Could the microHD be the culprit?

[FaT Air]

You'll have to get a 'handle' on the dishes geometry. First determine what's not kosher and fix it. Can't tell you how to fix your but the basics are/seem to follow the measure and compare method.
Many times it's one panel that's warped or squished. Measure each . lip corner to lip corner. If only one panel is 'off' remove and 'form' into shape and reinstall. (usually using the second way below)
if it's just a droop - many time it can be 'pulled' into shape
Couple of way to go about this. The first is : Measure the diameter top to bottom lip. and again left to right. Rut a cable and a turnbuckle across the largest measurement. Tighten the turnbuckle to equalize 1) the diameter measurements 2) check the crossed strings for 'touching'. When 'OK" loosening some of the fasteners holding the dish panels together, and retightening, can relieve tension and may hold the dish in shape and allow removal of the cable and turnbuckle.
The second way is to remove the dish from the mount, place face down on a flat surface and loosen and re
tighten the panel fasteners when the panels touch the surface.
( I believe the second method the best, seems like more work but believe it's the quickest and better method)

 

[highskies]

I think I have finally found the real culprit after all this time. I was apparently under the wrong assumption that the LOS had no obstructions of any kind. There happens to be a huge pine tree about two feet from the west end of the dish. While there are no trees in front of the dish anywhere, and since I'm mainly having problems at 116.8 W, I then sighted up that angle from behind the dish, looking at what part of the sky the feedhorn was looking at. It turns out that that pine tree has a cpl of branches protruding south, pretty long branches at that. From what I can tell, they appear to be in the LOS of the upper portion of the dish, starting at about the position of the feedhorn, then upwards. Unfortunately these branches are way too far up there to try and prune, even if I had one of those pruning poles that extends 14', I still don't think I could reach them.

Before I realized this, I did take the dish down off the jack since making my last post, but before I read this post of yours. So I might try some of your suggestions as well, except for maybe the last one since I would have no flat spot to try that at. I was able to shim a bit behind the dish and now have both strings measuring the same distance up from the faceplace. I checked that by measuring one string at a time, IOW the up and down string first, then I untied that one, then tied the E and W string...Plus I also tried the E and W string under the other string, then over it. They touched both times. Since doing that I have finally managed to lock and get a pic on PXTV after all this time, except I can't get enough SQ no matter what I try, in order to have a stable pic. Probably those branches would be my guess, since no other part of the arc is causing me any trouble that I'm aware of.

 

[KE4EST]

even if I had one of those pruning poles that extends 14', I still don't think I could reach them.

Chainsaw!!!
Just be careful and don't get hurt.

 

[fred555]

Sunbelt Rentals has some various bucket and scissor lifts for rent.
Or just contact a tree service and get a quote, might not as high as you think.

I have another guy I know that freelances. He scales all the way up trees with a chainsaw and a safety rope and trims
them for me sometimes too. No lift , just climbing with a rope, pretty cool to watch.

 

[highskies]

Chainsaw!!!
Just be careful and don't get hurt.

Even if I had a chainsaw, which I don't, how I would I get to them, especially since I have somewhat a fear of heights these days? I'm guesstimating the lower set of branches is a good 25' feet up from the ground. Then there's some more branches about 5 feet up from them that appear to be in the LOS as well. If I moved the dish to the front yard, problems would be solved. But my front yard is fairly limited, plus the main road is right in front of it and that I live in the city limits. Thusfar no one has ever complained about my dish. But if I had it out there instead, I don't know what might happen with the neighbors over something like that?

 

[KE4EST]

I meant chop down the whole tree, with the chainsaw.

 

[primestar31]

This is where "shotgun pruning" comes in...

You get a shotgun, you load it with buckshot, and you shoot the branches that are in the way. It works very well... Pine branches are especially easy to break off if you aim properly.

I also have a crossbow. Years ago I bought one of those chainsaw-ropes. It's basically two 50' long pieces of small yellow poly rope, with a chainsaw blade in the middle. I tape a piece of long string to a bolt, and use the crossbow to shoot it over the branch I need to remove. I then use it to pull the chainsaw blade up to the branch, and saw it off by pulling on each side of the rope in turn. It works very well for branches too large to shoot.

 

[armadillo_115]

To just cut high limbs, Google " rope saw'. But be warned..they can be aggravating when the blade gets pinched and hangs.When that happens I throw a rope over the limb and pull it until either the rope saw loosens or the limb breaks. ( A pinched rope saw 60 ft above ground can lead to cursing like a sailor )

Tractor Supply, Lowes, Harbor freight,etc sell them.

primestar31 beat me too it

 

[highskies]

I meant chop down the whole tree, with the chainsaw.

