Newbie to FTA

[WyldCherry]

Hi guys

new to Fta have a few questions,

my setup is a new Traxis 4500 39 x 36 inch Primestar Dish(i guess its oval)
I have 2 universal KU LNB's

LAT Long
+37.508668 -082.851807

this is my Lat and Log.

ok well I found this Old primestar Dish in a trash pile down the road from me
asked if I could have it said yes.it didn't have the lnb arm holders
or the LNB.I assume that its a prime focus dish since it has 3 holes one on each
side and one on the bottom.hopefully I calculated the focal point
correctly by what another person told me to do

Calculate focal distance by measuring the diameter of the dish.
Measure the depth of the dish (distance from center to plane of the dish)
diameter squared divided by 16Xdepth

if I am correct it comes out to 27.14 Hopefully ?????

I know my True South Sat should be Nimiq 2

my questions are with my lat/log can I hit G10R and what other sats
would be good to hit in my area?

I just want this to be stationary for right now until I get the hang of this
FTA stuff.

Other question is the focal point correct or am I way off?

I have a 3 lnb holder mounted but only using 2 right now.I know G10R
is to the right of 119 but as for the spacings of the lNB's I am
not quite sure of 1/2 inch maybe??


Thanks!!

 

[PSB]

I would use AMC-9 as a true south satellite!

WELCOME to the SatelliteGuys.US FTA forum!

         Latitude 37° 30.000'N Longitude 82° 51.000'W

                       Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
--------------------------------------------------------------
                               
