102g qph031 dish setup help

[NiteOwl]

I finally have a weekend with clear weather. I setup my dish as follows:
Location: Enola, PA 17025

1m Winegard dish angle 23+
gs120 motor angle 40+
QPH-031 lnbf skew 0
DiSEqC 1.2 4-port switch
port 1 capped
port 2 on Circular
port 3 on Linear
port 4 on second dish
Twinhan software
LNB Setup 1 (Linear)
LNB Power: On
LNB Type: Custom
LNB Freq 1: 10750
LNB Freq 2: 0
22 KHz Tone: Disable
Tone Burst: Disable
Data Burst: Disable
DiSEqC: LNB C
LNB Setup 2 (Circular)
LNB Power: On
LNB Type: Custom
LNB Freq 1: 11250
LNB Freq 2: 0
22 KHz Tone: Disable
Tone Burst: Disable
Data Burst: Disable
DiSEqC: LNB B

I've been trying to find any satellite and have searched for SBS6, AMC5, and Echo 3. After giving up on Linear for now I was briefly able to find a satellite (Echo 3 I think) by switching to USALS in the Twinhan software and telling it to Goto Echo 3. Using my Satfinder meter I adjusted the dish to maximize the signal. I had to set the dish as follows:
1m Winegard dish angle 32+
gs120 motor angle 44+

Satfinder meter pegged with adjustment at 0. Signal strength reported by software 71% Signal Quality 58%. Scanned satellite and got a list of 28 channels! Signal too weak to receive anything. Goto Echo 5, adjusted dish, not much signal, scanned satellite, nothing. Went back to Echo 3, not much signal, adjusted dish back to where it was, no change. Adjusted dish to maximize signal:
1m Winegard dish angle 5+
gs120 motor angle 40+

Not much signal, no signal quality, no channels. What the heck? There is one issue with the motor tube, the 55 mm optional tube I have on there has a significant amount of play. The tube will rotate on the bolt 5+ degrees. This makes fine tuning the dish a pain. There is also some play in the motor. All of the hardware seems to work, but I'm not having much luck with it so far.

What should my dish angle and motor angle be and what is wrong with my Linear setup. What Linear satellite should I try for?

Thanks.

 

[voomvoom]

While on Echo 3 (61.5w), try for Amazonas (61.0w). It is linear and you should be able to get a picture.

Al

 

[NiteOwl]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. I don't seem to have Amazonas in the list of satellites in the Twinhan software or ProgDVB. I'm new to this, so I don't know how to add it.

Gary

 

[PSB]

I would remove the motor/switches for now and find / store a few satellites, mainly your true south satellite ( SBS6 is close)

Here are the angles for the SG2100 motor when you get round to using it.

Motor Elev. = 50º

Dish (on motor) Elev. = 24º




All angles from your location (Elevations without motor)

                        Enola, PA 17025
         Latitude 40° 17.532'N Longitude 76° 56.592'W

                       Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
--------------------------------------------------------------
           Thor 2/3 Intelsat 10    1.0W  99.2 111.2  2.0 -48.8
                               
                       Amos 1/2    4.0W 101.2 113.2  4.3 -48.4
                               
                Atlantic Bird 3    5.0W 101.9 113.9  5.0 -48.3
                               
                Nilesat 101/102    7.0W 103.3 115.2  6.5 -47.9
                               
     Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2    8.0W 104.0 115.9  7.3 -47.7
                               
