pulling my hair out aligning dish

[turbosat]

The dish is at its highest point in its travel at your true south satellite. But, its not going to track right until you have the pole its sitting on PLUMB! If its leaning very much at all, you can't compensate by altering your polar axis and elevation. It doesn't have to be perfect, but close as you can get it, for c-band. For ku-tracking with a big dish--it has to be even better.
Dig out a little around the sides of the pole that its off-plumb on, and brace it with 2xs , pour some more concrete around it. Keep it braced until the concrete sets.

 

[Kb Cool]

so all i need to do now is figure out what my true south is and how to set it
help

Does this sat (little red dot) look like its directly south of you.http://www.lyngsat.com/tracker/galaxy17.html Or does this one look closer. Galaxy 28 at 89.0°W - LyngSat SatTracker.

 

[Techfizzle]

when is my dish straight up and down? when the feed is pointing the highest in the air?

 

[Phottoman]

Techfizzle, here's a little trick you might want to try.

At night, after dark, IF you know the northern sky at all, find the north star. There's plenty of help finding that with Google. Aim a stick, a broom or a piece of lumber at the North Star using the pole your dish is mounted on as the base.

Next morning, go out and look, from the back of your pole you'll have a bead on North, South is the opposite direction on the other side of the dish.

Put this together with what was said about aiming the center mount, the part that DOES NOT MOVE attached to your pole, holding the two bolts that your dish swivels on, line THAT part up with whatever you aimed at the North Star, and you'll be true south.

Photto

 

[Kb Cool]

when is my dish straight up and down? when the feed is pointing the highest in the air?

yes, and the bowl of the dish will be aligned to the mount. Just like this.

 

[Techfizzle]

what turbosat said makes sense, point the dish till it is straight up and down, then aim it till it hits the ture south sat

 

[Kb Cool]

what turbosat said makes sense, point the dish till it is straight up and down, then aim it till it hits the ture south sat

That'll work "if" your elevation is correct.

 

[Techfizzle]

here is the story

the pole is level perfectly at east and west

the mount is a tad larger then the hole, but if i tighten the bolts, the mount moves slighty, but as long as the mount is level, the pole does not have to be level?

now i need to get my ariza 700 when it comes

set it up for a tp on my true south sat

then point the dish untill it is straight up and down

move the mount untill i am peaked on that sat. then tighten down the mount

then set my elevation untill the sat is fully peaked,

now head to my far west sat, and make sure its ok

then do the same for my far east making usre both come in perfect

the only part i need help with is my F/D ratio, i have no way to measure it, so someone needs to find the F/D ratio of a channel master 10 foot mesh dish

 

[Phottoman]

the only part i need help with is my F/D ratio, i have no way to measure it, so someone needs to find the F/D ratio of a channel master 10 foot mesh dish

"Someone NEEDS to find?" I have seen several posts on doing just that.

I think now I see why you were having so much trouble locating a free dish as you posted in other places.

Techfizzle, if you would do a little research, you'll FEEL proud of yourself when you discover HOW to do it yourself.

I also fear that you have jumped around advice given you, INCLUDING but not limited to ... RE DO THE POLE. make it PLUMB. Nothing you do will work easily if you overlook that, either through laziness or unwilling to work. Spend a few hours digging out the pole, and do it RIGHT.

(hint, there is never time enough to do "it" right, but all the time in the world to do it over.")

Photto

 

[Techfizzle]

my pole doesnt have to be level, just my mount, the mount is bigger then the pole so i can make it level using the bolts

 

[tvropro]

For the dish to track the arc your pole must be plumb for starters. Then set your dish for a static elevation and declination on your true south satellite for your area.

Follow this webpage instructions and you should be good to go:

Footprints by Dish Size - Adjusting the Polar Mount for Prime Focus Antenna - C/Ku-Band Satellite Systems - Tuning, Tracking, Azimuth, Elevation, Declination Angles, F/D Ratio, Focal Distance, Inclinometer, LNB/Feedhorn Assembly, Actuator Assembly, C

 

[B.J.]

For the dish to track the arc your pole must be plumb for starters. ......

The pole doesn't HAVE to be plumb, but it sure makes it a lot easier if it is.

 

[tvropro]

The pole doesn't HAVE to be plumb, but it sure makes it a lot easier if it is.

If the pole isn't plumb you add headaches since tracking will suffer somewhere in the arc. If it's off a hair it's livable for c band but not ku. Also when you tighten the bolts you have to make sure the cap don't shift or tilt, that will screw you up. I have learned over the years to do the job right from the start and follow procedures that work. Then when you power on to the arc you have a pretty good chance to being pretty close to start with.

The biggest mistake newbies make is they swing the dish wildly looking for a signal. They may find one but nothing else will fall in place. Best to stay calm and go step by step and it gets done so much faster. If you screw up the adjustments start with static angles again and go from there. That's the best advice this old timer satellite guy can give the newbies

 

[Inno]

If the pole isn't plumb you add headaches since tracking will suffer somewhere in the arc. If it's off a hair it's livable for c band but not ku. Also when you tighten the bolts you have to make sure the cap don't shift or tilt, that will screw you up. I have learned over the years to do the job right from the start and follow procedures that work. Then when you power on to the arc you have a pretty good chance to being pretty close to start with.

The biggest mistake newbies make is they swing the dish wildly looking for a signal. They may find one but nothing else will fall in place. Best to stay calm and go step by step and it gets done so much faster. If you screw up the adjustments start with static angles again and go from there. That's the best advice this old timer satellite guy can give the newbies

Good advice........unfortunately I don't think Tech. is into good advice.
I started in 1992 when I was 19 years old........I didn't have a clue about declination angle or true south satellite..........and there was no Satellite Guys website.........heck, there was no internet back then, at least where I was. But through patience and one or two calls to our local satellite installer (no I wasn't a PITA) I managed to get my first dish (a star trak 6 footer) to track the arc reasonably well.

 

[Bloorp]

My dish pole was ever so slightly out if plumb when I first got started . By straightening the pole it made a world of difference and the rest came much easier. I have found that patience, precision and paying attention to all the great help from this forum makes for a thoroughly enjoyable hobby.

 

[Lak7]

Good advice........unfortunately I don't think Tech. is into good advice.

LOL
He's into advice, but then tells you you're wrong.

 

[Lak7]

I have found that patience, precision and paying attention to all the great help from this forum makes for a thoroughly enjoyable hobby.

3 very important things a certain somebody has yet to acquire.

 

[Inno]

Aside from someone actually going to his house and doing it for him, I think we've made it pretty simple. There is enough information and good links for most folks to be able to set up a dish and get it tracking properly. Not to mention the wealth of information that can be had by simply looking through old posts. Seems the op spends more time asking than he does actually reading and comprehending the answers given.

I must find another thread to get interested in as I can't imagine my 1000th post being here!

 

[Lak7]

I must find another thread to get interested in as I can't imagine my 1000th post being here!

LOL
giggle, giggle, giggle

 

[tvropro]

Good advice........unfortunately I don't think Tech. is into good advice.
I started in 1992 when I was 19 years old........I didn't have a clue about declination angle or true south satellite..........and there was no Satellite Guys website.........heck, there was no internet back then, at least where I was. But through patience and one or two calls to our local satellite installer (no I wasn't a PITA) I managed to get my first dish (a star trak 6 footer) to track the arc reasonably well.

There was no internet when I started in 87. I bought a book, read and experimented. I know were all excited to get a picture asap but we hurt ourselves as newbies by being in such a hurry. Then I watched Doug Dennet's Tech Talk on the Sky Store religiously each week and learned quite a bit more.