Thread: Peaking 90cm Dish on 97W

Brian,

I do agree with this statement:

A normal install is completed in a few hours.

A single, fixed point dish installation (if you don't include digging a hole and concrete work or mounting the dish on a roof or exterior wall) should take about 45 minutes to run the cable and align the dish and set up the receiver. A motorized FTA dish installation should only take about 60 to 90 minutes.

That is including all the setup of equipment, routing and securing the cables and connecting the ground, aligning the dish, programming the receiver and and cleanup afterwards. The time to scan in channels is additional work and I didn't include that in my estimate as so many receivers scan at different speeds.

If I could have a head start (cable already run, mast in place) and all I had to do is assemble and align the dish. I can complete a fixed point dish in 15-20 minutes and a motorized dish in 45 - 50. I think that my brother is even faster. I seem to get hung up trying to be a perfectionist and peaking the signals and tracking the arc to the ultimate.

RADAR

Originally Posted by SatelliteAV

No contradiction.... FSS jobs pay more than DBS.

Could be a FSS residential install that will pay 2 or 3 times the DBS rate or might be a commercial job with many hours work at a great rate. Learn the FSS technology and make more $$$ in either a residential or a commercial setting.

My error, Brian. I was reading your statement incorrectly. My mind was drifting I guess. Crud! I hate when I do that.

RADAR

Originally Posted by SatelliteAV

Add Plenum cable, conduits, additional drops, etc. and a commercial facility earns a tech $2000 - $3000 for a few days work.

yeah that plenum cable is pricey....had to buy two boxes of it the other day....yikes!!!

So were you able to get the signal? When I caught that bird with my 36" dish there are some satellites next to it that were way stronger so my signal meter did not work. I found whatever I could near it and then verified that the elevation was close then I set the tranponder for 97 on my receiver and had to watch the bar graph. I still haven't peaked it all the way but I am getting like 72% quality but unfortunately I lose most of the signals when it rains. I think my focal point is off a bit.

Nope, I dumped the job. I've got a family to feed, and the FTA market can't hold a candle to the paid programming market. I was wasting my time. :-)

I read about a guy who spent MONTHS trouble shooting a system to eventually find out that there was a manufacturing defect that was throwing off the focal point... In my experience you need to stock replacement parts for every conceivable system configuration in order to effectively trouble shoot and RESOLVE technical problems. There's no way I can do that with FTA. I'm certain other guys can, and get paid accordingly. I've chosen a different speciality already though.

That is pretty much why I maintain my FTA experience as a "hobby". I install some systems for buddies or relatives after they get exposure to it through my own setup. Some people enjoy it, some people don't. With History channel gone and all the neat old ones on Galaxy 23, it is much harder to sell Ku band FTA and most people don't want to get into the C-Band equipment. So FTA just remains a hobby for me and a filler for channels I cannot get OTA. I find it to be just perfect for me.

RADAR

Well, turns out some customers just don't know how to take 'NO' for an answer. And some customers keep your phone number, and call it repeatedly from different phones.

So I got him all peaked in and scanned the channels, etc. It all went well once I knew to select Generic KU...

I swear, I just know I'm never going to get another FTA job until RIGHT after I forget everything I just learned. I know this, because this is what just happened to me.

Great success story!

Are you registered on
www.FTAinstall.com?

Playing the lottery increases your odds of winning!

Ah! Excellent work gettin' it line up and scanned in, ZandarKoad!

On the Applied Instruments website
Welcome to Applied Instruments

, they have many more pdf files (application notes) and training videos. Highlight Satellite Meters > meters > your meter or similar model and click and you'll find lots of good stuff.

RADAR