Just can't seem to fine tunemy dish

[Unckle_Fun_Knuckles]

Hey folks,
going cookoo over here. I have my disk adjusted to the point that I can dial in either AMC3 (my south bird) or G10 but can't seem to get quality on both at the same time.

I can set my dish elevation at my Lat (or lan whichever can't remember) and lock it in, but if I want to switch birds I have to adjust the MOTOR elevation.
And Vise versa; I lock the motor, then I have to adjust the DISH elevation. I have been trying for 3 days (thanks to my helpful wife and a new set of walkies) to get it dialed in but JUST CAN"T DO IT. I have made adjustments in the neighborhood of 1-2mm at a time up and down the scale and nothing.

Does this mean I have some other adjustment off? What makes me think this is NOT true is when I "thumb" the dish to the east or west and the signal drops. Makes me think it's not that.

How about the dish to the motor mast setting. I've tweaked that a little and still nothing.

I thought about setting the reciever to IA5 (hence my eariler request) which is about in the middle of AMC and G10. Seems like if it gets the one in the middle, should get the ones on the ends???
I'm about at my wits end. Some wisdom fom the zen masters would be great about now.

Thanks 1,000,000

 

[CharredPC]

This might help a bit:

http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizeimgs/adjarcsr.gif

 

[caddata]

Sound like the pole is not plumb. It has to be "right on". I had a similar problem -- discovered the angle of the actuator was slightly off. The axis of it must point toward Polaris (the north star). If it's a SM3D12 actuator, use the degree scale on the unit's lefthand side (as viewed from the dish looking back at the actuator).

 

[Unckle_Fun_Knuckles]

in the philosophy chart u suggested PC, what is "Declination" is that the motor setting?
I checked the mast and it is pretty damn good, at least as level as anything in my house =)

 

[Shawn95GT]

in the philosophy chart u suggested PC, what is "Declination" is that the motor setting?
I checked the mast and it is pretty damn good, at least as level as anything in my house =)

Declination is the 'dish' elevation.

 

[Cascade]

UFK, just throwing this in...

On the SG2100 there are 2 scales at either side of the motor bracket, make sure you're using the correct scale for the numbers you have.

 

[Unckle_Fun_Knuckles]

So Toom uch declination...I have to "flatten out" my dish. It's set around 20 something.

the motor I'm using is a STAB hh100, (thankfully) it only has i scale on it. So the philosophy is set the motor at my LAt (36.49) Lock and leave it. Point it at my southern bird (this is al very familiar...I've done it 100 times by now =]) till I get it in, swing over to G10, then Micro adjust the DISH ONLY? Correct.

I checked my mast with an angle finder and it is within 1degree (no kiddin) of perfect, so I think i'm in the clear on that one.

Thanks gentlemen.

 

[Unckle_Fun_Knuckles]

Just wondering

If I adjust the dish up and down on the motor mount will that change anything? The dish mount hasa stop on it and I just set the stop on top of the motor mast.

In the diagram what is the north/south axis??

 

[Wholeshoe]

The manual for the motor should tell you what the declination should be and then what the dish setting should be for your true south. I am not familiar with the Stab but the SG2100 lays it out in the manual and when you read it enough times you begin to see what they are talking about.

When you first start you might only get a few sats around your true south, this means you are turning too tight or wide of the arc and that the motor angle is off, when you hone in on it you will receive all of the sats across the arc and will then not touch the motor elevation again and just fine tune the dish itself.

It takes some time and getting used to but once you hit it with the motor you won't have to adjust it again.

Imagine the satellite arc on a piece of paper with your true south sat being the highest one in the sky, when you change the motor setting and it is wrong you are turning either too tight of an arc (motor is following a path under all of the sats except true south) or too wide of one (motor is following a path above all of the sats). Once you get it to follow right on the path of the sats your cherry.

See attached pic for a visual.

 

[jerryt]

I had a problem installing my motorized dish, which was not address by any of the install material.

