Satellite pole

[SatelliteAV]

Would recommend that you take this in two steps:

1. Install as a fixed dish system (without motor). Download the expanded microHD manual that provides extensive step by step installation instructions. Get comfortable with the operation of the receiver and locating a few satellites.

2. Add the motor a few weeks down the road once you are familiar with the basics of your system.

Jumping into the complexities of a motorized system without having an understanding of the basic operations of a FTA system can be quite daunting!

To get your feet wet, select 83w K AMC9 and preprogrammed transponder 11735.

Set the dish to this approx. aiming:
http://geosatfinder.com/Reports/SatAim.aspx?Longitude=-82.72416&Latitude=38.52006&SatIds=191

Set a small TV next to the dish a slowly paint the sky 15+ degrees on either side of the compass reading. If no Signal Quality reading, increase or decrease the dish elevation in one degree increments and repeat the slow painting motion. Once you observe a Signal Quality reading over 50%, scan the satellite using Single Satellite Search and either preprogrammed TP or Blind Scan All.

Good luck!

 

[rv1pop]

How deep the pole and how much concrete does depend on the ground, the WIND and the dish size. Here, a 4 inch post 7 feet in the ground with 12 = 80# bags of quickcrete and a 10 foot winegard mesh, bent over, pulled out and ended up 120 feet away.
My 1m KU Primestar is on a 2 1/2 inch pole 6 feet in the ground, 4 feet above, and 5 = 80# bags and has not budged.
My 3/8 inch rope holding up my 80m dipole (ham radio) snapped in the wind about 2 months ago.... dipole itself was ok and is back up.
What one person can get by with somewhere else, would end up 10 miles away here.... What will hold a C-Band dish here is still an unknown. I am going to try for 2 or 3 dishes, each pointed at a different portion of the arc, so I can build some sort of shelter around each of them.

And as for a motor -- Brain gave a very good answer -- unless you LOVE headaches, and have the emotional stability of the Rock of Gibraltar.

 

[Ramy]

I already have every thing put together and when I turned on my receiver all it does is blink a green light. What does that mean?
I have no picture at all.

Sent from my Transformer TF101

 

[Anole]

However painful it might seem, I strongly suggest you remove the motor, and put the dish directly on the pole.

Having it all down at ground level (as you do) will make all the difference in the world.
That's a piece of advice a lot of beginners ignore.
Imagine trying to do this on your roof!

 

[SatelliteAV]

I already have every thing put together and when I turned on my receiver all it does is blink a green light. What does that mean?
I have no picture at all.

Sent from my Transformer TF101

Disconnect everything but the power and the AV RCA cable to the TV. Does the receiver power LED go to solid green for 10 seconds, 1 second solid red then back to solid green? Do you see anything on the AV RCA connection to the TV? A flash, menu or GEOSATpro screen?

 

[Ramy]

Disconnect everything but the power and the AV RCA cable to the TV. Does the receiver power LED go to solid green for 10 seconds, 1 second solid red then back to solid green? Do you see anything on the AV RCA connection to the TV? A flash, menu or GEOSATpro screen?

After I remove the sat cable it is now solid green and the menu comes up.

Sent from my Transformer TF101

 

[KE4EST]

Something is shorted in your coax connections or motor is for some odd reason drawing excess current. Get that motor out of there for now.

 

[SatelliteAV]

Start by basic troubleshooting by only connecting coax. Does it short circuit? If not, add the LNBF. Does it short circuit?

Are you using the new coax that we provided or existing? If new, check connectors for braid shield short in the connectors. If existing coax, bypass and test with new.

 

[Ramy]

OK I am done with this thing. It is snowing and I have froze my butt off. It doesn't look like the weather is going to get any better for a while so I am done until it gets warmer.

Sent from my Transformer TF101

 

[stardust3]

Lol....I wish I had the option to quit installing during bad weather.

Sent from my Epic 4G Touch

 

[primestar31]

Years ago when I was in the business, another person and I had to install a tv antenna tripod on a two story house roof, rotor, wire, and the works for one of the bosses "buddies" during a snow emergency blinding snow-storm, and it was about 0 degrees out with 15 mph winds and 2 feet of snow. That was in the late '70's, before dishes.

