How do I get started
- Thread starter coltonjared
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Get a long STRAIGHT 2x4 that can span across the FACE of the entire dish, from TOP to BOTTOM. Motor the dish to its highest peak on the polar mount, and point it "true South". Put the 2x4 across the dish, and place an angle-finder (like you buy in a hardware store for $8.00 or so). This will tell you the TRUE angle of degree it's REALLY pointing at. Which is the combination of Declination and Elevation.
See what that tells you. IF it's off (I'd bet money it is, but if not, it eliminates 1 variable, and you can then focus elsewhere) Once you write down the degree angle the finder tells you, move the dish with the actuator to the closest sat to your True South that has video on it. Use the 2x4 and angle finder here again. Make your adjustments to the dishes Elevation and such to MATCH the angle finders degree setting to what that sat SHOULD BE for your area. DishPointer - Align your satellite dish.
Then it's a matter of slight lnb adjustments and such. Once you get some sort of video on that sat, you are 60% of the way home-free, as you then KNOW the whole system is working, and you can go from there to eventually tweak the whole arc in.
Surely you jest,a long straight 2X4
Nope, it's possible to find one if you pick and choose carefully. I've used this method myself in certain cases, and it helps tremendously. Especially if you are dealing with a new (to you) dish and polar mount.
I’ll try that when I get back from camping. Finding a straight board from menards will be fun lol
Well I finally got a time to mess with the dish and using the board on the face of the dish I was found the original settings was almost correct and still couldn’t get a lock so I put a different lnb on and after messing with for a while and still couldn’t get anything I was going to quit when I bumped into the dish and got a lock. After playing with the lnb I noticed it doesn’t sit correct in the scalar I have on there and I had to turn the screw more to 1 o’clock position to peak the signal. I’m going to put the corotor back on and see if I can get that working later or it might just be bad
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Measure the distance between at least 3 spots from the edge of the dish rim, to the edge around the scalar, and make sure they are the same distance exactly. Then, put the dish at top dead center ("True South" peak of arc) and set the lnbf to .38 or whatever your dishes F/D ratio is (that's about 1/2 inch~ of the feedhorn sticking out of the bottom of the scalar rings if the F/D markings are covered by black tape). Then turn that CK1S until the line on the top of the orange ku lnb is pointing at the top of the dish which should align with the polar axis, that puts the coax fitting around 3pm or so, about there double-check I'm going from memory. You can confirm that with a torpedo level, by holding it laying down so you see the bubble on the top on that line, and making sure the bubble is centered. Then measure from 1/4 inch inside the feedhorn to the center surface of the dish. That should be whatever your dishes Focal Length is, such as 48" or whatever.
Start with that, and we can go from there.
Take your time, there's no hurry.
PS: don't use 101W SES1 right now to try to peak things, as there's something going on with some transponders on that sat where the signal levels are pulsing for a lot of people.
That’s the wrong scalar for that lnb I have on there right now. I know when I turned it straight up and down I wasn’t getting anything but when turned to 1 o’clock I would get a 60 quality which by the way when I put the receiver back inside with the dish mover and everything reconnected it jumped to 76 quality. I did learn the my dish depth is 19inches when I had the board on it so I’ll need to go back and redo the math and reset everything. I have the f/d set at .40 right now and used the tape to go evenly around so I could try pointing center and not crooked which seems to always happen that’s why I liked that corotor cause it fits so snug in the scalar and being able to fine tune the screw without messing up the f/d but I have the feeling my corotor is non functioning.
Still haven’t had a chance to get out there and tweak everything but playing inside I can track down to 125w with a quality of 40 after that I think I lose line of site.
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