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Satellite System Installer Referral Program - Satellite AV Maybe you can find a installer or local guy to do a site survey for you. Kevin

Allan
the FTA Section will have your answer, take the information from your first post about which satellite your trying to get and everything

ok here's some good information

and here's a calculator for distance to item

Thank you for the answers, but one more thing please.....

My Starband dealer sold me everything but got sick so he sent out inexperienced installers who spent 16 hours and got nowhere.

I asked him if the hill nearby is too high but he is located four hours away and not here to see it.

I used the locator to find out the elevation etc of the satellite. But I am confused as the diagram shows that for example you need clear sky between 10 and 35 degrees. But say my signal is 20 degrees and the instructions say my dish must point to the satellite....

OK, does that mean the face of the dish, points up or tilts up 20 degrees? OK. (yes/no)

And, do I need clear vies of the sky at the 20 degree line of site only of is their a 10 degrees above and below area that also must be clear of obstructions? (that is what is confusing about the diagram).

Regarding LNBF polarization (skew) he told me he set the modem to operate at minus 20 degrees Horizontal setting at the LNB.

But the SAT finder program recommended here in this post says 67.5 degrees skew (without H or V mentioned).

So, where is this info located ?(this is a Starband internet set up but Starband is providing no help.....yes it is weird but true).

Perhaps the locator at the 129 degree satellite is telling me where to get FTA rather than the Starband section of the satellite?

I am told to point my dish down 1 degree to get signal. But the hillside is actually 106 degrees to the top of the hill about 300 yards away. The signal comes into the dish at about 40 degrees so that makes the signal at 129 degrees from the ground and that is the satellite.

But the locator and info given here say the dish must point TO the satellite. So the question remains, how do I aim the dish and what angle does the signal really come from? Also this will help me know if I do or do not have clear sky.

Sorry if this is getting too confusing guys, I don't mean to be difficult, it is just that I spent another two hours today and still no signal but I know everything works!

HELP>>>>>>>>> please....

Thanks Allan

Confused is unfortunately where I am at still.

I'll give this a shot,

There are 4 values you need to pay attention to here.

Satellite Position This is the actual position in the sky. Geosynchronous satellites are located directly above the equator. The satellite position is the place along the equator the satellite is located ( a satellite located at 90w would be located directly above the intersection of the equator and 90 degree west longitude.)

Azimuth is the satellites compass direction relative to your location. If you were in the middle of the US on the 90 deg longitude the sat would be straight south (180 deg). On the east coast the value would be larger, on the west coast it would be smaller.

Elevation is the satellites height above the horizon relative to your position. If you were on the equator the elevation would be 90 deg, the farther north you are the lower the satellite would appear.

Skew This is where I need a diagram. Because we aren't on the equator the line of possible sat positions describes an arc across the southern sky. In the middle of the US the highest point of that arc is about 50 deg elevation. The skew setting is adjusted to keep the dish aligned with the satellite either vertically or horizontally as the position on the arc changes.

Ok to some of your questions,

The elevation you mentioned shouldn't be a range like between 10-35 degs, it is usually a specific number, usually down to a tenth of a degree. The dish has an elevation adjustment on the mount, make sure the mounting mast is plumb and set the adjustment to the correct number. As for your hill, get a compass and get a line on the direction the dish needs to point. Then get some kind of angle finder, point it in that direction, and if you see clear sky your golden. Technically you only need a clear spot in the sky that is as large as the dish itself, as a practical matter you will want to allow at least 5 deg in all directions.
The skew numbers you gave are actually about the same. The sat finder program gave you 67 deg which is 67 deg above the horizon. The satellite dishes scale zeros out at 90 deg vertical and goes either left or right (+21 deg or - 21 deg for example) So the 2 numbers you got are actually within 2-3 degrees of each other.
There can be more than one satellite near enough to each other that they would share the same "location" as far as the numbers are concerned. If they aren't using the same frequencies they won't interfere with each other.
Your hillside can't be 106 degrees. If it was 90 degrees it would be straight up. At 106 degrees a big portion of the hill is hanging over you, I would move immediately and not worry about getting your internet going.

Ok now for the kicker. DBS (tv) dishes aren't that difficult to point with a little fore thought and some patience. 2-way satellite dishes are a a different animal. You don't just have to get a signal, you have to point the dish at the satellite well enough so that the return signal doesn't interfere with the satellites operation or they won't even turn the thing on. It is just not something they let anybody do. You will need to find a certified Starband installer or a way to fake it even if you do get the thing pointed right.

The way things seem to me you would be better off spending your time trying to find an installer rather than trying to do it yourself. Even if you could find an installer that is experienced with Hughsnet (used to be DirecWay) you would be better off. You made no mention of what part of the country your from but I bet there is somebody around.