Taking my satellite while travelling

[Busterw]

I regularly travel to a family members mountain home for vacation where they have no television service. With the help of the fine folks here a few years back, I was able to successfully be able to travel with a pair of 18" dishes ( a single LNB and a dual LNB) with me and a 4x4 switch and receiver and get them pointed when I traveled to the in-laws so we had TV service and our hometown local channels for the kids.

However, now my home town is being upgraded so we are on a one dish setuip rather than a 2 dish setup. So, rather than having a slimiline and an oval to be able to get regular programming and locals, they will upgrade me at home in a week.

I would like to go ahead and prepare for my upcoming trip and get the equipment I need ahead of time so I can get it setup when I get to the mountains.

So, if I will have a one dish setup at home,what will I need to purchase and will I be able to point a slimline without special tools as I know it is MUCH moresensitive. I previously pointed my other 2 dishes at the mountain house with a compass quite easily.

My home town is zip 31210 and the zip where I will be travelling to is 30705. I guess I also need to know what satellite I will be pointing at with the slimline.

Thanks for any help that you all can offer again.

 

[Busterw]

I am also wondering if I can to start with following the advice in this post and get a 5 LNB slimline to travel with (since the one at my home is a 5 LNB), the permanently mount a mast at that location. If so, I would still need advice on how to get it aimed and what to aim at to start with. I also need to know if there is any other equipment I need, if I can use my 4x4 switch or if I need a different switch.

Thanks again!

 

[Blueridge66]

As a comment.... if you can be satisfied with standard definition, a single dish aimed at the 101° satellite would be all you need. (I didn't check if your locals are on 101°) The same technique you've used in the past will work. You'd have to setup the receiver for the single dish when you arrive and redo when you go home.
I'll let others comment on the slimline dish option

 

[Jimbo]

If you DO want HD, you'll need a Slimline, several varieties available, IF you have a SL5 at home you may get a SL5 for there, but you probably only need a SL3, easier to set up as your only pointing at the 3 Sats instead of 5.
Can't use your 4x4 switch with the Slimline stuff.

How many recvrs are you hooking up, if only 1, no switch is needed.

Point at the 101 for starters.

 

[Busterw]

I would prefer to have HD if possible if it won't require a lot of extra expense and extra setup. How do I tell if the one I have at home is a 3 or 5 LNB version. I believe the installer said it was a 5 when he recently put it in the replace the older one I had that got damaged. What will I be losing if I go with a 3 LNB Slimline as opposed to the 5 LNB?

I will only be connecting one receiver so that is good to know that I can eliminate the switch.

As I said, I currently have 2 dishes I use at that location. One is a single LNB for locals and the other is a dual. To get to the 101 for starting, do I just need to aim whichever slimline I replace with in the same direction as my dual LNB currently is.

Also, what do I need to use for the elevation and tilt settings to get started? Do I use those for my home town or for the town I will be located in while on vacation?

Thanks!

 

[Jimbo]

I would prefer to have HD if possible if it won't require a lot of extra expense and extra setup. How do I tell if the one I have at home is a 3 or 5 LNB version. I believe the installer said it was a 5 when he recently put it in the replace the older one I had that got damaged. What will I be losing if I go with a 3 LNB Slimline as opposed to the 5 LNB?

I will only be connecting one receiver so that is good to know that I can eliminate the switch.

As I said, I currently have 2 dishes I use at that location. One is a single LNB for locals and the other is a dual. To get to the 101 for starting, do I just need to aim whichever slimline I replace with in the same direction as my dual LNB currently is.

Also, what do I need to use for the elevation and tilt settings to get started? Do I use those for my home town or for the town I will be located in while on vacation?

Thanks!

Go to Menu/Set Up/System Set Up/Info and Test/More System Info .... second screen will show you your Dish Type and a bunch of other info as well.

Are your locals in HD ?
If so, you get them off the 99 or 103 Sat, so you don't need the second dish.... depending on how far away your going.
If you can get your locals at the second location in HD, your good to go, I would get a SL3.
Theres not really that much on the 119 sat.

 

[Busterw]

OK, so I am travelling to the location mentioned above this weekend. I have a slimline 3 and have it pointed at the 101 doing just fine. My networks come in but the locals give me a searching for satellite. Can anyone tell me what bird I need to focus on now and how best to tune it in?

If I look at 99 and 103, my signal meters are in the 40-50 range.

When finalzing the installation, and it checks configuration, it shows a check mark in the 101 even and an X in all other boxes.

