Newbie Dish Alignment help

[Bullwinkle Moose]

Is the STB set to the G19 C band with LO 5150? What transponder is selected? If an inactive transponder is selected, no signal lock will occur.

Once the satellite, LO and an active transponder have been selected then SLOWLY move the dish Left and Right of the estimated direction and increase decrease the elevation in one degree increments until the Signal Quality reading increases. You are aiming the dish at a satellite that is 23,000 miles distant. and a few degrees left/right/up/down and nothing will be received. The compass and elevation heading will get the dish aimed into the ball park, but not even I would be lucky enough to receive a satellite based on an initial compass reading. It has happened a few time over the years, but not very often... SLOWLY adjust the dish to locate then peak the signal.

Thanks, I'll give it a try. One other question, I'm using a C2pll lnbf and just wanted to verify the lo frequency setting. The box indicates a 5150 setting but I have seen lnbf's with multiple ports using a different setting. Is the 5150 correct for the dual port lnbf? Thanks.

 

[Bullwinkle Moose]

1. Yours is a motorized setup, is it not?
2. And you haven't had any reception with the setup, so far?

If both answers are yes, then I have a few more questions:

3. Why do you speak of elevation of 44 degrees?
At Latitude = 35N, axis elevation = 54.4 (modified angle), and declination offset angle (modified) = 5.0 degrees. I don't see any 44 degrees in my calculator, for your location.

4. Why are you aiming at 97W, at the moment?
At Longitude 78W, I would choose a satellite at or near due south, to start with. What is the reason that you don't?

5. Or am I totally wrong, here?

Greetz,
A33

Thanks for the reply. You are correct in that my dish is a motorized system but until recently, I've been using a 12v battery to move the dish. Did not want to purchase a controller until I new I was up and running but I finally gave in. The 44 degrees was obtained from a phone pointer app aligned to the G19 satellite from my lat. I started at due south and rotated thru the arc and was unable to really get any where and thought I would start with the 97w as it's a good target for fta and is for the most part unrestricted for my line of sight. I now have a controller and plan to perform a setup at due south and then use the receiver to position the dish and see if I can fine tweak from there. Been living in this house for the past 25+ years with this BUD in the yard and just thought I would get around to it. I have a channel master ota antenna that gets 50 crystal clear channels and I have Roku, Steam, and Android boxes with kodi that have been my go to for most content and was unsure if I would get any thing more from this dish and if it was worth the expense. Guess if I am going to do it, the C band is the way to go.

 

[Titanium]

Thanks, I'll give it a try. One other question, I'm using a C2pll lnbf and just wanted to verify the lo frequency setting. The box indicates a 5150 setting but I have seen lnbf's with multiple ports using a different setting. Is the 5150 correct for the dual port lnbf? Thanks.

Yes, the C2-PLL LNBF LO is 5150 as printed on the label and on the gift box. WHAT ACTIVE TRANSPONDER ARE YOU SELECTING from the Galaxy 19 list?

 

[a33]

I started at due south and rotated thru the arc and was unable to really get any where and thought I would start with the 97w

So, ... you didn't change the axis elevation angle and/or dish declination offset angle, and tried to find 97W, just by rotating the axis?
Or what angles did you change?

However, I guess now you're going for the motorized reception, and not for fixed reception of 97W anymore, now you've got your actuator controller ...


Greetz,
A33

 

[Bullwinkle Moose]

So, ... you didn't change the axis elevation angle and/or dish declination offset angle, and tried to find 97W, just by rotating the axis?
Or what angles did you change?

However, I guess now you're going for the motorized reception, and not for fixed reception of 97W anymore, now you've got your actuator controller ...


Greetz,
A33

Yea, got the vbox. Finished checking it out, in the process of setting it up. When I went thru the arc I tried to maintain the current settings but did adjust a few degrees up/down of the elevation angle and did not see any increase of signal. Once I get the box setup I plan on having it position to 97w and really go to town tweaking to see if I get any signal.

 

[Bullwinkle Moose]

Yes, the C2-PLL LNBF LO is 5150 as printed on the label and on the gift box. WHAT ACTIVE TRANSPONDER ARE YOU SELECTING from the Galaxy 19 list?

I believe it was 3960/29300 as it was reporting the strongest q signal at the time but when I pulled up lyngstat just now I don't see it listed. I'm going to try and get back out there in the next day or 2 and verify what I'm seeing.

Thanks.

 

[Titanium]

Be sure to select a Unique and Active transponder from the satellite that you are attempting to locate. The 3960 TP is active on the 101w satellite and not active on 97w.

Does your meter provide a spectrum display mode? If so, peak the display reading for maximum signal amplitude then move the coax to the STB and perform a "Blind Scan". Report any service names that are logged to the channel list. This name list will help determine what satellite the dish is actually aimed towards.

