Eastern arc install help

Claude Greiner

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Sep 8, 2003
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Detroit - The Paris of the Midwest
It's been 5 years since I installed a dish network dish.

Any suggestions on how to setup an eastern arc dish?

I have some Lnb's in stock still that get the 61.5/72/77 satellites.

Any suggestions on a meter? Any suggestions on how to align it without a meter?

I know how to mount the dish, plumb the mast.

I just have not done one in ages

It's for a friend of mine who is stubborn and won't switch to directv. Just a single 211 receiver.
 
It's been 5 years since I installed a dish network dish.

Any suggestions on how to setup an eastern arc dish?

I have some Lnb's in stock still that get the 61.5/72/77 satellites.

Any suggestions on a meter? Any suggestions on how to align it without a meter?

I know how to mount the dish, plumb the mast.

I just have not done one in ages

It's for a friend of mine who is stubborn and won't switch to directv. Just a single 211 receiver.
WOW, for a minute there I thought you were coming back to the good side! :coco
 
Assuming your 61.5/72.7/77 W reflector is a Dish 1000.4, I hope you have the manual for the dish. When I did the EA 1000.2 at my vacation place, the manual had a table of Zip Codes for EA and WA settings (azimuth, skew, elevation) which worked for me to get a usable signal. I had the luxury of using my 211 as a power source and aiming device instead of a handheld meter. I also used the DishPointer AR app on my phone to make sure the mast was aimed in the general direction of the two (in my case) satellites. Being up on a steel roof messed around with being able to use the magnetic bearing so I was glad to have the app.

I'm sure Dish has the tables for the Dish EA 1000.4 online someplace. Edit: Scott to the Rescue: http://www.satelliteguys.us/images/Eastern_Arc_Antenna_Instructions.pdf (Page 11 onward)
 
Dishpointer.com has the settings for that dish, and you can zoom it on the exact site and location where you want to do the install. Just find the coordinates of the install location using Google maps, and scroll down to the "multi-lnb" option, then the "Dish 1000.4 (61.5W, 72.7W, 77W)".

It'll give you the azimuth, elevation, and skew settings. I've used them, and they are dead-on.
 
Just remember that 72.7 is listed as Nimiq 5 and not as a DISH satellite. I think we are still leasing space on a Canadian satellite.

Yeah, technically, 72.7 is a Canadian DBS slot, I believe 77W is a Mexican slot. Since Canada wasn't using it, Dish/Echostar got permission from the FCC and CRTC to have Telesat lease Nimiq 5 to Dish/Echostar since Bell ExpressVu didn't need the space.
 
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Zipcode is 48234
According to the Dish EA 1000.4 document, you need to set the dish to 40? Elevation and 79? Skew. Your aim is for 171? Azimuth (not sure if that's magnetic or true). The Dishpointer site reports the following:
Screen Shot 2016-06-26 at 11.25.30 AM.png
 
Slap some foil over the two outer LNB's and tune the center one for 72.7. If the skew is set right, 77 and 61.5 will fall into place when the foil is removed. Ignore 77 when peaking the other two.
 
Any tips for pointing ? I have a triple Lnb. Which satellite is not being used?
yep...similar in weight to the SL3. The 1000.4 is a bit cumbersome.
Here is my list of tricks.
1. set your skew and elevation.
2. When setting the elevation go up one degree or so. Reason...The arm and lnb are a bit heavy and do pull the dish slightly downward...
3. Set your meter to the 61.5 sat. always sweep the sky from west to east. The reason is that if you go the other direction, you'll hit a satellite just east of 61.5 which even fooled my super sat buddy.
4. once you have hit the 61.5, continue to sweep SLOWLY until the signal strength starts to drop. STOP.....Then sweep back to the west. When it peaks STOP.....SNUG....not tighten the three nuts on the mast clamp
5. gently grasp the dish top and bottom tug UP. if the signal increases, keep cranking on the elevation jack screw. wait for the signal to start dropping. Once that happens STOP....lower the dish with the jack screw. SLOWLY.....Once it peaks, STOP....
6. At this point tighten the elevation nuts. Tighten the mast clamp nuts.
7. grasp the dish and gently tug left to right right to left....and then up and down. If the signal does not increase, you are on the ball. Job done.
 
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