Adding Satellites GE-1, 2 and 3 to Your Monterey 100 Receiver

This section modified from the Chaparral web site at:
http://www.chaparral.net/program.htm
Original author: Randy Michels, Chaparral.
Additions/modifications: Dr. Al Powell, Colorado State University.

General Information

Satellite GE-1 is located at 103 degrees between satellites Spacenet 4 and Anik E2. It has 24 C-Band channels and 24 Ku-Band channels. On both C and Ku bands, odd channels are horizontal polarity and even channels are vertical polarity.

Note: If you purchased and installed new program software chips for your receiver later than June, 1997, the new GE format for these satellites is in memory and the Ku transponders are set up correctly. In that case, you do not need to create a new format as outlined in Step 5 below. You can determine this by going to a GE Ku satellite, selecting channel 1, and entering [Menu 7]. If the frequencies for the channels listed above are the same as shown in this document, the format is correct.

If you do not have the Chaparral software update, the format does not exist in your receiver and you must add it. The procedure is outlined in Step 5 below, which describes adding the Ku-band side of GE-1 to your receiver.

The downlink frequency interval between the Ku channels is 200 MHZ. In other words, you can add 200 MHZ to each channel to find the frequency of the next channel. All GE satellites share this Ku-band format. Here's a sample of the downlink frequencies:

ch. 1 = 11.7200
ch. 2 = 11.7400
ch. 3 = 11.7600.
ch. 12 = 11.9400
ch. 24 = 12.1800.

This interval holds for Ku channels 1-24. Channels 25 and up are not used, and following the procedures on this page will allow you to bypass them.

About the two-letter codes for the GE series:

The Chaparral receivers have no way to enter two letters (GE) to identify a satellite. Also, the "G" designations are used by Galaxy satellites, and there is no "E" available. The correct designation for the C-band sides of the GE-satellites W1, W2 and W3. GE-1 is in the same sky position as the now-dead GSTAR1 (R1), so if GSTAR 1 is in your receiver, selecting R1 is the easiest way to find GE-1's position.

We'll go through GE-1 first. Adding GE- and GE-3 are easy once it's programed.

To Program GE-1 into your Monterey receiver:

If you do have R1 in memory, select that satellite before proceeding, skip Steps 1 and 2, and go directly to Step 3.

Step 1 - If you do NOT have GSTAR1 in your satellite receiver's memory:

Open your [Satellite] menu and write down the 4-digit dish position numbers for satellites Galaxy 4 and Spacenet 4. Calculate the difference between the two dish positions. Add the difference to the 4-digit dish position number for Spacenet 4. This will give you the approximate dish position for satellite GE-1. For more on the idea behind this procedure, see: Adding a Satellite.
Point your dish at satellite G4 (Galaxy 4) and go to step 2.

Step 2 - Adding GE-1 to Memory.

Using your remote control, go to [Menu 9].
Using the [Up or Down] arrow on the remote control, move the cursor to the line that says [Add Satellite]. Press [Enter]. The display at the bottom of the screen will read [Enter New Sat Name].
Using the keypad on the heel of your remote control, press the [W], then the [1]. The display should now say - [Satellite W1 Added].

Step 3 - Formatting the C-band side of GE-1.

Start here if you have satellite R1 (GSTAR 1) in memory. We will use R1 to locate W1, and later we will turn R1 into GE-1's Ku-band side.

Point your dish at R1. Write down its 4-digit location.
Go to [Menu 9].
Using the [Up or Down] arrow on the remote control, move the cursor to the line that says [Add Satellite]. Press [Enter]. The display at the bottom of the screen will read [Enter New Sat Name].
Press the [W], then the [1] on your remote control's number pad. The display should now read: [Satellite W1 Added].
Move the cursor to the [Format] line; press the [Left] arrow several times to change the format to [FOUR GHZ] if it is not already displayed.
Move the cursor to [Sat Type]; press the [Left] arrow several times to change the type to [ASC]. Press [Enter] and rename it GE-1. Press [Menu][Menu] to save the change.

Step 4 - Positioning the Satellite.

If you added W1, you need to position it correctly. If R1 was already in memory to provide the location, skip this step.
Go to [Menu 7]. (The top right corner should display W1 along with the channel and audio number.) Move the cursor to [Dish Position] and press [Enter]. Either press the [Right] arrow to move the dish to the number calculated in Step 1, or enter the 4-digit number with the keypad. When the dish has arrived at the location, using the [Channel Up or Down] arrows, select an active channel, then fine tune the dish position using the [Left or Right] arrows. Watch the signal strength indicator bar at the screen's bottom to maximize the signal.
Press [Menu][Menu] to save the new position.
Press [VIEW] to return to the normal viewing mode.

WAIT! YOU'RE NOT DONE YET! You still need to add the Ku-side of GE-1.

