I can't get any signal with my Fortec dish

UGLandrum · #1 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 12:17 AM

I recently bought and installed a FortecStar 31" dish w/ Uni LNB w/ Classic rec. I can't seem to find any signals, and I followed all instructions to the letter.
My signal meter found a satellite but, it did not read on my receiver. I've set up other dishes but never any HH motorized ones. I received the traditional "stationary" style dish mount and did not receive the one I thought was part of the package with a HH motor. The instructions said to adjust both angles on the dish and motor.

Here is my location, maybe some of you more experianced guys could calculate it for me. Lat 32.51774, Long -94.76228 I have the basic S-SF95L finder, any tips?
If I find one sat, will it blind search for the others? Also my finder will only work when I have it powered by batteries, my motor did not have any power when I hooked up the finder between the motor and receiver.
I read the manual on the receiver and configured the options as it said to accomidate the motor. Other than all of that, I have no clue and am dissapointed I cannot watch my new system. Please help me, I really don't want to call an installer, and most of them around here don't mess with FTA or simply don't have the equipment for it. (The ones that do charge too much!) Thanks Will

UGLandrum · #2 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 12:21 AM

I recently bought and installed a FortecStar 31" dish w/ Uni LNB w/ Classic rec. I can't seem to find any signals, and I followed all instructions to the letter.
My signal meter found a satellite but, it did not read on my receiver. I've set up other dishes but never any HH motorized ones. I received the traditional "stationary" style dish mount and did not receive the one I thought was part of the package with a HH motor. The instructions said to adjust both angles on the dish and motor.

Here is my location, maybe some of you more experianced guys could calculate it for me. Lat 32.51774, Long -94.76228 I have the basic S-SF95L finder, any tips?
If I find one sat, will it blind search for the others? Also my finder will only work when I have it powered by batteries, my motor did not have any power when I hooked up the finder between the motor and receiver. (my receiver was on) I read the manual on the receiver and configured the options as it said to accomidate the motor. Other than all of that, I have no clue and am dissapointed I cannot watch my new system. Please help me, I really don't want to call an installer, and most of them around here don't mess with FTA or simply don't have the equipment for it. (The ones that do charge too much!) Thanks Will

rainman · #3 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 07:46 AM

check out this page should help you get your angles set and get you started in the right direction.
How to install an HH-Mount Motor? Applies to DG240-SM3D22-STABHH100-HH120-Motech-SG2100

UGLandrum · #4 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 10:19 PM

I tried that site more than once for instructions, still can't get proper
service. I moved my dish to my porch on a pole, so much better that the rickety eve of my trailer. But the dish itself still wobels alittle, guess I'll have to deal with it. Used Echo 119 for a reference for aiming, I got up to
26% and sometimes locking, but I have no clue what else I can do. Finder is a peice. I locked 108% signal with my dish 500 within 5 minutes. (I didn't use a finder with that dish, just the tv and the wife)
I don't understand, other than its motorized and not stationary.
I wish there was some sort of sound indecator like d/n boxes. Oh and I phoned around my area for installers that serviced FTA, half of them never heard or it, the other half didn't and acted scared of them, I found one that did, but beat around the bush, and told me that an "technician" would call me, no call yet. Do these guys like to charge by the hour? and if so would they be crooked enough to charge an 2 hour minimum for less than one hour of service? Somebody HELP!

pictureon · #5 (**permalink**) 01-08-2008, 10:53 PM

This meter will not find you the signal. Best way to do it is to get your receiver out and watch the signal on a small tv.

elgemcdlf · #6 (**permalink**) 01-09-2008, 07:38 AM

Have you been to Sadoun's installation info page?

wejones · #7 (**permalink**) 01-09-2008, 08:26 AM

You haven't said what motor you have, what dish mount you have, what motor angle you used, what dish elevation angle you used, what sat's you've tried to find, and how you tried to find them, what settings you used in the receivers antenna setup section, etc. Unless you give details, people can only say to follow the instructions.

elgemcdlf · #8 (**permalink**) 01-09-2008, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UGLandrum

I tried that site more than once for instructions, still can't get proper
service. I moved my dish to my porch on a pole, so much better that the rickety eve of my trailer. But the dish itself still wobels alittle, guess I'll have to deal with it. Used Echo 119 for a reference for aiming, I got up to
26% and sometimes locking, but I have no clue what else I can do. Finder is a peice. I locked 108% signal with my dish 500 within 5 minutes. (I didn't use a finder with that dish, just the tv and the wife)
I don't understand, other than its motorized and not stationary.
I wish there was some sort of sound indecator like d/n boxes. Oh and I phoned around my area for installers that serviced FTA, half of them never heard or it, the other half didn't and acted scared of them, I found one that did, but beat around the bush, and told me that an "technician" would call me, no call yet. Do these guys like to charge by the hour? and if so would they be crooked enough to charge an 2 hour minimum for less than one hour of service? Somebody HELP!

Fail to see anything crooked in what you say. After all you are paying for their knowledge.

On another note BIll hit the nail on the head. Unless you provide us with some specific details about what you are doing along with what equipment you have we will be of little help. You will find most if not all installers afraid of a motorized little dish. Don't know why they just are. Setup is basic and straight forward. You must first have your dish and motor set to calculated settings. Most motors are marked with a latitude scale. This is to be set to your latitude. Depending on your dish / mount we have found there to be a 5 degree descepency in the Fortec mount BUT that depends on which mount you have and dish you have. Until you lock your true south sat there is nothing more you can do.

