installation help?

[mac21]

I spent all day today installing a 30"Fortec Dish with a Pansat PM900 motor got everything mounted correctly but having trouble locating any satellites.As what from I have read I came up with these numbers my lattitude is 32.78 and my longitude is 96.8.I came up with Telstar5@97.0 as my true south Sat. and my magnetic declination is 176.4.So my question is I aligned the dish to 176.4 (this is the entire mast that holds the lnband dish)I am trying to figure out what my motor and dish elevations should be the manual that came w/the motor said motor elevation is 27.8 and antenna elevation is 25.0.Yet other websites suggust to set the motor elevation to your lattitude and use "p" for the dish elevation I calculated "p" as 51.9 so I calculted Dish Elevation=p-(60-lattitude) came out to 24.68 .I am a little confused and wanting some tips or pointers to help me out a lillte thanks

 

[robert luzzi]

advice, get directv or even dish, remember c band ? how long do you think the free to air is going to last? a year at best

 

[PSB]

I have been watching FTA for around 20 years, both in Europe and now the USA, I think it will be around for a while : ) But you are right after all the hacked boxes go down (and they will) The hobby will not have the same appeal to the thieves out there, but I am sure a FTA nationwide service is a lot closer than you realise as it is right now in the UK and Europe.

Welcome to the form Mac21 you sound as if you are very close, I would use the manuals setting for the motor (28deg) and (25deg.) on the dish, sounds like maybe just a pointing problem, I am sure there will be a member who has the same motor who will chip in.

 

[thespiderman]

I spent most of the the trying to set-up my Fortec 30" dish and PM 900 motor also. I was able to find my true south satellite and two satellites next to them. but can't find any others.(yet)

I took a compass and pointed my dish south. Then went to my receiver and programmed it to one of the transponders on my true south Satellite. Then I press the signal button to show me the signal strength. I moved the dish up and down then left to right until I got a good signal.
Then bam. I was watching AMC4.

This is my first time putting one of these things together also.

I know it might not be the right way. but it works.

I also notice on my set up. All transponders that was suppose to be vertical was Horiztal. and all transponders that was suppose to be horiztal was vertical. I don't know what I did wrong.

 

[ken2400]

Get a meter. It worked for me. They are like $15 with shipping and all on E-bay. They will get you in the ballpark and with a little movement from there you will find your sat.

Good luck
Ken

I spent all day today installing a 30"Fortec Dish with a Pansat PM900 motor got everything mounted correctly but having trouble locating any satellites.As what from I have read I came up with these numbers my lattitude is 32.78 and my longitude is 96.8.I came up with Telstar5@97.0 as my true south Sat. and my magnetic declination is 176.4.So my question is I aligned the dish to 176.4 (this is the entire mast that holds the lnband dish)I am trying to figure out what my motor and dish elevations should be the manual that came w/the motor said motor elevation is 27.8 and antenna elevation is 25.0.Yet other websites suggust to set the motor elevation to your lattitude and use "p" for the dish elevation I calculated "p" as 51.9 so I calculted Dish Elevation=p-(60-lattitude) came out to 24.68 .I am a little confused and wanting some tips or pointers to help me out a lillte thanks

 

[PSB]

The little meters (beepers) are of limited use for most KU satellites, if there is a DBS satellite (MUCH stronger) close by to where you are pointing you will keep landing on the DBS bird! But it depends where you are in the country and what satellite you are pointing at, but at $15 they are worth having even if you can only use it for the DBS birds, BEEP! The best meter is the one you have on your TV screen (Quality Meter) if you can see it from the dish!

 

[carload]

For pointing at a satellite that's not next to a DBS satellite, I find the meter very helpful. At $15 or so, it's a useful tool. But Pete's right that once you have found the satellite, the best way to peak the signal strength is to use the receiver's quality meter.