Aiming my 33" dish, help please...?

[markis13446]

Aiming my 33" dish, help please...?
I have a Digiwave 33" dish and I can't seem to calculate the correct angles to aim my dish.

I have a Digipower SG-2100 and based on my latitude my declination angle is 7.55

I can't seem to locate any satellites.

My info:

EDMONTON, AB T5A 0A1
Canada

Latitude: 53.597 N
Longitude: 113.416 W

Based on the info I have, I should be setting my dish elevation at 22.45 (30-7.55). I can't seem to find anything. What I would like to verify is should I be taking 7.55 from the dish I am aiming at (24.5 deg elevation) or 30???

Also, the 33" Digiwave dish bracket I have has a lip on top that when mounted from the top of the mast sit flush against it. But when mounted from the bottom because of my motor, the lip pushes the bracket out about 1/4 of an inch. Does anyone with this dish know how much to compensate?

Thanks in advance.

[elgemcdlf]

Are you saying you installed the dish mounting bracket upside down instead of simply bending the tab out of the way? If so this will be the start of your problems. The process is quite simple BUT requires a great deal of patience. You must move very slow when hunting for signal. If you think you are going slow enough you probably need to go at least half as fast.

You should be hunting for a sat closest to yoru longitude that is viewable from your location. I do not know if you can see SatMex6 from your location but if so it would be the one to zero in on. With the motor at zero tell the receiver to go to SatMex 6 then slowly rotate east to west hunting for the best signal. If nothing raise the dish a degree and try again. Keep at this until you find signal. If nothing after 7 degrees then work your way down. You must be set to an active transponder for the sat you are trying to find. This info can be found at LyngSat - Lyngemark Satellite

[wejones]

Originally Posted by markis13446

Aiming my 33" dish, help please...?
I have a Digiwave 33" dish and I can't seem to calculate the correct angles to aim my dish.

I have a Digipower SG-2100 and based on my latitude my declination angle is 7.55

I can't seem to locate any satellites.

My info:

EDMONTON, AB T5A 0A1
Canada

Latitude: 53.597 N
Longitude: 113.416 W

Based on the info I have, I should be setting my dish elevation at 22.45 (30-7.55). I can't seem to find anything. What I would like to verify is should I be taking 7.55 from the dish I am aiming at (24.5 deg elevation) or 30???

Also, the 33" Digiwave dish bracket I have has a lip on top that when mounted from the top of the mast sit flush against it. But when mounted from the bottom because of my motor, the lip pushes the bracket out about 1/4 of an inch. Does anyone with this dish know how much to compensate?

Thanks in advance.

I would recommend using a declination of 7.0 degrees, not 7.55. Not a big difference, but it should get you started closer to the correct value. You were calculating correctly, ie subtract this declination from 30, to get 23, and that should be your dish elevation setting. (I'm not sure where the 24.5 came from???)
Re the lip on the dish bracket, you may have to do some surgery or alteration on it, because you want it to sit flat. I wouldn't try compensating. Some times you can reverse the mount without affecting the scale readings.
You also need to insure that it is lined up aiming directly away from the motor. Many dish mounts have bolts that can go through the holes in the motor shaft to keep it lined up properly. Some don't.

[markis13446]

Thanks for the replies. I don't think bending the lip is possible - looks too thick to me. I'll try grinding it away tonight.


Based on Satellite Finder - © Satellite AV for Edmonton Alberta, SatMex 6 looks like my best choice.

I should have my cable plugged into the LNB at "C"
LNB type Standard, at 11250

SatMex 6 shows elevation of 28.8, so I wouldn't be taking the 7.55 (or 7) off of that, stick with 22.45 to 23 (30-7.55 or 7)?

Thanks.

[elgemcdlf]

SatMex 6 is a linear sat so you need connected to a L port and receiver set to 10750 or Standard

[markis13446]

Thanks - will do.

I assume grinding that lip off won't affect the structure?

I will test this Thursday and post results.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by markis13446

Thanks - will do.

I assume grinding that lip off won't affect the structure?

I will test this Thursday and post results.

I don't know, I'm not familiar with that dish. I googled, and the only picture I could find didn't show any lip. The kind of "lip" I'm assuming it is, is something that assumes you're mounting on top of a pole, and the lip keeps the dish from sliding down the pole, however since the SG2100 shaft aims down, this is upside down. The picture I found did make it look like turning it upside down wouldn't be an option. So, I guess you'll have to decide whether grinding will hurt the structure, so whether it is better to grind or compensate. If you have to compensate, you can probably use a square to see how much angle is added or subtracted because of the lip. I was also assuming that the lip was in addition to a surface parallel to the bottom of that piece. Ie that if you grind off the lip, the surface that had the lip would look like the opposite surface.
Maybe you could post a picture?

EDIT: I thought of another possibility. I wonder if you could find a short piece of the next bigger size of pipe, so that the motor shaft will fit inside. Clamp this short section into the dish mount, then slide the motor shaft into it, and drill a hole through the short pipe section so that it lines up with the hole on the motor shaft? My thinking being that the thickness of the short pipe section might allow the motor shaft to miss the lip?? Is that possible?

[markis13446]

You're correct, the lip prevents the bracket from sliding down from the top.

I plan on grinding down the lip, then drilling a hole on the brack and motor mast aligning them. This will prevent structure issues and remove one variable when aiming the dish.

Your thoughts?

[markis13446]

Hi guys,

Dish was off by close to 12 degrees based on markings. Signal is good now.

[elgemcdlf]

Good to hear you have it running.

[markis13446]

Thanks elgemcdlf - could have sworn it was my LNB

[elgemcdlf]

It was.