Another true sat question

[Cosmokramer11]

I have been reading that when hooking up a motor its best to use your true south. So my true south is 73.8 longtitude so I will just round up that I should choose satellite 74w. Horizions 2. But then I was reading on another site and they For example for New York City, the true south will be 180 plus 14 = 194 degrees on the compass. I am in New York City. since I do not have a compass I would think I should just find 74w with a meter and go on from there? Would that be the best way to do it or should I use a compass?

fortec 90 cm dish, sg2100 motor, coolsat5000

 

[phlatwound]

I have been reading that when hooking up a motor its best to use your true south. So my true south is 73.8 longtitude so I will just round up that I should choose satellite 74w. Horizions 2. But then I was reading on another site and they For example for New York City, the true south will be 180 plus 14 = 194 degrees on the compass. I am in New York City. since I do not have a compass I would think I should just find 74w with a meter and go on from there? Would that be the best way to do it or should I use a compass?

fortec 90 cm dish, sg2100 motor, coolsat5000

Enter your address in Dishpointer, then enter 74W for your sat, it will show you approximately where to point.

Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com

 

[Mr Tony]

correct cosmo.

You use the longitude as your true south which would be 74W

ON the compass its 194 due to magnetic deviation.....Here in MN mine is like 2

 

[AcWxRadar]

I have been reading that when hooking up a motor its best to use your true south. So my true south is 73.8 longtitude so I will just round up that I should choose satellite 74w. Horizions 2. But then I was reading on another site and they For example for New York City, the true south will be 180 plus 14 = 194 degrees on the compass. I am in New York City. since I do not have a compass I would think I should just find 74w with a meter and go on from there? Would that be the best way to do it or should I use a compass?

fortec 90 cm dish, sg2100 motor, coolsat5000

Cosmo,

Phlatwound and Ice are correct.

However, I think that a lot of folks get hung up on this issue when it should not be an issue at all.

Follow me here and take your longitude coordinate and that will be your true south "direction" to aim the at dish towards. There may not be a sat perfectly poisitioned there, so you and others may have to compromise.

Which Ku band linear satellite is closest to your longitude coordinate? That is the one that you will want to utilize. This satellite that you choose may not be in perfect alignment to be your true due south sat, but don't fret over this issue. Just select the closest one with a consistent signal.

Allow me to give an example from my location. I am at 96.4W for my site longitude. This means that my nearest due south sat is 97.0W, IA-5 (or now referred to as Galaxy 25???). The name of the sat does not matter, only the orbital degree position matters.

Your truest south sat will be 74.0W (Horizons 2) and the best TP and channel will be on TP 11734 MHz, Horizontal polarity, 6616MS/s Symbol Rate. This is the TP which carries the ONN (Ohio News Network or WBNS TV).

So, in short words, whatever your longitude coordinate is, that is the orbital position of your closest true south sat. Don't get confused with a few adjustments to your coordinates with the magnetic declination or other parameters. Your Longitude should equal or be darned close to the orbital degree of the sat. This is all you need, do not try to make it more complicated.

If your truest south sat has no good or consistent channels available and you have to utilize a sat that is a few degrees off, do not worry a whole lot about this. Yes, you will have to do a bit more work to align your dish to the whole arc in these cases, but it isn't too extreme. You won't be as far off as you might perceive.

The alignment of the dish becomes easier when you have accomplished it on your own a few times. It suddenly will begin to click for you and you will find that it is easy as pie!

Simply play around with it on your own for a while and get accustomed to your dish and your receiver.

Radar

 

[Mr Tony]

Cosmo,

Phlatwound and Ice are correct.

ok so why post the below then and confuse the OP?

So, in short words, whatever your longitude coordinate is, that is the orbital position of your closest true south sat. Don't get confused with a few adjustments to your coordinates with the magnetic declination or other parameters. Your Longitude should equal or be darned close to the orbital degree of the sat. This is all you need, do not try to make it more complicated.

but he needs to utilize the compass setting with magnetic azimuth. If he just aims dead south he isnt going to be near his true south. In the midwest magnetic is at or near 0 so its moot. In his area its 14..thats a heckuva difference. My Starchoice dish is aimed 14 degrees off dead south (107.3 versus 93)

If your truest south sat has no good or consistent channels available and you have to utilize a sat that is a few degrees off, do not worry a whole lot about this.

but he does have a TS less than 1/2 a degree off so that point is moot.

