No Signal Quality,

[card13]

I can't seen to get my Signal level to go above 45% and Signal Quality above 0%.
Here is my setup, also will attach pictures
1. 1 - 30"X33" Generic Dish
2. 1 - 30' RG-6 Coax cable
3. 1 - 3' RG-6 Coax cable
4. 1 - Coax Coupler
5. 1 - Coax wall plate
6. 1 - 15' "Monster" Coax cable
7. 1 - ESX521FE Linear LNBF received today from galaxy-marketing.com
8. 1 - GeoSatPro MicroHD with newest Firmware.

That is my setup.
I am trying to hit any bird, can't seem to get a single one and this is my second dish the other is a DirecTV Slimline dish (AU9, newest version) and 4th LNB.
My Latitude 47.228654 and Longitude -122.426558, according to dishpointer for G19 I need about 30.3 Deg Elevation and 130.6 Azimuth (I only have a compass).
I've tried moving the dish left and right, up and down, changing locations in the yard (my dad won't mount it on a roof until it shows a positive result).

Any advice is welcomed, I'm at wits end, I even tried a Skybox F3, returned that to the company we bought it from in NM, never padded the box so it was damaged each time, but that one showed the same result.

 

[rv1pop]

For Tacoma, the dish is aimed WAY too high in picture 3. If you have a protractor start with about 22 degrees up from level on the LNB arm and work from there. The dish will almost look vertical. I think 23.5 may be correct but this would be a good place to start. someone else may have a better angle or know the dish.

 

[SatelliteAV]

1. Agree with rv1pop. The dish looks like it is aimed way, way, way to high (probably aimed at between 50 and 60 degrees in elevation) and you will receive no signals that high in the sky. If the dish has a scale on the back, use it and make sure the mounting post is plumb and level. This is an offset dish, so the dish is actually aimed at a point in the sky that is 22 - 26 degrees higher than the face is pointed.

2. Take a photo of the Motor / Switch Setting Menu screen. The LNBF that you purchased is a standard LO type. Make sure the LO setting is 10750 mhz to match the LNBFs LO frequency.

3. The LNBF appears to be mounted straight up/down at the 0 degree (12 o'clock) position. According to the aiming calcualtor at www.GeoSatFinder.com , the LNBF needs to be rotated in the clamp clockwise (to the right when standing in front of the dish and looking at the back of the LNBF) -21.7 degrees. If the LNBF is not skewed -21.7 degrees and is set to 0 degrees, you will not receive the satellite or the Signal Quality reading will be so low that the receiver will take a long time to lock onto the signal.

4. Take the receiver and a TV out to the dish so you can see the signal meter while adjusting the dish. It is nearly impossible to aim a dish using a cell phone or shouting through a window. The few extra minutes to place a TV beside the dish will quickly pay off!

5. Run one cable from the LNBF to the SAT IN port of the microHD. Do not use barrels, couplers switches or any other inline device until you get Signal Quality of 50% or better. Don't know what the coax coupler is for, but likely it will not work in the manner that you are thinking that it might or should. Take everything out of line and use a short coax cable from the LNBF to the microHD for aiming. We can figure out your wiring diagram once you get a signal and scan in some channels.

6. 11842 is not the easiest transponder frequency to use to locate 97w. Several other satellites can give a false reading using this frequency. I would suggest that you use preprogrammed TP frequency12152 instead. If you have the LNBF skew set approximately, you will not get any false readings form the wrong satellite.

You should have good success if you follow these suggestions. Good Luck!

 

[card13]

Thanks for the info, in regards to the elevation of the dish in the pic, that's just where it ended up at the end of testing and hadn't moved it back, but I am glad that I now know it's an offset dish I was wondering that since 30 Degrees appeared to be looking at the ground. And the 22 - 26 degree is one I haven't seen yet and will have to try. Also SatelliteAV in regards to your question about the coupler, when we ran a new cable into the house after revamping our antenna setup, we put a 3' cable through the wall and so the resulting cable protruding out of the side of the house is only about 1 - 1.5' and needed to be attached to the 30' cable that is connected directly into the LNBF. I have attached a pic of the Motor/Switch Screen, I forgot to mention I had already checked that, but a double check isn't bad Will post another update in the morning as for right now, it's bed time.

 

[SatelliteAV]

The set-up is correct if the LNBF is indeed LO 10750mhz (10.75ghz). Now if you follow the other 5 suggestions, you should be successful!

Good Luck!

 

[card13]

Well I have good news and bad news.

Good news is I heard what I was told and was trying it the correct way.

Bad news however is my dad decided to mount it, which is fine, except for the placement.

As you'll see in the pics posted, this is the lowest I can go on elevation, 40 Degrees, and it's definitely not level, which means I have no idea now what the skews should be at this point, the only good parts is it's got a clear view of the south sky and the azimuths still work.

Any ideas on how to make this latest problem fixable or is the best to tell my dad it needs to be relocated?

 

[primestar31]

Oh boy.....

Ok, remove the two through-bolts on the bottom pipe on the foot. Spin the pipe around, so the bend goes the OTHER way. You'll also have to spin the dish seperately. Level the pipe part that the dish is mounted to, BOTH ways (East-West and North-South)

Oh, and put a lot of roofing tar under that foot, or you WILL be sorry you didn't!

Now that the pipe bend doesn't interfere with the dish moving up or down, you can set elevation properly without it touching the pole for the sat you are aiming for.

<<<<<< Like this.

 

[card13]

Sadly I tried both directions of the pipe and the elevation was as low as 40 Degrees. If I turn the pipe, look at the 4th pic titled "Showing Dish From Side.jpg" the last bolt for the arm it has a bolt that stops it from hitting exactly 30 Degrees, it stops it around 33 Degrees.

