AMIKO How responsive is the A3 quality meter when aligning dish?

[Alan Rovner]

Hi all I'm a new FTA user trying to align my Geosat 90 cm dish, and having a hard time with it. My question to you is, after I move the dish slightly will the quality meter respond in near real time or do I need to wait for it to lock in to a transponder? I can't get it to budge from Q0.

For preference I have an A3 receiver and the dish above. Thanks for any tips.

Alan

 

[KE4EST]

It is not real time maybe a second or so behind.
The main thing is to make sure you have it on a known, current active transponder.
Make sure you have your LO set right, I will assume 10750, if you just bought a Geosatpro 90cm with LNBF.

 

[Titanium]

Hello Alan,

With a map printed from dishpointer.com or your compass, locate a landmark as far away as possible that aligns with the target satellite (as we discussed on the phone, 97w). Work only 10-15 degrees either side of the landmark.

Place the A3 on satellite 97w KU and select transponder 12152.

Set the LNBF skew. Make sure it is the correct rotation direction. In Washington state, standing in front of the dish the rotation will be clockwise (to the right.

Set the dish elevation angle. While watching a monitor visible from the dish SLOWLY, SLOWLY, SLOWLY pan the dish towards the East 10-15 degrees then West 10-15 degrees. Any change in the Q (Signal Quality) reading, stop and wait a moment or slowly reverse the pan slightly. If no reading is noted, increase or decrease the dish elevation angle in one degree increments and repeat the SLOW panning motion. You are painting the sky with SLOW horizontal brush strokes!

Good luck!

 

[nycrich]

The A3 has a very sensitive tuner and responds quickly. I finally set up my 36 in Geosat Pro dish , Stab motor with the A3 last night I can get 30W to 129W even wider arc if I can figure out the electrical limits settings on the motor.
I switched out my A3 with my Coolsat 5000 to compare. I eventually placed my A3 back . Even though the signal meter will read 15-20 units lower than the Coolsat 5000 the A3 can show a pic with a signal as low as 10.
The A3 has default settings like other members pointed out. Make sure to change to your corresponding lnb.
When choosing a sat choose an active transponder in the list, as some might have changed. Usually the unit will default to the first transponder on the list. Use Lyngsat to confirm active transponders .
When you choose an active transponders click "OK" on your remote . Now your unit should show the transponder with a signal meter.
Then proceed to align dish for signal