Help with motorized dish

[Pviscomi]

Hello everyone.
First let me tell you that I am new to this whole FTA thing, and I am liking it a lot, along with the community around it...

My equipment:FORTEC 90Cm dish
MOTECK SG2100 Motor
INVACOM QPH-031
DISEQC 4x1 (attached to the motor's LNB connection)
VIEWSAT 2000 Platinum receiver
FORTEC Classic (Available - not connected)
Coordinates: 40.6N - 75.1W
Declination : 30-6.2 = 23.8

a Note: Prior to my purchase the Sadoun people did inform me that they do not deal in Viewsat, and suggested the Fortec receiver.

Now to the issue(s)...
After following the installation a re-checking and testing I was able to execute the "find a satellite and manually move the motor, then tight everything down". I was able to lock on to NIMIQ 91W with a real strong signal. Now I thought that after I did that I should have been able to move up and down the receiver's satellite views, and using USALS lock and scan those satellite (viewable) ... Instead I have two things happening :
1. When I select a satellite and USALS to move the dish, I am a few clicks(W) away from the strongest signal...
2. When I get there, the signal bars turn green with a strong signal, and what I get is usually a "not locked" condition or lock down to a different satellite ...Like trying to lock down to sat-1 and instead locking to sat-2 with sat-1's definitions (i hope I explained that right) ... then trying to lock to sat-2 only to have it lock on to something else...

I am ready to tackle this thing again , Pleeeeease any suggestions or help on what you think is happening is more than appreciated ....

One question, due to my green-status on the subject ... how can the receiver-dish-lnb distinguish from two satellites that share the same location .... Frequencies? Thanks

PV

[elgemcdlf]

Ok you are not lined up on your true south location correctly. Set the motor to 0. Then with USALS tell the motor to drive to 74 which I believe is SBS6. Now you want to set tp info to 11741V6616.

Slowly rotate your whole assembly east and west very slowly watching the receiver for signal lock. Once you have the highest reading possible then raise and lower the dish elevation for peak signal. Snug everything down. Now try hitting other sats.

I am assuming your mast is perfectly plumb. If not fix that first. Map your arc travel on a piece of paper and try to determine the shape of the arc you have created. Lower dish elevation spreads the arc out and higher narrows it up. Whenever you make a change in declination (dish elevation) make the opposite adjustment in motor elevation. This will maintain yoru peaked south setting while reshaping your arc.

The dish / lnb do not distinguish between sats at the same location. The receiver could care less what sat it is on. It just receives in what is there when the dish is pointed at whatever it is pointed at.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by Pviscomi

. how can the receiver-dish-lnb distinguish from two satellites that share the same location .... Frequencies? ..

Yes, frequencies. If there are two sats at the same location, they either won't have transponders on the same freqs, or they won't both be viewable from the same locations. Like Nimiq1 and G11, Nimiq1 downlinks in the 12200-12700 range, and G11 in the 11700-12200 range. I don't see any examples of the other case, but sometimes 1 sat will aim at South America and another at North America.

[elgemcdlf]

Originally Posted by wejones

Yes, frequencies. If there are two sats at the same location, they either won't have transponders on the same freqs, or they won't both be viewable from the same locations. Like Nimiq1 and G11, Nimiq1 downlinks in the 12200-12700 range, and G11 in the 11700-12200 range. I don't see any examples of the other case, but sometimes 1 sat will aim at South America and another at North America.

True but with most DVB FTA receivers (at least the under $200.00 ones) do not "know" what they are looking at. That info could be programmed into a receiver so as it would output what sat you are actually receiving from but at present you can name a sat "frog" and as long as it sees freqs it is aligned on "frog"

[Pviscomi]

Thank you both for the replies. I will do as described. However the 11741 is the frequency, what is V and 6616? Please ... thanks.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by Pviscomi

Thank you both for the replies. I will do as described. However the 11741 is the frequency, what is V and 6616? Please ... thanks.

Polarity (vertical or horizontal) and symbol rate.

[Pviscomi]

After a couple of weeks off... I took your advice(s) and here are the results plus a couple of questions more:

1. After taking elgemcdlf's advice I was able to get a real strong signal on
SBS 6. 86%. I scanned it and got couple of SATOPS and service
feeds. Is that ok?

2. Elgemcfld also said to map my arc. I want to, but I am afraid I am
going to need more info or at least point me in the right direction. I
am very interested in this.

3. I was able to go up and down the satellite list with some "decent" rate
of success. I don't have a measuring stick, so I don't know what is
or bad.. Any Ideas?

One more question before I go, and as usual Thank you very much for all your help, which without, this would have been a lot harder.

Why do I see the motor mounted upside down is some of the pictures on this web site. Is there an upside down or it doesn't matter?

Again. Thank you.

[brentb636]

Some motors stick up in the air, some point down, simple but strange looking if you're not used to it.

[elgemcdlf]

Originally Posted by Pviscomi

After a couple of weeks off... I took your advice(s) and here are the results plus a couple of questions more:

1. After taking elgemcdlf's advice I was able to get a real strong signal on
SBS 6. 86%. I scanned it and got couple of SATOPS and service
feeds. Is that ok?

2. Elgemcfld also said to map my arc. I want to, but I am afraid I am
going to need more info or at least point me in the right direction. I
am very interested in this.

3. I was able to go up and down the satellite list with some "decent" rate
of success. I don't have a measuring stick, so I don't know what is
or bad.. Any Ideas?

One more question before I go, and as usual Thank you very much for all your help, which without, this would have been a lot harder.

Why do I see the motor mounted upside down is some of the pictures on this web site. Is there an upside down or it doesn't matter?

Again. Thank you.

Ok mapping the arc is nothing more than working your way around your arc and noting signal strengths. You should be able to move roughly 55 to 60 degrees from your center point. So if 74 is your center you should be able to get down to roughly 20 degrees east and up to 130 on the west. If your adjustment is off your will start to lose sats as you move farther out from center. You also when you reach your farthest east sat try pushing up and pulling down on the dish. Does signal increase or decrease? You are hoping for decrease in both directions. If it gets stronger you are not perfectly on center. Move the entire assembly towards the side which registered a higher reading. Keep at this until the signal drops in both directions (up and down).

You are now perfectly centered. At this point once again map your arc. If it is falling short on the ends dish elevation is high & motor elevation low. If you are running past the sat your dish elevation is low and your motor elevation is high. Adjust evenly. One degree up on motor then move 1 degree down on the dish. Work like this until you have the entire arc for your location.