                       Amos 1/2    4.0W  96.8 103.5  0.1 -52.0
                               
                Atlantic Bird 3    5.0W  97.5 104.2  0.9 -51.9
                               
                Nilesat 101/102    7.0W  98.7 105.4  2.5 -51.6
                               
     Telecom 2D/Atlantic Bird 2    8.0W  99.4 106.1  3.3 -51.5
                               
                     Express A3   11.0W 101.3 108.0  5.7 -51.1
                               
                     Telstar 12   15.0W 103.9 110.6  8.8 -50.4
                               
                   Intelsat 901   18.0W 106.0 112.7 11.2 -49.7
                               
                          NSS 7   22.0W 108.8 115.5 14.3 -48.7
                               
                   Intelsat 905   24.5W 110.6 117.3 16.3 -48.0
                               
                   Intelsat 907   27.5W 112.8 119.5 18.6 -47.0
                               
                  Hispasat 1C/D   30.0W 114.8 121.5 20.5 -46.1
                               
                   Intelsat 801   31.5W 116.0 122.7 21.6 -45.5
                               
                   Intelsat 903   34.5W 118.4 125.1 23.9 -44.2
                               
                    AMC 12/T 11   37.5W 121.0 127.7 26.1 -42.8
                               
                        NSS 806   40.5W 123.7 130.4 28.2 -41.3
                               
                      Pas 3R/6B   43.0W 126.1 132.8 30.0 -39.9
                               
                         Pas 1R   45.0W 128.1 134.8 31.4 -38.6
                               
                   Intelsat 705   50.0W 133.3 140.0 34.6 -35.3
                               
                   Intelsat 707   53.0W 136.7 143.4 36.5 -33.0
                               
                   Intelsat 805   55.5W 139.6 146.3 38.0 -30.9
                               
                          Pas 9   58.0W 142.7 149.4 39.3 -28.7
                               
                       Amazonas   61.0W 146.6 153.3 40.9 -25.9
                               
                     EchoStar 3   61.5W 147.3 154.0 41.1 -25.4
                               
                      Rainbow 1   61.5W 147.3 154.0 41.1 -25.4
                               
               Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 149.3 156.0 41.8 -23.9
                               
                   Brasilsat B2   65.0W 152.1 158.8 42.7 -21.8
                               
                   Brasilsat B1   70.0W 159.5 166.2 44.5 -16.2
                               
                       Nahuel 1   71.8W 162.2 168.9 45.0 -14.0
                               
                      DirecTV 1   72.5W 163.3 170.0 45.2 -13.2
                               
                          AMC 6   72.0W 162.5 169.2 45.0 -13.8
                               
                          SBS 6   74.0W 165.7 172.4 45.5 -11.3
                               
                     Echostar 4   77.0W 170.4 177.1 46.1  -7.6
                               
                          AMC 5   79.0W 173.7 180.4 46.3  -5.0
                               
                      Nimiq 2/3   82.0W 178.6 185.3 46.5  -1.1
                               
                          AMC-9   83.0W 180.2 186.9 46.5   0.2
                               
                   Brasilsat B3   84.0W 181.9 188.6 46.5   1.5
                               
                          AMC 2   85.0W 183.5 190.2 46.5   2.8
                               
                          AMC 3   87.0W 186.8 193.5 46.3   5.4
                               
                           IA-8   89.0W 190.0 196.7 46.0   7.9
                               
                      Galaxy 11   91.0W 193.2 199.9 45.7  10.5
                               
                     Nimiq 1/4i   91.0W 193.2 199.9 45.7  10.5
                               
                   Brasilsat B4   92.0W 194.8 201.5 45.5  11.7
                               
                           IA-6   93.0W 196.4 203.1 45.2  12.9
                               
                      Galaxy 3C   95.0W 199.5 206.2 44.7  15.3
                               
                           IA-5   97.0W 202.5 209.2 44.0  17.7
                               
                      Galaxy 4R   99.0W 205.4 212.1 43.3  19.9
                               
                     Spaceway 2   99.2W 205.7 212.4 43.3  20.1
                               
                DirecTV 1R/4S/8  101.0W 208.3 215.0 42.5  22.1
                               
                          AMC 4  101.0W 208.3 215.0 42.5  22.1
                               
                     Spaceway 1  103.0W 211.1 217.8 41.7  24.2
                               
                          AMC 1  103.0W 211.1 217.8 41.7  24.2
                               
                         AMC 15  105.0W 213.8 220.5 40.7  26.2
                               
                      Anik F1/R  107.3W 216.8 223.5 39.5  28.3
                               
                      DirecTV 5  109.5W 219.5 226.2 38.3  30.3
                               
                EchoStar 6/8/10  110.0W 220.1 226.8 38.1  30.7
                               
                        Anik F2  111.1W 221.4 228.1 37.4  31.7
                               
                  Solidaridad 2  113.0W 223.7 230.4 36.3  33.2
                               
                       SatMex 6  113.0W 223.7 230.4 36.3  33.2
                               
                       SatMex 5  116.8W 227.9 234.6 33.9  36.0
                               
                         AMC-16  119.0W 230.2 236.9 32.5  37.6
                               
                     DirecTV 7s  119.0W 230.2 236.9 32.5  37.6
                               
                     EchoStar 7  119.0W 230.2 236.9 32.5  37.6
                               
          EchoStar 9/Telstar 13  121.0W 232.2 238.9 31.2  38.8
                               
                     Galaxy 10R  123.0W 234.2 240.9 29.8  40.0
                               
                      Galaxy 14  125.0W 236.1 242.8 28.4  41.2
                               
                  Galaxy 13/H 1  127.0W 237.9 244.6 26.9  42.2
                               
 Intelsat Americas 7/Echostar 5  129.0W 239.7 246.4 25.5  43.2
                               
                         AMC 11  131.0W 241.4 248.1 24.0  44.2
                               
                      Galaxy 15  133.0W 243.1 249.8 22.5  45.0
                               
                         AMC 10  135.0W 244.7 251.4 21.0  45.8
                               
                          AMC 7  137.0W 246.3 253.0 19.5  46.6
                               
                          AMC 8  139.0W 247.8 254.5 18.0  47.3
                               
                   EchoStar 1/2  148.0W 254.3 261.0 10.9  49.8

       Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. Lutus

 

[techno935]

I just want this to be stationary for right now until I get the hang of this
FTA stuff.

You WILL want a motor eventually. You'll get tired of getting on your roof and relying on someone to check signal strength and report back to you from the other room over the phone. That's the case for me, so I'm motor bound.

Check out all the FAQ's and sticky posts. In the meantime, Iceberg is usually here often to help out along with PSB. Getting started is a pain when you don't know the lingo but study this stuff enough and you should be ok. Congrats on finding the dish in the dump. That's always a gold piece.