You mention locking 119 as reference. Reference to what? It is not even close to your true south sat which is what you should be looking for. You are also using a linear lnbf. 119 is a circular sat. So you are disappointed with a poor reading from a sat you do not have the correct equipment to lock onto?

Get a small tv and take the receiver and tv out to the dish. These signals are way to sensitive to play the hollar through the window game. You need to be able to watch exactly what is going on. You also need to be attempting to lock a live tp. So get your system lined up on south as best as you can then with USALS tell it to go to the sat at 95 degrees (Galaxy 3C). The motor should move slightly. You then want to try to lock onto 11780 with a SR of 20760. Until you find this sat and this tp you can not progress any further.

By the way if this is your first system expect a lengthy install process. I have seen people report it taking 2 weeks to get their system aligned.

UGLandrum · #9 (**permalink**) 01-09-2008, 05:56 PM

FortecStar 31", uni lnb, FS Classic NA (blind search), its the traditional "stationary" mount that is found on most dishes, it just has a elevation adjustment. the motor is a Digipower SG 2100 DiSEqC 1.2 H-H motor.
I calculated the setting and my motor elevation for my area is 32.5 .
and after that I just adjusted the elevation on the dish. I was useing 119 for reference to set the proper elevation, not knowing that it was circular.
I tried getting even a faint signal first, then making the dish move just a digree with the receiver, and when getting the highest signal then adjusting the elevation on the dish. then adjusting the TP frequency to aquire the highest signal. but I tried this all on 119, thanks for telling me that was not a FTA sat. I'll try to find G 3C and then go from there. oh and I finally found a installer that would some out, flat fee (nice) but they could not do it because the guy had no experiance in motorized systems.
But he was honest enough to not charge me for it.

He said he'd call a more experianced co-worker to come out and take a look.
Thanks guys- hope all that info helps yall help me.

UGLandrum · #10 (**permalink**) 01-09-2008, 07:22 PM

Or just G3C any way, and I have 4 cctv channels and can see a picture with sound, very exciting and happy I got the elevation right. Thanks for all yall's help! But now I need to know how to aquire another satellite. I will work on it now, but if anyone has any advice, please give.

Thanks all- Will

rainman · #11 (**permalink**) 01-10-2008, 07:15 AM

Just program the next sat in you receiver to usuals and if you are on the arc the dish should stop at that sat.

wejones · #12 (**permalink**) 01-10-2008, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UGLandrum

FortecStar 31", uni lnb, FS Classic NA (blind search), its the traditional "stationary" mount that is found on most dishes, it just has a elevation adjustment. the motor is a Digipower SG 2100 DiSEqC 1.2 H-H motor.
I calculated the setting and my motor elevation for my area is 32.5 .

First of all, your dish "elevation" setting should NOT be 32.5. You should be entering your latitude or "modified latitude" on the "LATITUDE" scale on this motor, NOT on the "ELEVATION" scale. Secondly it really shouldn't be your latitude that you use, but your latitude plus about 0.6 deg. So you should be using 33.1 degrees on the Latitude scale, which will equate to 56.9 degrees on the Elevation scale.
See BJDISCALC2
and
http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizeimgs/modpolanglesr.gif (not this site incorrectly refers to the latitude setting as elevation, but I think you can see what's going on from this chart).

Since in your next message, you say you found G3C, before moving to the next sat, I'd recommend making sure that you have the motor angle set right. If it's not, I'd set the motor to the proper angle, which will mean that you'll have to alter your dish elevation to find G3C again, but it should be easy now that you've found the signal. But starting out with the proper motor elevation will make the rest of the process MUCH easier.

UGLandrum · #13 (**permalink**) 01-10-2008, 04:11 PM

I tried your advice and I could not get any other sat's. I did use G3 C for my reference and was able to get it back each time. But once I was able to pick up I5 Ku again but was really crapy picture, then I checked G3 C's picture and was fine. Then all the other times and still I cannot find I5 Ku anymore. The links to these sites were great but I have no clue as to some of the values are in my area and have little knowledge of calculating them. I almost wish I had 15 stationary dishes on my roof rather than the one motorized "confusing" one. lol!

rainman · #14 (**permalink**) 01-10-2008, 07:05 PM

Ok start with your dish and motor set at zero now move the whole assembly to a azimuth setting on your compass of 175 degrees.then set your motor scale on the lat sid to 33.1 degrees.then set your dish elevation to 24.16 degrees on the dish scale. now set your receiver dish positioner to usals.using the receiver move to G3c then adjust the motor and dish as a assembly east and west to find the best signal. the adjust the dish elevation to find the best signal continue between the east and west and dish elevation to you receive the best signal possible once this is done set up another sat usin usals in your receiver then move to it if you got the best signal posilble on your true south sat you should be able to receive the rest of the arc.

UGLandrum · #15 (**permalink**) 01-21-2008, 02:35 AM

Thankyou for the info and sorry ive been out of the loop for about a week.
about 2 weeks ago I called the sat installers, they couldnt't get it working! lol Then later that night I just wouldn't give up! I got it working and aquired 6 satellites! Everything works as it should!

I even had heavy rain the other night, winds, thick cloud cover, lotsa rain, not one lost or crappy signal! (VERY MUCH TO MY SURPRISE!!!)
I got it thanks everyone- Discussion thread over!

Regards- Will

gadgetman200 · #16 (**permalink**) 01-25-2008, 08:31 PM

I am new to the site. Got a Fortec Mercury 2 with a 90P dish and a 280 motor. I will need help with installation . First I don't know where I go to start up a new post/thread. Can someone help me with that.Next, do I need to set anything in programing before I start the mechanical installtion?
Thank you..., Jeff