410 signal strengths (stationary vs moving dish)

[jaray]

Wondering if anyone can add they're 2 cents worth in regards to SQ. I started out using a 6' stationary mesh with my 410 on 105W. Always got quite high signal Q. Then I moved over to a moving 6' dish and I just can't get near those same higher SQ's.
Setting up declination etc was all all new to me, but I must have got it right because its tracking all the birds and I'm seeing transponders on many of the c-band birds with good high SQ's but when I get over to the 105 they're just not what I had before.

Is it sometimes a compromise with a moving dish?
I would think if my skew is getting me good SQ elsewhere then it should be fine at 105 also. I supposed I could get pickier with my peaking but I've played some and didn't see much difference.

 

[mmewrench]

Wondering if anyone can add they're 2 cents worth in regards to SQ. I started out using a 6' stationary mesh with my 410 on 105W. Always got quite high signal Q. Then I moved over to a moving 6' dish and I just can't get near those same higher SQ's.
Setting up declination etc was all all new to me, but I must have got it right because its tracking all the birds and I'm seeing transponders on many of the c-band birds with good high SQ's but when I get over to the 105 they're just not what I had before.

Is it sometimes a compromise with a moving dish?
I would think if my skew is getting me good SQ elsewhere then it should be fine at 105 also. I supposed I could get pickier with my peaking but I've played some and didn't see much difference.

your actuator may have something to do with it. the more pulse counts you have per revolution the more acurate the dish. Assuming all else is equal of course. Are you using the same dish with an actuator added?

 

[jaray]

its a different dish, same size though. I'm using a V-Box with it, and moving the dish with a click on the V-Box will move it in very small increments but still can't get it any higher.

 

[mmewrench]

its a different dish, same size though. I'm using a V-Box with it, and moving the dish with a click on the V-Box will move it in very small increments but still can't get it any higher.

Other than the dish, what is differant about your setup. I see bu your signature that the dishes are essentially the same other than the actuator. I am going tp guess that your coax goes through the V-box as well as looping through the traxis before it gets to the 410. This could account for the signal loss.

 

[radio]

Trying to stay up to speed and have options, here.... a question....

Is support for DSR 410/skyvision packages continuing as far as we all know?

If this has been addressed elsewhere, my apologies. Might want to move from 4d to DSR 410 for basic "cable" channels if support is continuing, and then ad FTA for variety.

Thanks, all!

 

[truckracer]

From what I understand comcast authorizes the 410's. So subs after 12/31 will still be a go I you buy a 410.

 

[jaray]

My coax does go though the v-box and loop through the Traxis, but I've tried it directly to the 410 and its no different. I get high 70 SQ's on other birds/transponders using the Traxis so I'm not thinking its my peaking at all. All I can think of is that there is some funky skew with that 105W but I've been skewing as well.
I think my next step will be to set this moving dish back to my true south, then turn the dish on the polar mount as if it was a stationary dish, over to 105 and see my SQ's. If they're the same, then I'll know its not the arc track.
Focal length doesn't change anything a whole lot and I've already visited that. Also, the lnbf can't be off centre very much at all as the support bars don't have enough play in them for it to be off much.
I'm just beginning to think a moving dish is going to be a compromise for signal strength to some degree.

 

[truckracer]

You should have the same signal quality regardless if moving or stationary if you dish is not warped, pole is plumb, f/d is properly set, feed is centered.

 

[jaray]

So today I moved the dish back to true south, disconnected the motor and set it back up no different that a stationary dish and moved it over to 105. I was able to peak on it and got high SQ's exactly the same as I was getting on my true stationary.
So this takes dish itself out of the equation.
All I can think of is that 105W my have a bit of a funky skew, but if this were the case wouldn't I be able to make up for it with skewing my LNBF? I've been doing that with not much difference at all.
I will also add that when motored over to 105 the push-pull test yielded no additional SQ so I am pretty sure I am on the arc properly.

 

[truckracer]

The polar mount does make up the skew pretty much. I have seen SARS that required a little peaking on the skew like with a corotor. But normally no the polar mount will skew the whole dish

 

[truckracer]

Not SARS but sats

 

[truckracer]

Check your pole for plumb all the way around

 

[jaray]

Pole is good and plumb. Maybe I'll leave the skew where its at right now (set up well for 105) and try to get the dish back on the arc. Hopefully I can get it back on without starting at my true south again.
The one thing I did notice was trying to figure out where 0 skew was on this LNBF. There is a scale on it but I don't know what to reference that scale off of. I know as a rule of thumb I don't want any skew as the polar mount skews on its own
I just turn it to maximize SQ regardless of where it is in terms of degrees. (obviously it has to be within 90 degrees so polarity is not off)

 

[truckracer]

i keep thinking its your polar axis being off a little. (the mount turning on the pole adjustment). it sounds like you are so close.

 

[jaray]

You know, that's a good possibility. Basically when I was getting things tracking and I confirmed I was getting descent SQ's on a variety of birds/transponders I believe I left it at that and didn't revisit azimuth any more.
Back to the bolts this evening...

 

[jaray]

Just to finish this one off, I put everything back on the arc and set my true south elevation to spec. This killed all signal and I brought it back by sucking the dish in using the declination adjustment. Instead of worrying about setting declination to spec and fighting with those numbers it worked better to just set polar axis elevation and peak signal with declination. I peak for SQ and not to just get to the spec'd numbers.
Signal quality peaked up and things seemed alot better.
The one thing I did find out is this dish does not have quite enough adjustment for the declination I need. I had to make up for it with pulling up my main elevation a little but it worked. Now my signal on 105W is almost what it was with my stationary dish.
So it looks like it was a declination issue before where I peaked signal with too much main elev adjustment instead of declination.