Step 5 - Programming GE-1 Ku-band.

Note: In this procedure, we use R1 for GE-1 Ku-band and R3 for GE-3 Ku. Primestar leases the Ku-side of GE-2 and it is entirely used for digital feeds, so you don't need to add it to your receiver.

If you still have GSTAR 1 (R1) in your receiver:

Open your [Satellite] menu and note the 4-digit location of satellite W1. You will be moving R1 to this location.
Select and view R1 from your [Satellite] menu.
Open [Menu 7] and move your cursor to [Location]. Hit [Enter].
Using the keypad on the heel of your remote control, key in the 4-digit location of W1. Wait for the dish to move to that location, then press [Menu][Menu].
Exit [Menu 7], and go to [Menu 9].
Using the [Up or Down] arrows move the cursor to the [Format] line; press the [Left] arrow several times to change the format to [ANIK ALT].
Using the [Up or Down] arrows move the cursor to [Sat Type]. Press the [Left] arrow several times to change the type to GE-1 (you added this satellite type in Step 3). You have now identified this as a GE-1 type.
Go to Step 6, below.

If you do NOT have GSTAR 1 (R1) in your receiver:

Go to satellite W1.
Go to [Menu 9].
Using the [Up or Down] arrow on the remote control, move the cursor to the line that says [Add Satellite]; press [Enter]. The display at the bottom of the screen will read [Enter New Sat Name].
Press the [R], then the [1] on your remote control's keypad. The display should now read [Satellite R1 Added].
Using the [Up or Down] arrows move the cursor to the [Format] line; press the [Left] arrow several times to change the format to [ANIK ALT].
Using the [Up or Down] arrows move the cursor to [Sat Type]. Press the [Left] arrow several times to change the type to GE-1 if necessary (see above).
Go to Step 6, below.

Step 6 - Skipping Unused Channels.

Using your remote control, go to [Menu 3].
Using the [Up or Down] arrow on the remote control, move the cursor to the line that says [This Channel: Active]. Using the [Chennel Up or Down] arrow, go to channel 25.
Press the [Right] arrow once. The display should read [This Channel: Skipped]. Press the [Channel Up] arrow and change each channel up to and including channel 32 to [Skipped]. This hides channels 25 - 32 when using the Channel [Up or Down] arrows. (To select a channel that has been set to [Skipped], you can still enter the channel number using the remote control key pad.)

Step 7 - Setting Frequencies.

Using your remote control, go to [Menu 7].
Select Channel 1.
Using the [Up or Down] arrow on the remote control, move the cursor to the line that says [Frequency]. Change the frequency to 11.7200 by directly entering the numbers using the remote control key pad. Press [1-1-7-2-0-0]. The frequency for channel 1 is now changed to the new frequency.
Move your cursor up to the line that says [Polarity]. Press the [Autotune] button and the receiver will tune the polarity. This also selects the right bandwidth for your channel, which will read 26 MHZ after the Autotune is done.
You must re-program the frequencies and polarities for all channels the same way. Here is the process:
Move your cursor back to the line that says [Frequency]. Press the [Channel Up] arrow to select channel 2, and enter the correct frequency for channel 2: [1-1-7-4-0-0]. Move the cursor back to the [Polarity] line and [Autotune] the polarity. Continue up through the channels entering the new frequencies and Autotuning polarities as you go. Each channel is 200 MHZ higher than the previous one. Just to help you check as you go, the frequency for channel 12 is 12.0600, and 24 should be 12.1800. If your numbers don't agree at those points, you made a mistake; go back, find and correct it.

About GE-2 and GE-3:

Adding GE-2 and GE-3 is easy once GE-1 is programmed. GE-2 is at 85 degrees west, between Spacenet 3 and Galaxy 6. To add GE-2, point your dish at GE-1, add a new satellite named W2, and then change the new satellite's location to 85 degrees west. The new satellite will assume all the characteristics of GE-1. GE-3 is at 87 degrees west, halfway between Telstar 4 and GE-2.

For more information on calculating positions, adding and moving satellites, see these documents:
Adding a Satellite
Changing a Satellite's Position

Notes about using GE-1 as the basis for adding GE-2 and GE-3:

GE-3 is a direct copy of GE-1. After adding it, no changes need to be made.
GE-2 is a direct copy of GE-1 EXCEPT that the polarity of its C-band channels is reversed.
After adding GE-2, you must select GE-2 from your [Satellite] menu, then go to [Menu 7], move your cursor to [Polarity] and hit [Autotune]. This will correct the polarity for all its channels.

When you're done with all the stuff above, press [View] to clear the screen. Help yourself to a big cup of coffee (?) because you probably need it. Well done!

Back to the Chaparral Receiver page.
Copyright 1997, Dr. Albert E. Powell, Jr.
Please request permission to re-use or reproduce this document.