Pointing issue or something else?

[Downlink]

Problem: no joy on sensing a signal

This system (tech details at footer) was converted from
110/119 Dish Network to 61.5 SkyAngel a few months ago,
then moved to a new residence on the same property. The
various pointing dialogs suggest:
Az: 124 or 125
El: 31 or 32
Sk: 0

I did the de-skew and re-swing on conversion, and it
was trivial, so all this equipment (except cable) has
been working at 61.5. But, when I moved the equipment,
I neglected to take pictures or make critical markings
on the adjustment scales.

As regards elevation, this particular D500 seems to be
undocumented. The elevation scale lacks the "elevation
washer" shown in some documents, and the flange edge
lacks the red marking described in others.

As regards azimuth, I assume that since this is a
dual-horn, I actually need to point to the suggested
Az +/- 4.5 degrees, and maybe mask one horn with foil.
And regarding the "angles are adjusted for magnetic /
true north deviations" ... so are the recommended
angles off magnetic north or true north? This is a
significant 6.5 delta around here.

But due to the elevation marking issues, I'm not sure
about my rough point efforts. I've spent hours slowly
swinging in 2 axes, using the 61.5 peaking screen on
transponders 25 and 32, with no luck. In fact, I'm not
having any luck picking up 110 or 119 either.

The cable did change, but the new cable is marked
for 2200. The "switch test" finds the DP Twin, but,
of course, no signal. So power is getting to the
switch and LNBs, and the rcvr and Twin communicate.
Any chance it's a cable issue that just affects signal?
Any advice on how to interpret the elevation scale?

Tech Info:
Dish location: ~South wall facing 195 degrees
Mast: level-aligned to true vertical
Dish: Dish 500
LNB: DishPro Twin
Ground line to residence ground rod
Cable: RG6, stamped "2200 MHZ"
Cable length: 30' from LNB to DP301
Connectors: 2 junctions (one gnd bar, one wall plate)
Receiver: DP301
Service: SkyAngel

 

[HCI]

Put your skew on 90 "straight up and down". Also don't mask the lnbs dont put anything on them you will only use one but the other will be fine. Your angles should be as followed.

true AZ 131.4, mag AZ 126.2, Elevation 31.9

If you look at the elevation bolt you will see right beside it the edge of the piece of metal is were the red line normaly is. See below.

31.9 is very low is there any way to post some pics of the dish?

 

[Downlink]

Downlinking the new year

TT: >Put your skew on 90 "straight up and down".

I did that when the system was first converted from
Dish110/119 to Angel61.5, and it's still SK 0.

>Also don't mask the lnbs dont put anything on
> them you will only use one but the other will be fine.

Roger that. I presume that either horn can pick up 61.5?

> Your angles should be as follows.
> true AZ 131.4, mag AZ 126.2, Elevation 31.9

I'll shoot those on the 2nd.

> If you look at the elevation bolt you will see right
> beside it the edge of the piece of metal is where the
> red line normally is. See below.

I'd sorta figured that was the case, as the flange
edges are different on the marked and unmarked sides.

> 31.9 is very low is there any way to post some
> pics of the dish?

I can do that, but what are you interested in seeing?
We're in a pasture with no possibility of terrestrial
obstructions, for example.

Thanks for the reply. On the cable question: can the
rcvr talk to the LNBs over a cable insufficient for
actual sat signal? Or does the switch test attempt
to also test the signal path.

 

[Downlink]

61.5 locked, but auths reset

>> Your angles should be as follows.
>> true AZ 131.4, mag AZ 126.2, Elevation 31.9

> I'll shoot those on the 2nd.

Got 100% lock at AZ 123 and EL 34.

It appears I was swinging too fast on previous scans.

New problem: DP301 can only see the free channels.
It had been powered off (unplugged) for a few weeks,
and I presume whatever memory stores the authorization
got erased.

Is the authorization downloaded only at subscription
start, or can we expect a re-auth to arrive in the next
24 hours or so?

 

[HCI]

you will have to call and get it re-auth more than likely. Happy you got it working

 

[Downlink]

Up and running

The Tate: >you will have to call and get it re-auth more than likely.

Did. And we got it running during the call.

The smart card isn't as smart as I would have guessed.
I presume the authorization/activation data is not
stored in flash. What is it? CMOS kept alive by a large
capacitor?

Anyway, we've had multi-hour power outages and not
lost the auth, some I presume the DP301 can be
disconnected for longer than that, perhaps a few days,
without amnesia, but a month is obviously too long.

 

[Mr Tony]

31.9 is very low is there any way to post some pics of the dish

huh?

31.9 isn't low....I live in Minnesota and 61.5 is around 25. heck 148 is at 15 and I can nail that.

Remember, the dish actually sees 22 degrees above the so called elevation since the dish if offset.

 

[HCI]

huh?
31.9 isn't low....I live in Minnesota and 61.5 is around 25. heck 148 is at 15 and I can nail that.
Remember, the dish actually sees 22 degrees above the so called elevation since the dish if offset.

It is low for me just because I am use to doing amc9 - horizon which is 49 to 41. I think 61.5 here is around 36? not sure.

 

[Mr Tony]

the farther south in the US you are, the higher the elevation is

my FTA setup, the true south is only 38 degrees (IA6 is my true south)

 

[dfergie]

Messed with SkyAngel for the first time this evening... Some folks I know had Wind knock out their service a month ago. I went over there and the Installer Had mounted a Dish 500 on the west end facia of the house pointing East... we have strong winds here occasionally from the west. He had 4 Lag Bolts on the top, but none on the Bottom. I put one in the bottom and they had signal ( put in 2 more, 2" bolts) Took a power reboot and about 10 minutes for the dp311 to get programing again. Sheesh I don't know what the installer was thinking...

 

[HCI]

I have always wondered why skyangel takes so long for the programming to come on.

 

[TNGTony]

It has to do with the fact that Sky Angel has to tell Dish to turn on the customer and they are not electronically connected. So basically when a subscriber activates service, Sky Angel writes up a service ticket and sends it to Dish. It then sits around at Dish until they get around to verifying and enering the info and activating the receiver.

Sky Angel has been saying for years and years now that they are working on their own uplink center. Once they do start uplinking their own programming, that is when new subscribers to Sky Angel will see "instant" activations.

For now it takes 3-5 business days.

See ya
Tony