Another Newbie . Can you help

[smark]

Hello Glad to be here. Looks like a big site to get help.
I have purchased my 1st Satellite system
Sonicview 4000
Winegard Ds-2076 dish
Invacom LNB
Sg-2100 Motor

I need to find my first true south satellite.
I have the motor elevation set at about 42.0 and the dish elevation about 30.0 and I can't seem to get a satellite lock on a true south satellite. Am I suppose to guess how much to lower the dish from the 30.0 to lock? About -7.98 declination angle My dish range bracket angle is about 25 to 75 elevation is this a problem
I am not sure if my dish or motor elevation is correct?
I have three different satellites I'm trying to lock in on Not sure which is the best accrding to satellite finder programs. (too many)
Galaxy 26 93.0 W for true south Or AMC 4 at 101 w for a true south? or AMC9 at 83.0 W ?
I even had a couple guys come out from a dish install company and they could not get it. But they have never done afree to air system !
I have my lnb connected to the outside Letter L Is this correct?
My motor does work I have tested it.

Lost Steve

 

[turbosat]

You're in a hard place there, lol. The closest sats to true south don't have any regular transponder active, except AMC9, and thats usually only during the day, mostly weekdays. Its at 83degrees, newsfeeds there during the afternoon. You could use 82, which is Nimiq2, but I think it's circular. That might be easier, hook your lnb cable to the C port on the lnbf, and check for signal there. Shouldn't have to move your dish too much to hit it( i mean once you point it to south). I doubt there's anything on it thats not scrambled though, but at least you'll have made some progress. If you hit nimiq, run blind scan and see if you're on the right bird.

 

[smark]

Turbosat.
Thanks!!! for the quick response.
I'll find a bird yet!!! Only been trying on and off for a week.
So I have my LNB HAHa (LNBF) hooked to the wrong port? The directions don't explain enough for green guys .
There are two of each....CLCL Can you tell I'm green..

 

[Wescopc]

First, make sure your post (mast) is absolutely vertical.
Your dish elevation should be 30° less 8° (7.98) = 22°. Motor over to the satellite you want to use, if you choose to use Nimiq2 as suggested by turbosat then you need to use the "C" port, most of the sats use the "L" port.
Choose a strong transponder from here:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/85225-i-need-strong-transponder-aim-my-dish.html
Turn the motor/dish assembly slowly on the mast toward your satellite's azimuth.
You may need to move the dish up/down a few degrees, the markings on the dish are often inaccurate. It could be a problem if you can't get less than 25°
Bob

 

[smark]

Wescopc.
Thanks so much!!
I can try that but my dish bracket may hit I am not sure if it will go that low. Can I compensate buy moving the bracket on the motor?......... If it won't lock.
I'm at work now but trying to get all the info before I go at it again Thanks:up

 

[Wescopc]

Wescopc.
Thanks so much!!
I can try that but my dish bracket may hit I am not sure if it will go that low. Can I compensate buy moving the bracket on the motor?......... If it won't lock.
I'm at work now but trying to get all the info before I go at it again Thanks:up

You can NOT compensate by moving the motor elevation - it needs to be set on your latitude of 42° and left there. Your motor will not track the satellite arc if you change the motor elevation.
By the way, I think your Declination number should be 6.5° for a latitude of 42°. This would change your math to... 30° less 6.5° = 23.5°, that might just work with you minimum setting of 25° on the dish elevation.
Bob

 

[smark]

Ok I'll try that.
I know the book that came with the motor said to set the motor at 48 with a Declanation of 6.5. and the dish bracket at 23.5. I'm looking at the book now.The satellite guys left it at 48
The book has a elevation and declination angle table in the back.
Thanks !:up

 

[Mr Tony]

On the SG2100 there are 2 different scales. One says LATITUDE and one says ELEVATION.

The latitude side should be at 42 which is the same as your latitude

 

[Wescopc]

Ok I'll try that.
I know the book that came with the motor said to set the motor at 48 with a Declanation of 6.5. and the dish bracket at 23.5. I'm looking at the bok now.The satellite guys left it at 48
The book has a elevation and declination angle table in the back.
Thanks !:up

On some SG-2100 motors there is an "elevation" setting on one side and a "latitude" setting on the other. If you use the latitude setting then it should be set for 42°. If you only have an elevation setting, then the math is 90° less 42° = 48° elevation.
Bob
(oops I see Iceberg beat me!)

