need help on final setup

[meinename]

It doesn't take much...

It is not visibly bent. It looks the same as it did before. I barely pulled on it when I did that, and before I removed it, I was aimed at 97W. I marked the position on the bracket and mast so I could line it back up. I put it back up there in the exact same location and the Q for a strong TP on 97W went from 10-15 to 65-70. Before, I couldn't get anything at all (Q=0) on 123W and afterwards I found it quickly. Visibly, nothing on the dish looks bent, dented, or anything like that. I did just get another Hughesnet dish of the same size, but has a different feedhorn. Would it work if I just swapped the brackets and feedhorns on the two dishes?

Both of my metal dishes that were bent (Geosatpro 90cm and 24" Dish Network wing dish, both round) looked like they were perfect.

Only after laying them on a flat wooden floor I could see that the reflectors were a quarter inch twisted. That quarter inch was enough to throw more than half of the gathered signal somewhere else- NOT AT THE LNB- effectively halving the dish.

Unfortunately, if your dish reflector is a composite-fiberglass, it's trash.
If it's a metal reflector, it can be improved but not fixed.

Thankfully you got some more dishes you can try now!

 

[willie8605]

Both of my metal dishes that were bent (Geosatpro 90cm and 24" Dish Network wing dish, both round) looked like they were perfect.

Only after laying them on a flat wooden floor I could see that the reflectors were a quarter inch twisted. That quarter inch was enough to throw more than half of the gathered signal somewhere else- NOT AT THE LNB- effectively halving the dish.

Unfortunately, if your dish reflector is a composite-fiberglass, it's trash.
If it's a metal reflector, it can be improved but not fixed.

Thankfully you got some more dishes you can try now!

I understand what you are saying, but does this really sound like it is the problem for me if it boosted the Q signal on 97W by about 50 after I did it?

The dish I'm using is metal. I can still try another dish and see if it helps.

Also, a composite-fiberglass dish can be warped? Seems like that stuff would be less likely to bend/warp.

 

[meinename]

I understand what you are saying, but does this really sound like it is the problem for me if it boosted the Q signal on 97W by about 50 after I did it?

YES, quite so IF you twisted the dish and did NOT PUSH the dish. Small but important distinction on a metal dish.
At the same time I end up reminding myself how little movement it takes to lose or gain a few points of quality.

The dish I'm using is metal. I can still try another dish and see if it helps.

If the posts are the same size I'd start there. Don't move anything except the dish's pipe-mount nuts.

Also, a composite-fiberglass dish can be warped? Seems like that stuff would be less likely to bend/warp.

Unlikely but known to happen.

 

[willie8605]

YES, quite so IF you twisted the dish and did NOT PUSH the dish. Small but important distinction on a metal dish.
At the same time I end up reminding myself how little movement it takes to lose or gain a few points of quality.

What do you mean "push"? I by no means twisted it. I was in front of the dish, put my knee in the middle, grabbed both sides of the dish width-wise and pulled with a very small amount of force. So small that I noticed no change to the appearance. When I re-mounted the dish, I put it in the exact same spot on the mast (left the elevation and skew the same, tightened them enough so they couldn't move when I took the dish off the mast)

If the posts are the same size I'd start there. Don't move anything except the dish's pipe-mount nuts.

Both the dishes are the same size (I'm pretty sure, I can verify this tonight) and same manufacturer, Hughesnet, but the feedhorns are completely different. Since the were used for internet, they had transmitters on them. One feedhorn had the transmitter on the bottom side of the feedhorn right underneath the LNB. The transmitter on the new one would be attached right behind the LNB, so the feedhorn is a lot longer. Also, I don't have a LNB for the new dish and the one I'm using on the other Hughes dish won't fit. So, you're saying I shouldn't remove the brackets or anything on the back of the dishes?

 

[meinename]

Oops! By push I mean pull.

Do not trust your eyes. You eyes are for the Quality meter on the TV.
Feel the pressure in your fingertips and hands/arms, grasshopper.

I usually put one hand on each side of the dish to feel if the dish movement is warping/flexing or movement on the pole.

As for the pole I'm talking about the pole the mount sits on.
Not the LNB arm.

Reword that to "Don't move anything on the old dish, except the dish's pipe-mount nuts"

 

[willie8605]

The dish doesn't wobble or twist when i move it around like something would that was warped. I don't know if I worded that correctly, but I know what you mean. Like if it was warped it would kind of change shape a little when force is applied to it. correct?

Just to make sure I'm understanding you....You are saying to not remove the alignment assembly on the back of the dish and put it on another hughesnet dish of the same size? only the nuts that are used for the clamp that clamps the post?

 

[meinename]

The dish doesn't wobble or twist when i move it around like something would that was warped. I don't know if I worded that correctly, but I know what you mean. Like if it was warped it would kind of change shape a little when force is applied to it. correct?

