My Brain Needs Adjusting

[Blue Crystal]

It seems the more I view the links the more confused I get. I have read the links and all the set-up info i can find in regards to my 10ft dish and it all seems to run together, at this point. I have been looking for a chart, (picture) that will show me the satellite arc from my long and lat. My Long. is 81.467w and Lat. is 29.224n.
My confusion is this:
If my dish is being set for Due South, to start with, would my dish move to the east and west to track the sats, or does my dish have to move in an upward and downward motion at the same time it moves east and west in order to track the sats.
When I was reading the "foot print links on installation" its telling how to point the dish at the highest point of the arc in order to set the elevation/declination.
Not knowing the position of the arc seems to confuse me.
I think I must be trying too hard or I have worn out my brain and it needs an adjustment.
I'm missing something and I know I will feel like a dummy when I figure it out.
Excuse my ignorance.

 

[Lak7]

Not knowing the position of the arc seems to confuse me.

It's the highest point in Your arc. If you removed the Actuator Arm, the point where the Dish would balance / teeter-totter the center. Do not attempt that alone!

If my dish is being set for Due South, to start with, would my dish move to the east and west to track the sats, or does my dish have to move in an upward and downward motion at the same time it moves east and west in order to track the sats.

Just to the East & West. The "Up & Down" is fixed by the angles you set.

Drive the Dish to it's highest point, you can tell buy looking at the mount, everything kinda lines up.
Rotate the Mount on the Pole to Your True South by Compass.
Triple check that the Mount is Plumb when setting angles!
Set the Mount's Elevation first, then the Dish's declination.
Example for 29.2 North:
Polar Axis Angle is: 29.8 or 60.2 Elevated up from the Horizon.
Declination is: 4.3
Set the Mount's Elevation to 60.2 up from the Horizon.
Then the Declination is set. For Declination, the Dish is tilted back towards to Horizon 4.3deg

Start with C Band, Ku is Very touchy on a BUD.

 

[rv1pop]

Lak7 almost said in actual words, but not quite: Due South IS your highest point of the arc! -- Slap forehead now -- ;-)

 

[turbosat]

declination angle

Almost --the declination angle is added to the polar axis angle, not subtracted from it. Check the angle on the polar axis bar, set to proper elevation for your location.
Then check angle on back of dish, find a flat place on back of the dish's ring--There, is where the declination angle is checked. Remember, you are lining up 2 semi-circles, one in the sky(the arc) and the one your dish follows as it moves east and west.

 

[Lak7]

Almost --the declination angle is added to the polar axis angle, not subtracted from it.

Sorry about that, corrections made.

 

[14karat]

BC... I know, too much info all at once...
Try this site: Setting up a polar mount axi-symmetric satellite dish for another description of the mount settings (and it has a link to a calculator for your elevation & declination settings.)
For a better "visual" representation of a sat to your location, try this link:
LIVE REAL TIME SATELLITE TRACKING: GALAXY 9 (I've selected Galaxy 9 at 81°) The current location is based on your IP address, so it may not be exact.
Keep in mind, the sats are in space at a 22,000 mile altitude along the plane of the equator (called the "Clarke Belt")
Now, once you set your elevation and declination correctly, it will never move again (yeah, I don't ever touch mine... well... maybe a little bit sometimes )

Guys, where are those old setup videos located? I know I had a link to the things somewhere...

 

[14karat]

Shaun Kenny

AAhhh!!! Found it. Boresight News Videos
B.C. If you can, try watching the "Tracking Made Easy" video (3rd one down).
It may help.

 

[turbosat]

Lak7 , that one has always boggled me memory over the c-band years, I ALWAYS had to go look in the book to be sure lol. I finally got it stored in memory, after I saw a diagram one day and it suddenly became clear!

 

[Lak7]

I finally got it stored in memory, after I saw a diagram one day and it suddenly became clear!

I understand it, can see it, can do it, just couldn't describe it properly.
Work kinda got in the way, and posted before verifing.

 

[B.J.]

.....
Rotate the Mount on the Pole to Your True South by Compass.
Triple check that the Mount is Plumb when setting angles!
Set the Mount's Elevation first, then the Dish's declination.
Example: Ele = 45, Declin = 5
Set the Mount's Elevation to 45(Zero is looking straight up), then the Declination is set buy adding the Declin to the Ele.
45+5 = 50
.....

There seems to be some confusion relative to adding or subtracting the declination. I think the confusion is related to how the elevation is measured.

Elevation should be measured relative to the horizon, not "looking straight up". But this depends on where and how you put your inclinometer on your mount. If you're setting an elevation, just make sure that if the dish is aiming lower toward the horizon, that the reading is lower.
If you are setting elevation corectly, then yes, the aim after setting the declination would be subtracting the declination, but again, this depends upon how you position your inclinometer. Basically, the declination will have the dish aiming lower, closer to the horizon.

Rather than choosing an "example" for elevation and declination, if we use the proper declination and elevation for a latitude of 29.2, it might help.
For a latitude of 29.2, the elevation should be 60.2 , and the declination should be about 4.3. This will result in a final aim of the dish as having an elevation of about 60.2-4.3=55.9 plus/minus a tenth or so. You can check this by going to an Az/El calculator and finding the Az/El to your south satellite. The elevation of your true south sat should be the elevation you set your polar axis to minus your declination. Also, your polar axis elevation should be 90-(lat+0.6) approximately. Ie 90-29.2-.6=60.2 .
Clear as mud I'm sure, but the main thing is that when you're looking at the aim of the dish with an inclinometer, just make sure that elevation measurements increase as the dish aims higher, and that the elevation and aim of the dish decreases when the declination is applied.

Ie I think both were originally right, but using different definitions, and the correction made it wrong, I think. I've probably confused things more. sorry

 

[Blue Crystal]

I sure appreciate the info. i believe I set the dish up wrong. The only way my dish was moving was left to right and not up. I'll rest my brain and start over.

Thanks

 

[Lak7]

I sure appreciate the info. i believe I set the dish up wrong. The only way my dish was moving was left to right and not up. I'll rest my brain and start over.

That's correct! The Dish only moves East and West. But if you watch where it's "aiming" you will notice that as the Dish moves from the East to the South it is"looking" higher, then as it goes to the West, it's looking lower. The "UP" is a fixed adjustment that you must set, the Polar Axis and Declination.

 

[Anole]

I read the Geo-Orbit site about 100 times, and suddenly it was all clear to me! -

 

[Blue Crystal]

It will get clearer I'm sure.

It was blowing my mind.

Thanks

 

[rv1pop]

FTA hobby or addiction is one of those -- ah ha -- endeaver. You struggle and work at things and think that there is something wrong and suddenly -- "Why was I having such a problem? This is so logical!" happens. It may take 100 times going over it, and some things may take longer, as in do you add or subtrack declination? Logically, since it is a de- that should mean minus, but as the above discussion indicated it depends where you start from. Then the question also comes to light-- Do you speak English, British, or American - then Northern, Southern (or Cajun), or Eastern (Bostonian).

Relax and have fun!
POP

 

[Lak7]

Then the question also comes to light-- Do you speak English, British, or American - then Northern, Southern (or Cajun), or Eastern (Bostonian).

And you all sound funny to me, Midwest


Trying to describe it without Pics is the fun part.