Lets not try and confuse the new members with confusing information

 

[Cosmokramer11]

ok so why post the below then and confuse the OP?


but he needs to utilize the compass setting with magnetic azimuth. If he just aims dead south he isnt going to be near his true south. In the midwest magnetic is at or near 0 so its moot. In his area its 14..thats a heckuva difference. My Starchoice dish is aimed 14 degrees off dead south (107.3 versus 93)



but he does have a TS less than 1/2 a degree off so that point is moot.

Lets not try and confuse the new members with confusing information

It is not confusing at all. I would be confused if ONN wasnt there. Thanks

 

[Mr Tony]

just aim the dish about 15 degrees west off dead south and ONN should be there

 

[AcWxRadar]

ok so why post the below then and confuse the OP?


but he needs to utilize the compass setting with magnetic azimuth. If he just aims dead south he isnt going to be near his true south. In the midwest magnetic is at or near 0 so its moot. In his area its 14..thats a heckuva difference. My Starchoice dish is aimed 14 degrees off dead south (107.3 versus 93)



but he does have a TS less than 1/2 a degree off so that point is moot.

Lets not try and confuse the new members with confusing information

Ice,

You may not agree with my agenda, and I understand what you are throwing back at me in this instance, but I like to put all the information out on the table in front of our friends. Maybe a bit confusing at times, but I wish that when I began my hobby that people would have been a little more forward with me.

Maybe I give too much information and embellish it too much, that is just my personal style, but I honestly don't intend to mislead anyone. Merely I wish to present as much information to them as I can. Basically reciting my own experiences in laymans terms so that (hopefully) they understand the pitfalls and good things as well.

I know that you believe that I have an honest interest at heart here.

Some times I come across right, sometimes I do not. But, I never mislead any of my friends and everyone here is my friend.

I apologize if my last post didn't seem to be the best. I will try better next time. I promise you that.

RADAR

 

[Mr Tony]

I understand what you are saying but magnetic deviation, while not needed much in the midwest where the magnetic is + - 5 (here in MN its 2 I think) when you get near the coasts you need to take deviation into consideration due to it being 15 off. Thats a great gap there and would hinder someone's aiming information if they didnt take that compass reading into consideration

 

[AcWxRadar]

I understand what you are saying but magnetic deviation, while not needed much in the midwest where the magnetic is + - 5 (here in MN its 2 I think) when you get near the coasts you need to take deviation into consideration due to it being 15 off. Thats a great gap there and would hinder someone's aiming information if they didnt take that compass reading into consideration

Ice and Cosmo,

Yes, I guess we are a bit lucky. Anyone along the Mississippi Valley has a very small degree of alteration in this respect. It is zero or near zero for such locations.

I have a four to six degree adjustment to make here near Omaha. But, I do not ever use that. I simply do it the hard way... I just dial the dish in on the signal... I don't position it according to the azimuth angle that any angle calculator provides.

I know that it may seem odd to some, but I just pan the dish over the azimuth angles until I lock a signal.

I find this quite easy now, since I have developed some sort of mental map of where the sats are in the sky (my sky).

It has become a great deal easier over the years. I like being able to point my finger in the sky and say, that's where 97.0W is! I am fairly accurate. When you set up so many FTA dishes, you just get used to it. Even if you don't believe that you are right, you find eventually that you are. I call it a "calibrated eye".

RADAR

 

[Mr Tony]

I find this quite easy now, since I have developed some sort of mental map of where the sats are in the sky (my sky).

It has become a great deal easier over the years. I like being able to point my finger in the sky and say, that's where 97.0W is! I am fairly accurate. When you set up so many FTA dishes, you just get used to it. Even if you don't believe that you are right, you find eventually that you are. I call it a "calibrated eye".

boy thats the truth. When I can move the big dish out of the garage via the 2 wheeler, drop it where I **think** I need to be, turn on the receiver and be off by maybe a degree you know you've done this enough

Done that with KU dishes too. I can slap up a temporary KU dish rig at the cabin and lock a satellite pretty qucik. Once you get the hang of it dish aiming gets easier

 

[AcWxRadar]

Amen!