Please Help!!

[manaman]

Hello Everyone,

Im going to start installing a motorized dish for my father. I am not an expert on any of this stuff and this is my first time installing any kind of dish. Im trying to install a 36" (90cm) dish with a Digipower SG-2100 motor with a universal 0.4dB Single KU LNBF, using a Mercury II reciver. I am in need SERIOUS help on couple a things.

I live in Newburgh NY (12550), my Latitude is 41.5 N and Longitude is 74.6 W. My dish elevation angle should be 24 degres, My True South should be between 183 to 184 degres.

Can anyone please correct me if any of these calculations are wrong and also tell me if I am missing any other calculations and how to obtain them. Also if it's ok to round them up to the nearest whole number or not?

The other part of my issue is HOW and WHEN can I get my dish to pick up sinal from any Hispasat sattelite. DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE I CAN GET HISPASAT (30 W) ??

Lastly, I would like to know what kind of compass any one recommend to make this a simple as possible a regular one or a digital one.

Thanks for reading, any response is appreciated.

P.S I will start working on this project on Satuday. I will inform everyone on my progress during this time. Heads up for any issues I may have. I'll come to you guys for Help. Thanks once again

[wejones]

Originally Posted by manaman

I live in Newburgh NY (12550), my Latitude is 41.5 N and Longitude is 74.6 W. My dish elevation angle should be 24 degres, My True South should be between 183 to 184 degres.

I think your true south compass heading will be more like 193 to 194. This is just an approximation to get your mount lined up to the south initially. Your dish elevation is OK, again as a starting point. Set your motor scale to about 42 on the latitude scale or about 48 on the elevation scale.

Originally Posted by manaman

The other part of my issue is HOW and WHEN can I get my dish to pick up sinal from any Hispasat sattelite. DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE I CAN GET HISPASAT (30 W) ??

You should first find SBS6, ie your south satellite. This will allow you to get your elevations set right. Then you can look for sats to your east/west to fine tune the mount on the pole. Even though you are looking for a sat to your east, I'd really recommend looking west first, since there are more sats in that direction, but you might get lucky, so it can't hurt to try the 30 sat.

Originally Posted by manaman

Lastly, I would like to know what kind of compass any one recommend to make this a simple as possible a regular one or a digital one.

I have no knowledge of digital compasses. Regardless of type, you can't expect much accuracy out of a compass. The use of the compass is just to get you close. You fine tune the adjustment (mount on pole) when you tune in satellites to your east or west.

[bill190]

The thing to do is first find a satellite, any satellite. I can't do this without the use of a signal meter. Then adjust the positioner and dish so you get all the satellites in orbit as it moves back and forth.

So far as finding a specific satellite, I do this with the help of lyngsat.com. Picking a frequency to search which is active and has FTA channels on it. I can figure out the general direction the dish should be pointing with the use of a handheld GPS. I use a dish pointing calculator to tell me what heading that satellite should be at my location.

Then I set the GPS to real heading (not magnetic), then walk from the dish toward an object in my yard. Say a fence post. And maybe the dish pointing calculator said that satellite should be at heading 200 deg. When I walk toward the fence post, the GPS says heading 180. Then I go back to were the dish is and walk toward another object. Then the heading says 195. Then I try again until I walk away from the dish and get a heading of 200. If I need to, I place a rock there to mark the spot.

This is about where the dish should be pointing to get that satellite.

Then I print the frequencies from Lyngsat.com for that satellite, select the satellite, use one of those frequencies, and move the dish back and forth until the signal meter gets a reading. Then do a channel search of that satellite. If the channels which come up are listed for that satellite on Lyngsat.com, then I know I got that satellite.