Problems setting up in Los Angeles

[papa_panda]

I have:
Coolsat 6000 receiver
SG2100 motor
Invacom Quad LNB
Fortec Star 31" dish
DiSeq 4x1 switch
Zip: 90031

Latitude 34° 4.698'N Longitude 118° 12.678'W, Elevation angle 56, dish bracket angle 24.5 (30 minus 5.5 declination angle).

Calculated and aimed @ true south (167.4°) (but it is facing the mountains)
All the angles are correct and pole is vertical. Nearest satellite to my true south is 119 Echostar 7. I get 90% level, but 10% quality. Tried moving the dish around and tuning with motor but no avail. Tried connecting circular LNB directly to motor without going through switch. I have circular polarity connected to LNB 2 of switch and linear polarity connected to LNB 3.

Question: Is it the mountains that is blocking the signal quality? However, there's many houses around with DirectTV and/or DN on top of their roofs. Does that mean that I should be able to pick up signal?

What should be my software settings be in the receiver? LNB universal or standard or legacy quad LNB? committed? uncommitted? 22KHz off or on? I have LNB frequency set to 11250. Is that correct?

I tried using USAL and inputting my latitude and longitude and then looking for Echo 7 119. Still cannot find it.

Even tried looking for Echo 6,8 110. No luck. For echo 6,8, the elevation is @ 49 but right now, based on my zip address of lat and longitude, my elevation is @ 50.5 (56 minus declination angle of 5.5). Would I need to change elevation? If so, should I adjust the motor elevation angle or dish bracket angle to get 49?

Any advice would be much appreciated. I have read alot and have been working on the roof for the past 4 days. With slight movements of dish, from true south (180) to east (90), I have not been able to improve quality.

 

[PSB]

What channels and satellites are you hoping for?

The linear side of the LNBF is a standard!

L.O. 10750

On the Circular side of the LNBF the L.O. is 11250

 

[papa_panda]

Sorry, I didn't have any channels in mind. I'm just trying to setup the dish first and read that I would need to find the true south and then point at the satellite closest to my longitude. Since I'm @ 118 longitude, the closest would be Echo 7 119. I even tried looking for the next closest ones, which are echo 6,8 110 and echo 9 121.

Isn't Echo 7 119 and echo 6,8 110 circular and echo 121 linear?

What would you suggest the channels and/or satellites that I should try first?

 

[Mr Tony]

since you are at 118, Dish 119 would be the closest true south

what I would do is put your latitiude/longitude in the reciever and have the motor move to 119 first, then aim dish. (you'll need to use the "C" side of the LNB)

no switch needed right now for 1st aim. You'll need it once you get your true south dialed in. Make sure to turn off reciever before adding/removing stuff (see "tip from the iceberg")

 

[PSB]

I am just back from Los Angeles a month or so ago, the mountains will not be a problem, you are so far south that the elevation to the satellites is pretty high. (50º)

Your motor angles are good, remember one side of the motor may be marked ELEV. and the other LAT. After setting the motor elevation it should not be touched again, only the dish elevation can be adjusted to peak the signal quality!

No new software is needed for the LEGAL FTA channels.

I would remove the switch for now, and its also a good idea to remove the motor and find/store a few satellites first.

 

[PSB]

Can't help but notice that all the satellites you mention carry pay channels, are you interested in any linear FTA satellites, what ones?

What channels/satellites are you after? Four days is a long time to be doing this without any idea?

 

[papa_panda]

Four days is just trying to get any channel. I would even be happy to see a channel that says scramble or unviewable or not allowed. Right now, all I see is "No channel". I just have been reading various suggestions on how to set a dish up.

Any suggestions to get any channels would be appreciated. I don't really care. I rarely watch TV anyways and maybe I can learn a foreign language.

 

[voomvoom]

Do you have the SG2100 motor set at 34.4 - 34.5? It should be set the same as your latitude.

Al

Edit: I think the dish bracket should be more like 24.4. But, what you have ought to be close enough.