Can't find any satellite

[mdom]

Hi and here is my situation (I need help, have been working on this for 3 weeks):
1. location 39 degrees 59 minutes north latitude (true)
105 degrees 06 minutes west longitude (true)
2. Coolsat 4000 Pro receiver
3. Fortec Star 39 inch dish
4 Fortec StarFSKU-V universal single LNBF
5. Stab HH90 dish rotor --- NOT installed in the configuration yet! I understand I need to walk before I run.
6. 2" vertical steel post, cemented in 250 pounds concrete. Yes, I'm vertical.

Questions:
1. What satellite to use for my South?
2. What is the process following my crude aiming for South? Blind search or what? My mechanically moving the dish in Az or El. If I'm successful in finding the satellite how and what is stored on the receiver?
3. Is the final locating of "south satellite" a trial and error process?
Thank you for any and all help.
mdom

 

[PSB]

Hello and WELCOME to the forum

Great idea to leave out the motor for now. Best way to find the satellite is to enter the Frequency polarity and symbol rate of a known live channel/transponder then aim the dish watching a TV for signal QUALITY. Get tha maximum you can get then store the channel.

Latitude 40° 0.000'N Longitude 105° 0.000'W

                         Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m)   El  Skew
----------------------------------------------------------------
                       Telstar 12   15.0W  90.0  79.7 -8.6 -50.0
                                 