 

[WyldCherry]

I should have also mentiond have it mounted to a pole in the yard and cemented and that i also have a satTracker.got tired of yelling am I close yet LOL.


Why Amc-9?

Uh OH looks like I am off on my focal point I used 39 inches to go by.if I understand your diagram I should have used the 36 which would bring it to 24 something

 

[PSB]

You had mentioned Nimiq 2 as your true south, just pointing out that your true south satellite is the same as your Longitude.

But since its a fixed dish no need to worry about true south.

 

[WyldCherry]

oh ok thanks

yeah i plan on getting a motor later on.just want to see what i can hit in my area first time starting out

 

[WyldCherry]

I'm kind of confused on the focal point stuff.which I have my Dish size posted wrong should be a 36 inch wide by 39 inch Dish not the other way around.So if I calculate correctly should be 36 inches squared which should make it 1296 now for depth I was told to lay a straight edge across the dish and measure from center of dish to edge of straight edge and if I am correct should be 3.5 so mutliply that by 16 which gives me 56 divide the 1296 by 56 =23.14 so is this what the length of the arms should be?I think this is whats giving me problems.most of the other stuff I get a handle on

 

[PSB]

The above formula is only for Prime focus dish, if your dish is off-set I would use the signal quality meter to get the exact focal distance!

 

[WyldCherry]

well I don't think its an offset it looks more like one of the Channel masters 1.2 meters

 

[PSB]

Prime focus are exactly round thats why I was wondering, any pictures?

 

[WyldCherry]

have no pictures.all I know it is an old Primestar.I have been searching the net trying to find a good picture of it to help me.all I know is if I stand and look at it from the porch it looks exactly round even tho the top and bottom are 1.5 inches longer than the sides.the channel Master is about as close as I can come I guess.since there is a hole on each side of the Dish i guess that would be the support arms for the lNB arm coming up from the bottom.I wish I could be more help

 

[Tron]

The 1.2 CM is offset, as is your Primestar. These dishes use three "poles" for the LNB mount, but it is in an offset pattern.

The "poles" for these dishes are available separately, but I can't find the link to the vendor. Maybe someone will chime in with that info...

 

[WyldCherry]

ok here is what I am talking about

 

[WyldCherry]

hopefully someone has a link to a vendor that sells them because I am not sure on how to build the offset for this Dish

 

[Tron]

Yes, its an offset dish. I'm thinking it might have been here:

http://www.daveswebshop.com/satmain.shtml

But I'm not sure. A couple of members purchased these dishes without feed arms, and were able to obtain them online. Again, if anyone else remembers, please post a link here.

 

[WyldCherry]

well I tried all day yesterday only thing I could hit was echo7 with 70-75% quality but couldn't get any other sats.I tried T5 G10r nimiq2 ect ect but no go.I used a satellite finder either my elevations were off or I just wasn't on a working TP.So I assume I got my focal point pretty close to where it should be.guess will try again today if its not raining

 

[WyldCherry]

Well finally some good news I finally locked on to G10R got 70-71% quality not too bad for rebuilding an old primestar's arms and Lnb holder and figuring out the focal point as close as I could.did a scan got a few channels about 14 I believe thats ok looking to get RTN and I did. Picture breaks up on a few channels did what i could Az and Elevation wise.not sure about skewing a LNB tho.now I have a question want to hit Telstar 7 want the white springs channel.How many Lnb spacings is it from G10R.I understand it better this way than so many degrees

 

[Tron]

Move the dish about 1/8" west and lower your elevation a bit for IA-7. If you get Chinese programming, you're on H-1 at 127w, need to move a bit more west.

 

[WyldCherry]

ok so far things are coming along fine except I have one problem I have yet to figure out.On the back of the PrimeStar Dish is a long bolt.I believe they call it a fine tune elevation bolt.the problem is if I turn it clockwise the Dish elevation moves down.But if I turn it counterclockwise it does nothing but loosens the nut and thats about it.I can't figure out how to make it elevate the dish.unless I am missing something on it.I haven't a clue

 

[PSB]

Keep rotating the bolt until it takes up the slack, if its not stripped the dish will raise eventually. Make sure the elevation bolts are loose of course