811 install / dish pointing problems

[Pocatello]

I haven't pointed a satellite dish in 8 years, and I am rusty and need some help.

I got a copy of the coordinates I need to point my 811 receiver with the dish 500 setup.

Here are my questions:

Can I use old (legacy) switches with the 811? My dish 500 system has two LNBF, each LNBF is dual. It says legacy on the outside of the LNBF housing.

When I hooked up my 811, I could not find the satellites. I tried everything I could think of until I got too cold outside.

I tried the check switch software check on the 811, and the check switch test never finished. It was like it locked up. Shouldn't the check switch take less than ten minutes? I left the test on for 30 minutes but it never finished or failed or anything.

I'll try again tonite. I've got my skew, elevation, and compass settings. I remembered to account for magnetic north and not geographic north. I was real patient, but I'm thinking the check switch failure is a problem.

Should I disconnect the LNBF arm and connect a cable directly to just one LNBF, bypassing the switch, in order to locate just one satellite?

Thanks.

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[dfergie]

Yes try from the 119 lnb, go into your dish pointing menu and find 119 try that first... But before you do that leave receiver unhooked and do a check switch to clear your Receiver...

 

[SimpleSimon]

One note: The E* receivers account for magnetic deviation already. I've made that mistake myself.

 

[Pocatello]

I never got any signal when I used the DISH 500.

I found an old round dish in the garage, and pointed it at a single satellite. I got reception within minutes.

I don't know what I did wrong. Maybe a bad switch, or I just screwed up.

I'll try again this weekend.

Thanks for the help.

*

 

[satqas]

A few common mistakes when pointing the dish 500 are...

Make sure your elevation and skew are set correctly.

Make sure your mast is level.

Once you get those set correctly if you start from the extreme right and move the dish to the left the first satellite you hit should be 119, lock it down and tweek the signal strength and you should be good to go.

If it still doesn't work you may have a bad LNB or switch.