Help with motorized dish elevation

[bobvick]

I am trying to get the elevation of my dish set correctly. I have a Hot Dish 90 that I am trying to mount on a SG2100 motor. I have the motor latitude set at 34, which is my latitude. When I go to dishpointer.com and look in the instruction book it tells me that for a SG2100 motorized system that I need to have the dish elevation set at 24.5 degrees. The problem is, the elevation scale on the Hot Dish 90 only goes down to about 25, from the best I can tell, and I can't get that low because of the bolt. What I am doing wrong? Does anyone have any ideas? I have posted some pictures below.

 

[phlatwound]

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...-elevation-motorized-ku-dish.html#post2648630

I'm not sure what the correct setting is but don't get tunnel vision and get hung up on trying to do things "by the book", check out that link above and give it a shot....it DOES work.

 

[bobvick]

Thanks, sorry I forgot about the other thread I started.

 

[bobvick]

Oh well, no luck for today. I tried to do what you described in the other thread phlatwound. I worked for well over an hour perhaps longer in about the same position. I don't know what I am doing wrong. I never did manage to find AMC3. I guess I will have to try next week and see if I can come up with any thing.

 

[PKII]

When I installed my motorized dish the instructions were wrong try adjusting the elevation + 10 degrees from what the instructions say.

 

[Tron]

Never trust the stamped elevation scale on the dish. The quickest way to avoid frustration when installing a motor is to bring a receiver and small monitor out to the dish site. Use USALS to command the motor to move to a satellite near the top of the arc from your position, then adjust azimuth (by moving the entire motor/dish assembly right and left) and dish elevation until you find signal quality. Be sure the receiver is tuned to an active transponder on the satellite you're using to aim.

Also, since your dish is a U-bolt model, be sure the dish is square with the motor shaft. Best way to check for this is to move the motor to '0' (go to reference) and visually check from the top of the assembly.

 

[bobvick]

I had an old Zenith 13" tv and my Manhattan out there with me. I had the Manhattan tuned to where the Patient Channel would be on 87W Ku. I tried moving the elevation of the dish up and down and the azimuth of the dish assembly and motor. I did this for well I've an hour with no results. Periodically the Manhattan meter would spike up to 7 which means you are getting close to a signal. I would try to adjust in this position to get quality, but I never could. I guess I will have to try again next weekend.

 

[Lak7]

Looking at the Latitude Photo, it looks like it's a little under the 34 mark you mentioned.

Again, never trust the Dish's Elevation Scale.

Double check....
Pole is Plumb on 2 sides
Motor Latitude is set to your Lat
Dish is Square to the Motor - U Bolts
LNB is Properly Skewed - at Zero for Motor
Drive Motor to Zero - Go to Reference
LNB Setting are correct in Receiver
USALS setting are correct
Known Hot TP selected in Setup Menu
No Switches

Periodically the Manhattan meter would spike up to 7 which means you are getting close to a signal.

Then, when in doubt, Blind Scan

 

[bobvick]

I read, and the offset elevation of the Hot Dish 90 is 24.62. For my location, for 87w I need the elevation to be 50.4. Would it be correct to take 50.4 - 24.62 = 25.78, so using an angle finder, and a long straight edge measured vertically, I would want to make that angle finder measure 25.78, correct?

 

[rv1pop]

Rube Goldberg thought here.... USALS move the dish to same sat as your fixed dish.... Take the angle of the lnb arm from the fixed dish and copy it to the motor dish. See if you can get anything. When you do, move back to your south and see what you find.

 

[FaT Air]

I would want to make that angle finder measure 25.78, correct?

That would be 25.78° from vertical,, which is usually 90°. 90° - 25.78° = 64.22°. That's how I align my fixed Ku's. Should work with a motor. (remember there is inherent inaccuracies but you should be within 1 or 2°)

 

[bobvick]

That would be 25.78° from vertical,, which is usually 90°. 90° - 25.78° = 64.22°. That's how I align my fixed Ku's. Should work with a motor. (remember there is inherent inaccuracies but you should be within 1 or 2°)

Would that be taking into account the elevation of the motor?

 

[bobvick]

Rube Goldberg thought here.... USALS move the dish to same sat as your fixed dish.... Take the angle of the lnb arm from the fixed dish and copy it to the motor dish. See if you can get anything. When you do, move back to your south and see what you find.

Thanks for the tip. When I get to where I can take a receiver and tv back out to the dish I will try that.

 

[bobvick]

I tried again yesterday to get some satellite, some where. I was unable to find anything again. I was not able to work long and I did not have my TV set and receiver out with me. I had an idea, and I wonder if it will work. I thought about taking the dish off of the motor, and removing the motor from the mounting pole. Then position the dish (with no motor, just az/el mount it) for 87W. Once I have found 87 that way, (if I can find it), I wonder if I could measure the angle of the dish with a straight edge vertically up and down the face of the dish, and copy that number down, and then put the motor back up and position the elevation of the dish using that number I copied down when I had it as an az/el mount. I wonder if that would work?

 

[Lak7]

Yes, that should work.
Is this the same receiver that is connected to your 125W fixed Dish?

 

[bobvick]

Yes, I have my Manhattan connected to the 125 fixed dish. I had my meter out there with me yesterday, instead of the receiver. When I get the time I will give that fixed dish on 87 a try, and then copy down the elevation. I think once I find the satellite, I will get a string and tie around the LNB and get a stake and put in the ground and line that up on the motor.

 

[Lak7]

A couple things to keep from going crazy....
Install the new LNB on existing 125W dish, confirms working LNB
Add TP from 125W to 87W Sat, Confirms you have correct LNB Setting in 87W Setup.

 

[bobvick]

Thanks for the help. It will be at the earliest Friday evening before I can try anything. I thought that these were supposed to be easier to put up than a C-Band dish Oh, well I am sure that I will get it eventually. I appreciate all of the help here. I could not do it without all of the suggestions and support from the great folks here.

 

[Lak7]

I thought that these were supposed to be easier to put up than a C-Band dish

Nope

 

[brentb636]

Thanks for the help. It will be at the earliest Friday evening before I can try anything. I thought that these were supposed to be easier to put up than a C-Band dish Oh, well I am sure that I will get it eventually. I appreciate all of the help here. I could not do it without all of the suggestions and support from the great folks here.

C-band dish IS heavier, but Ku is narrow beam, relatively and much tougher to focus .