 

[smark]

Iceburg, I was adjusting the elevation side to 42 H'mm I'm very green.. That makes more sense...
I am so gratefull I was on the go satellite forum and didn't get much help!!
Ahh Wescopc.....adjusting from the Post which is set at 90 I will double check again.

 

[Mr Tony]

we're here to help

 

[smark]

Thanks again MEN!! It gives me a few more things to fix and I am begining to understand more !!
I was begining to think my 50 year old brain was broke HAHA>

 

[Tron]

Since your closest to South satellites seem not to be the best for aiming, try using USALS to move your motor (I would always suggest this anyway). Input your latitude and longitude, and the motor will move to the satellite you tell it to. Use one that is close to true south, but that has known strong transponders. From there, tweak your azimuth and DISH elevation (once you set motor elevation at your latitude on the latitude scale, lock it down and leave it there)...

Good luck, keep us informed on your progress

 

[smark]

Ok. I had a 30 minutes to fuse with this thing. I went out and bought an angle meter just to check my 90 post setting and it was right on!
Then I changed me lattitude to the Lattitude scale on my motor..HAHA.
I then hooked up my satellite finder meter and adjusted my dish up and down until I got the strongest approximet true south reading. The angle says about 28 on the dish so something is off there. I see what happens if you just bump the dish to get the strongest reading. like someone suggested.
Then came inside and looked up Nimiq2 .. I used the motor (Usals, thanks TRON) to move it there and the single went dead I went up on the roof and the dish was facing over Pennsylvania WOW what the heck !!!! I forgot to input my longitude and lattitude. I stumbled through that and then sent the motor to the correct angle and got a signal strength of 72 ,73 and it stayed there.
I then tried the blind scan function after trying to change transponder strength. It was tryng to lock but never locked solid.

PS It's funny the Direct Satillite guys could not help.. They didn't charge me.
I did see the quality meter for the first time it just flashed me like a women teasing me.
So maybe I need to move the dish on the post a hair...... east and west to try and get the strength up higher??
I'm getting somewhere Thanks :: Time to eat then I had to go to work.:up
SO I continue the next time I can PLay !!

 

[Tron]

You want to let the receiver move the dish to a satellite BEFORE you try to tweak the dish. With the motor at '0', let the receiver move the dish to any satellite near your south. Then, once the motor moves the dish and stops, you tweak the dish on that satellite. After that, the arc should be dead on.

 

[smark]

Tron,
Wasn't there a movie called that ?
Thanks for the info . I was thinking thats what I need to do. I am starting to understand this setup. But I am not there yet.
I will try this maybe tommorrow if I get some time. I feel I'm getting close after I saw the quality sgnal flash one time.:up:up
So any tweeking must be made after I move to a satellite, prefably A true south.. I got it!!

Thanks !!

 

[Tron]

Tron,
Wasn't there a movie called that ?

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

But yeah, what you are doing with USALS is telling the receiver to assume your motor is aimed at true south, and to move the motor to where a given satellite should be from that point. Then, once you peak the dish and motor on that satellite (after the receiver moves the dish there), you should be correctly tracking the arc.

 

[smark]

Well Started over again from the mounting post up. I bought a angle meter and made a small adjustment.Think I'm creeping along. I finally saw my first quality signal . Is it suppose to move up and down or be solid like the signal strength?
I'm starting to get some quality signals now some up to 90 percent.
1st my reiceiver stays on channel 4095 I think I was scanning for channels on nimiq 2 and it wont change. H'mm NEWBIE HAHA>>
Second I tried doing a satelitte scan and a blind scan . Whats the difference?? I allways saved.
When searcing it says searching... lock and back and forth.
I let it finish and it askes me if I want to save. I then say yes and I still don't get channels.
One was on Satellite that said scrambled channels. Whats that mean ?
I'm at work now and am not sure what satellites. One was nimiq 1,3 91 w ? and the other was possibly 100.9.w ?

 

[Tron]

You won't get much on the Nimiqs, that is Bell ExpressVu and is encrypted (scrambled) except for a couple of "banner" channels.

What kind of dish/LNB are you using? The Nimiqs are circular DBS, not linear Ku, satellites. Try to hit G-10R at 123w...

 

[smark]

Tron,
I'm using a Winegard 31" dish and the Invacom Quad Polar LNBF.
My LNBF is hooked up to a C like someone directed me.
While trying to motor over to different satellites I see my quality and signal jumping around . Could I stop the motor to test the others?

Thank You!!