No way could that ever be an option. That tree is 50 foot tall if not taller. That sucker towers way up there. No matter which way it falls, it's going to hit somebodies house, no getting around it. The only way to take that tree down safely would be a branch at a time starting from the top and working down. Since I don't have that kind of money a licensed and bonded tree trimmer would likely want, that's not an option then. Maybe I should just go ahead and mount it in the front yard and take my chances with the neighbors.

 

[highskies]

This is where "shotgun pruning" comes in...

You get a shotgun, you load it with buckshot, and you shoot the branches that are in the way. It works very well... Pine branches are especially easy to break off if you aim properly.

I also have a crossbow. Years ago I bought one of those chainsaw-ropes. It's basically two 50' long pieces of small yellow poly rope, with a chainsaw blade in the middle. I tape a piece of long string to a bolt, and use the crossbow to shoot it over the branch I need to remove. I then use it to pull the chainsaw blade up to the branch, and saw it off by pulling on each side of the rope in turn. It works very well for branches too large to shoot.

You must be someone like Ted Nugent. I'm not a hunter nor own a shotgun nor any crossbows. Plus I live in the city limits. Somehow I don't see shooting at tree branches with a shotgun going over too well. Would likely be surrounded by a SWAT team before it was over, and you might likely see me on one of those wild news feeds on KU band. And if they asked me what possessed me to do such a thing, I would have to tell them I got the idea from a dude on the internet on a satellite forum. Luckily, even though I can get a bit off the wall at times, no way am I the type of person that might do something crazy then blame it on someone on the net for giving me the idea in the first place. So of course then, I'm just kidding a bit here and am not highly impressionable, unless there is sound logic to a suggestion of course.. But I do like the idea of the chainsaw-ropes, except I would have no clue how to get it positioned all the way up there, then know what to do with it if I did? Never tried one of those before.

 

[. Raine]

The key to the shotgun method is to do one shot and if you miss or it don't break, wait a day or two and take another shot. Early in the morning is best, people hear one shot and they just think, what was that? They hear multiple shots and they're on the phone.

 

[FaT Air]

Even if I had a chainsaw, which I don't, how I would I get to them

Right at ground level. (he he he)

 

[FaT Air]

I once had a guy call because his pizza dish wasn't getting signal. Got there and he said he trimmed that there tree with the 30.06. I looked and said: "trimmed too low". Wife said:"now what you going to do with that unsightly hole in the trees?". I moved his dish so as to not have any more trimming happening.

 

[primestar31]

The chainsaw rope comes with a weighted bag that can be hooked on the end of one side. Then you need to toss it UP and OVER the branch you want to cut. The chainsaw blade has a large metal tab on one side, which makes it want to rotate into cutting position more easily.

The problem is, it's almost impossible to toss that weighted bag UP 50 feet and get it over a branch while hooked to even that small poly rope. They must figure you wouldn't want to cut a branch higher than maybe 15-20ft. That's where even a cheap target crossbow comes in handy, to shoot the smaller lightweight string over a branch. These aren't much more than a kids toy, shoot a bolt that's not much more than an oversized dart, and aren't used for hunting.

My tree's are 85-90 ft tall on average, and I've dropped as many as I could over the years. The rest just get trimmings now and again. I am in the middle of the woods, and only have a clear satellite view of about 61w - 121w, and that in only one small North-East corner area of my yard.

 

[armadillo_115]

I like using a fishing rod with a large nut tied to the end.Cast it over,then tie the rope saw to the line...crank it back to you.

To avoid pulling bark off the tree when the limb falls,I first saw off the limb a couple feet from the trunk.Then I saw it again close to the trunk.The second cut has little weight on it and should cut clean.I don't bother if I am pruning limbs before dropping the whole tree.

 

[KE4EST]

Trimmed many a trees for LOS for people with BuckShot. Albeit none were in the city limits. Around here people shoot guns all the time, no one thinks nothing of it. The only people that complain are the transplants.

 

[. Raine]

Maybe a slingshot might work for the chainsaw rope too? I'd never heard of one of them before, I'm going to pick one up and give it a try on some high limbs here.

 

[primestar31]

I originally tried a hunting slingshot, but all I ended up doing was mostly hurting my hand. That's why I switched to a target crossbow.

 

[armadillo_115]

Slingshot will work.Will probably need to use a lighter line than the rope that comes on the rope saw to launch it up.Then pull up the rope with the smaller line.

Take your time.It really works your arms.Using a rope saw is a PITA...but better/safer than using a ladder.This should go without saying: Do not stand directly under the limb while sawing. It doesn't take a very large limb to do some serious bodily damage.

BTW, you can extend the rope saw with additional rope for higher branches if needed.It gets harder to saw the higher up they are,in my experience.I have sawn limbs about 70 ft up while standing on a 20 ft ladder.Want to guess what happened when the d@mn limb hit the ladder?

Ever seen a 250 lb man hanging onto a tree while yelling for someone ...anyone ... to put the ladder back up?