Choice between 89W or 91W as Home Satellite?

[avenger]

I am not quite clear on which is my real "Home" Satellite?.
According to "Dishpointer" my location is; Latitude: 30.2967 degrees
Longitude: 89.7576 degrees.
My question is ,since I am between Galaxy 28 89W, and Galaxy17 91W, which woul be the ideal satellite to use as my "Home" satellite?.

The reason that I am asking this is because about a month ago, this area experinced a high wind or tornado like system, my dish moved a little and now I am trying to reset everything back to normal. I am using Galaxy17 91W as of right now, but then I am thinking if this is the right one to use.

Any input is greatly appreciated. As always thanking you in advance.

avenger.

 

[Mikey11]

Are you talking about a motorized dish? If so, you can use either of them, just drive the dish to the satellite position using USALS then go out and aim the motor at the satellite you have selected

 

[Tron]

As Mikey suggested, just use USALS, then true south does not matter.

But to answer your question, in Slidell, 89W is closest to south. Here in Metairie, 91W is closest.

 

[avenger]

Thank You both very much for the replies. Now here come the thing that I am not really familiar with. I am an owner of a Fortec Lifetime Ultra, SatHawk GBox V3000 and I am using it with a Powermax Model PMA24 actuator. As you already know the Fortec is USAL compatible as well as the GBox, but I am using the Gbox as a stand alone positioner ( using the counter to find the satellites), and never use it in the USALS mode.
Saying that, I need some guidance on how do I go about utilizing the USALS mode of the GBox with the Powermax ?.
Thanks again.

 

[avenger]

I just located the lost User manual for the SatHawk GBOX V3000. I previously connected the GBOX to the Powermax with sprinkler wire in which is working now as a stand-alone positioner. The manual says to use two coaxial wires while being used as DiSEqC1.2, one between the receiver and the GBOX, and one between the LNB and the GBOX.

It seems that the positioner is being powered by the GBOX thru the sprinkler wires connection, and the two coaxial wires witll make the complete loop, today I am a little brain dead for some reason.

Will someone please keep me straight. Thank You

avenger

 

[brentb636]

The Gbox is a Diseqc 1.2 positioner. It cannot work with the receiver set to USALS mode. With the receiver in Diseqc 1.2 mode, you can control the Gbox by connecting the coax from the receiver to the port marked "receiver" on the Gbox. Then you can use the receiver signal meter in the positioning menu to find the best quality level, and save that position as a distinct position in the Gbox. I use positions 26 thru 50 on my Gbox. You'll have to use whatever range the Fortec receiver allows you to use. For me , it makes sense to start at the Eastern arc with the lowest number, and every other 2 degrees, I use the next higher number.
My most easterly bird is 72W, so I set it as position 26 . The next bird that I want is 83W so it has position 27... etc all the way out to 139W .
Hope this helps.

 

[avenger]

brentb636, the only way that I have used the Gbox is as a stand-alone positioner, so I will have to play with the setup and see if I can figure out how to use the DiSEqC 1.2 part of it. I re-read what you said, but somehow it is not sinking right in on how to use the receiver to save the satellites positions. Right now the satellites positions are being saved by the Gbox number counter and it is a pain trying to remmember and inputing the right counter numbers in the Gbox every time I want to see a different satellite.

I am not a rookie, but I am getting old and senile Ha,Ha. So if you don' mind, would you elaborate a little further on the Diseqc 1.2 process that you are trying to explain to me.

Thank you.
avenger.

 

[brentb636]

Make a list of the sats, from east to west. Go to the first sat on the list using Gbox control. Then in the receiver, setup that satellite for Diseqc 1.2 control. Make sure you have a good quality signal, and "save" or "store" that position in the receiver as it's first position. The Gbox won't move the dish, but the receiver now "thinks" that it's the Boss. Using the Gbox control go to your second sat. Then set it up in the receiver as Diseqc control, and "save" or "store" in the next receiver position number. Once you have gone across the arc doing this at every bird, the receiver will be able to move the dish , when you request a channel, to the right position. All the receiver does is send a command to the GBOX to "go to number 3, dummy", for example, but it works. You can still use the Gbox remote to move the dish, and optimize the signal, but if you DO, then go into the receiver setup menu for the sat and "store" that new position, so the Gbox and receiver will "stay married".

 

[brentb636]

On my Gbox, I rename every sat position as the orbital slot. Galaxy 17 becomes "91W" . Amc3 becomes "87W" . It makes it easier to look at the display and know where the dish is located. Harder to get confused if you use orbital locations, in my opinion.

 

[avenger]

Thanks again, have a few errands to run, will try tomorrow to do what you suggested. You have been a great help to an old man. Once I have something happening at this end, will report progress as soon as possible.

Thanks again for your help.
avenger.

 

[brentb636]

"Old man" ? I'm not exactly a spring chicken , myself.

 

[avenger]

Well. worked some this weekend on my dish which was moved slightly after the strong winds came by my area. I also found out that dish is out of kilter in respect to elevation. I believe that this was not caused by the wind, but by me not fine tunning the dish.

While trying to correct the problem, I made it worse. I am only able to view some partial channels of the satellites from AMC9 83W thru Galaxy19 97W. The channel quality of the satellites goes from 63 quality for AMC9 83W to all the way down to as low as 30 for Galaxy19 97W. I am using Galaxy28 89W as my home satellite, and the quality for most of the channels is around the middle of the fifties.

What would be the right elevation and declination angle for my 6 foot Bargain dish if the co-ordinances are Latitude 30.2967, and Longitude 89.7576. I have looked for some information, and came out empty.

Any information is appreciated.
avenger.

 

[avenger]

brentb636,

I followed your instructions on how to use the Gbox with the Fortec (FLU), somehow it is not working for me as it should. Whenever I press a satellite channel number, the receiver always shows "Positioner setting", and nothing more happens. Tried twice with the same results.

Do you think that it would be best to start from scratch, by that I mean to start with the receiver at it's default. I was able to jot down the numerical values on the Gbox for each satellite location.

The way that I understand it to work is when a channel number is selected with the receiver, the receiver commands the Gbox to drive the motor positioner to go to the satellite and the designated channel number. So if I keep getting the above message of "Positioner setting" does this means that the receiver and the Gbox are not "married"?, and not working as it should. If not why is that notice keeps popping up.

The Fortec has from 27 to 49 slots positions for satellites. As long as this continues, then what else is there to do. Maybe I am missing something in your explanation

avenger.

 

[brentb636]

I've never had a FLU, so I'm at a disadvantage, but try this:
Move the dish to 89W, we'll say this is your south sat.
Optimize it on the Pentagon channel, with the remote of the Gbox.
Go into the sat setup area of G28, set it to Diseqc 1.2, and try to store that position as #27 ( the first position).
If the FLU communicates with the GBOX, the front panel display will flash for a couple seconds, indicating that it has stored that position. See what happens.

Brent

 

[avenger]

brwntb636,

The display panel does flash a couple of time and stored the location as you mentioned. It seems that the Gbox and the Fortec are sometimes married, they separate quite alot Ha,Ha,. Some of the channels do not repete as they should, maybe I still have problems with the dish not being fully tweeked or properly setup after the mini tornado. Making slow progress, eventually I will get there. We have been having a very crazy weather and have not been able to bring all the equipment to the dish area to do what is required to optimize or peak the dish.

You have been very patient and helpful, and I do appreciate it.

Thanks again.

 

[brentb636]

At least we know it all acted normally ONCE . That's a start, and a confidence builder. Let us know how you progress.