                     Intelsat 901   18.0W  91.9  81.6 -6.3 -50.0
                                 
                     Intelsat 603   20.0W  93.2  82.9 -4.8 -49.9
                                 
                            NSS 7   22.0W  94.5  84.2 -3.3 -49.8
                                 
                     Intelsat 905   24.5W  96.1  85.8 -1.4 -49.6
                                 
                     Intelsat 907   27.5W  98.1  87.8  0.8 -49.3
                                 
                   Hispasat 1C/1D   30.0W  99.8  89.4  2.7 -49.0
                                 
                     Intelsat 801   31.5W 100.8  90.5  3.9 -48.8
                                 
                     Intelsat 903   34.5W 102.8  92.5  6.2 -48.3
                                 
              AMC 12 & Telstar 11   37.5W 104.9  94.6  8.4 -47.8
                                 
                          NSS 806   40.5W 107.0  96.7 10.7 -47.1
                                 
                        PAS 6B/3R   43.0W 108.9  98.5 12.6 -46.5
                                 
                           PAS 1R   45.0W 110.4 100.0 14.1 -45.9
                                 
                     Intelsat 705   50.0W 114.2 103.9 17.8 -44.3
                                 
                     Intelsat 707   53.0W 116.7 106.3 20.0 -43.2
                                 
                     Intelsat 805   55.5W 118.8 108.4 21.8 -42.2
                                 
                            PAS 9   58.0W 120.9 110.6 23.5 -41.1
                                 
                         Amazonas   61.0W 123.6 113.3 25.6 -39.6
                                 
           EchoStar 3 & Rainbow 1   61.5W 124.1 113.8 25.9 -39.4
                                 
                 Estrela do Sul 1   63.0W 125.5 115.2 27.0 -38.6
                                 
                     Brasilsat B2   65.0W 127.5 117.1 28.3 -37.5
                                 
                     Brasilsat B1   70.0W 132.6 122.2 31.5 -34.4
                                 
                 Nahuel 1 & AMC 6   72.0W 134.7 124.4 32.7 -33.0
                                 
                        DirecTV 5   72.5W 135.3 124.9 33.0 -32.6
                                 
                            SBS 6   74.0W 136.9 126.6 33.8 -31.5
                                 
                            AMC 5   79.0W 142.8 132.5 36.5 -27.6
                                 
                          Nimiq 2   82.0W 146.6 136.2 38.0 -25.0
                                 
                            AMC 9   83.0W 147.8 137.5 38.5 -24.1
                                 
                     Brasilsat B3   84.0W 149.2 138.8 38.9 -23.1
                                 
                           AMC 16   85.0W 150.5 140.1 39.3 -22.2
                                 
                            AMC 3   87.0W 153.2 142.9 40.1 -20.2
                                 
              Intelsat Americas 8   89.0W 156.0 145.6 40.9 -18.2
                                 
                 Galaxy 11/Nimiq1   91.0W 158.8 148.5 41.5 -16.1
                                 
                     Brasilsat B4   92.0W 160.2 149.9 41.8 -15.0
                                 
                        Telstar 6   93.0W 161.7 151.4 42.1 -13.9
                                 
                        Galaxy 3C   95.0W 164.7 154.3 42.6 -11.7
                                 
              Intelsat Americas 5   97.0W 167.7 157.3 43.0  -9.4
                                 
                        Galaxy 4R   99.0W 170.7 160.4 43.3  -7.1
                                 
                            AMC 4  101.0W 173.8 163.5 43.5  -4.8
                                 
                            AMC 1  103.0W 176.9 166.6 43.7  -2.4
                                 
                           AMC 15  105.0W 180.0 169.7 43.7   0.0
                                 
                          Anik F1  107.3W 183.6 173.2 43.7   2.7
                                 
         DirecTV 6 & EchoStar 6/8  110.0W 187.8 177.4 43.4   5.9
                                 
                          Anik F2  111.1W 189.4 179.1 43.3   7.2
                                 
                    Solidaridad 2  113.0W 192.3 182.0 43.0   9.4
                                 
                         SatMex 5  116.8W 198.0 187.7 42.1  13.7
                                 
          EchoStar 7 & DirecTV 7S  119.0W 201.2 190.9 41.5  16.1
                                 
  EchoStar 9/Intelsat Americas 13  121.0W 204.0 193.7 40.9  18.2
                                 
                       Galaxy 10R  123.0W 206.8 196.5 40.1  20.2
                                 
                        Galaxy 12  125.0W 209.5 199.2 39.3  22.2
                                 
             Galaxy 13/Horizons 1  127.0W 212.2 201.8 38.5  24.1
                                 
 Intelsat Americas 7 & EchoStar 5  129.0W 214.7 204.4 37.5  25.9
                                 
                           AMC 11  131.0W 217.2 206.9 36.5  27.6
                                 
                        Galaxy 1R  133.0W 219.6 209.3 35.5  29.2
                                 
                           AMC 10  135.0W 221.9 211.6 34.4  30.8
                                 
                            AMC 7  137.0W 224.2 213.9 33.2  32.3
                                 
                            AMC 8  139.0W 226.4 216.0 32.1  33.7
                                 
                     EchoStar 1/2  148.0W 235.4 225.1 26.3  39.1

        Satellite Finder is (c) Copyright 2004, P. Lutus

Your true south satellite AMC 15 @ 105.0W

http://www.lyngsat.com/amc15.html

 

[PSB]

Here is a live TP/Channel on AMC-15 (105w)


DFreq: 11840

Pol : V

SR: 26.000

Scans in here as TV 7000 Its the Dishnetwork 105w Welcome screen.
(Listed on Lyngsat)

 

[mdom]

Fantastic,
With no motor I found my "south" satellite. Thanks.
Now you say "store it" how, and where? Also, don't I have to move the dish to mount it to the motor? Aren't my locations lost? Ohhhh, since my physical location is unchanged ... Please help me through the next phase. Thank you again.
mdom

 

[PSB]

When you find the true south satellite, blind scan and the channels will be saved, then have a look at the below for the HH90 installation, should be much easier not you have found the true south satellite!

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/STAB/HH90-Stab-HH-Diseqc-USALS-Motor.htm

 

[mdom]

OK, I beleive I follow you this far. However, without my dish mounted to the motor, I will have to remove the dish from the vertical mast and mount it to the motor mount on the same vertical mast. (Hopefully the motor will point "true south"). Doesn't this "break configuration" so to speak. And finally, what do I do with the 6.26 degree declination angle (for 40 degrees N latitude). The Fortec Star FS90 dish has an angle indicator on it, is this the angle which "declination" effects?
Thanks, mdom

 

[PSB]

The declination is just a value, so you do not set that on anything. The setting on the dish is elevation, and the motor should be set the same as your latitude.

The motor should be at the ZERO position, never move it until you refind your true south satellite again!

 

[drhydro]

also, take a look down the lnb "arm" and sight at a distant landmark, that should help you re-find you true south satellite when you install the motor.

 

[mdom]

OK PSB,
I have a question or two about your response on my having to fine my south satellite when moving my setup from fixed to motorized. You say "The motor should be at the ZERO position, never move it until you refind your true south satellite again!" Should the motor ZERO position remain fixed (Unpowered) and I mechanically adjust Az and El to receive my true south satellite? I am fortunate my site and satellite are at 105 W long.

 

[PSB]

Correct never power it up until LOCKED onto your true south satellite again. The motor elevation should never be touched. The dish elevation it used to peak the signal up and down. Move the motor dish and all for azimuth.

 

[mdom]

PSB, is there a difference between dish and motor elevation. Am I to always keep my motor elevation set to my latitude or is that flexible. Could my dish elevation be varied too? I think I'm headed into a BIG can worms.... I'll keep the motor elevation set and simply vary the dish elevation. Doesn that sound logical?
Also, I am getting some satellites - seems the extreme East and Extreme West don't come in. Thanks as always.

 

[PSB]

If the mast was plumb and level (and the weight of the dish and motor taken into account) then the motor elevation is set and never touched again. Only the dish elevation is flexible, have a look at the below link near the bottom of the page if you think your arc is off slightly.

http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizepgs/tuningp4.html#anchor797917

 

[mdom]

Alright, I'm starting to reach my limits here. I seem to be missing something here - especially at the dish to motor interface.
1. The metal mast is verticle.
2. I have located "true south" via time and location.
3. Found 105 satellite w.
4. Signal and quality are pegged for the 105 W signal.
5. Parts of Galaxy 10 come in OK.
6. Just seems as though there is a location ("sweet" area) where these reside.
7 Do I need to move my dish, motor assembly to worst east and worst west?
Nay thoughts will help. Thanks.
mdom

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

Here is a link to a walkthrough I did. Even though you have a different motor, many of the ideas will apply:

http://www.pbase.com/wtracyparnell/coolsat_4000_prosg2100