Just to make sure I'm understanding you....You are saying to not remove the alignment assembly on the back of the dish and put it on another hughesnet dish of the same size? only the nuts that are used for the clamp that clamps the post?

I was trying to state an "obvious" course of action. Remove the entire dish assembly and don't adjust it to take it down, so you can save some time setting it back up.
I'm young and dumb and tend to do stupid things like loosen up everything to take it down.

All of my metal dishes flex a bit when pushed on. That is the word I was trying to remember.
Feel if the quality goes up when you push east/west/up/down or if it goes up when twisting the dish. (up/down or the east side and vice versa on the west side of the dish)

 

[willie8605]

I was trying to state an "obvious" course of action. Remove the entire dish assembly and don't adjust it to take it down, so you can save some time setting it back up.
I'm young and dumb and tend to do stupid things like loosen up everything to take it down.

All of my metal dishes flex a bit when pushed on. That is the word I was trying to remember.
Feel if the quality goes up when you push east/west/up/down or if it goes up when twisting the dish. (up/down or the east side and vice versa on the west side of the dish)

This is what I was talking about, too. And you're right, it is hard to explain lol. Last night, from behind the dish, when I pushed on the left side of the dish trying to move it to the right it would flex a little (it would do this before I applied enough force to actually move the dish to the right) and the Q would jump up. That's why I ended up taking it off and pulling on the sides. After that it worked a lot better.

I got a new composite elliptical dish today with the original feedhorn, and the original linear LNB with separate H and V coax outputs. I'm gonna try it later today to see if it works better

I will post pics over my lunch break in an hour or 2 of that new dish here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/179121-my-day-has-been-made.html

:EDIT:
Turns out that dish I traded is an old elliptical P* dish with LNB model# NJR2119F
Here's a couple threads mentioning this LNB:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/124428-some-questions-you-all.html#post1227446
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/35603-lnb-question.html

 

[Wescopc]

When you have an elliptical dish, such as your Hughes, the is no good way to check to see if it is bent. I have straightened oval dishes such that they are perfectly flat (at the edge) and they still don't preform well. Once bent there is no guarantee that they can be returned to their original shape. You composite dish should hold it's shape just fine.
Bob

 

[meinename]

Did you give away a 75e (36"W x 26"H) or something bigger for 2 Hughesnet dishes?

I sure hope it was only a 75e!

 

[willie8605]

Did you give away a 75e (36"W x 26"H) or something bigger for 2 Hughesnet dishes?

I sure hope it was only a 75e!

No. As of yesterday I had 2 Hughesnet dishes and a Direcway dish that were all 3 given to me for free. I just traded the Direcway (39x23) and its LNB & XMTR for a P* with a linear LNB that has separate H and V outputs.

So, now I have 2 Hughesnet dishes (only one with an LNB and both have original feedhorn) and a P* dish with it's original feedhorn and LNB.

The guy also said he has a lot of the P* dishes and other kinds that size that he would just give me. Apparently he has an entire shop full of dishes, lnb's, and all kinds of satellite hardware. I might have to go check it out soon

:EDIT:
Post related to the P* dish and LNB I just got: http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/179319-old-primestar-dish.html

 

[willie8605]

Here is pics of the dish I traded for the Direcway dish. It measured to be about 36x26.

 

[willie8605]

I took down the warped metal Hughesnet dish and mounted the composite P* dish shown in the pics above. Took me about 15 minutes to find 123W.

The tip I needed before all this was to watch out for warped/bent dishes if you are using a used metal dish. Circular dishes will obviously be easier to tell if they are warped/bent. I dunno how anyone new to this would know if their metal elliptical dish is warped or not but be wary of it!

 

[turbosat]

:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up
Now you're cookin!

 

[Tron]

The guy also said he has a lot of the P* dishes and other kinds that size that he would just give me. Apparently he has an entire shop full of dishes, lnb's, and all kinds of satellite hardware. I might have to go check it out soon

Looks like you may have struck gold with a contact like that. The Primestar (Channel Master) dishes are the best out there! Congratulations...

 

[meinename]

I always thought that the dull-grey Hugesnet dish was a composite, not a metal one. Well that one goes low on the list of freebies to pick up.

I seem to be good at finding bent/warped metal dishes.

Congratulations on finding 123W

 

[willie8605]

I always thought that the dull-grey Hugesnet dish was a composite, not a metal one. Well that one goes low on the list of freebies to pick up.

I seem to be good at finding bent/warped metal dishes.

Congratulations on finding 123W

I wouldn't be surprised if some of them are composite. Seems like there are a lot of different models of these dishes. The two I have are both metal, but that doesn't mean they all are. My two metal ones have completely different feedhorns and bracket assemblies on them as well and they were both installed by the same installers in the same town. But who knows, maybe all of them are metal.

 

[osu1991]

Lots of Primestar dishes around here. I love mine. They are very easy to aim and adjust.