Alignment problem

[sanpat]

3 meter dish polar mount ,lat 32.35 long106.83 location ,used 32.6 el plus 4.66 for total 37.26 el titainium c238 lnb moved dish on pole to lock on 105 ,80 % q and tightened to pole ,this is my trouble ,105 80 %q 103 77 %q 101 12 % and cant get any other sats ,have double checked all alignments, this is one I'm setting up for brother ,have setup my 3 meter that tracks good ,this is only my 2nd dish setup ,thanks to all input .

 

[sanpat]

3 meter dish polar mount ,lat 32.35 long106.83 location ,used 32.6 el plus 4.66 for total 37.26 el titainium c238 lnb moved dish on pole to lock on 105 ,80 % q and tightened to pole ,this is my trouble ,105 80 %q 103 77 %q 101 12 % and cant get any other sats ,have double checked all alignments, this is one I'm setting up for brother ,have setup my 3 meter that tracks good ,this is only my 2nd dish setup ,thanks to all input .

My mistake dish is 9 ft RadioShack button hook

 

[arlo]

Tune the alignment. Grab a digital angle gauge. Like the Klein from Home Depot. That's what I use.

 

[a33]

3 meter dish polar mount ,lat 32.35 long106.83 location ,used 32.6 el plus 4.66 for total 37.26 el

Where did you get your numbers from?
Total elevation for lat=32.35 is 52.35, so how did you come to 37.26 (or did you mean 52.74)?

[Are you mixing up the terms "elevation" and "latitude"?]

Greetz,
A33

 

[N6BY]

3 meter dish polar mount ,lat 32.35 long106.83 location ,used 32.6 el plus 4.66 for total 37.26 el titainium c238 lnb moved dish on pole to lock on 105 ,80 % q and tightened to pole ,this is my trouble ,105 80 %q 103 77 %q 101 12 % and cant get any other sats ,have double checked all alignments, this is one I'm setting up for brother ,have setup my 3 meter that tracks good ,this is only my 2nd dish setup ,thanks to all input .

When your dish is at 101, does it help the signal if you move it up or down? If moving up helps, you need to move the dish east. If moving down is better, then move it west.

 

[sanpat]

When your dish is at 101, does it help the signal if you move it up or down? If moving up helps, you need to move the dish east. If moving down is better, then move it west.

When on 101 moving dish up down has no affect ,let's try this ,I can lock 105 ,77q then adjust toward 103 ,105 signal drops then 103 locks ,70q now adjust for 101 ,103 drops and 105 goes to 65q ,103 drops and 101 shows 15q nothing better ,this is done with gtmedia sat finder set 105,103 ,101on loop search ,does this sound like adjacent satellite interference, it's a 9 ft dish with some hail damage but not too bad,

 

[Brct203]

I would start by checking that your north-south alignment is correct. Try doing that by identifying landmarks on a map (like on satellite view on google maps) that you can also see from your dish location. Something like a building, a tall tree, etc. DO NOT rely on the compass on a phone. In my experience they are more often wrong then right and very sensitive to proximity to metal (like a dish pole).

Once that's done, try to find a satellite. A meter like you have is nice but that's more for fine tuning. What I find very useful is those cheak "squeaker" satellite finders. They make noise when the dish receives any RF energy. It can be a satellite but also thermal noise from a building, a tree, or even your hand if yyou hold it in front of the LNB feed. Here the goal is to move the dish on its polar axis until you hear a change of tone in the squeaker (It will go louder and higher pitch when it gets some signal). At that point you try to get adjust the dish to get it as loud as possible, and do a blind scan. Identify the satellite and remember where you found it. Now move the dish a bit and scan again. Repeat for a while until you have found a few satellites, hopefully widening the arc of what you are receiving

now look at the picture that Arlo postred earlier. That picture sums up 99% of what you need to understand to align a dish.

alternatively you could go from what you already have been able to receive. See how many pulses you need to cover 2 degrees, and move by the same number of pulses to teh east of 101W. that would bring you close to 99W. Scan. If you get nothing, scan again while you pull or push on the dish to make it look a bit higher or lower. If it finds any cgannel, remember if you were pulling or pushing and look at the diagram that Arlo posted. That should let you know if you need to rotate the mount , etc.

 

[sanpat]

I would start by checking that your north-south alignment is correct. Try doing that by identifying landmarks on a map (like on satellite view on google maps) that you can also see from your dish location. Something like a building, a tall tree, etc. DO NOT rely on the compass on a phone. In my experience they are more often wrong then right and very sensitive to proximity to metal (like a dish pole).

Once that's done, try to find a satellite. A meter like you have is nice but that's more for fine tuning. What I find very useful is those cheak "squeaker" satellite finders. They make noise when the dish receives any RF energy. It can be a satellite but also thermal noise from a building, a tree, or even your hand if yyou hold it in front of the LNB feed. Here the goal is to move the dish on its polar axis until you hear a change of tone in the squeaker (It will go louder and higher pitch when it gets some signal). At that point you try to get adjust the dish to get it as loud as possible, and do a blind scan. Identify the satellite and remember where you found it. Now move the dish a bit and scan again. Repeat for a while until you have found a few satellites, hopefully widening the arc of what you are receiving

now look at the picture that Arlo postred earlier. That picture sums up 99% of what you need to understand to align a dish.

alternatively you could go from what you already have been able to receive. See how many pulses you need to cover 2 degrees, and move by the same number of pulses to teh east of 101W. that would bring you close to 99W. Scan. If you get nothing, scan again while you pull or push on the dish to make it look a bit higher or lower. If it finds any cgannel, remember if you were pulling or pushing and look at the diagram that Arlo posted. That should let you know if you need to rotate the mount , etc.