Thanks for any advice anyone can provide me.

Thanks!
Buster

 

[Jimbo]

OK, so I am travelling to the location mentioned above this weekend. I have a slimline 3 and have it pointed at the 101 doing just fine. My networks come in but the locals give me a searching for satellite. Can anyone tell me what bird I need to focus on now and how best to tune it in?

If I look at 99 and 103, my signal meters are in the 40-50 range.

When finalzing the installation, and it checks configuration, it shows a check mark in the 101 even and an X in all other boxes.

Thanks for any advice anyone can provide me.

Thanks!
Buster

Your approximately 230+ miles away from the other, chances are your OUT of the Spotbeam, this is why you are getting the "searching for Signal" when on your local channels.

as for the other issue, the 99 and 103 needs to be dithered .... quite a bit from the looks of it, maybe the dish isn't peaked enough on the 101 ... What are your signal strength on the 101 transponders ?

 

[Busterw]

OK, I have been tweaking the adkustments and now on "verifying installation" I get a check on odd and even for the 101. Still red x's for the 99 and 103. When I check signal strength on 99 and 103, I am getting 85-87. What should I be aiming for on those satellites and how should I get those settings closer?

Thanks!
Buster

 

[Jimbo]

OK, I have been tweaking the adkustments and now on "verifying installation" I get a check on odd and even for the 101. Still red x's for the 99 and 103. When I check signal strength on 99 and 103, I am getting 85-87. What should I be aiming for on those satellites and how should I get those settings closer?

Thanks!
Buster

You should be fine there, you a can try to peak it a bit higher, but might not be able to without losing elsewhere, what is your SS on the 101 ?

 

[Busterw]

OK the 101, I am now at 98.

How do I go about "dithering" the 99 and 103?

By the way, when I was previously running a 2 dish setup at this same place, I was able to get locals. Then they converted me to a one dish setup at home so I changed my travel setup so i could get HD channels. So, if i was able to get locals before, shouldn't I still be able to?

Thanks!

 

[Jimbo]

OK the 101, I am now at 98.

How do I go about "dithering" the 99 and 103?

By the way, when I was previously running a 2 dish setup at this same place, I was able to get locals. Then they converted me to a one dish setup at home so I changed my travel setup so i could get HD channels. So, if i was able to get locals before, shouldn't I still be able to?

Thanks!

Were you getting the locals there in HD, or was it SD ?

I would leave the dithering alone, if your in the mid 80's and the 101 at 98.

 

[Busterw]

Standard def previously.

What kind of numbers should I expect on the 99 and 103?

 

[Busterw]

Let me ask another question. Could I put one of my old 18" round dishes back up that I THINK pointed at the 72.5 and hook the slimline and the 18" up to my 4x4 switch and get locals in SD while still getting the other HD stuff from the slimline. I don't care if locals are in SD or not if it means I can at least get them somehow.

 

[Busterw]

Oh, I forgot to mention I am 150 miles from home rather than the 230+ that you were thinking.

 

[Jimbo]

Standard def previously.

What kind of numbers should I expect on the 99 and 103?

You said you were in the mid 80's, thats good, you can tweak to get higher if you want, but you may lose some on the 101...

Previously you were in the beam for the SD, the HD signal is much smaller, however, you can probably still pick up the locals in SD, if you want.

 

[Jimbo]

Oh, I forgot to mention I am 150 miles from home rather than the 230+ that you were thinking.

150 miles is pushing it for the HD spot beam.

 

[Jimbo]

Let me ask another question. Could I put one of my old 18" round dishes back up that I THINK pointed at the 72.5 and hook the slimline and the 18" up to my 4x4 switch and get locals in SD while still getting the other HD stuff from the slimline. I don't care if locals are in SD or not if it means I can at least get them somehow.

Do not use the 4x4 switch or you'll lose signal.. the HD signals are at a different frequency.

You should be able to get your locals in SD with the dish you have, make sure you haven't taken the SD channels out of your set up.

 

[Busterw]

Yes, I would love to be able to get them in SD if that is all that is possible. how do I do it?

You said you were in the mid 80's, thats good, you can tweak to get higher if you want, but you may lose some on the 101...

Previously you were in the beam for the SD, the HD signal is much smaller, however, you can probably still pick up the locals in SD, if you want.

 

[Busterw]

Well I went into settings and told it to show all channels rather than show HD channels. The locals do not show duplicate listings still. Have I got to do something else for the local SD channels to show? I am still getting searching for satellite on any local channel.