                     Express A3   11.0W 106.1 118.1  9.5 -47.1
                               
                     Telstar 12   15.0W 109.0 121.0 12.5 -46.1
                               
                   Intelsat 901   18.0W 111.3 123.2 14.8 -45.3
                               
                          NSS 7   22.0W 114.4 126.4 17.7 -44.0
                               
                   Intelsat 905   24.5W 116.4 128.4 19.5 -43.1
                               
                   Intelsat 907   27.5W 119.0 130.9 21.6 -41.9
                               
                  Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 121.1 133.1 23.4 -40.8
                               
                   Intelsat 801   31.5W 122.5 134.4 24.4 -40.0
                               
                   Intelsat 903   34.5W 125.3 137.2 26.5 -38.5
                               
                    AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 128.2 140.1 28.4 -36.8
                               
                        NSS 806   40.5W 131.2 143.2 30.3 -35.0
                               
                      Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 133.9 145.8 31.9 -33.4
                               
                         Pas 1R   45.0W 136.0 148.0 33.1 -32.0
                               
                   Intelsat 705   50.0W 141.8 153.8 35.8 -28.1
                               
                   Intelsat 707   53.0W 145.5 157.5 37.3 -25.6
                               
                   Intelsat 805   55.5W 148.7 160.7 38.4 -23.3
                               
                          Pas 9   58.0W 152.0 164.0 39.5 -21.0
                               
                       Amazonas   61.0W 156.2 168.1 40.6 -18.0
                               
                     EchoStar 3   61.5W 156.9 168.8 40.7 -17.4
                               
                      Rainbow 1   61.5W 156.9 168.8 40.7 -17.4
                               
               Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 159.0 171.0 41.2 -15.9
                               
                   Brasilsat B2   65.0W 161.9 173.8 41.8 -13.7
                               
                   Brasilsat B1   70.0W 169.3 181.3 42.8  -8.1
                               
                       Nahuel 1   71.8W 172.1 184.0 43.1  -6.0
                               
                      DirecTV 1   72.5W 173.1 185.1 43.2  -5.2
                               
                          AMC 6   72.0W 172.4 184.3 43.1  -5.8
                               
                          SBS 6   74.0W 175.5 187.4 43.3  -3.5
                               
                     Echostar 4   77.0W 180.1 192.0 43.4   0.1
                               
                          AMC 5   79.0W 183.2 195.1 43.3   2.4
                               
                        Nimiq 2   82.0W 187.8 199.8 43.1   5.9
                               
                          AMC-9   83.0W 189.3 201.3 43.0   7.1
                               
                   Brasilsat B3   84.0W 190.8 202.8 42.8   8.2
                               
                          AMC 2   85.0W 192.3 204.3 42.7   9.4
                               
                          AMC 3   87.0W 195.3 207.3 42.3  11.6
                               
                           IA-8   89.0W 198.3 210.2 41.8  13.8
                               
                      Galaxy 11   91.0W 201.2 213.1 41.2  16.0
                               
                      Nimiq 1/3   91.0W 201.2 213.1 41.2  16.0
                               
                   Brasilsat B4   92.0W 202.6 214.5 40.9  17.0
                               
                      Telstar 6   93.0W 204.0 216.0 40.5  18.1
                               
                      Galaxy 3C   95.0W 206.8 218.7 39.8  20.1
                               
                      Telstar 5   97.0W 209.4 221.4 39.0  22.0
                               
                      Galaxy 4R   99.0W 212.1 224.0 38.2  23.9
                               
                     Spaceway 2   99.2W 212.3 224.3 38.1  24.1
                               
                DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 214.6 226.6 37.2  25.7
                               
                          AMC 4  101.0W 214.6 226.6 37.2  25.7
                               
                     Spaceway 1  102.0W 215.9 227.8 36.7  26.5
                               
                          AMC 1  103.0W 217.1 229.1 36.2  27.4
                               
                         AMC 15  105.0W 219.5 231.5 35.2  29.0
                               
                      Anik F1/R  107.3W 222.2 234.1 34.0  30.8
                               
                      DirecTV 5  109.5W 224.6 236.6 32.7  32.4
                               
                     EchoStar 6  110.0W 225.2 237.1 32.4  32.8
                               
                     EchoStar 8  110.0W 225.2 237.1 32.4  32.8
                               
                        Anik F2  111.1W 226.4 238.3 31.7  33.5
                               
                  Solidaridad 2  113.0W 228.4 240.3 30.6  34.8
                               
                       SatMex 5  116.8W 232.2 244.2 28.2  37.1
                               
                     DirecTV 7s  119.0W 234.4 246.3 26.7  38.3
                               
                     EchoStar 7  119.0W 234.4 246.3 26.7  38.3
                               
          EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 236.2 248.2 25.4  39.4
                               
                     Galaxy 10R  123.0W 238.1 250.0 24.0  40.3
                               
                      Galaxy 14  125.0W 239.8 251.8 22.6  41.3
                               
                  Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 241.6 253.5 21.2  42.1
                               
 Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 243.2 255.2 19.8  42.9
                               
                         AMC 11  131.0W 244.9 256.8 18.3  43.7
                               
                   Galaxy 1R/15  133.0W 246.5 258.4 16.9  44.4
                               
                         AMC 10  135.0W 248.0 260.0 15.4  45.0
                               
                          AMC 7  137.0W 249.6 261.5 13.9  45.6
                               
                          AMC 8  139.0W 251.1 263.0 12.4  46.2
                               
                     EchoStar 1  148.0W 257.5 269.4  5.7  48.1
                               
                     EchoStar 2  148.0W 257.5 269.4  5.7  48.1

       Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. Lutus

Amazonas is a new satellite so it may not be on your list of satellites...

 

[NiteOwl]

Pete,

Thanks for the reply. I will try the settings you provided and if that doesn't work, I will remove the motor and switch. The installation instructions for my GS120 motor say to set the motor angle to the Latitude for my location, which would be 40 and the dish angle to 23.74 from their chart. I guess the instructions are a little off?

Thanks.

 

[PSB]

If you can set the elevation to 23.74 great I just round it off to the nearest deg.

The dish elevation will need moved to catch the maximum signal quality anyway, but the motor elevation should never be adjusted.

One side of the motor is marked LAT. and the other side ELEV.

 

[NiteOwl]

OK, mine says Latitude on both sides. Now what?

I set the motor angle to 50, Goto SBS6 (USALS), LNB Setup 1 (Linear). Maximized signal strength using Satfinder and adjusting dish angle. New dish angle is about 12. Signal strength 65% signal quality 0 %. Scanned SBS6, no channels.

 

[PSB]

Forget the satfinder, it may be pulling you to a stronger satellite close by, you NEED to use a LIVE TP./Channel to point the dish. Watch for signal quality only. I still suggest removing the motor and finding the satellite first.

 

[jerryt]

You need to identify which satellites you are on and get your dish set up first.

Remove any switches.

Set up the dish on the Circular satellites, there is usually at least one FTA channel on each. This is the coarse adjustment. make sure you can get most center, and most West and East Circular satellites.

Checking your Arc. Perform the following; tune to most south satellite (Center) and note signal strength, while someone watches the signal apply hand press to the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the dish. Note the change in signal strengh for each side of the dish. Now do this same check on your most East and most West satellites. This data will tell you if the dish is on the satellite arc correctly.

Linear satellites, this is the fine adjustment of the dish. You should only be making very small elevation and MAYBE a azimuth adjustment to get all your linear satellites to line up.

Try installing switches.

 

[WyrTwister]

OK, mine says Latitude on both sides. Now what?

I set the motor angle to 50, Goto SBS6 (USALS), LNB Setup 1 (Linear). Maximized signal strength using Satfinder and adjusting dish angle. New dish angle is about 12. Signal strength 65% signal quality 0 %. Scanned SBS6, no channels.

Set the motor to the latatude of your location and DO NOT MESS WITH IT ! Adjust the angle of the dish .

Wyr