I just can't get the WHOLE darn arc!

DruzeTito · #1 (**permalink**) 03-29-2005, 06:02 PM

Lately I've been trying to perfect the tracking of my SG2100 but I just can't do it. What i have been able to do though, is track my WESTERN satellites perfectly. I get about 82 percent quality on IA-5 , TP 11991, all the way to a TP on echostar 9 where most of them are 98 percent. BUT, when i start moving to the east, like PAS 9, it is completely gone..

What i have been successfull is to track from PAS9 all the way to echostar 9 but at the sacrifice of quality. when a TP on pas 9 is 75 percent, tp 11991 on IA5 is 60 percent, and echo 9 is the same. These levels are not acceptable for me.. considering it can do better. Even though this is on the right track, i do believe its OFF.. Does anyone have a suggestion on how on can perfect this darn thing and what might be causing the discrepancies? [/i]

vj9999 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-30-2005, 12:01 AM

I know you have sg2100, but check out page 18 of http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/S...OUN-SM3D12.pdf manual. It gives some general ideas what to do if you are not tracking your arc.

I also have sg2100 and I can track from 30W to 129W with pretty good signal on both ends of the arc. I think my pole is not perfectly plumb, but it is good enough to cover the whole arc so I don't want to mess with it.

DruzeTito · #3 (**permalink**) 04-11-2005, 11:18 PM

When will i know when I got the dish RIGHT on the arc? Will I know this if I have the HIGHEST POSSIBLY quality on each and every satellite?

I ask because I am getting frustrated. I've tried to level my setup I million times. I have my dish/motor on a tripod. Should I try to measure the POLE if its level or the MOTOR itself if it's level? It's hard to explain this, I know that you might be thinking the obvious answer is "you should measure the pole," but sometimes that's not precise enough because the pole is long.. and therefore I try to measure the motor's levelness itself. I don't know if it's right.

Its odd, I have never been able to exactly track the arc even descently, and almost not a single satellite to the east of PAS 9 @ 58w. How many of you get Intelsat 903 @ 34.5w, tp 11547 V 3255?

I'm beginning to think that something else is wrong, like USALS or the SG2100 not doing it's job right, or my LNB arm is bent, or some bizzare thing like that.

My westernmost satellites act the strangest. In order to get a descent signal on G10R, about 50% quality on The Tube, I have to deviate from my calculated declination 25.3, all the way to 29, and then move the assembly slowly left or right to lock on to the signal. But this, in turn, screws up the satellites of my true south and further east.

What I am most frustrated is if i get one thing, then the other will mess up. You know what I mean?

vj9999 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-12-2005, 12:17 AM

I am in illinois, at 88.1W and I get that transponder on I903 with a very good quality (80%+). I get Hispasat with at least 75% quality on most transponders.

I am using SG2100 and Fortec Lifetime Ultra. I can track from 30W to 129W pretty good and I am pretty sure that my pole is between .5-1 degree off from being plumb.

I can post some pictures later in the week of my dish at various positions on the arc.

DruzeTito · #5 (**permalink**) 04-12-2005, 12:37 AM

you see? I have never been able to get a trace of Hispasat and ONCE iv'e had intel 903 but i havent never since been able to find it. I have considered trees, but im telling you they are very tall, but they are far away! Its kind of hard to know if they are the problem or not.

Im telling you somethings wrong. Maybe I should post pics of my setup and see if you or someone else can find anything akward.

DruzeTito · #6 (**permalink**) 04-12-2005, 12:45 AM

Take a look and see if trees could possibly be in the way.

BYX · #7 (**permalink**) 05-10-2005, 07:35 PM

Let me give you a little bit of an advise.
I see you have two LNBs on your antenna. Sometimes when you work with a DiseqC in line makes the receiver react funny.
To setup everything, if you don't have a satfinder, using the receiver is OK but make sure is set with one LNB first.
1. Identify your true south.
2. Tweak your antenna Azimuth, Elevation and Declination for maximum signal on the true south.
3. With the meter in line swing the antenna east to west and as you pass by every satellite you will see the needle go up accordingly.
4. At the east and west limits you should have signal, if not adjust at the true south a little of your inclination and declination again and swing the antenna to see results.
5. Calculations are only relative values used as a start point.
6. Your final adjustments, if well done may be different from calculations.
7. Trees may be on your way. :mozilla_cool:

DruzeTito · #8 (**permalink**) 05-10-2005, 10:00 PM

Hey whered you see that I have two lnbs btw?

Anyway, thanks for the tips. I am actually installing a motor for a friend very soon and I'll see if I can track the arc better.

I probably have concluded that where my dish is located there is trees in the way for satelltes east of maybe 35-45W. Although the weirdest problem is that i used to have The Tube on galaxy 10R at 50-60 quality but now I have nothing.. and the strongest TP on G10R only gives me 40-50 quality. Its interesting somehow all of a sudden G10R got weak.