Have tried what you suggest 105 is my due south I get 77q lock but are missing some transponders the ones I do get are both h & v tried to tweak lnb with no help ,maybe my focal point off ?

 

[Brct203]

Have tried what you suggest 105 is my due south I get 77q lock but are missing some transponders the ones I do get are both h & v tried to tweak lnb with no help ,maybe my focal point off ?

you can try moving the LNBF in and out a bit and see how that affects the quality.

can you give a list of those TPs you are able to receive?

 

[sanpat]

you can try moving the LNBF in and out a bit and see how that affects the quality.

can you give a list of those TPs you are able to receive?

Have tried lnb adjust , no help I'm in rockport TX and was in Las cruses nm setting sat up for my brother I have a 3m mesh dish and comparing the 2 his is missing signals on tp that I get ,have to get my brother to check tips, mite be a couple days ,if focal point was out by 2 or3 inches what would the result ? This is just my second bud install so I still learning ,thanks to all !!!

 

[N6BY]

Have tried what you suggest 105 is my due south I get 77q lock but are missing some transponders the ones I do get are both h & v tried to tweak lnb with no help ,maybe my focal point off ?

105 is nearly 2 degrees from due south according to your first post. IMO I think you need to compensate for that.

 

[arlo]

Now wait a cotton pickin' minute. lol.
That is Definitely NOT a c238 lnbf in your picture.
And whatever it is, I see two things that stand out like a sore....oh, you know what.
For the angle the dish is pointed, the lnbf should be oriented at a different skew angle.
If the dish were pointed straight up as high in the arc, zenith, at it can go. The lnbf would be aligned one way or another in my doctored-up photos (orange lines). Unless it's an optical illusion.
But from my point of view. It's cranked was too much counter-clockwise.
Get your lnbf aligned so that the zero mark (if there is one) is close to the orange lines. Then find your first, highest in the arc satellite. And tweak for max signal. And balance it by turning the lnbf slightly L/R for equal signal on equal strength transponders.
And #2. What are you doing using an offset scalar on a prime focus parabolic reflector?
Unless I am mistaken.
Y'all didn't see that? You'd be better with no scalar at all.
But you got to get the skew right first.
Do that and get back to us. Or maybe your photos are the wrong ones.

Edit: You do know that walking over and through a ladder is the same as walking under one, don't you?
Bad things can happen.......

 

[sanpat]

Now wait a cotton pickin' minute. lol.
That is Definitely NOT a c238 lnbf in your picture.
And whatever it is, I see two things that stand out like a sore....oh, you know what.
For the angle the dish is pointed, the lnbf should be oriented at a different skew angle.
If the dish were pointed straight up as high in the arc, zenith, at it can go. The lnbf would be aligned one way or another in my doctored-up photos (orange lines). Unless it's an optical illusion.
But from my point of view. It's cranked was too much counter-clockwise.
Get your lnbf aligned so that the zero mark (if there is one) is close to the orange lines. Then find your first, highest in the arc satellite. And tweak for max signal. And balance it by turning the lnbf slightly L/R for equal signal on equal strength transponders.
And #2. What are you doing using an offset scalar on a prime focus parabolic reflector?
Unless I am mistaken.
Y'all didn't see that? You'd be better with no scalar at all.
But you got to get the skew right first.
Do that and get back to us. Or maybe your photos are the wrong ones.

View attachment 174173
Edit: You do know that walking over and through a ladder is the same as walking under one, don't you?
Bad things can happen.......

it is a titatium c238 5g they state 0 goes left or right and it is set that way ,the scaler was original to dish ,would you think i try removing scaler and install the flat scaler that came with lnb ?

 

[arlo]

I would ask you to provide more detailed photos of the feed. With a side view of the scalar and how far the lnbf 'snout' is sticking out from it. Plus any markings on the lnbf such as the 0 reference.
Sorry for my unfamiliarity with the c238. But. As the instructions say. With the dish at the highest point in the arc.
Is the 0 scale pointed at 9 or 3 o'clock if you were to imagine the dish face as a clock dial?

 

[sanpat]

I would ask you to provide more detailed photos of the feed. With a side view of the scalar and how far the lnbf 'snout' is sticking out from it. Plus any markings on the lnbf such as the 0 reference.
Sorry for my unfamiliarity with the c238. But. As the instructions say. With the dish at the highest point in the arc.
Is the 0 scale pointed at 9 or 3 o'clock if you were to imagine the dish face as a clock dial?

Yes the zero is at 9 and 3 oclock the tops I do get are mixed h & v polarity ,I will try to get scaler pics from my brother, the dish is 1980 vintage RadioShack 9 feet ,going to try and calculate focal point & f/d and measure what it is now .

 

[sanpat]

Yes the zero is at 9 and 3 oclock the tops I do get are mixed h & v polarity ,I will try to get scaler pics from my brother, the dish is 1980 vintage RadioShack 9 feet ,going to try and calculate focal point & f/d and measure what it is now .

what could cause adjacent satellite interference ?

 

[sanpat]

what could cause adjacent satellite interference ?

my location is 32.35 latitude &106.83 longitude ,for polar mount what should elevation and declination
be ,i used 32.26 for elevation & 4.66 declination is this correct for my location ,sorry to sound like a broken record i value all input thanks so much (we) will figure out i am sure thanks.