Satellite scan not finding BBC on UK Freesat

[smbunn]

I have loaded the latest 282.ini file from KingOfSat and checked that the correct DVB-S2 settings are present for the satellite  channels that are for BBC both SD and HD.  I run Windows MCE on this Windows computer and it successfully found all the BBC channels.  But NextPVR does not find any of them.  I can see the frequencies being scanned while I watch scanning occurring so I know it is using my updated 282.ini file (C:\Program Files\NextPVR\data\tuning\DVB-S)  In fact I suspect it is not finding any channels set up as S2, 8PSK, and is only finding channels coded as DVB-S, QPSK.

However this is not true for BBC as for example in line 7 of the ini file it says 7=10803,H,22000,56,DVB-S,QPSK which is an SD frequency for BBC and this is not seeing anything.

I run Windows 7 64 bit, and the NextPVR site says this should have installed in c:\Program Files (x86)  but that is not what happened, is this a problem?

NPVR Directories
NPVR has a program directory and a data directory. By default:
[PROGRAM] = "C:\Program Files\NPVR" (32-bit versions of Windows)
[PROGRAM] = "C:\Program Files(x86)\NPVR" (64-bit versions of Windows)

What do you think is going wrong?

I have attached my log files.

Thanks

Simon

Update:
I looked at the log file for the tuner. The tuning information for the S2 channel is IDENTICAL to the standard s channel

<tuning>
<type>DVB-S</type>
<locator>
<frequency>10803</frequency>
<polarity>H</polarity>
<symbol_rate>22000</symbol_rate>
<fec>56</fec>
<diseqc_type>0</diseqc_type>
<lnb>1</lnb>
<lowosc>9750</lowosc>
<highosc>10600</highosc>
<switch>11700</switch>
</locator>
</tuning>

The start of the file says:

2023-04-30 03:19:01.708 [DEBUG][1] Args...
2023-04-30 03:19:01.719 [DEBUG][1] -listen:50001
2023-04-30 03:19:01.719 [DEBUG][1] -type: DVB-S
2023-04-30 03:19:01.719 [DEBUG][1] -device:TBS 6981 BDA DVBS/S2 A Tuner/Demod

So it knows it is a DVBS and DVB-S2 tuner by BRAND but seems to think the type is a DVB-S tuner only. Or am I reading this wrong?

[Bobins]

Don't profess to be an expert but looking through your logs it looks like you have a poor quality signal coming from your dish, so poor in fact the tuner often fails to lock a signal on the frequency it's trying to scan.

locked=0, present=0, strength=81, quality=5  (took 0ms to check)

Some frequencies are better but overall the tuner is struggling to get anything of quality back on most of the frequencies being scanned.

Whilst weather can affect signal strength/quality, I'd say your dish may be out of alignment or the cable damaged.

(I've had that problem myself).

A typical log from my system would report

locked=1, present=1, strength=72, quality=100  (took 250ms to check) [note the quality]

If the signal quality is poor on the BBC frequency at the moment it's scanned, you'll likely not get anything showing up as a scan result for that frequency.

[smbunn]

The dish is a one-meter dish in the south of France near Albi. I upped it from a 750mm dish a few years ago when the tightened the spot beam. In bad weather I lose the HD channels but am usually OK on the SD channels on Windows Media Center but I agree signal strength is poor. Satellite dish is five stories up on a medieval tile roof (originally built 1326) so I am a little nervous about going up there as only access is from side of house with a very long ladder. Might be time to call in the experts

[smbunn]

Later in the file you sometimes see
locked=1, present=1, strength=88, quality=78 (took 0ms to check)

This was for 11082 frequency. Why is it sometimes this good and sometimes as bad as you show at the earlier frequencies. The dish is only pointing to the satellite which doesn't move so you would assume the signal strength would be pretty consistent across the range. Maybe its not giving itself enough time to lock in after the frequency change?

[Bobins]

The logs do show a reasonable signal strength but the quality is poor most of the time so even if it gets a lock, it may struggle to extract the data (usually you'd see that as picture pixilation if you were watching a channel that had tuned).

My experience with a similar problem was water getting into a nicked cable.

Given you location challenge, might be worth getting a professional in to check out the dish/cable.

One last thought. Check your plug attaching the cable to the tuner. Make sure there's no stray strands of the outer metal braid getting near the inner copper core and that the plug is fitted tight on the end of the cable.

[smbunn]

Am in France Friday, will take a look at what I can. I also think the satellite dish installer scoffed at my request to rotate the LNB -17 degrees as per DishPointer. This will reduce signal strength. getting any sort of skilled person in France is a nightmare at the best of times, in a remote rural village like mine....impossible

[sub]

I run Windows MCE on this Windows computer and it successfully found all the BBC channels.

Is that still installed, and able to successfully tune and watch these channels?

[sub]

Is NextPVR seeing no channels at all?