Motor help

[greyskies]

Thanks for your input PSB

Thanks for your input and assistance. I picked up a compass at Wal-Mart earlier this AM (pretty accurate - why wouldn't it be?) so that I would be able to find magnetic south. My latitude is 26 Degrees and 3.264 Minutes North, and my longitude is 80 Degrees and 24.780 Minutes West (Live in Davie, FL - just west of Fort Lauderdale, FL and northwest of Miami, FL, and my zip code is 33324). Used two (2) different web-based calculators and am confused as one states that my magnetic declination angle should be -5.55 and the other concluded that the magnetic declination angle should be 5.25 West (HUH? Which one is correct? Does it matter because ther are both so close?)

I can install the mount, dish and motor approximately 6-7 back from the southern exposure, which is a railing (42 inches high) with vertical bars spaced approximately 5 inches apart. If I install it just above the patio floor, at that distance, wouldl the dish be angled sufficiently to see over that railing??? I am asking this question because I would like to install it as low as possible to the concrete floor of the patio so as to provide it maximum protection from rain and for maximum reduction from the wind. If it will have enough clearance to look over the railing, then I can install the dish and motor low along the south wall of the patio, affording maximum protection against the wind and rain (the roof overhangs the patio by approximately 12-14 inches along the southern wall of the adjacent room of the house, as well as along the western wall of the second story patio, which is adjacent to the master bedroom.

Your response is most definitely appreciated.

P.S. - Just a simple question, will I receive a better signal and level quality switching from my Dishpro 500 Dish and LNB to the Winegard 30" dish?

 

[PSB]

Heres some info for your area

True south=80w
but use AMC-5
Elevation=59.6deg
Magnetic dev.= +4deg.
Distance to satellite=36550
Azim=178deg +4= 182deg is where you aim on your compass.
Set the motor to your lat. =26 deg.
The declination is so close dont worry about it, just put it in the middle as you may have to tweak it when you peak into AMC-5

Bigger dish better signal and quality but the LNB has to be a DBS/DSS type to use for Dishnetwork, you could all ways add one of them to your set up later but I would keep them separate until you have it all set up for ku band, it will make life a lot easier, a dish pro LNB is a stacked LNB so I dont think it will work with your FTA receiver (I may be wrong) but a simple dish or directv LNB will work.

Keeping your dish low is a good idea and at your elevation you are going to have more problems with whats overhanging your dish other than whats in front of it, cut out a bit of card board at 50 deg. and hold it level and look along the top angle of card to see if you have clearance all round to the satellite, you need line of sight at the top and bottom and sides of the dish to get the full signal, the downward elevation angle is VERY steep, and catches a lot of people out.

The motor should come with some installation details too!