Introduction from FTA Noobie

[ChrisN812]

Hello All!

I'm Chris, located in Southern Indiana across the river from Louisville KY. I've been a dtv sub for over 10 years and started to get the itch to play with FTA. Found a old WildBlue/ViaSat dish and started about grafting on a Ku LNB to replace the Tria (Anyone need it or is it of any use). Got it mounted up a month ago and enjoyed playing with it finding a few feeds mostly directly overhead. Mounted it to a HH120 and now can swing it all over the sky. I have full H-t-H viewing on 20 acres of farm land.

Now I've purchased a GSP 90cm & HH90 and am looking at planting another pole to mount it up. My first question is the planning of my dish farm as I plan on adding a C band dish down the road. What orientation should the dish poles be aligned (south to north im assuming)? I was thinking about putting the second pole about 3-4 feet to the south of my existing pole.


Bio: IBM Mid-Range Expert (AIX, iSeries & Linux) in the healthcare field, been a hacker since the early 80's, middle aged, 2 kids, 20 acre farm. Love to tinker with electronics, pretty handy at turning wrenches and fixing most anything. Avid golfer.

Now off to create a sig for the forum!

ChrisN812

 

[ChrisN812]

A few photos of the start of a new dish farm...

 

[KE4EST]

When I used a Wildblue dish for FTA I found that I got a better signal when I put the sub reflector back on.
Nice setup!

 

[danristheman]

nice job on your wildblue and welcome to the site.

 

[ChrisN812]

The wildblue dish didn't have a sub-reflector. I had seen other people use it with the sub and have success. Not sure what I'll use it for. Maybe for a long range wifi project down the road.

I finally got my second pole planted 4 feet due south of this existing pole. Removed the wild blue dish as i couldnt get anything stronger than a Quality 40 on G17 and am waiting for the concrete to set for mounting the 90cm (tomorrow? We are forecast to receive an inch of rain) so it might have to wait until Friday.

ChrisN812

 

[danristheman]

Hey Chris are you from Indiana the zip code says your from southern Indiana Floyd knobs near Ohio river? Try your wild blue dish on 103w ku you might be able to pick up some stuff there.

 

[ChrisN812]

Is there anything on 85w? This is my due south and am aiming the 90cm today and can't find anything on AMC 16.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[ChrisN812]

Well got the 90cm installed today (almost) tried aiming it up and scanned what I beleive to be a few channels off SES2 (87W) can anyone confirm if this in infact the bird I have locked? Quality is yet to be tweaked as it was raining a bit too hard for me to sit out there and tweak. I'll jump back on it tomorrow

 

[k.r.]

Lyngsat could help you confirm some transponders....i think that is 87

 

[Titanium]

Congratulations!

Yes, The Florida Channel is on 87w. As long as the pole is plumb, the motor bracket is not twisted and the receiver's motor control was set to USALS, the rest of the satellites should be just an automatic USALS motor move away!

 

[Hockeynut]

Congrats Chris..Yup SES 2 at 87W is where you are as previously mentioned...Nah nothing at all located at the 85w orbital position any longer.

 

[ChrisN812]

What kind of quality should I expect for a particular bird/tp to shoot for ?


Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[Hockeynut]

Using a sat receiver is not a real good way to know if you are tracking the arc very well.Might get lucky but a sat meter is the best way to go.I use a Sat Hero 300HD here.Not the best but better than a sat receiver.

 

[ChrisN812]

Looks like I am averaging around 40% quality on the FTA TPs I do get channels on. i was excited to find i could get good signal.

Im not finding much east of SES2. Am able to grab Montana PBS to the west so I am happy for that.

 

[ChrisN812]

Anyone able to grant me access to :
FTA Finds Forum Access

I'm usually bouncing between here and Ricks wildfeed forum. Thanks!

 

[KE4EST]

Anyone able to grant me access to :
FTA Finds Forum Access

Access granted.

 

[spongella]

Chris,

Welcome to FTA and congratulations on finding 87W. % signal quality levels, at least in my experience, vary from receiver to receiver. Some are generous and others not so. % signal quality also varies among transponders too. I always adjust for the best % quality while also judging how the picture looks, it should have no pixielation or frame freeze. Bringing out all your equipment (receiver, TV set) to the dish is a perfectly acceptable way of optimizing your reception but of course not the only way.

 

[danristheman]

I like 87w ku lpb is my favorite on that satellite. On list of satellites to look for go for the big fish at 30w.

 

[ChrisN812]

I like 87w ku lpb is my favorite on that satellite. On list of satellites to look for go for the big fish at 30w.

Interesting that i can get to 30W. Looks like the dish is pointing at the ground! I did blind scan 43 channels. Ill try peaking the dish on this tomorrow

.

Thanks!

 

[danristheman]

When i had my dish up for 30w it was at 17.1 degrees elevation pointed at the ground. I got it to work 70+ quality not bad. You should be 18 degrees since you are south of me. 11884h transponder for cubavision strongest Signal.