148W - Success at last!

[digiblur]

Even though there isn't a whole lot of stuff out there on 148W for us FTA'ers I just couldn't let it get me down. I had to get that signal! It goes back to a comment I recently read in this forum where us FTA'ers will spend hours trying to get that one signal but then never watch it.

First of all I have lots and lots of trees in my neighborhood. I'm lucky to have my 90cm where I have it. I'm shooting from under a tree over another tree and I'm able to get from about 53 degrees to 135 or so. 148W was just a no go for my yard. 20 degree look angle is just a killer here unless I put the dish out in the road or something.

I was out in the yard doing yard work enjoying the nice weather and started looking around in the sky. I was looking at my other dishes to get my bearings on where 148W is. I couldn't find anything except for trees at 20 degrees until I noticed this small hole. I can do it! I grabbed an old pallet I had from doing some tile work. Grabbed a spare dish and pole from the attic. Borrowed the LNB from 61.5. Grabbed the compass and the 7/16 wrench and went to work. I started eyeballing everything and couldn't find it with the little analog satellite meter. I stepped back and eyeballed it again and moved the pallet. Swung the dish over a bit and beeeeeeeeeeeeeeepp. Went inside and there she was, 80% quality!. I couldn't believe it! Only took about 5 minutes to point it through the trees. Locked it down and hooked it up to the diseqc switch so I can dig around with TSReader.

I've attached a few pics of the hole I'm shooting through. I tried to show the angle of the dish and where I'm shooting through.

 

[RandallA]

Congrats! It looks like those trees might need some trimming though. Are the trees in your yard?

 

[digiblur]

Congrats! It looks like those trees might need some trimming though. Are the trees in your yard?

Nope... see the fence

I can bet I could get some more quality out of it but with 80% I'm happy.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Wow I wish I could hit it here on Connecticut.

I know someone in Washington DC who can hit it.

 

[digiblur]

Wow I wish I could hit it here on Connecticut.

I know someone in Washington DC who can hit it.

Who? Clinton?

 

[glen4cindy]

Even though there isn't a whole lot of stuff out there on 148W for us FTA'ers I just couldn't let it get me down. I had to get that signal! It goes back to a comment I recently read in this forum where us FTA'ers will spend hours trying to get that one signal but then never watch it.

Just what is there on 148 that is FTA?

 

[digiblur]

Just what is there on 148 that is FTA?

The congratulations 148W slate.

 

[Mr Tony]

and about 10 channels that are like Dish 101 (Channel 101 on 119)

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=308435&postcount=1

 

[turbosat]

What a fortuitous hole lol. Do the people in the house your aiming at think you're listening in? HAHA

 

[1inabillion]

Thanks for the pics good job.

 

[digiblur]

What a fortuitous hole lol. Do the people in the house your aiming at think you're listening in? HAHA

I'm waiting for that one. "Hey...why is that little dish pointed at my house? My DirecTV dish doesn't point like that. Isn't it supposed to point in the sky? Are you picking up my internet from my house?"

I'm still shocked that this thing works through this little hole in the trees.

 

[Anole]

good work

Wonderful story.
Beautiful pictures.
And a great example of what you can do with a $10 satellite meter.

I'm west coast, so 148ºw is just one of the stock dishes on my roof.
Actually, with LA locals now off 148, it's getting me only the Pentagon channel.
(part of my Dish subscription)

But as you say, getting the bird is often more interesting than watching it.
I'd happily swap my solid 148 signal for some of the east coast FTA birds that are 20º above -my- horizon!

______________________
Invacom SNH-031, Fortec 36", Satpros DSR500s, Twinhan 102g & USB StarBox I.
Thanks to Sadoun & SatelliteAV for good deals, and SatelliteGuys for good reviews.

 

[vfrjim]

I can hit it in RI, but as the branches move, so does the signal. If I had a 100' tower, I could definitely hit it.(not happening)

 

[jself1982]

You think I could get it in upstate SC?

 

[Anole]

Not knowing your city, I picked Spartanburg, SC
guess it all depends on how clear a line of sight you have at 10º elevation

                      Spartanburg, SC 29302
          Latitude 34° 57.378'N Longitude 81° 52.416'W

                         Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
----------------------------------------------------------------
                     EchoStar 1/2  148.0W 255.8 262.6 10.8  52.6

 

[Tron]

I was never able to pick up 148w until after Katrina flattened every Pecan tree across the street from the front of my house. Now I can get it... motorized rig looks like its aimed down at my roof I'd rather have kept the trees, they gave shade in the late afternoon in my front yard

 

[raoul5788]

Wow I wish I could hit it here on Connecticut.

I know someone in Washington DC who can hit it.

I think it's pretty close to below the horizon here Scott.

 

[Mr Tony]

I plugged in Hartford as the city and 148 is at a 2.2 elevation

 

[glen4cindy]

I tried to hit 148 but my house is in the way.

And, I am not willing to put a dish in my front yard which is about the only way I could hit it.

 

[RVD420]

I plugged in Hartford as the city and 148 is at a 2.2 elevation

Would have to do some handy work to even get a offset dish to even go as low as 2.2 elevation.

The Dish would "appear" to be looking at the dirt.

Better have a clear horizon.