I ordered one of these...

[bobvick]

Now use your motor and move the dish to the furthest satellite you can see for me it is 131. I took a piece of sheet metal I had and placed it in the back of the dish so I had more area for the unit to stick to. When the motor was at 131 that bubble was in the middle and I had to turn the dish on the pole just a smidde then boom looking at my meter I had signal! I then got on the ladder and adjusted the LNB skew and pushed it in and out until I got the highest signal possible then locked the LNB down. Now the proof in the pudding was I moved the dish to 91 degrees and when I got there I was locked on the satellite and had a nice high signal.

So after you do step 1 and step 2, then you move your dish with the actuator to the farthest west satellite that you can see? Is that correct. And while you are doing this you have unit 3 of the ARC Set on the back part of one of the panels of your dish?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The only one you need on for step three is the 3rd "extreme" unit. Normally you place it in the center of the dish but my dish has no center, so I put a piece of sheet metal in there just to attach it.

I then moved the dish until I had signal on my meter from 131... again just twisted the dish on the pole just slightly to get a better signal and then I was on it.

 

[bobvick]

The only one you need on for step three is the 3rd "extreme" unit. Normally you place it in the center of the dish but my dish has no center, so I put a piece of sheet metal in there just to attach it.

I then moved the dish until I had signal on my meter from 131... again just twisted the dish on the pole just slightly to get a better signal and then I was on it.

Thanks Scott,

I see what you were talking about now with the sheet metal, and putting it in the center of the dish. So if I wanted to try go over to say 133 or 135 I would just keep moving the dish west until I got that bubble level and got signal? I am sure that I will have to bother you (and others here) with more questions when I get my dish and start using my Arc Set.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Bob when you order it they ask you what the furthest satellite you can receive. For me I picked 131. I can sometimes see 133 or 135 but thats when the trees are bare, so on the safe side I went with 131 which I can see year around.

ANd yes just keep moving the dish until the bubble is centered then turn the dish on the pole until you hit signal. (Move slowly!)

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I just go a note from someone blasting me for talking about this Arc Set saying that I could have done the same with a $10 bubble level and that I am nothing more then an advertisement for this product.

Let's get some things straight...

#1 I paid for this product

#2 They are not a sponsor of the site or or me, I have received no discount in fact they didn't even know I was going to talk about their product.

#3 You can not use a $10 bubble level like this and get the same results. The bubble for each part must be the exact level for your area for each of the settings. If you can modify a $10 Bubble level (which I am sure can be done...) then you don't need one of these. But I know of no other device that will let you perfectly get you on the arc everytime in less then 5 minutes then with this device. The time savings along more then paid for the cost of the unit which is why I am very happy with it and its results.

Some of you guys who are C Band pros don't need one of these but for those trying to get setup, or wakes up one morning with the dish blown out of alignment this is a great tol to have in your toolbox.

 

[bobvick]

Bob when you order it they ask you what the furthest satellite you can receive. For me I picked 131. I can sometimes see 133 or 135 but thats when the trees are bare, so on the safe side I went with 131 which I can see year around.

ANd yes just keep moving the dish until the bubble is centered then turn the dish on the pole until you hit signal. (Move slowly!)

Thanks so much for the information Scott. Sorry to bother you so much with the questions. I guess that I will tell them 135, I used to could get Satcom C1 (137) pretty good with my old 10' dish, I used to get the Denver 5 on there, there would be few sparklies but not anything too bad. I don't think that there is much on there now, and most everything on the old Galaxy 1 and Satcom C4 are scrambled. I noticed on Lyngsat that QVC and HSN are still ITC analog on C4, so I might could use my old Drake receiver to tune that bird in.

 

[bobvick]

I just go a note from someone blasting me for talking about this Arc Set saying that I could have done the same with a $10 bubble level and that I am nothing more then an advertisement for this product.

I wonder why there are so many that seem to have strong feelings against the Arc Set?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I wonder why there are so many that seem to have strong feelings against the Arc Set?

I don't know, I would say probably the price has something to do with it.

But in the many hours I have been playing with this dish over the past 2 years NOTHING has got me on the arc and such good signals as I am getting now... all because I used this device. I fgured the saving in time is well worth the price.

BTW someone asked me if they only accept American Express for payment, the answer is no. When I ordered it I ordered it and wanted to pay with American Express and they tried talking me into sending them a check... but me as a I need it now didn't want to wait a week for my check to get to California from Connecticut then wait another week for it to clear and then have him send it to me and have it take another week to get here. I am a get it done now kind of guy so I wanted to pay with American Express.

 

[bobvick]

Did you call them, or order on their website? I filled out an order form on the website, but I have not heard anything back regarding payment, etc...

