Set up of fortec satellite system - Page 2

pmb1010 · #31 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 09:42 AM

From here:
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Installati...Calculator.htm

Scroll down the page, look at the map. Find your location on the US map.
Then find the closest red (or blue) line.
Look at the bottom of the map, it says "Add to Calculated Azimuth" if you are on the East.

Reinhold · #32 (**permalink**) 11-08-2005, 11:53 AM

It seems my number is correct.I did not know how to read it till now,but somhow I got the number.
Thanks Reinhold

Reinhold · #33 (**permalink**) 11-19-2005, 04:00 PM

Hi,I'm back.
My new motor came in yesterday and I spent about 5 hrs today trying to get on the arc.
My pole is perfectly plum,set with a pole level,my south direction was good.
As soon as I engaged the motor I got good signal on AMC5,after minor tweeking.
I proceded to 123W for my western satellite.I got over 90% strength but never got good quality.After powerscanning I got 7 channels all oriental.
I then returned to AMC5 and it no longer came in because the settings where changed by trying to tweek 123W(dish up and down,moter east and west.From what I get on the forum thats all I can do.
Is there anything else to be done?
Help!!! Reinhold

alfi · #34 (**permalink**) 11-20-2005, 12:29 AM

Reinhold,

I was also playing with my dish today. I could not get Amazonas quality better than 15%. I changed the dish elevation by 2 degrees and I got about 80% quality. Then I went back to G10R at 123W and I lost the quality here. So I change the dish elevation back by one degree and I got better signal. Then going back and forth between Amazonas and G10rR and moving the whole motor/dish assembly east and west I was able to get good signal quality at both locations. But the movement must be in very small steps. You need to be very patient.

Alfi

Reinhold · #35 (**permalink**) 11-20-2005, 08:36 AM

Thanks Alfi.
I will try that tomorrow.
I also find that the mechanism for the dish elevation adjustment is very sloppy.I always have to raise it too high and then back down into my setting.That does not help matters.
Thanks again Reinhold.

alfi · #36 (**permalink**) 11-20-2005, 09:29 PM

Reinhold,

You are right about the dish elevation adjustment mechanizm. it is design badly.

Alfi

Reinhold · #37 (**permalink**) 11-21-2005, 08:16 AM

Hi Alfi.
I was going to work on my satellite system today but woke up to rain this morning.About the adjustment mechanism:I replaced the metric screws with 1/4" bolts yesterday.They seem to be a little tighter.I let you know how I make out with that.
Reinhold.

Reinhold · #38 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 04:03 PM

Today was a clear though coll day and I went back to adjusting my dish.
Replacing the metric carriage bolts with 1/4" nuts and bolts did the trick to tightening upbthe dishelevation adjustment.
I got on the belt and got quality on a bunch of satellites.I am not finished but it got cold out.
Contrary to everything I heard here I adjusted my motor elevation and dish elevation,thats how I got there.Just moving the motor back and forth and the dish up and down got me nowhere.
I had a perfect south position and a perfect quality on 79W.There was no improving on it.I can mov the motor up and down and the dish up and down with the dish in the 79W position and then rotate to other satellites.
Thats how I found quality on many satellites.
If someone wants to know how to get a perfect south lineup let me know and I will give you the way I did it .
Thats all for today,Reinhold.

rainman · #39 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 04:52 PM

glad to here you got it working. rainman =D>

alfi · #40 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reinhold

Today was a clear though coll day and I went back to adjusting my dish.
Replacing the metric carriage bolts with 1/4" nuts and bolts did the trick to tightening upbthe dishelevation adjustment.
I got on the belt and got quality on a bunch of satellites.I am not finished but it got cold out.
Contrary to everything I heard here I adjusted my motor elevation and dish elevation,thats how I got there.Just moving the motor back and forth and the dish up and down got me nowhere.
I had a perfect south position and a perfect quality on 79W.There was no improving on it.I can mov the motor up and down and the dish up and down with the dish in the 79W position and then rotate to other satellites.
Thats how I found quality on many satellites.
If someone wants to know how to get a perfect south lineup let me know and I will give you the way I did it .
Thats all for today,Reinhold.

