I Give!!! Need help with setup?

[JTB530]

First I want to say thanks for an awesome site. I have learned a tremendous amount over the last few months of searching and reading. And now on with the questions! I have a Coolsat 5000, a Fortec 80cm mounted on a Sg-2100. I am using the Invacom QPH-031 with one of the linear outputs going into port 1 of a coolsat diseqc switch and one of the circular outputs going into port 2. The Lat and Long for my area is 39.17 and 93.59. After mounting the mast and checking it for plumb I set the dish bracket at 24 and the elevation on the motor at 51. Then I mounted the dish on the mast and pointed it south using a compass and correcting for deviation. Using a signal meter going directly into the lnb I cannot pick up my Southern most sat which I am assuming is IA6, is this correct? My settings for the lnb are single 10.75 diseqc switch 1.0 committed 1 for linear and for circular 11.250 switch 1.0 committed 2. Are these the correct settings for this LNB? Am I correct in my understanding that the sat beam comes down at a higher angle than the dish is pointing and then the beam is bounced back to the lnb? The previous question is due to a concern about possible signal obstructions. I have the dish mounted on the gable end of my house as near to the peak as possible. It looks like I may have a blind spot in the middle of my arc caused by my neighbors roof but it is close if the signal comes in above the dish like I think it does, the roof shouldn't be my problem. I am considering using a tripod mount and a five foot mast to get it up in the air. Will ordinary antenna mast work or will I need something heavier? Any help is greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance,
Jason

 

[PSB]

Welcome to the SatelliteGuys.US FTA forum!

First thing to check is the motor, one side is marked in elevation and the other is marked Latitude.

I would also try to find the satellite without the motor at all, that can be added later.

If you know the height and distance from the house potentially blocking your line of sight then maybe the below program will help work out how far away you will have to be to clear it.

http://www.bjupress.com/services/bjhomesat/tech_support/obstacle.html


Pictures (in thumbnails would help)

Using USALS any other satellite can be used to setup the motor.

With an off-set dish the signal comes down 22 deg. higher than where it SEEMS to be pointing!

 

[123tim]

Hi Jason,

Are you picking up anything on any satellite? I'd recommend setting the motor aside for now, and trying to align to a single satellite.. I wouldn't recommend antenna mast. Heavy as you can go The antenna won't look like it's pointed anywhere near the satellite...

Good luck.

 

[123tim]

Sorry Pete,

Should have known that you'd be on it

 

[PSB]

IA-6 or G3C would work for true south, some REAL strong CCTV channels on G3c

Latitude 39° 0.000'N Longitude 94° 0.000'W

              Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
-----------------------------------------------------

                      
             Telstar 6   93.0W 178.4 175.6 44.8  -1.2
                      
             Galaxy 3C   95.0W 181.6 178.8 44.8   1.2

 

[PSB]

Sorry Pete,

Should have known that you'd be on it

No prob

Good point about the antenna mast :up

 

[PSB]

22 deg off-set dish

Have a look at the below pictures, should help!

 

[JTB530]

Thanks for the quick replies. I've been on several forums in the past ten years and a response the next day or so was the norm. The Latitude, Elevation markings got me when I was putting everything together but I caught it before putting the dish up so my settings are Elevation 51 and Latitude 39. I put the dish on the mast that is mounted on the house(Fortecs mounting arm and brackets)Then pointed the dish south with the signal meter in line with the motor centered but not hooked up. I can't find any signal near due south. So I twisted the dish on the mast to the right and my meter started to pick up signal but from my calculations I'm somewhere in the 120 degree range no where near G3C.

 

[PSB]

Remember the compass is just a rough guide to get you in the ball park, add to that magnetic deviation and if you stand too close to anything metallic the compass is worse than useless!

Need to get a small TV right at the dish and watch for signal quality as you slowly move the dish, pausing for a few seconds every few millimetres. Its that sensitive!

I would try for another satellite where you KNOW line of sight is not an issue. Blind scan is your friend. Use it often if you think you are close to satellite, let us know what channels you pick up and then we can tell you where you are .

 

[JTB530]

My question about the antenna mast was concerning the pipe in the middle of a tripod mount. The pics I have seen of these setups has a few feet of mast in the middle supported by the cross braces and sticking out of the top up to the dish. Is this just a piece of heavy duty antenna mast or something heavier?
Thanks again

 

[PSB]

I use 2" galvanized pipe!

 

[JTB530]

Ok, I have another question when I set up for elevation using my motors manual I use my site latitude and it gives an elevation angle of 51 yet the sat I am aiming at is listed with an elevation of 44.5? Why don't I set for 44.5 isn't this as high as I am going to be aiming or is the 51 figured off of the offset from the dish?

 

[PSB]

Yes its all been taken into account when the motor was designed.

The SG2100 motor should be at an elevation of 51 deg on one side and 39 Lat. on the other. The dish should be at around 24 deg. but the dish elevation may need to be changed to peak the signal, the motor elevation should never changed as long as the pole is plumb and level.

Remember that the weight of the dish and motor will pull the pole forward so its always a good idea to take this "Flex" into account when setting up a pole/mast.

 

[JTB530]

OK, I had everything set up according to the manual and could not find any signal at all near my true south. I am using an sf-95 wired inline between receiver and the linear side of the invacom(no switch or motor). I had the gain on the meter all the way up and still nothing. Turned the dish east and west at least 15 degrees in each direction and moved the dish elevation up and down and the meter never made a sound I can pick up 119 and 121 by turning west but nothing near 93 or 95 this makes me think I have something blocking signal. I will try and get some pics posted a.s.a.p.

 

[PSB]

Signal meters can HELP, but NOTHING is better than a small TV (Or just the New Traxis 3500 receiver, as it has Signal Quality meter on the front of the receiver) at the dish. With a LIVE channel or TP entered.