---
title: QO-100 DATV Reception
description: Receiving amateur digital television from the Es'hail-2 geostationary satellite using the SkyWalker-1 DVB-S receiver.
---

import { Tabs, TabItem, Steps, Aside, Badge, CardGrid, Card } from '@astrojs/starlight/components';

The Es'hail-2 satellite (25.9 degrees East) carries the first geostationary amateur radio transponders, designated QO-100. The wideband transponder at 10491-10499 MHz carries DATV (Digital Amateur Television) signals that the SkyWalker-1 can receive — with some important caveats about symbol rate limitations and LNB selection.

<Badge text="Requires custom firmware v3.03.0+" variant="caution" />

## Overview

<CardGrid>
  <Card title="Wideband Transponder" icon="rocket">
    10491.000 - 10499.500 MHz (8.5 MHz bandwidth). Carries DVB-S DATV stations from amateur operators worldwide.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Engineering Beacon" icon="star">
    10489.750 MHz CW/PSK beacon. Useful for dish pointing and LNB drift calibration.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Orbital Position" icon="sun">
    25.9 degrees East — visible from Europe, Africa, western Asia, and eastern Americas.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Minimum Dish Size" icon="setting">
    60 cm in central Europe, 1.2m+ at the edges of the footprint.
  </Card>
</CardGrid>

## LNB Selection

The SkyWalker-1 accepts IF frequencies in the 950-2150 MHz range. The LNB's local oscillator frequency determines where the QO-100 signals appear in this window.

| LNB Type | LO Frequency | QO-100 IF Range | Compatible? |
|----------|-------------|-----------------|-------------|
| Universal (low band) | 9750 MHz | 741-749 MHz | No — below 950 MHz minimum |
| Universal (high band) | 10600 MHz | -109 to -101 MHz | No — negative IF |
| Modified universal | 9361 MHz | 1130-1138 MHz | Yes |
| TCXO/PLL stabilized | 9750 MHz | 741-749 MHz | No — same issue |
| Custom downconverter | varies | varies | Check IF range |

<Aside type="caution">
A **standard universal LNB** at 9750 MHz places the QO-100 wideband transponder at 741-749 MHz IF, which is **below the SkyWalker-1's 950 MHz minimum**. You need either a modified LNB or an external downconverter to shift the IF into the 950-2150 MHz range.
</Aside>

### Modified LNB Option

The most common approach among QO-100 operators is modifying a universal LNB by replacing the crystal oscillator (typically 25 MHz) with one that produces a different LO frequency. A 24.000 MHz crystal in a universal LNB that normally multiplies by 390 (9750 MHz) will produce 9360 MHz instead, placing QO-100 at 1131-1139 MHz IF.

Popular modified LO frequencies and their resulting IF ranges:

| Crystal | Multiplier | LO (MHz) | QO-100 IF (MHz) |
|---------|-----------|----------|-----------------|
| 24.000 MHz | x390 | 9360 | 1131-1139 |
| 24.385 MHz | x384 | 9363 | 1128-1136 |
| 25.000 MHz | x374 | 9350 | 1141-1149 |
| 27.000 MHz | x348 | 9396 | 1095-1103 |

## Quick Start

<Steps>
1. **Verify LNB compatibility** — check that your LO frequency places QO-100 in the 950-2150 MHz range:
   ```bash
   python3 tools/qo100.py calc --lnb-lo 9361
   ```

2. **Point the dish** — aim at 25.9 degrees East. Use the motor control tool or manual positioning:
   ```bash
   sudo python3 tools/motor.py gotox --sat 25.9 --lon -97.5
   ```

3. **Scan for carriers** — sweep the QO-100 IF range:
   ```bash
   sudo python3 tools/qo100.py scan --lnb-lo 9361
   ```

4. **Tune to a carrier** — lock onto a detected DATV station:
   ```bash
   sudo python3 tools/qo100.py tune --freq 1135 --sr 1000 --lnb-lo 9361
   ```

5. **Watch live video** — pipe the transport stream to a media player:
   ```bash
   sudo python3 tools/qo100.py watch --freq 1135 --sr 1000 --lnb-lo 9361
   ```
</Steps>

## CLI Reference

### Calculate IF Frequencies

```bash
python3 tools/qo100.py calc --lnb-lo 9361
```

Displays the QO-100 wideband transponder IF range, known DATV frequencies with their IF equivalents, and the beacon frequency. No hardware required — pure calculation.

