I have been trying to align my dish for about a week and a half. The first day i had about five sats now i am lucky to get two to lock in after trying to adjust the dish. I do not understand about locking in on the true south sat. Are you guys saying that you aim the dish to your true south and then tell the box to go to the closest sat to your true south. Then start ajusting the dish for the best quality and lock that in. Another thing i do not understand is if you lock in your closest true south sat without a motor and then have to take the dish off to mount the motor. Doesn't that then change everything so you are basically starting over? Please explain how it helps to find the sat first without a motor. I really would like to learn this but i am getting to the point where i do not know if it is worth it. I have a pansat 3500sd,Wineguard 2076 dish, SG2100 motor and the Invacom QPH-031.
start with no motor first?
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If you have the satellite/Channel already found when you add the motor and all your angles are right all you have to do is re-find the satellite/channel and you are done (If pole was plumb and level all round and you have taken into account the weight of the dish and motor combined, as they WILL pull everything forward!)
To re-find the satellite (If you have an exact True South satellite) you set all the angles on the motor and dish, have the motor in the zero position then rotate the motor/dish as one on the pole to re-find the satellite. The satellite dish elevation may need slight adjustment, but the motor elevation should never be moved.
If you do not have an exact true South satellite, set up the closest one you have in the antenna setup screen. Enter your lat and long, enter the lat. and Long of the satellite, Hit USALS and the dish will motor very very slightly, then follow the above.
To re-find the satellite (If you have an exact True South satellite) you set all the angles on the motor and dish, have the motor in the zero position then rotate the motor/dish as one on the pole to re-find the satellite. The satellite dish elevation may need slight adjustment, but the motor elevation should never be moved.
If you do not have an exact true South satellite, set up the closest one you have in the antenna setup screen. Enter your lat and long, enter the lat. and Long of the satellite, Hit USALS and the dish will motor very very slightly, then follow the above.
I have done what you said and still can't seem to line up right. i setup on amc5 but when i go to g10r the motor stops about a half inch early. after the motor stops i can push on the dish to the west and the satshows up on the quality meter.but then when i go to a sat to the east from g10r the motor stops and it seems be need to go to the east about a half inch. does this make any sesne to anyone.
thanks
thanks
You're saying AMC5, if that's correct, I'm at a loss. But, if it was AMC 9, I happen to know, in the Pansat in is shown to be located at 85w (where it used to be) and it actually is at 83w. At least that's how it was when I got mine a year or so ago. They may have fixed that by now, but you may have one like mine.
So, it would probably do what you're saying if this was the case. On the other hand, you may not be on AMC5, but instead, you're on SBS6, but you have it entered as AMC5, then this would also happen.
If this is the case. You probably only need to twist your dish just a little to the west.
Al
So, it would probably do what you're saying if this was the case. On the other hand, you may not be on AMC5, but instead, you're on SBS6, but you have it entered as AMC5, then this would also happen.
If this is the case. You probably only need to twist your dish just a little to the west.
Al
Here's how I did it. I set the receiver to USALS and told it to go to my most southerly satellite. I had previously mounted the dish to the motor arm as straight centre as I could make it. I then moved the motor E/W on the pole until I got a signal. Peaked the elevation, then went inside. I switched receiver to Disecq 1.2 and fine tuned the E/W. Its way easier with the motor. When I got it perfect, I went up on the roof and reset the elevation. I eyeballed the dish and lnb and made a chalk mark on the edge of the roof so I knew where it should point. I then went back to USALS settting, which moved the dish. I then loosened the motor to pole mounts and moved it to line up with the chalk mark. Perfection.
Make sure you are setting your receiver to a transponder frequency that you know is active and can identify as the correct satellite you are hunting for.
Make sure you are setting your receiver to a transponder frequency that you know is active and can identify as the correct satellite you are hunting for.
The Pansat still thinks AMC9 is at 85. Heck, my 6000 had AMC9 at 85 still. I had to change that to 83 and add AMC2
Spyguyfred, I recently installed my first FTA motorized system, and there are a few things that can cause confusion when alligning a dish.
The main thing is the fact that when the dish is pointed at a particular satellite, it is sometimes possible for a blindscan to find channels that are being broadcast from an adjacent satellite. This can make the installer think he is pointing at the wrong satellite, when in fact, he is pointing at the correct one (and vice versa).
For example, when I pointed my dish at AMC 1 at 103 degrees, the blindscan picked up the "Congratulations! You have a SuperDish pointed at 105" channel that is broadcast from AMC 15 at 105 degrees.
Also...all those Middle Eastern channels at the 97 degree position.....they also appeared when I blindscanned the 95 degree position satellite.
This phenomenon probably has two causes: One would be limitations in a dish's focusing ability. The second is the fact that some adjacent satellites use the same polarity for the same frequency. Thus consumers' receivers can't use polarity as a means of blocking the signal from the adjacent satellite. This is just my theory. I'm not a satellite expert. But just looking on Lyngsat , comparing frequencies and polarization of some particular adjacent satellites, I'm confident that my thinking is correct.