I had all the settings correct, using USAL with a HH90, and my most West satellite needed the dish elevation down and the most East satellite need the dish elevation more up.

The manual was saying that I was not pointed True South, which was not the case and the USAL feature was working correctly, it was just the elevation at the ends of the arc which were off.

Well the problem turned out to be that the lnb was not centered in relationship to the face of the dish. I don't know if it was shipping damage or my yard guy, but I had to align the dish. Gently twisted the feed arm until the lnb lined up with the center of the dish, and all the correct settings for elevation worked fine.

 

[Unckle_Fun_Knuckles]

Thank you JerryT. When I was unpacking my dish, I thought I saw a ding it and sure enough, it was bent right where the LNB support mount bolts up. I bent it back into place and managed to get low 30's through out the arc.

I think i may have another issue here. My support arm, the actual square bar that mount to the dish, I believe is eith mis-stamped or I have my dish mounted wrong.

Could someone send me a pic of there 100cm dish mounted to thier HH100. When it stops raining I'll go out and take a picture of my setup so everyone can see.

The problem is the little line that shows dish elevation is not under the series of stamped mumbers. It is on the other side on top. According to the picture I mounted it right.

Man I just drew a wild card on this one =P

 

[Shawn95GT]

Does this help at all?

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/Fortec-Star/Dishes/Mount-09.jpg

More pics at:

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/...nch-offset-ku-band-satellite-dish-antenna.htm

 

[Unckle_Fun_Knuckles]

Yes, that did help Shawn. It tells me I have it mounted right, that my piece is stamped wrong or something. I have pics now.

Bear with me.

Here is my set up from afar

Here is the "back" side

Here is where the elevation is set, not the square support mounted directly to the dish, seems to be OK, not upside down.

IF you look closely you will see the little elevation mark on the square pole. It is NOT where it's supposed to be =( Looking at the above photo, it is on the wrong sdie and on top instaed of being on the bottom...seee next picture....

Note the LACK of a stamped mark on the square post (ignore my insane scrawlings on the post :shocked )

OK with the inof presented...agree or disagree...the square post is NOT stamped correctly.

Regardless of how it's stamped I believe I'm still very close

 

[neil_kc1]

are you sure you motor is usal compatable? when i use my fortec ultra lifetime, i cannot use the usal, my motor responds but ends up a few degrees off almost every time,

 

[Unckle_Fun_Knuckles]

I never have a problem with the motor. I wheels it right back to the same spot. every once in a while I have to nudge AMC4 for some reason, but other then that it works great.

 

[charper1]

I almost positive that I have the same motor, and I am NOT the expert here, nor do I know if these things have dual mount options, but my motor is working perfectly and is oriented the other way as the ones in the picture; this one is UP and mine is DOWN. Is this the issue or do I have another version?

 

[Shawn95GT]

I almost positive that I have the same motor, and I am NOT the expert here, nor do I know if these things have dual mount options, but my motor is working perfectly and is oriented the other way as the ones in the picture; this one is UP and mine is DOWN. Is this the issue or do I have another version?

At first i was thinking the same but if you look his f-connectors are indeed on the bottom where they should be.

I then noticed the angle of the rotator - it's opposite the SG-2100 (forward vs back). I'm sure it is setup correctly. I know the HH-120 is installed like his is. It's one of the selling points as a matter of fact with the biger dishes.

 

[Unckle_Fun_Knuckles]

yeah, if I turned my motor upside down it would reverse east and west ;P
Sadoun has a few pics of the HH100 and they all stick up.

Heres a pic of an HH100 setup

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/Fortec-Star/Dishes/FC90U_Sample_.jpg

 

[charper1]

you guys are probably correct, as i said no expert here, i must have another version. just a thought.

 

[Cascade]

UFK, ignore the stamped markings on the dish bracket, I had to use mine upside-down too - the "V" indent on the rear of the bracket doesn't take into account that some motors point up as well as down.
If the motor angle is correct and you're at your true south bird you'll be able to plug in a sigmeter and adjust the dish til it hits your TS bird, it should follow the rest automatically.