Installation instructions question

[glen4cindy]

I have been reading and re-reading the set of instructions for a motorized dish installation and have a question.

At the point in the instructions where you point the dish to TRUE SOUTH it reads like this: "

• Now, adjust the dish elevation angle (Pictures 6 & 7) to peak the signal.Dish elevation angle is calculated based on the model of the HH motor you are using, as follows:"

What bird is the dish supposed to be pointed at in this step? Do you actually perform this particular part of the installation AFTER you have everything tightened down and are at the point where you are setting up the satellites at the receiver?

Also, for the DISH elevation, it depends upon which model of motor you are using, which for the 2100 is 30 -declination angle which for 39 latitude is 6.14. So, if I calculate this correctly, the dish elevation should be 33. I am in zip 62040.

On another post, it was recommended to a user that a slightly different declination angle should be used. Like 5.x instead of the 6.x which was supposed to track all birds a little better. Do I use the Sadoun values or the altered values that I read somewhere else here?

One (I hope last) question. On the map that is used to determine true south, St. Louis (very near 62040) lies dead in the center of lines 0 and -1. So, is my true south 181?

If this is all there is to the installation, it seems that it is actually easier to install a motorized dish as opposed to a stationary dish mainly because there is no LNBF skew to worry about. Is this correct? Will I find this installation fairly easy as I have quite a bit of experience installing and peaking DTV and DishNet dishes?

Thanks!

[pmb1010]

you point the whole mess, while the motor is at zero to "true south" - your south compass heading, with adjustment for magnetic deviation. Yes for you it would be 191 << ---- correction, it should be 181 . It's critical, but not exact as you dial in the perfect number when you adjust using the method below...

So for instance, for me in NY it's 180 + 10 degrees, so I point - with motor at zero - to 190 degrees. Sorta kinda loose (so it can be adjusted).

Put your coordinates in the receiver. Make sure you change E to W. My lifetime likes to default to E.

NOW - drive the motor using USALS to your highest satellite on the arc. Mine is 79 AMC5. Motor will move dish, but just a little. THEN - I tune to active transponder and look for a signal, by rotating the whole contraption on the pole, and dish elevation up & down. Peak for highest signal, tighten everything up.

Move using USALS to another sat (example IA5) and see how it pick up signals. THen move over to 72w and look for Ohio news network, etc.

[radiobob]

glen4cindy:

Your true south is only half a degree west of magnetic, so for practical purposes your compass is pretty close. Your longitutde is very close to mine so you're going to face the same challenge I had: your "true south satellite" can be either IA8 at 89 deg, or Galaxy 11 at 91 deg, neither of which has a lot to offer for tuning. ABC News Now on 11960V on IA8 is about the only worthwhile offering on IA8.

I ended up pretty much following the scenario outlined by pmb1010 above, but used AMC3 at 87 degrees; that is, I set the motor/dish assembly to what I believed to be true south, then used USALS to drive the dish to AMC3 for adjustments.

Follow the parameters given by the setup instructions as your starting point, but be prepared to make tiny, slow adjustments in azimuth, as well as motor and dish elevation to tune for maximum signal.

Keep us posted on your progress!

Bob

[wejones]

Originally Posted by glen4cindy

I have been reading and re-reading the set of instructions for a motorized dish installation and have a question.

At the point in the instructions where you point the dish to TRUE SOUTH it reads like this: "

• Now, adjust the dish elevation angle (Pictures 6 & 7) to peak the signal.Dish elevation angle is calculated based on the model of the HH motor you are using, as follows:"

What bird is the dish supposed to be pointed at in this step? Do you actually perform this particular part of the installation AFTER you have everything tightened down and are at the point where you are setting up the satellites at the receiver?

Just to add a couple things. As PMB1010 said above, peak on your south sat both by "rotating the whole contraption on the pole, and dish elevation up & down", however, when you move to other sats, you should NOT touch the "up & down" adjustment, just do the "rotating the whole contraption on the pole" thing, PLUS, I would highly recommend using the buttons on the motor to fine tune along the arc. Ie some people won't get acceptable results just using the rotating whole contraption adjustment, and are tempted to mess with the dish elevation on these sats east/west of your south sat, but it is a bad idea to do that. It is much better to leave the dish elevation alone and tweak the motor along the arc with the buttons on the motor, then repeat the whole contraption adjustment.

Originally Posted by glen4cindy

Also, for the DISH elevation, it depends upon which model of motor you are using, which for the 2100 is 30 -declination angle which for 39 latitude is 6.14. So, if I calculate this correctly, the dish elevation should be 33. I am in zip 62040.

On another post, it was recommended to a user that a slightly different declination angle should be used. Like 5.x instead of the 6.x which was supposed to track all birds a little better. Do I use the Sadoun values or the altered values that I read somewhere else here?