Other sources of confusion:
When setting the elevation of a sg2100 (or other motor) the tightening bolt is NOT the marker for the elevation scale. The marker is the little raised arrow molded into the motor casting.
The pole mount of the sg2100 is too flimsy. If you tighten the upper bolts tighter than the lower bolts, then it will make the elevation scale be off by a few degrees. Ideally, it's best to set the elevation with an inclinometer.
Extensive allignment instructions have been given on this site by people with much more experience than I have. Nevertheless, I think maybe you can gain a few insights by reading my suggestions below.
Set the motor's elevation as accurately as possible.
Set the dish's elevation according to instructions.
"South" can't be accurately found by most people using a regular compass. Thus this method can be used: In your FTA receiver, enter the latitude and longitude of your location. Determine the satellite that is closest to south from your location. It must be a Ku satellite that has an active transponder on it. (Look on the Lyngsat site.) In your FTA receiver, set the motor up for USALS. This will cause the motor to rotate to where the satellite is (once you have the motor body itself pointed straight south). Set the frequency to that of a known active transponder. Next Rotate the motor body on the pole until you get the strongest signal. "If" you are pointing at the correct satellite, then your motor body is now pointed straight south. Next, determine if you are actually pointing at the correct satellite by doing a blindscan and comparing the resulting channels to the ones that Lyngsat says should be on that satellite. Keep in mind that sometimes channels on adjacent satellites can appear on blindscans. This can be very confusing. If you think you are pointed at the right satellite, then fine tune the elevation of the dish itself for maximum signal, and tighten down the motor clamps to the pole. Blindscan several satellites close to south. If their channels are in agreement with those listed on Lyngsat or other sites, then all is well. But if the programs are generally "off" by one satellite postion (using the Lyngsat or other information), then you probably pointed the motor 2 degrees west or east of true south.
The main thing is the fact that when the dish is pointed at a particular satellite, it is sometimes possible for a blindscan to find channels that are being broadcast from an adjacent satellite. This can make the installer think he is pointing at the wrong satellite, when in fact, he is pointing at the correct one (and vice versa).
For example, when I pointed my dish at AMC 1 at 103 degrees, the blindscan picked up the "Congratulations! You have a SuperDish pointed at 105" channel that is broadcast from AMC 15 at 105 degrees.
Also...all those Middle Eastern channels at the 97 degree position.....they also appeared when I blindscanned the 95 degree position satellite.
This phenomenon probably has two causes: One would be limitations in a dish's focusing ability. The second is the fact that some adjacent satellites use the same polarity for the same frequency. Thus consumers' receivers can't use polarity as a means of blocking the signal from the adjacent satellite. This is just my theory. I'm not a satellite expert. But just looking on Lyngsat , comparing frequencies and polarization of some particular adjacent satellites, I'm confident that my thinking is correct.
Other sources of confusion:
When setting the elevation of a sg2100 (or other motor) the tightening bolt is NOT the marker for the elevation scale. The marker is the little raised arrow molded into the motor casting.
The pole mount of the sg2100 is too flimsy. If you tighten the upper bolts tighter than the lower bolts, then it will make the elevation scale be off by a few degrees. Ideally, it's best to set the elevation with an inclinometer.
Extensive allignment instructions have been given on this site by people with much more experience than I have. Nevertheless, I think maybe you can gain a few insights by reading my suggestions below.
Set the motor's elevation as accurately as possible.
Set the dish's elevation according to instructions.
"South" can't be accurately found by most people using a regular compass. Thus this method can be used: In your FTA receiver, enter the latitude and longitude of your location. Determine the satellite that is closest to south from your location. It must be a Ku satellite that has an active transponder on it. (Look on the Lyngsat site.) In your FTA receiver, set the motor up for USALS. This will cause the motor to rotate to where the satellite is (once you have the motor body itself pointed straight south). Set the frequency to that of a known active transponder. Next Rotate the motor body on the pole until you get the strongest signal. "If" you are pointing at the correct satellite, then your motor body is now pointed straight south. Next, determine if you are actually pointing at the correct satellite by doing a blindscan and comparing the resulting channels to the ones that Lyngsat says should be on that satellite. Keep in mind that sometimes channels on adjacent satellites can appear on blindscans. This can be very confusing. If you think you are pointed at the right satellite, then fine tune the elevation of the dish itself for maximum signal, and tighten down the motor clamps to the pole. Blindscan several satellites close to south. If their channels are in agreement with those listed on Lyngsat or other sites, then all is well. But if the programs are generally "off" by one satellite postion (using the Lyngsat or other information), then you probably pointed the motor 2 degrees west or east of true south.
what i've found to be a little helpful is to use a circular LNB first. It's much easier to eyeball. Set your motor to 0 and then tell your receiver to point the dish to 91 (has both L and C feeds). fine tune with the C LMB and then put the L LNB back on and try from there.
Not an expert on this but thats what worked for me.
Not an expert on this but thats what worked for me.
Not a bad idea. You could be pretty confident that you were actually pointed at the correct circular polarized satellite (DirecTV 2 at 91.5 degrees)
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