setting up a pansat pm900 motor.

[htownjoe]

hello guys, i just bought a pm900 fta motor and am setting it up on a 31 inch dish with a digiwav universal lnb. i do not have my level, but using quickcrete i tamped the pole into the ground a bit at a time for over 2 hours last night and it looks level to me. i set up the dish and did everything acc to the manual. i hooked up the birddog and tried to find 95 deg g3 which is my mid sat since my long is 95.2. i never could find any sats! i am getting up to 186 raw signal but not finding anything. the dish is set at my houston elevation needed for the mid sat and the motor set to my latitude. can you be a little off level with these or do i have to go get another level and be perfect? these are heavy duty motors, says they will drive up to 1.4 meters steel dish! any suggestions! i was outside until 1 a.m last night trying to get it going!

 

[lumpkin666]

htownjoe - you REALLY need to get that level. "looks level to me" isn't going to cut it unless you've got a bionic eye with auto-level readings in it

As for the rest of the process, I'd set the motor to the correct elevation, and set the corresponding elevation on the dish, use a compass to get your true south set, and then make very very small adjustments east/west until you find sometime (like 1/8 inch at a time). If you don't find anything, adjust the elevation on the dish VERY slightly and go at it again.

But first, make certain your post is 100% level in at least 3 different directions.

 

[Tron]

Agreed, a level pole is a MUST when a motor is involved. Even a degree or two off will throw off the entire arc.

You can buy an angle finder with magnetic base from Lowes or Home Depot for around $10...