 

[Bullwinkle Moose]

Boy could sure use a little help, before I end up doing something I may regret. First let me say, I know very little of the history of this dish and it had sit for the past 25+ years before now getting around to doing something with it. That said, I'm a little confused. I am following the TVRO guide and declination table to verify/align this dish. My location is ~/= 35.5N 78.5W. Acordding to TVRO chart, my settings would be 36.63 elevation and 41.78 declination (36.63+5.16). I set the dish for true south and aligned the elevation saddle to the highest point in the arc. When I checked my elevation angle it was at 50 degrees, (I had played a little with this adjustment will spanning the arc before hand so I was not that concerned and made an adjustment to ~36 degrees.) When I checked the declination angle it was at 60 degrees which seems quite off for my area. I tried to make the adjustment back down to the ~42 degreen but when I got down to about 50 degrees the adjustment bolt was striking the elevation piviot bolt restricting movement. My question is this, I assumed that the dish was correctly aligned and setup 40+ years ago but would not put it past the previous owner to screw with it prior to selling the home but that does not appear to be the case as hitting this mechanical limit tells me something else is not right. Before going cannabal on this and grinding away a 1/4" inch of the adjustment bolt to obtain the clearance needed for the adjustment I thought I would bring it before the group and just double check my settings a procedure.

Thanks.

 

[a33]

My location is ~/= 35.5N 78.5W. Acordding to TVRO chart, my settings would be 36.63 elevation and 41.78 declination (36.63+5.16).

For 35.5N, axis elevation would be 36.63? No way.
Modified axis declination would indeed be about 36. And with axis declination = 36, axis elevation would be 90-36 = 54 degrees.

See post #40: "At Latitude = 35N, axis elevation = 54.4 (modified angle), and declination offset angle (modified) = 5.0 degrees."
So the total dish declination value of about 41 degrees is indeed right.

Elevation means number of degrees UP (backwards), from vertical position=0 degrees.
Declination means number of degrees down (forwards), from horizontal position=0 degrees.
Elevation = 90 - declination.
Declination = 90 - elevation.

So I guess there's a bad mixup in terminology, and as a result of that, of which numbers to use, from TVROsat.
They write Your elevation angle is approximately equal to your geographical latitude.
But that should have been Your elevation angle is approximately equal to 90 degrees minus your geographical latitude.
However in the picture, they indicate the angles right.
The chart again uses the incorrect term 'elevation angle', for the value of the 'modified latitude angle'.

As your pictures with the inclinometer are taken from so near, I cannot see where you were measuring. So I cannot comment on that.

Greetz,
A33

 

[Bullwinkle Moose]

For 35.5N, axis elevation would be 36.63? No way.
Modified axis declination would indeed be about 36. And with axis declination = 36, axis elevation would be 90-36 = 54 degrees.

See post #40: "At Latitude = 35N, axis elevation = 54.4 (modified angle), and declination offset angle (modified) = 5.0 degrees."
So the total dish declination value of about 41 degrees is indeed right.

Elevation means number of degrees UP (backwards), from vertical position=0 degrees.
Declination means number of degrees down (forwards), from horizontal position=0 degrees.
Elevation = 90 - declination.
Declination = 90 - elevation.

So I guess there's a bad mixup in terminology, and as a result of that, of which numbers to use, from TVROsat.
They write Your elevation angle is approximately equal to your geographical latitude.
But that should have been Your elevation angle is approximately equal to 90 degrees minus your geographical latitude.
However in the picture, they indicate the angles right.
The chart again uses the incorrect term 'elevation angle', for the value of the 'modified latitude angle'.

As your pictures with the inclinometer are taken from so near, I cannot see where you were measuring. So I cannot comment on that.

Greetz,
A33

Thanks again for the input. If I understand you correctly, my elevation setting would be 54 degrees and the declination would be 41. That does agree with a phone app that I had used to find the satellites. I realize that my pictures really did not provide enough detail. The phone had issues and I was unable to provide any additional pictures at the time. I now have new phone and once set up I will provide additional pics after making dish corrections and to see what satellites I can find. Thanks again. I think my wife wishes I would just move on with this project .

 

[FTA4PA]

Thanks again for the input. If I understand you correctly, my elevation setting would be 54 degrees and the declination would be 41. That does agree with a phone app that I had used to find the satellites. I realize that my pictures really did not provide enough detail. The phone had issues and I was unable to provide any additional pictures at the time. I now have new phone and once set up I will provide additional pics after making dish corrections and to see what satellites I can find. Thanks again. I think my wife wishes I would just move on with this project .

Hang in there! Once you get it dialed in you (and your wife) will be pleased with the results.