The Sadoun value for declination is the declination for a sat to your south. If you use this value, you will be off by about a half degree on sats to your east or west. Since the resolution of these little dishes is more than 2 degrees, for many people this half degree isn't important. By using the slightly different declination angles, you use the declination for a sat to your east/west, and then use an altered motor angle to compensate for the error on the southerly sats.
HOWEVER, you really aren't capable of setting these angles to these precisions on most systems. However my thinking is that at least if you aim for the more correct values, then if you're off a bit you will be closer to a correct value. Actually, your declination angle will be set by peaking on a sat, not by setting an angle, however the way to "set" this is by using a value .6 degrees more for your latitude setting on the motor mount (or 0.6 degrees less for the elevation setting). Then, when you peak on your south sat, you will be setting the slightly different values.

Originally Posted by glen4cindy

One (I hope last) question. On the map that is used to determine true south, St. Louis (very near 62040) lies dead in the center of lines 0 and -1. So, is my true south 181?

Yes, actually 180.5 would be the compass heading. But you probably can't read a compass that accurately.

Originally Posted by glen4cindy

If this is all there is to the installation, it seems that it is actually easier to install a motorized dish as opposed to a stationary dish mainly because there is no LNBF skew to worry about. Is this correct? Will I find this installation fairly easy as I have quite a bit of experience installing and peaking DTV and DishNet dishes?

Thanks!

I wouldn't say that motorized is easier to install, but it's definately easier to go from one sat to another after you've installed it. There are basically 3 angles you have to get right, and if either of the three is off, then things won't work right. If you are careful it can be easy. However NOTHING is easier than doing a Dishnet/DTV dish. You can hand hold a dish and lock those sats.

[glen4cindy]

Originally Posted by pmb1010

you point the whole mess, while the motor is at zero to "true south" - your south compass heading, with adjustment for magnetic deviation. Yes for you it would be 191.

191 or 181? I was thinking that I should start at 180 and then add the value shown on the map, which is between the 0 and -1.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by glen4cindy

191 or 181? I was thinking that I should start at 180 and then add the value shown on the map, which is between the 0 and -1.

I think the 191 was a typo. Your mag dev is - 34 min, ie about 1/2 deg, so it's 180.6. So your 181 is fine.

[pmb1010]

yes it was typo.

[elgemcdlf]

Only addition I have is back to Bob's post. A channel that one considers worth watching really means nothing for adjustment. All you need is an active transponder on the sat you are aiming at. A perfect example is out on 79. While many do not speak Spanish the tp that holds KTEL (A Telemundo channel) will bury the needle when locked onto. So while you may not want to watch Telemundo it is a great tp for aligning when lining up on 79. Bout the same for all the sats. Some are empty but most have a church channel on them that is usually a wall to wall signal also. Although I have yet to get the famed GBN at anything more than a 85 on my receiver.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by elgemcdlf

Only addition I have is back to Bob's post. A channel that one considers worth watching really means nothing for adjustment. All you need is an active transponder on the sat you are aiming at. A perfect example is out on 79. While many do not speak Spanish the tp that holds KTEL (A Telemundo channel) will bury the needle when locked onto. So while you may not want to watch Telemundo it is a great tp for aligning when lining up on 79. Bout the same for all the sats. Some are empty but most have a church channel on them that is usually a wall to wall signal also. Although I have yet to get the famed GBN at anything more than a 85 on my receiver.

While a transponder that buries the needle may be good for "finding" a satellite, it may not be best for alignment. A perfect example is that religious channel on AMC6. That thing gives me maximum signal whether I'm on target or not. I usually try to find some slightly weaker channel to align with.

[rainman]

Originally Posted by wejones

While a transponder that buries the needle may be good for "finding" a satellite, it may not be best for alignment. A perfect example is that religious channel on AMC6. That thing gives me maximum signal whether I'm on target or not. I usually try to find some slightly weaker channel to align with.

I agree with you Bill use the strong transponder to find the sat then use a weaker one to fine tune it.

[elgemcdlf]

That is how I do it also but he has yet to locate anything usable. If I understood the post correctly.

[CROSSBOLT]

glen4cindy included "skew" in his questions and I cannot seem to find anyone addressing this. I may have missed it but I am curious, too. What is skew? Is it a factor with Dish or Direct? Is it a factor with FTA say with a Hughes sat receiver and LNB?

Karl

[rainman]

Originally Posted by CROSSBOLT

glen4cindy included "skew" in his questions and I cannot seem to find anyone addressing this. I may have missed it but I am curious, too. What is skew? Is it a factor with Dish or Direct? Is it a factor with FTA say with a Hughes sat receiver and LNB?

Karl

skew is adjusted to zero at true south on a motorize dish. when the dish moves it adjust the skew automatical with the angle of the dish. if it is a stationary system check www.sadoun.com
under technical support under stationary system installation for the sat you want to receive.