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I ordered it on the website. They contacted me via email later that night.

The website looks like something out of the 80's. When I ordered it I wasn't even really sure if they were still in business or not.

I was (and am) glad that they are still in operation.

 

[toucan-man]

...I am a get it done now kind of guy.

I have noticed!

Great to hear of your results, honestly, it's been on my mind for a long time. Our fearless leader deserves a dish that tracks well.

 

[stanleyjohn]

Good Going scott! Im thinking of getting one also but only have discover and visa .Wife handles the checks and with money tight right now its going to be a real sell to get a check from her.

 

[Anole]

highway robbery!

Oh, I was wondering what the heck the third level was for.
Now I understand all three.
Interesting.

I've already suggested to Dee that she build one out of parts from the 99¢ store.
I have a 16 (?) inch ruler/level bought from there, with three vials in it, all for ... you guessed it.
But, I'd allocate up to $10, for assorted bits, et al.

The problem could be how to calibrate the three modules.
Might need a $30 digital level for that. -
(...and an easy-to-find table of angles...)

 

[skysurfer]

I wonder why there are so many that seem to have strong feelings against the Arc Set?

For me, it's the poor construction of it (great when it's new, deteriorates in 5-10 years) and the fact Jim Roberts doesn't seem to stick behind his product - i.e. get back to me about replacing the segment with the cracked vial and no liquid or if there is a discount to make it worth my while to replace my old one with a new one.

to other posters: I did store it in the cardboard box on a shelf with nothing on top of that box. The quality of the plastic must be cruddy or it might not like a desert dry climate (if the dry climate dries out some chemical in the plastic or whatever and causes deterioration/cracking over a decade or more).

I found a three vial level that I planned on homebrewing a replacement arcset from and I got stuck in the planning stage at figuring out what the angle of the extreme sat segment should be. the extreme sat vial is cracked/dried so I am unable to make a measurement of its angle. I wonder if it's set to the elevation of the extreme sat or if it's some other angle involved.

oh, and I think the price is quite reasonable when you consider the alternate of a digital inclinometer and a multi-hundred dollar or more signal meter with BER/SN readout or spectrum analyzer and good knowledge of the steps to put the dish on the arc. Assuming you don't already have those tools as an advanced hobbyist, price seems to me to be no argument point when the arcset is 1/3 to 1/4 the price of the minimum tools you are going to have to buy to do things right without the arcset.

 

[bobvick]

I wonder if you stored these in a sealed bag, without any air, kind of like a food saver does, if that would help? I don't imagine that it will hurt.

 

[bobvick]

Oh, I was wondering what the heck the third level was for.
Now I understand all three.
Interesting.

I've already suggested to Dee that she build one out of parts from the 99¢ store.
I have a 16 (?) inch ruler/level bought from there, with three vials in it, all for ... you guessed it.
But, I'd allocate up to $10, for assorted bits, et al.

The problem could be how to calibrate the three modules.
Might need a $30 digital level for that. -
(...and an easy-to-find table of angles...)

I guess that it depends on how good you are using those tools and those angle tables. It can be done, just as you say, with the correct tools for much cheaper than what Gorumet Ent. charges, and if you are comfortable using those tools and going that way then that is the best for you. For someone like myself, a tool such as the Arc Set seems like it would make the alignment process much easier though.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

For me, it's the poor construction of it (great when it's new, deteriorates in 5-10 years)

If it lasts you 5 to 10 years you have more then gotten your monies worth out of it.

If it didn't work after 5 - 10 weeks (or even months) you might say its poor construction, but I wouldn't say that for a product thats served you well for over 5 years.

Hell I feel that with the one use that it has paid for itself already. I was more then willing to pay someone to set my dish perfectly and nobody wanted to, this was cheaper then paying someone.

BTW there are actually 5 levels on the Arc set. Two of them are on the ends so you can make sure that they are pointed directly up and down.

 

[Babadem]

This what looking into, but why not include VISA & MasterCard as methods of payment?

 

[Babadem]

Bob when you order it they ask you what the furthest satellite you can receive. For me I picked 131. I can sometimes see 133 or 135 but thats when the trees are bare, so on the safe side I went with 131 which I can see year around.

ANd yes just keep moving the dish until the bubble is centered then turn the dish on the pole until you hit signal. (Move slowly!)

Are these units custom made for each customer based on their Western furthest Satellite they think they can receive, or can they be used any where regardless?

 

[Anole]

The set is custom and only works for a small area.
Check the site; I'm sure it said (50 miles?). I don't remember.

So, if Scott sold me his, it would be useless here on the west coast.
In other words, little or no resale value unless to someone local.