Orientation and Satellite Positions

[Philligl]

Are the satellites far enough apart, in azimuth, elevation, or tilt, to make a significant difference? I don't know the physics well but it seems like a satellite at 119 degrees would be on a significantly different azimuth than one on 99 or 101 degrees. Does it make sense to change alignment when trying to pick up different satellites?

I'm trying to fine-tune my dish alignment. I re-aimed Saturday (Gustav knocked me out of alignment). Got good response on all satellites, all transponders. On Sunday, during the rain, I started losing the NFL HD signals (no problem with SD signals). Checked the transponders and noticed I was getting 0's on three different satellites. Light rain, so I went out and just brushed the water off and the signals came back. So, I don't know whether I need to fine-tune my alignment a little more or whether I just need to change it when I'm watching Sunday sports.

For what it's worth, it's easy to change now. I twisted the dish until I got strong signals when centered so I can adjust a few degrees either way with nothing more than a cresent wrench. Takes about 5 minutes.

 

[iwc5893]

You may have gotten water into the LNB assembly.

 

[paulman182]

If you are asking whether or not you need to re-aim the satellite when watching different programming, no, that should not be happening.

The Sunday Ticket HD games come from the 99 satellite. It is very possible that you don't get any other programming from that sat, but the dish is designed to pull in satellites from five orbital locations, all at once, when aimed correctly.

If you are having to move the dish slightly in order to pick up the 99 satellite, it might be that your mast is not plumb (not vertically straight.)

 

[sat.ninja]

To put it bluntly, 1 degree off the sats is 380 miles of that sat 22,300 miles in space. Do the math. The 103 and the 99 sats are even less forgiving when it comes to accuaracy.

 

[Philligl]

More info, more questions

If you are asking whether or not you need to re-aim the satellite when watching different programming, no, that should not be happening.

The Sunday Ticket HD games come from the 99 satellite. It is very possible that you don't get any other programming from that sat, but the dish is designed to pull in satellites from five orbital locations, all at once, when aimed correctly.

If you are having to move the dish slightly in order to pick up the 99 satellite, it might be that your mast is not plumb (not vertically straight.)

Thanks. I've tried to plumb the mast with a bubble level. Appears okay by taking different measures, 90 degrees apart.

May be different problems. When I got home yesterday, I got good satellite/transponder numbers on 101, 110, and 119 (high 80's, low 90's) and 0's on 99 and both 103's.

Questions:
1. I thought that 101 and 119 were longitude numbers for the different satellites. That should mean that 103 is between
101 and 110/119. How is it that I pick up 101, 110, and 119 very well and don't pick up 103? Could it be an elevation or tilt error?
2. Since Sunday ticket is on 99, will I get transponder readings when they aren't broadcasting or will I see 0's?
3. Or, am I just totally confused and incompetent?

Thanks,
Gary

 

[Philligl]

Azimuth Differences

To put it bluntly, 1 degree off the sats is 380 miles of that sat 22,300 miles in space. Do the math. The 103 and the 99 sats are even less forgiving when it comes to accuaracy.

Sorry, Sat.ninja, I knew the distances (roughly) but the answer wasn't obvious and still isn't, to me.

I found a web site mentioned in one of the forums (I can't post url's yet but it is part of the web site for Disitron Satellite Group) that gives different azimuth/elevation settings for all the different satellites for all the different companies. It's based on the user's local coordinates. The recommended azimuth settings are significantly different between 99 and 119. Here are some combinations:
99 (Galaxy 4R?) - 195/52;
101 (Directv 4s) - 200/51;
103 (AMC 1?) - 202/51;
109.8 (Directv 1) - 213/48;
119 (Directv 5) - 225/42
If Sunday Ticket HD is on 99, and (according to a satellite/transponder pdf on this site) most of the other HD's are on 103, and ESPNHD (73) is on either 110 or 119 (can't remember which), how do you aim the thing? I knew the distances. I just didn't know whether those distances were enough to make a difference. Still not obvious to me how one setting allows for as much as 30 degrees difference in azimuth settings (although 119 may be Latin/foreign - can't rememember - so it may not be relevant).

I realize we're supposed to be able to aim this thing one time and pick up all the satellites. I got curious once I started trying to fix it and got curious about the combination of apparent distances and sensitivity required. All insight appreciated.

Thanks,
Gary

 

[paulman182]

If your receiver shows a 99c and 103c on the signal strength screen, you should have strong signals on all of them that do not show N/A. Some receivers show these as 99b and 103a, I think. The transponders on 99 are always on and should show good signals.

Anyway, these two satellites use a different band of frequencies for their signals than the 101, 110, and 119. You can be a lot further off center on the 101, 110, and 119 than you can on the 99 and 101.

I improved my 99 and 103 signals by ten points or so by simply raising the elevation slightly. This might be an easy thing for you to try. Or, as someone posted earlier, you may be getting water into the LNB. Does it take a long time for signals to return after it stops raining?

You are not totally confused at all. It sounds like your problem should be able to be resolved with just a little tweaking, if it is not an LNB problem or a problem with the receiver.

 

[paulman182]

If Sunday Ticket HD is on 99, and (according to a satellite/transponder pdf on this site) most of the other HD's are on 103, and ESPNHD (73) is on either 110 or 119 (can't remember which), how do you aim the thing? I knew the distances. I just didn't know whether those distances were enough to make a difference. Still not obvious to me how one setting allows for as much as 30 degrees difference in azimuth settings (although 119 may be Latin/foreign - can't rememember - so it may not be relevant).

The different satellites reflect at different angles from the dish into the proper LNB for each one. The dish covers 20 degrees of the sky with one adjustment, from 99 to 119.

Most of the HD channels now come from the 103. Some of them are transmitted both from the 103 and another satellite (110), but they are being transitioned to the 103. ESPN has two channels, for instance...but the one that is going to stay is channel 206, from the 103 satellite.

Right now 99 is Sunday Ticket, PPV, and locals for some areas, but we have no idea what other channels will end up coming from that satellite.