I'm back, and ready to... shop!

[Anole]

. . . or maybe it's time to put a nice ladder on your FTA-parts list ?

What are you gonna do next time you need to get up there?

I shopped all over heck a few years back for one that folds at three places, will fit in my car , and yet get me well up onto the roof.
I can't remember exactly, but I think just over $100.
Well worth it.

 

[Ziploc]

I have also gotten my parts/supplies in and I am trying to get it all set up through this weekend, I'm not currently having a lot of success finding a signal. I'm sure it will all click eventually. It's almost certainly an issue of not having my motor turned to point the right direction around the pole. The elevation and declination settings are almost no brainers with these new setups.

There is about half an inch that can be adjusted in the focal length, can someone who has a geosat/azure/3abn and an invacom quad lnb provide some feedback or recommend where the best signal strength can be achieved by adjusting the focal length?

 

[CharredPC]

Hooray! I'm sure it's not 100% peaked, and I definitely need some new RG6 jumpers... but for now at least I'm so very pleased! Here's some pics of my new setup aimed at our favorite bird. I even scored a 120GB hard drive for $10 locally, I just need an external drive casing to make my Visionsat IV 200 into a PVR

Yeah, it rained while I was up there. Too bad! I refused to wait anymore.

 

[Tron]

Congrats, CharredPC! Glad to see you back in the game How do you like that 3ABN dish? I am really impressed by the quality of these Azure Shine dishes.

 

[voomvoom]

Congratulations, and thanks for the pictures. We like pictures..... Now you're good to go, once you peak it, it should be even better. Good Job!

Al

 

[Ziploc]

Congrats and thanks Charred! All I can say is Yee-Haw wrangle them satellites space cowboy!

I was going to reply to my original thread, but it is too old now.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-ai...5-phoenix-area-installer-recommendations.html

Fifteen months later I'm finally seriously back in the hobby instead of watching from the sidelines. Thanks to all who posted info and encouragement on getting this set up put together cheaply. It was just the motivation I needed to gett off my butt and get moving.

My 3ABN dish is up solid, the mount is fairly good for wall mounting though I couldn't get it to lock in perfectly vertical with the weight of the motor and dish on it. I added a hook and turnbuckle and it then went plumb easily, improving my signal strength immediately. I can currently see from 61.5 to 121 fairly well, a few weak signals there, I expect to tweak it onto the arc better and hope I'll be able to see anything from 61.5 across to 129 with it. The 3ABN definately gets better signal then the old primestar did.

So far I can see over my two story home pretty well.

More photos to look at....

 

[Anole]

Ziploc -

Kudos on the turnbuckle idea.
Great pix, too.
I may post one using your idea, later.

Heck of an unusual place for a dish - just love it.
Pretty much out of the way, yet easily accessable.
Just not sure how good the signals would be if you had a lawn party.

Also answers some previous questions of how much arc one can see when mounting to a south-looking wall:

I can currently see from 61.5 to 121 fairly well

CharredPC , my friend . . .

Fantastic job you did there!
Love the "angry sky" behind the dish, too!
Very dramatic pictures.

I see a ladder found its way to your shed.
Best keep an eye on that...

Maybe, you can induce the neighbor you borrowed it from to switch to FTA.
If so, we want pix of his install , too !