### Band Plan

```bash
python3 tools/qo100.py band-plan --lnb-lo 9361
```

Shows the complete QO-100 wideband transponder band plan with known station frequencies converted to your LNB's IF range. Includes both the wideband DATV segment and the engineering beacon.

### Scan

```bash
sudo python3 tools/qo100.py scan --lnb-lo 9361
```

Sweeps the QO-100 IF range with parameters tuned for narrowband DATV:
- 250 kHz frequency steps (vs 5 MHz for broadcast)
- 1000 ksps measurement symbol rate
- Extended dwell time for weak signal detection

### Tune

```bash
sudo python3 tools/qo100.py tune --freq 1135 --sr 1000 --lnb-lo 9361
```

Tunes the BCM4500 to the specified IF frequency and symbol rate, then monitors lock status and signal quality. The `--freq` parameter is the IF frequency (after LNB downconversion), not the RF frequency.

### Watch

```bash
sudo python3 tools/qo100.py watch --freq 1135 --sr 1000 --lnb-lo 9361
```

Tunes, locks, and pipes the raw MPEG-2 transport stream to `ffplay` (or `mpv` if ffplay is not found). The video player receives the stream on stdin and renders it in real time.

| Flag | Default | Description |
|------|---------|-------------|
| `--freq` | — | IF frequency in MHz (required) |
| `--sr` | 1000 | Symbol rate in ksps |
| `--lnb-lo` | — | LNB local oscillator in MHz (required) |
| `--player` | auto | Video player command (`ffplay` or `mpv`) |

## Hardware Limitations

### Minimum Symbol Rate

The BCM4500 demodulator has a minimum symbol rate of **256 ksps** (256,000 symbols per second). Many QO-100 DATV stations transmit at lower rates:

| Typical QO-100 SR | BCM4500 Support |
|-------------------|----------------|
| 125 ksps | Detectable as energy, cannot lock |
| 250 ksps | Marginal — may lock with strong signal |
| 333 ksps | Supported |
| 500 ksps | Supported |
| 1000 ksps | Supported |
| 2000 ksps | Supported |

The survey tool distinguishes "carrier detected" (energy above noise floor) from "carrier locked" (BCM4500 achieved demodulator lock) in its output.

### Lock Acquisition Time

QO-100 signals are weaker than broadcast satellites. The BCM4500 may need 10-30 seconds to achieve lock at low symbol rates, compared to 1-2 seconds for typical broadcast transponders. The `qo100.py tune` command uses extended timeouts automatically.

### Frequency Stability

QO-100 DATV signals have tighter frequency tolerance requirements than the SkyWalker-1's default tuning resolution. A PLL-stabilized or TCXO LNB provides better frequency accuracy than a standard DRO LNB, reducing the chance of the demodulator losing lock due to LNB drift.

## Using the TUI

The SkyWalker TUI includes QO-100 as a tab within the Survey screen (<kbd>F10</kbd>). The QO-100 tab pre-fills the sweep parameters with values optimized for the wideband transponder and includes an info panel showing known station frequencies adjusted for your LNB's local oscillator.

See [SkyWalker TUI — Survey Screen](/tools/tui/#survey--qo-100) for details.

## See Also

- [Motor Control](/tools/motor/) — DiSEqC 1.2 positioner for dish pointing
- [Carrier Survey](/tools/survey/) — automated carrier detection and cataloging
- [LNB Control](/lnb-diseqc/lnb-control/) — LNB power and voltage configuration
- [RF Specifications](/hardware/rf-specifications/) — SkyWalker-1 frequency range and sensitivity