I have also installed a satellite pole (used Primestar pole, already had cement on the bottom of it, buried it and soaked the ground with water to tighten it up.) dug 3 feet in the ground and 1 meter dish in 2007 two months after serious 3 level cervical (neck) spinal surgery, AND while still wearing a hard-collar on my neck. I was stupid, and thank God for easy digging loamy sand....

I had to wear that collar for 1 year... But I had satellite! lol

 

[johann12]

If we would do it right the first time, it would be a short-lived hobby.

 

[Ramy]

I need help finding out what my positions are supposed to be. Here is what dish pointer.com says my information is:

Address: ****************
Latitude: 38.5379°
Longitude: -82.7362°

Satellite: ****************** Motorized ***********************************
Elevation: 30.0°
Azimuth (true): 57.3°
Azimuth (magn.): 57.3°


What should I set the motor at?
What should I set the dish at?


I can not set the dish up by itself because the diameter of the pole is too big to set the dish by itself.

 

[Blindowl1234]

I hope this info will help since I haven't kept up with this thread. My Sg2100 motor is set on the one side of the bracket at 35..the other at 51
Dish elevation is 24. This may get you close since we aren't too far apart. Also I use 87W to line up my dishes.

 

[Ramy]

Is the dish supposed to look like it is almost straight up and down?


Sent from a galaxy far far away.

 

[SatelliteAV]

Disregard Blindowl1234's suggestion as the SG2100 uses a different calculation.

The dish will appear to be tilted back only approximately 14 degrees.

This is the only manual that I could find today from home. http://www.satelliteguys.us/downloads.php?do=file&id=165 It is abbreviated without the necessary map on page 83, so I had to use the STB website to calculate.

• Set the LNBF to 0 (zero)
• Make sure you are using the motor's top hole for the 10 - 45 degree scale. (page 5)
• Set the motor elevation scale to your latitude of approximately 38.5 degree marking
• Make sure the dish was assembled using the top hole marked "A" and referencing the "A" scale on the left side of the dish. The pointer is on the left side of the nut and visible through the elevation scale (unless the washer is installed, then it is obscured).
• Reference page 83 or use the STAB site dish angle calculator: http://www.stab-italia.com/maps.php indicates the dish elevation angle to be set at: 38.9 degrees

Matbe snap a few photos from the side and back?

 

[Ramy]

 

[SatelliteAV]

Could you take a close-up photo of the elevation scale on the other side of the motor?

The dish angle setting looks too low. Appears to be set at 20 degrees?

Is the pole perfectly plumb and level?

Is the microHD aset-up for USALS and your Longitude and Latitude correctly entered?

Is satellite 83w K AMC9 selected with USALS activated? Did the dish move slightly from the 0 (zero) position?

Is the microHD set to default LNB LO frequency 10750?

Is the microHD set to preprogrammed transponder frequency 11735?

Do you have a small TV and the receiver set-up next to the dish so you can see the Signal Quality meter?

Did you download the expanded GEOSATpro microHD manual with the step by step installation guide?

Please take a few more photos of the set-up from different angles and include close-ups of the settings.

 

[Ramy]

Could you take a close-up photo of the elevation scale on the other side of the motor?

The dish angle setting looks too low. Appears to be set at 20 degrees?

Is the pole perfectly plumb and level?

Is the microHD aset-up for USALS and your Longitude and Latitude correctly entered?

Is satellite 83w K AMC9 selected with USALS activated? Did the dish move slightly from the 0 (zero) position?

Is the microHD set to default LNB LO frequency 10750?

Is the microHD set to preprogrammed transponder frequency 11735?

Do you have a small TV and the receiver set-up next to the dish so you can see the Signal Quality meter?

Did you download the expanded GEOSATpro microHD manual with the step by step installation guide?

Please take a few more photos of the set-up from different angles and include close-ups of the settings.

I will take more photos tonight when I get home but might have to wait til the weekend now. By the way most of the stuff you are talking about is greek to me. I have not clue what you are talking about. I am a FTA newbie so I don't know any of this stuff.

 

[SatelliteAV]

Start by downloading reviewing the expanded microHD manual with the step by step installation instructions. If the questions don't make sense, the receiver hasn't been set-up, yet.

The receiver must be configured to look for the right satellite and to control the motor. The instructions will assist with your understanding of the receiver programming and setting up the USALS motor control. The manual is a must to interpret the Greek...

Answer the questions the best you can and we will walk you through the set-up.