Good job Reinhold. I think it would be a good thing if you could tell all of us how you got the perfect south lineup. I am sure that the new members straggling with setup would appreciate your instructions.
Alfi

pmb1010 · #41 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reinhold

Contrary to everything I heard here I adjusted my motor elevation and dish elevation,thats how I got there..

Well, it's glad to hear you got things working.
But, I have to say that there are specific things that are sort of consistent with setting up these things.
One is you must be alighned to the Clarke belt. It is accomplished by tried and true methods of configurations. One of them is the setting of the motor's bracket alighment to the latitude of where you are on this great earth... there's no mistake about that. The other is true south/magnetically corrected south setting.
After that, USALS and accurate coordiantes take care of the rest.

I honestly can't say how you got things worked out as you say you needed to adjust your motor bracket, but at the end of the day, good for you that you can finally watch some tv!

Reinhold · #42 (**permalink**) 11-24-2005, 08:43 AM

Hi guys.
Thanks for the good wishes.
I did not em ploy any magic.
In the motor installation instruction book it said to move the mast towards the east and west to see where the reception got better.Then it said to adjust the motor elevation accordingly.That is the method I employed.
As for the correct south:I used layout methods which I used as foreman in construction.I put a 1/4 sheet of plywood in front of my pole.I took a straightedge,alighned one edge with the center of the pole,placed my compass on top of the straightedge
and moved them till the straightedge was alighned with my corrected south.Then I made a line on the plywood.
I dropped a plumbob of the end of the LNB in the center and turned the motor until the plumbob was centerd on the line.Then after I engaged the motor I got quality on the south satellite right away.All I needed to do was some minor adjustment to peek the quality.You know the rest.
I downloaded seven satellites and gave up for the day.But as soon as I got on these satellites I had good quality.
Thanks again for all the help and good wishes and happy thanksgiving,
Reinhold

Reinhold · #43 (**permalink**) 11-24-2005, 06:33 PM

Hi guys.
The weather was nice,so I played around with my system a bit.
I don't seem to be able to get 123W no matter what I do.I think some far away trees are in the way.I get 121W,(82%) but all I get there is Dish Network.There is supposed to be a lot of other stuff on there but I don't get that.I guess just because it is on the satellite does not mean you can get it . I get almost all the satellites at good quality 70-80%,but not all the stations.Maybe some of them are not on all the time.
I have a question:what is the largest dish I can put on that SM3D12 motor and would I have to go thrue the same setup procedure or can I just slap on the dish.
Happy thanksgiving everybody.
Reinhold.

alfi · #44 (**permalink**) 11-24-2005, 07:58 PM

Per specs you can put on it up to 120cm dish.

Alfi

Reinhold · #45 (**permalink**) 11-25-2005, 08:25 AM

Hi Alfi.
Does a bigger dish mean better reception,that is the question.
It is cold out today,so I won't be working on my system today.I will work on it again monday.
Reinhold.

rainman · #46 (**permalink**) 11-25-2005, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reinhold

Hi Alfi.
Does a bigger dish mean better reception,that is the question.
It is cold out today,so I won't be working on my system today.I will work on it again monday.
Reinhold.

yes bigger means better reception also locates sat easier. rainman :mozilla_smile:

alfi · #47 (**permalink**) 11-25-2005, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reinhold

Hi Alfi.
Does a bigger dish mean better reception,that is the question.
It is cold out today,so I won't be working on my system today.I will work on it again monday.
Reinhold.

I am in northeast (New England) and for this region of US they recommend at least 90cm dish. Yes, bigger dish, better reception. My second dish will be 120cm. I am planning to get some sats in the 5 E - 30 W range.

Alfi

Reinhold · #48 (**permalink**) 11-25-2005, 01:25 PM

Rainman and Alfi,thanks to both of you for your reply.
I think I am going to go with the 120cm dish also.
Reinhold

alfi · #49 (**permalink**) 11-25-2005, 10:08 PM

It wont be easy to mount this dish but we like the challenge, don't we?

Alfi

bobkat · #50 (**permalink**) 11-25-2005, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alfi

It wont be easy to mount this dish but we like the challenge, don't we?

Alfi

Once I mounted a 120 cm dish on the side wall of a house; took two guys to walk that sucker up the ladder... :mozilla_surprised: Not an EZ task, let me tell you...

And that was without a motor; if the customer had wanted a motor I would have committed suicide right on the spot... :mozilla_yell:

kat