10' dish finally erected, HELP

[drhydro]

Well folks we managed to get our 10' dish up on its pole sunday. It was not fun at all, as the pole is 8' off the ground, but now it is done. now comes the fun part.............

I havent been able to figure out how to set declination on this polar mount. I see one adjustment bolt on the whole mount, and i believe that is for setting elevation. I think this is a channel master mount (at least the dish it is attached too is a channel master), about 10 years old.

The mount has a circular sleeve that fits over the pole. On top of this sleeve is bolted an arm that holds the dish. Where the arm is bolted to the sleeve is a pivot point. Connected to the top of the sleeve and to the arm holding the dish (about 6 inches from where the arm is connected to the top sleeve) is a bolt that has two pivot points it passes thru, one on top of the sleeve and one at the arm that holds the dish. Can this bolt possibly be for setting both elevation and declination?

I can find no information on this mount on the web, any of you folks familar with it? I will try to take a pic as soon as possible.

One person i talked with mentioned the possiblility that maybe the declination was set with shims in between the mount and the dish itself. Could this be possible? If i have to set declination by shims that sets this project back to springtime, as it is hunting season in VT and getting friends to help during hunting season is not happening lol. By the time hunting season is done winter is here.

Any enlightenment appreciated

 

[mkm4]

In theory there should be a long bolt on the back of the mount for setting the elevation.

Have you seen this web page for setting up a BUD? Adjusting the Polar Mount
Scroll down to see a side view of a polar mount.

 

[drhydro]

I looked at that site, but the mount pictured does not look like mine. here is a quick drawing of what my mount looks like http://www.barerootshydro.com/graphics/polarmnt.jpg

 

[mkm4]

Is it possible that the mount spins where it connects to the dish? Sometimes this was used as a way to set declination.
But, you might not need to worry about it anyway. When you removed the dish from its previous location, did you touch the mount, more than to just remove it from the pole? If you haven't and if the new site is within about 50 miles of the old site you probably won't have to adjust the declination anyway.

 

[drhydro]

We removed the mount from the dish (4 bolts) but other than that the mount was not touched. The only other adjustment i can see is where the actuator arm attaches to the dish, but i cannot see how that would set declination.

We are fairly close to the old site (within 50 miles easily) so i guess im gonna wire her up and see what i can find. Any recommendations for good sat finders?

 

[ken2400]

A picture is worth a 1000 words. If you can please take one of your mount and post it.

Thanks

We removed the mount from the dish (4 bolts) but other than that the mount was not touched. The only other adjustment i can see is where the actuator arm attaches to the dish, but i cannot see how that would set declination.

We are fairly close to the old site (within 50 miles easily) so i guess im gonna wire her up and see what i can find. Any recommendations for good sat finders?

 

[drhydro]

i will grab my friends digi and take a pic on sunday, will post it on monday. hmmmm time to sell off my SLR stuff and finally buy a digital camera lol

 

[tdti1]

Great welcome to the big dish world many big dish users hang out here www.4dtvrocks.com good help great group. You will see me there 24/7 lol

 

[charper1]

i will grab my friends digi and take a pic on sunday, will post it on monday. hmmmm time to sell off my SLR stuff and finally buy a digital camera lol

Whats the latest on your situation? Its been 7 days and still waiting on the pics. Did you get it working?

 

[drhydro]

Sorry for not replying earlier and letting you folks know what is happening. I have noticed that my pole / pole mount is not as steady as i had thought it would be, so guide wires are called for. At this point in time winter is RAPIDLY approaching (snow expected tomorrow), so I have decided to put this project on ice until next spring. I ordered a 30" dish that should be here on Friday that I am planning on setting up this weekend to tide me thru till then. Thanks for all the help on this, look forward to seeing this thread reappear as soon as the ground thaws