTV sets up the same settings.

>@stephen worthington:
>
>i have duplicated the setting of my geosat unit when configuring myth:
>universal lnb (all default values for that kind of lnb, displayed by the
>myth, match what the microhd displays).
>
>i was a bit but off by the "...(europe)" string put after "universal" in
>the preset (i.e.: "universal (europe)"), but since all lnb parametres below
>("lnb lof switch (mhz)", "lnb lof low (mhz)", etc.) matched what i have on
>my working fta receiver, i stuck with that lnb preset.
>
>as for the switch, there aren't that many parameters to set.  type =
>"diseqc", number of ports = 4.  i mean, how can you get this wrong?  i use
>those settings on the geosatpro microhd, no problems.
>
>this is why i am puzzled by the incapacity of myth to achieve a signal lock
>and finding channels.
>and even more by the feedback given by scan-s2: what is this "DVB-S IF
>freq"?
>
>nonetheless, i will heed your advice, though i am unsure how to use scan-s2
>to probe and display the parameters for both the switch and lnbs.  i don't
>see how to do this on the linuxtv wiki (or the command's built-in help).
> how would you do this?
>
>cheers.

I do not know about your satellites and hardware, but I can post the
file I use to scan my satellite transponders to give you some ideas:

#!/bin/bash

# Scan all SkyNZ satellite frequencies for channel information.

# Transponder frequencies (Hz)
declare -a DVB_S2_FREQS=(12267000 12295000 12331000 12358000)
declare -a DVB_S_FREQS=(12394000 12421000 12519000 12546000 12581000
12608000 12644000 12671000 12707000 12734000)
declare -a FREQS=${DVB_S2_FREQS[*]}" "${DVB_S_FREQS[*]}

# Adapter number of DVB-S / DVB-S2 card.
ADAPTER=4

# LNB frequency (Hz)
LNB_FREQ=10750000

# Symbol rate
SYMBOL_RATE=22500

# Output file to store the results of the scan.
OUTPUT_FILE=skynz_satellite_scan.txt

if [ -e "$OUTPUT_FILE" ] && [ -f "$OUTPUT_FILE" ] ; then
    rm "$OUTPUT_FILE"
fi

for a in ${FREQS[*]}; do
    echo "[[Tuning to $a Hz]]" | tee -a "$OUTPUT_FILE"
    dvbtune -f $(($a-$LNB_FREQ)) -s $SYMBOL_RATE -p h -m -c $ADAPTER
-tone 0 2>&1 >/dev/nul &
    #dvbtune -f $(($a-$LNB_FREQ)) -s $SYMBOL_RATE -p h -c $ADAPTER
-tone 0 2>&1 >/dev/nul
    DVBTUNE_PID=$!
    sleep 1
    scan-s2 -o vdr16x -c -q -a $ADAPTER | tee -a $OUTPUT_FILE
    kill $DVBTUNE_PID >/dev/nul
done

To avoid the line wraps, download a copy from my web server:

  http://www.jsw.gen.nz/mythtv/skynz-satellite-scan.sh