 

[primestar31]

Sadly I tried both directions of the pipe and the elevation was as low as 40 Degrees.

Work with me now. If you set the mount J pipe and dish like in the picture I posted above, and LEVEL the top part of the pipe as I've said, you WILL be able to set a proper elevation on the dish that you need for your satellite.

Don't tell me it can't be done, because that's not correct, unless there's something else going on you are not telling us.

Please try it my way, and if it really doesn't work, take more pictures of it turned like i said, and post them here to show us. Then we can advise you more.

 

[primestar31]

Sadly I tried both directions of the pipe and the elevation was as low as 40 Degrees. If I turn the pipe, look at the 4th pic titled "Showing Dish From Side.jpg" the last bolt for the arm it has a bolt that stops it from hitting exactly 30 Degrees, it stops it around 33 Degrees.

I think we have a mis-understanding here. When you loosen up the dish with the nut on each side to set the elevation, you align the inside straight EDGE of the inner sheet metal with the degree mark you need to have the dish set to. So, if for instance you need to set to 30 degrees, that inner flat edge should align on the 30 degree mark.

Do not try to use the NUT itself you loosen to the right of that as the "pointer" for setting elevation. Use that inner edge.

 

[kodaz]

Card 13, if you did not get post #10, please take a good close up of where you are reading the elevation at and post it for us to get a look at. I personally would like to be able to read the elevation numbers. i cant quite make out the numbers in the one pic that has them and the pic isnt square to the bracket so i cant read where the frame is.
Do not give up!! What you learn from this will be a huge help in future setups!!

 

[rv1pop]

With hundreds of setups for 97W, lets see if I can help...
1) the down hill slope of the roof is what direction? Perpendicular to the road or at an angle...I am guessing about 8 degrees looking south of west...
1a) And what is the slope of that roof? looks about a 3/12
2) Has the foot been tarred down yet? (let me think on this tomorrow, but if it has not, it looks like it needs to but rotated -- maybe would be easier 180 degrees out -- got to look at one here.)
3) is that roof an overhang or over a "room"?
4) does the post have slot to allow it to rotate in the base?

With answers to those, I will try to duplicate the setup on a piece of plywood and give you some drawing or pictures showing the angles needed. Yes, I have been there and done that... The set up reminds me of So. Central Georgia..... Because of the trees and location where I had to park the motor home, it was a challenge. Dish and Direct both planted 30 foot telephone poles in that area to get signal - but I found 97W off the front porch roof of the house.

 

[rv1pop]

If the foot could be rotated 90 degrees so it looks more East to West, with the arc slots on the west side, then the top of the post should be a lot closer to vertical and easier to align. But if that would allow the roof to leak, turning it 180 degrees would give better adjustments and we can get a decent signal. My choice would have been to mount the foot, vertical on the roof joist with the arc slot down, then the post could be plumbed....

 

[card13]

Sorry it took so long, yesterday was a cold, wet day here, too dangerous to work on the roof.

rv1pop these are the answers to your questions.

1) the down hill slope of the roof is what direction? Perpendicular to the road or at an angle...I am guessing about 8 degrees looking south of west...
A. The roof faces Due South and is perpendicular to the road going North to South.

1a) And what is the slope of that roof? looks about a 3/12
A. Using this site http://www.pole-barn.info/roof-pitch.html, I measured and it would appear to be 7/12.

2) Has the foot been tarred down yet? (let me think on this tomorrow, but if it has not, it looks like it needs to but rotated -- maybe would be easier 180 degrees out -- got to look at one here.)
A. The holes were caulked when we bolted it down.

3) is that roof an overhang or over a "room"?
A. Over a room.

4) does the post have slot to allow it to rotate in the base?
A. No, once the post is attached to the base it can be slid forward and back in the base but that's all.

And BTW it would appear we bolted the front half of the base to the roof joist, the back isn't since they are about 2' apart.


primestar31

I attached a pic showing I flipped the J-Pole around.

kodaz and primestar31

I posted a pic of the Elevation meter on the back of the dish at lowest possible elevation, also a pic showing the bolt I was talking about hitting the J-Pole.

 

[SatelliteAV]

The dish elevation in the photo is actually at 20 degrees. The elevation pointer is the flat edge visible through the elevation scale to the right side of the bolt.

I would suggest the the foot plate be rotated 90 degrees. Unfortunately, it was mounted wrong and the mast cannot be mounted plumb and level. Patch the holes and mount it correctly. It will be more easy to locate the satellite if the mast is perfectly plumb and level.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Card13,

Primestar was correct with the suggestion to turn the J-pipe or mast piece the other direction, you can easily see how much mechanical room you now have to adjust the dish elevation. However, I also agree with SatelliteAV regarding the base mounting plate or foot. It should have been installed on an axis which is 90° out from where it currently is. That would have allowed the J-pipe to be swiveled up and down to compensate for the slope of the roof and set the last several inches of the pipe (where the dish mount attaches) plumb.

You will have to change this, otherwise your mast will always be tilted in the direction of the roof slope and there will be no adjustment for it.

This is going to make the pivot adjustment of the dish elevation 90° off from what you are looking at in your last set of pictures, but now that you know where to take the dish elevation reading, you will understand that this is fine. Never read off the bolt head, read off the edge of the metal bracket behind the scale window and to the right of the bolt. From your last picture, I read your dish elevation setting as 20° also.

You may have to switch which direction the J-pipe is attached depending upon which direction you rotate the base mount. You should be able to get the mast plumb in either direction, but in one direction, your dish might be really low to the roof and may actually hit the roof. The direction that offers the most clearance between the bottom of the dish and the roof surface should be the right way to set it.

RADAR.