SG2100 problems

[rjb]

Hi,

I just tried to install this weekend my motorized system and got very week signals from a lot of satellites.

My setup is:
SG2100
Fortec Start 31" dish
Fortec Start Universal LNB (0.4 dB Noise Figure)
Pansat 2500A

I followed the instructions in the SG2100 manual and set the angles according the table in this manual. I live in Florida (80.4W, 25.8N) and there is no satellite at the true south position. The angles from the table are elevation 65 and declination 25. I verified that the pole/stand was in a perfect vertical position using an inclinometer. I set the dish angle to 25 and looked for the closest satellite to my true south position (moving the SG2100 to the correct oposition using USALS). This satellite is the AMC-5 (79W). After some time looking for that satellite I increased the angle in my antenna to 29 degrees and I got a very strong signal from it. When I tried to get another birds going east (remember one at 58W) I had to decrease the angle to 25 degrees in the antenna. The 25 degrees angle from the SG2100 book got a couple of satellites but the ones near my true south are in a bigger dish angle.

Right now I have no idea what is happening with my SG2100 mount. Does anyone here have an idea what should I do to make it work.

Thanks

RJB

 

[Cascade]

Did you take magnetic deviation into account? Florida is about +10 degrees IIRC.

 

[PSB]

You have just got the lat. and long mixed up, easily done!

Your motor elevation should be 64 deg.
And the dish elevation should be roughly at 26 deg.
Good luck!

25.8N Lat.
80.4W Long.

 

[Cascade]

That'll teach me to reply 5 mins after I get out of bed.

 

[PSB]

I still think the Mag. Decl. is a factor, I am SO lucky to have IA6 there as my true south bird, saves a lot of hassle!

 

[PSB]

And remember the pole has to be level and plumb AFTER you put the heavy motor and dish on, as they pull everything forward, good idea to take that into account.

 

[TuxCoder]

Very true.

 

[Cascade]

Pete, how far west can you see with your dish? I managed to get G13/H1 and T7 this morning, On T7 I get 25S/25Q on 11880V/30000 (Data stream) and on G13 I'm getting between 30-40S/100Q on 11720/H/26800.

 

[Mr Tony]

I still think the Mag. Decl. is a factor, I am SO lucky to have IA6 there as my true south bird, saves a lot of hassle!

Amen on that one Pete!

Its nice to have a true true south

 

[PSB]

Cascade, I can get all the way round to 148w, with the motor and I would say a further 10 deg W. on my fixed (DirecPC) dish. I have those two satellites scanned in also. To the east I get round to 30 deg W. with motor and I am sure a further 10deg. W. there also with the fixed dish.

 

[Mr Tony]

Pete, how far west can you see with your dish? I managed to get G13/H1 and T7 this morning, On T7 I get 25S/25Q on 11880V/30000 (Data stream) and on G13 I'm getting between 30-40S/100Q on 11720/H/26800.

I can see Hispasat 1C or 1D at 30.0 W all the way over to 157 W (then the motor resets back to T6 because it hits the brace of the pole

 

[rjb]

Hi,

Thanks for your quick responses,

> Did you take magnetic deviation into account? Florida is about +10 degrees IIRC.

Yes, I pointed the motor to my true south.

> You have just got the lat. and long mixed up, easily done!
> Your motor elevation should be 64 deg.
> And the dish elevation should be roughly at 26 deg.

I do not see them mixed up. I used these values.

> I still think the Mag. Decl. is a factor, I am SO lucky to have IA6 there as
> my true south bird, saves a lot of hassle!

Yeah, I know but the satellite I am using (79W) is not far. I set the angle using USALS in the SG2100 to 1.6 degrees east and then rotate the mount in the vertical pole to find this satellite. Then the zero degrees in the motor will be my true south.

> And remember the pole has to be level and plumb AFTER you put the heavy
> motor and dish on, as they pull everything forward, good idea to take that
> into account.

I set that using an inclinometer and I have no reason to believe that it is not vertical. I verified everything again with the motor and dish on to make sure it did not change.

RJB

 

[PSB]

I would reset the angle on the motor to 64 as the - one deg. there can make a BIG difference at each end of the arc, then re-peak in your dish elevation to the satellite you are using and all the rest should be there or there abouts!
Sorry for the mix up.

 

[Cascade]

I can see Hispasat 1C or 1D at 30.0 W all the way over to 157 W (then the motor resets back to T6 because it hits the brace of the pole

Nice

 

[Mr Tony]

thats the advanatge of having no trees in the area

(I know...rub it in)

 

[rjb]

Thanks,

I will reset all the angles to the ones in the SG2100 manual. Is there anyone using the same dish?

Is it possible that the dish scale be off some degrees?

I know the offset angle for that antenna, Another thing I can do is to mount the dish in a vertical pole and verify the scale with the inclinometer taking into consideration the antenna offset angle.

Has Anyone done this?

Thanks

RJB

 

[Cascade]

It's very possible that the Fortec dish is off, did you by chance buy it off ebay?

 

[rjb]

Yes it is from ebay.

 

[PSB]

It does not matter what the scale says, or if there is even a scale there , set the motor angle then peak the dish to your satellite and lock it down when you get the best signal! Use the signal quality meter.

 

[gunn55]

Well what's up Rib, Did you get it going?