Scott's C-Band Dish install

[tvropro]

What your analog meter may be seeing is the noise of the LNB. I would try this, hook up a DVB receiver and set the thing up for NASA Freq SR etc and slowly move the dish in the area of true south and see if you can get any quality. I would also check the declination.
Take your elevation on the back of the dish when using AzEL elevation data.

 

[turbosat]

Scott, you got to get your elevation angle off the top of the polar mount axis-bar. In that picture where you have the 41 showing, put your meter on top of that bar that raises up and down with the elevation bolt--that's the part you have to set it by. Try that and see if it don't work out....

 

[tvropro]

Scott, you got to get your elevation angle off the top of the polar mount axis-bar. In that picture where you have the 41 showing, put your meter on top of that bar that raises up and down with the elevation bolt--that's the part you have to set it by. Try that and see if it don't work out....

Exactly, what he is seeing is elevation without declination correction and actually ending up with too much elevation.

 

[turbosat]

pic example

Scott I tried to edit your pic to show what I mean, so here it comes. Measure your elevation where pointed out, and stick that angle meter to a flat surface on the backside of the dish itself to measure your declination.

 

[guapoharry]

Believe it or not, I would be okay with only my FTA channels As long I get CBS and NBC, I'm good. No antenna required.

What do you call the thing used to collect RF signal transmitted from the satellite?

 

[guapoharry]

Exactly, what he is seeing is elevation without declination correction and actually ending up with too much elevation.

Uh, isn't it too little elevation?

Edit: When the dish is pointed at the horizon, the elevation is zero. Eh?
Ricardo's drawing seems to call when the dish is pointed straight up "zero"......

 

[tvropro]

Scott I tried to edit your pic to show what I mean, so here it comes. Measure your elevation where pointed out, and stick that angle meter to a flat surface on the backside of the dish itself to measure your declination.

Wouldn't you want to take true satellite elevation on the back of the dish? What your reading on the polar mount is elevation minus declination. May have it backwards, Im too lazy to pullout my inclinometer and slap it on my dish now to check

C band tracking made easy: http://boresight.ripco.com/0630_152823-2.wmv

 

[toucan-man]

What do you call the thing used to collect RF signal transmitted from the satellite?

An antenna, haha. What word would you suggest to make the sentence ironic? Dipole?

 

[turbosat]

Wouldn't you want to take true satellite elevation on the back of the dish? What your reading on the polar mount is elevation minus declination. May have it backwards, Im too lazy to pullout my inclinometer and slap it on my dish now to check

No, if thats a true polar mount, you set the elevation that way, and the declination is measured off a flat surface of the dish's mounting ring, or flat part of the polar mount that Holds the dish. Best done while pointing due south as it usually gives you more room to stick that angle meter in between the axis bar and the dish.
edit : I'll go out tomorrow and make some pics for him, since I got a dish pointed at 72 anyway. Make it a lot easier than trying to type it lol.

 

[tvropro]

No, if thats a true polar mount, you set the elevation that way, and the declination is measured off a flat surface of the dish's mounting ring, or flat part of the polar mount that Holds the dish. Best done while pointing due south as it usually gives you more room to stick that angle meter in between the axis bar and the dish.
edit : I'll go out tomorrow and make some pics for him, since I got a dish pointed at 72 anyway. Make it a lot easier than trying to type it lol.

The video I linked too will give some great suggestions and info for Scott and anyone tracking a c band dish. And watching it a bit now Turbo is right. I was confusing az-el with polar, getting old. Shawn Kenny brings up good stuff in the video.

 

[guapoharry]

Where he's got the inclinometer is fine. (provided the pivot axis and where the inclinometer is stuck to are at right angles to each other...)

Do both of those surfaces of the inclinometer have a magnet on them? Mine doesn't. I wonder....

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Scott I tried to edit your pic to show what I mean, so here it comes. Measure your elevation where pointed out, and stick that angle meter to a flat surface on the backside of the dish itself to measure your declination.

I will check tomorrow and see if I can put the angle meter there. Thanks for the advice!

 

[turbosat]

Once you do it the first time Scott, you'll see how simple it really is. The trick is knowing where to stick the angle meter to be accurate. The polar axis bar is set to your elevation while pointed due south, and the declination figure for your latitude is added to your elev angle, and measured at the other location I told you about. You can tweak for maximum signal with the east/west and elevation angles, declination is usually set once and left alone. Good luck!

 

[tvropro]

I will check tomorrow and see if I can put the angle meter there. Thanks for the advice!

Scott download the movie I linked to, about midway Shawn Kenny talks all about exactly what you need to do with elevation and declination and using the inclinometer.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The video I linked too will give some great suggestions and info for Scott and anyone tracking a c band dish. And watching it a bit now Turbo is right. I was confusing az-el with polar, getting old. Shawn Kenny brings up good stuff in the video.

Yup some good stuff there indeed. (And I like when he dropped the wrench almost on his head)

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Anyone ever use one of these?

Extended Arc-Set Information

 

[turbosat]

Never saw that, might work but I believe you have the tools already on hand to do the job.
And I certainly don't want to work with a non-plumb pole like they mentioned, hehe.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

My pole is very plumb, that I am sure of.

 

[guapoharry]

An antenna, haha. What word would you suggest to make the sentence ironic? Dipole?

Ironic? Don't follow you there...

Congrats on your 200th post...

 

[tvropro]

Yup some good stuff there indeed. (And I like when he dropped the wrench almost on his head)

Shawn Kenny was great. Too bad he had to die by falling off a roof, He did so much for the C band industry back in the day. Glad the video helps it does answer some important questions. I should review it more often. I haven't done a polar mount setup from scratch for years and Im getting AZ-EL confused. Peaking my polar mount once tracked is etched in my brain but not from scratch. (getting old )