SatSig topic:

Problems with a 2nd location install

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Sep 24^th, 2006 at 8:56pm

I contracted with a Direcway installer to install a new antenna/TX/RX at my lake home.

The plan was to take my DW 6000 modem from my 'real' home when I go to the lake home, connect it to the antenna there, and continue my Direcway service.

I'm on SatMex 5.

The system works fine at home.

The contractor provided all new equipment, optimized with a Bird Dog, and did a first class job (I'm a broadcast station engineer, and know good work/bad work).

The system will give me power lights, LAN, RX, then TX, but no System light. After a while, the TX goes out, and occasionally blinks.

RX code 5, and TX code 8 at the outset, with a TCP fault (I think it's TCP fault; it's the 2nd problem option from the bottom of the list). TX code changes to 10 after a while.

Cross pol is 95, sig strength is 81 on the RX. It has about 75' of dual coax line, good quality 'blue' dual ground block (I even tried removing the ground block)

I've checked all the cables for shorts, and even reversed TX/RX lines on both ends. No change. Same RX signal strength, so I don't think it's the cable.

Rebooted the modem dozens of times; left it off for a while, etc.

Have not gone home yet with the modem to try it there, but it worked great upon departure.

Installer tried 3 new TX/RX units; no change.

Is there some sort of TX 'fingerprinting' going on that they know this is a different TX, and therefore refusing service?

Ideas? Help? Suggestions? I'm trying to beat the system here and only pay for one acccount, since I'm willing to move the modem back and forth as I do. I'm pulling my hair out, and so is the contractor.

Thanks......

Sep 24^th, 2006 at 9:46pm

VSATs transmit short bursts of data to the satellite and the timing of the start of these bursts is related to the frame timing structure of the big downlink carrier plus a site specific time delay offset, so that your uplink bursts are interleaved with uplink bursts from all the other sites. If your uplink bursts overlap with someone else neither they nor you will be able to operate.

Moving a VSAT (in any direction except sideways) changes the range to the satellite and causes mutual interference with some other site, until the time delay of the moved site is recalibrated.

The commissioning of a VSAT involves "ranging" to determine the correct site specific time delay to use. This ranging process may require the initial manual input of latitude and longitude to get an approximate estimate of the required delay followed by the modem doing test transmissions and the hub calibrating the exact time of arrival.

There may be set up configuration options to input the new lat/long location, to re-calculate the range, or to run a "ranging" check or initialisation.

Perhaps Greg or someone else can add more to this.

Best regards, Eric.

Sep 25^th, 2006 at 4:31am

Quote:

Installer tried 3 new TX/RX units; no change.

Is there some sort of TX 'fingerprinting' going on that they know this is a different TX, and therefore refusing service?

No "fingerprinting". Matter of fact, what you're doing is not in conflict with your terms of service. Hughes is fully aware that a percentage of their customers relocate their modems periodically.

But when you move it, you MUST tell the modem that it's at a new geoloco. It uses the new lat/lon as the basis by which to calculate time and distance to the satellite. If this data is incorrect to start with (home lat/lon installed instead of lake lat/lon) you'll quite likely have a problem maintaining sync with network timing. If you drop in and out of the network due to timing faults, it could explain the TX10.

"TX Code 10 ITUST_RTX: The transmitter is unable to communicate with the Network Operations Center.
This state indicates that the unit has stopped attempting to transmit user data because of a large number of packets unable to be received by the NOC. This could be a result of weather conditions causing lost packets or NOC equipment failure on the return channel equipment. Also, verify that the cable connecting the ITU to the ODU is in place, secure, and not damaged. Replace cable if necessary."

So despite what Hughes says, my advice is to get a good GPS fix on your lake location, and try the new lat/lon numbers in the modem user interface.

//greg//

Sep 25^th, 2006 at 8:17pm

Hi

This is helpful, gents.

It appears, from wandering around the net and looking at various resources, that I may have to enter my registration code during this process; is that correct?

If so, where do I get that? I'm an Earthlink customer, who actually just resells the Direcway service, and I seriously doubt they know/will provide it to me.

Any way around that item?

Sep 25^th, 2006 at 8:49pm

I don't have the DW6000 interface menu to refer to, but I don't recall there being a requirement to enter SAN/PIN simply to change the user location. I'm a DW4000 user, and can enter lat/lon (or ZIP code) at will. SAN/PIN be damned.

Have you simply tried the geoloco change, without going through the whole re-registration rigamarole?

//greg//

Sep 25^th, 2006 at 9:43pm

Hi USN,

Got it; you are reading these words via the wonder of satellite internet.

Followed the suggestions you guys gave, and everything worked out. Just did the geo change; everything else carried over.

You guys are the best; thanks for the help.

Ken