Align HH motor/dish to true south or satellite

[chuckinnc]

Im am trying to setup a sg2100 motor/dish. Looking over various youtube vids some say set to true south and
some say set to the closest sat that's closest to true south. HH dish pointer says my true south is 187.5 with
compass, it also list Nimig4 as 189 with compass. Should I align the dish to Nimig4 or try to set it for 187.5
with a compass? Here is the info from the pointer site:

Motor Latitude: 35.6°
Declination Angle: 5.7°
Dish Elevation: 24°
Azimuth (true): 180.0°
Azimuth (mag.): 187.5° using Compass

I know how to set motor latitude, and I think I know how to set dish elevation but were does the declination
figure into the numbers?

 

[KE4EST]

Go read this thread. You can back up and read the whole thing. I would use 85W now though since nothing full time on 83.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/thr...-stations-i-was-reciving.351130/#post-3688756

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

I got the impression that if you get the dish lined up to true south and get the latitude/elevation/declination settings on the motor and dish set and then set up your receiver with USALS and with your latitude/longitude, the motor should pan over to all the sats and be in the "ball park". You probably have to fine tune the dish for max performance though.

 

[chuckinnc]

Ok the setup guides I have read says use 1.2 diseqc, Im guessing it would work as well as USALS, I don't see this listed as a option on my Coolsat 5000.

 

[Titanium]

DiSEqC 1.2 is old school and more difficult for a newbie to install. Use USALS type motor control for automatic dish positioning. If you use the DiSEqC 1.2 mode, each satellite must be manually located and saved. With USALS, once the dish is properly tracking the arc, the STB calculates and drives the dish to the correct position automatically.

 

[chuckinnc]

Thanks, I have been away from fta for along time. Sense the C band analog days, guess I need to start reading forum post and stay off u tube.

 

[KE4EST]

I was bored one day a couple of years ago and was looking at what videos were there on YouTube for motor set-ups for Ku dishes.
Amazing how some people don't know what they are doing or are very bad at teaching but will still make a how to video.

 

[Gray Hair]

Go read this thread. You can back up and read the whole thing. I would use 85W now though since nothing full time on 83.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/thr...-stations-i-was-reciving.351130/#post-3688756

Curious, when attempting to access this link I get? "You do not have permission to view this page or perform this action."

 

[phlatwound]

Curious, when attempting to access this link I get? "You do not have permission to view this page or perform this action."

You have to request permission to access that forum.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/account/join-user-groups

 

[KE4EST]

Just realized that was in the "What's Up There Forum".
Yes, you have to request or go join the user group. This keeps that forum from being indexed by Google.
Here is what I was linking too:

I would go back to the dish and start over. If you dish is off and not aligned properly you can reset your receiver all you want you will still be in the same place.
Make sure your pole is absolutely plumb, and that it is a stout enough pole not to go out of plumb as your dish goes east and west, with the weight of the dish pulling on the pole.
Set your LNBF skew to "0".
Set the latitude setting on your motor to your latitude and lock it down, don't touch again.
Set the elevation on your dish per the formula in the manual that came with your motor.
Using a compass rotate your whole motor dish assembly on the pole pretty close to your true south, leaving it snug but loose enough to move.
Now hook up your receiver to your motor, set your proper lat and long in your USALS set up.
Critical step that newbies miss: Go to 83W..."Motor Moving" should come on the screen. Unless you are exactly on 83.00 where you live, it will move a little but not much, but it will still move.
Now go out to your dish and using a meter or a small tv/receiver at the dish so you can see what is going on. Select an active transponder on 83W.
Now rotate the motor/Dish ass. on the pole ever so slightly back and forth. No Signal? Change elevation on your dish a bit one way or the other and rotate again.
Repeat this until you find a signal and then peak out the signal by rotating the motor on the pole and changing the dish elevation in small increments.
DO NOT MESS WITH THE LATITUDE SETTING ON THE MOTOR(sometimes you may have to move it a hair, but for now leave it be), just peak by rotating on pole and elevation on dish.
Now tighten everything in a rotating sequence. If you tighten one bolt that holds the motor on and not all a little at a time until they are all tight, you will pull it out of level.
Now hook your receiver and and LNBF wires back up and go in the house and try a few birds, you should be tracking the arc pretty well at this point.

One additional reinforcement to KE4EST's excellent instructions:

Many of the motors sold today use cheap and thin metal for the mounting bracket. Over tightening the 4 nuts that secure the motor bracket to the mast (pole) will distort the bracket and this will make it impossible to track the arc. After making sure that the mast is plumb and level, check the level on both sides and back of the bracket to make sure that the bracket is still square and true to the plumb post.

Since this motor was already installed, check the bracket before trying to re-aim. It may have already been bent during the first round.

I agree with KE4EST, sounds like the Critical Step was missed. Easy to do on your first motor install.

BTW if you click on the lower part of the box above that says KE4EST said, it will expand to show the whole thing.

 

[KE4EST]

You have to request permission to access that forum.

Permission Granted!

 

[waylew]

Amazing how some people don't know what they are doing or are very bad at teaching but will still make a how to video.

What do you expect for the selfie generation

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

What do you expect for the selfie generation

Waylew: I guessing you don't take a picture of your dinner and then post that picture on Facebook before you eat?
A selfie stick might make a pretty decent Ku LNBF holder.

 

[waylew]

Face what?Twit who?