Thread: trying to track the satellite arc using 1.2 meter primestar dish

I want to think everyone ahead of time for taking there time to help me.
I got a free 1.2 meter primestar dish. I got a DG 380 motor on it and wanted to use it as a mini bud. The first thing I did was to put a ku lnb on it and aim at true south. My latitude is 26.4, Longitude 81.4. I selected AMC 5 79.0W and used transponder 11900 H 2170 on the Coolsat 6000 I was using, and then the dish moved to selected the position. I then played with the azmuth and elevation until I could lock on the satellite. I locked the elevation bolts on the 1.2 meter Primestar dish and put a C band LNB, and selected Galaxy 99 C using transponder 4000 H 26400 and moved it left, and right trying to lock on. To make a long story short I'm having trouble tracking the Clark belt with the 1.2 Meter Primestar Dish using a C band LNB any advice would be appreciated.

First of all congrats on finding the 1.2m primestar - those are nice dishes!!

1) Check to make sure your mount is perfectly plumb.
2) Make sure you started with the motor at it's zero position when you locked onto your true South satellite.
3) Double check your motor elevation (the scale on the side of the motor mount). Set it to your site's latitude.

Originally Posted by K'bick

First of all congrats on finding the 1.2m primestar - those are nice dishes!!

1) Check to make sure your mount is perfectly plumb.
2) Make sure you started with the motor at it's zero position when you locked onto your true South satellite.
3) Double check your motor elevation (the scale on the side of the motor mount). Set it to your site's latitude.

Forgot to mention to make sure that the dish is not rotated on the motor shaft as well.

Since Ku band is harder to aim than C-band, I suggest you put the Ku lnbf back on and verify your true south install. Then start acquiring the Ku birds progressively across the arc. At some point, if you can no longer pick up a sat that SHOULD be available, you'll have learned something about your aim.
As K'bick points out, It pretty much comes down to a plumb, rigid pole, and the motor latitude setting being correct. After that, a dialed in True south sat should give you the whole arc.

I have a Fortec 1.2M on the DG380, and I swap out the C-band lnbf/conical scalar for a Ku Band lnbf a couple times a week, depending upon my fancy at the time. If you nail down the Ku side, then the C-band will drop right in.

OLD SCHOOL DISH TRACKING.


1. Adjust your dish to receive the satellite that is due south (south sat).

2. Use your motor drive to scan for the next satellite to the east. Peak the satellite by rotating the dish assembly on the mounting pole. DO NOT TOUCH THE ELEVATION. Keep doing this until you have reached your east most satellite. Make a mark on the mount and pole and label this "E".

3. Go back to your south sat and adjust the elevation.

4. Repeat step 2 this time to the west. Mark the pole with a "W". The space between these 2 marks is the polar offset/declination error.

5. Put the mount between the "E" and "W". Go to south sat and adjust the elevation. Now lock it down or try to get the marks closer together by adjusting the polar offset/declination.

I think a side-view picture of your dish with the Ku, then the C-band LNBf will bear this out, but here's my thought:
The C-band LNBF is larger in diameter than the Ku, and so when you mount it, it sits higher at what should be the focus point.
That will require the dish to be tilted a bit higher in the sky to compensate.


PS: here are a few birds & transponders you should be able to easily receive (One Meter Primestar Mini-Bud Experiment), as they were seen on a 1m Primestar.

I'll assume you have the basic skew of the C-band LNBf under control.
Anole pix of skew for CK-1 and BSC-621 LNBf's
http://www.satelliteguys.us/1281374-post50.html (Quick - Help me think this through! Geosat Pro C/Ku)
[09:19] <Anole> Fred - how do you orient the DMX741 at TS ?
[09:19] <Linuxman> you can put the 0 line at either north or south
[09:20] <Linuxman> it has a plus or minus 10 degrees off center if i remember correctly
Iceberg and skew of C2:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air...ml#post1939026 (Setup of a Geosat Pro C2)

I had a magnetic level in the pole. I found out the the Conical scalar ring works better on those dishes. I was only able to pick up 91 and some channels on Galaxy 99C. Someone said the the primestar dishes are 3 to 4 degrees of in elevation, so I'll have to increase the elevation.

Anole, I skewed the C-band LNB to get a lock on 91 and 99.The big problem is that those satellites were the only two I could get with the 1.2 meter primestar. I 'll wait tell the weather improves and start working on tracking the satellite arc properly.

Can you please post some pictures of your dish?

I have essentially the same dish that I want to put a motor on but I can't figure out how to do it. It would be hugely helpful to me and probably many others if you could show us how you did it.

The more detail you can show, the better.

Thank you!