Thread: How far East can we reach from the US?

K'Bick
The reason most sat lists dont go past 58W is because that is really the satellite the whole US can see...even though on West Coast its probably a 11 elevation

I can see to 30W here in Minneapolis which is a 9 elevation. I had to do some fabrication and just trial and error. If the mast is set properly at 90 degrees the dish hits it. So I had to spin the mast around and put it at an oddball angle to make it work.

IN the one pic its the dish on the right....the left one was aimed at 148W (when 148 was still alive)

Originally Posted by Iceberg

K'Bick
I can see to 30W here in Minneapolis which is a 9 elevation. I had to do some fabrication and just trial and error. If the mast is set properly at 90 degrees the dish hits it. So I had to spin the mast around and put it at an oddball angle to make it work.

Sounds like a good time to invert the dish

Originally Posted by Iceberg

K'Bick
The reason most sat lists dont go past 58W is because that is really the satellite the whole US can see...even though on West Coast its probably a 11 elevation

I can see to 30W here in Minneapolis which is a 9 elevation. I had to do some fabrication and just trial and error. If the mast is set properly at 90 degrees the dish hits it. So I had to spin the mast around and put it at an oddball angle to make it work.

IN the one pic its the dish on the right....the left one was aimed at 148W (when 148 was still alive)

That makes sense about the list ending at 58w... sounds like I might be able to mess around and get a little further East then (assuming how good my LOS is and what kinds of crazy contortions I can put my dish through ).

By the way, what kind of dish is that with the support ribs in the back? It kind of looks like a channel master but then the mount is lower than center.

Originally Posted by mikelib

Hey why not go for it. I find DXing satellites with small dishes intriguing. Atlantic Bird 2 at 8 W is on the equator off of the coast of West Africa so pulling in two TV stations on the American transponders with a 18x20" dish is quite an accomplishment

I also listen to short-wave in the winter time and I have a scanner that I take in the car to listen to Public Safety broadcast.


So many signals so little time.
Mike Lib

DXing is a very cool angle (pardon the pun) to the FTA hobby.. I'm finding out just how additctive it is.

Originally Posted by mikelib

Here are pics from my receiver of Telstar 12, at the time I scanned in the channels TV Pampa was on two transponders.

See now you're just making me jealous .... I see from your pics there is one extra TV Pampa channel (not Santa Maria) in the list as well.. I've got to try to get this sat!

What kind of receiver is that by the way?

This app is sort of basic, but I think it's useful. It's called Satfinder


satfinder

Enter your location and it will display a table with satellites listed by Name, Longitude, Azimuth (True), Azimuth (Magnetic), Elevation, and Skew.

If you wonder what satellites are theoretically possible to see from your location, you can find out. This is where I found out Hispasat is below the horizon for my location.....

Originally Posted by K'bick

See now you're just making me jealous .... I see from your pics there is one extra TV Pampa channel (not Santa Maria) in the list as well.. I've got to try to get this sat!

What kind of receiver is that by the way?

The receiver is a Fortec Star Dynamic, one of the better SD receivers. I don't think that there is any TV Pampa channel now, what there now is what is listed in Lyngsat. I got the impression that you might understand Portuguese?

Originally Posted by K'bick

By the way, what kind of dish is that with the support ribs in the back? It kind of looks like a channel master but then the mount is lower than center.

Its a Channelmaster 75e dish used for Shaw Direct (formerly Starchoice)...a Canadian DTH provider.

I use a 1.2m now because the LNB on that went out and it costs too much to get a replacement. Shaw Direct replaces the equipment for free if it dies but I have to be in Canada (which I'm not)

Telstar 12 (15W) is locked in at a whopping 48%Q.. but its stable. I am completely shocked!!! Thought my neighbor's roof would block me before I would get it.. The dish is practically looking down at the roof.

I'm going to see if I can squeeze another 2.5 degrees out of the motor and try for Atlantic Bird 1.