Dish Alignment SG2100

[stx_killer]

Hello All,
First let me say that this looks like the correct place for this posting. I hope! If not I'm sorry...
Okay here goes. I have a viewsat VSPRO with an ITB 120M dish. The LNB is a Fortec FSKU-V and a SG2100 motor. There are no switches involved in the setup. The problem comes in that the dish will not mount to the motor assembly (without some modification) unless I flip the turn the bracket on the dish upside down. By doing this everything connects okay except one important factor. There is no quality signal at all no matter what adjustments are made. By mounting the bracket on the dish upside down are the angles on the dish still correct. My dishh elevation should be 27. However if I lower the motor so the dish is plumb. The face of the dish in the center is only at 10 degrees. Does this matter. I'm at a loss with no signal!!
Any and all help would be appreciated. Thanks from the new FTA dummy!

 

[SatinKzo]

First, welcome to sat guys.
Second, no, this is not the proper forum for this, this forum is for website operation stuff. No biggie, this will probably be moved to the FTA section where it belongs.

Ok, now for your dish. Sorry, I don't know and can't find anything to give me a good idea what your dish is. However, the SG2100 is really meant for dishes up to 1.2m (based on your dish name, maybe it is 1.2meter).

When this gets moved to the FTA section, I'm sure others who maybe know more about that dish can help. Also, some pics of the setup might be useful

 

[Mr Tony]

moved to FTA area

 

[stx_killer]

Thanks for moving to the proper forum.
Yes it is a 1.2m dish. My problem is I do not think the angles are correct because I read somewhere that this dish mount will have to be inverted in order to fit the SG2100. While this turned out to be correct I'm wondering if this is related to my no Quality reading on my VSPRO.

 

[qwert1515]

If you invert the dish mount I don't thing the elevation scale will be correct.

One thing to take into account with an offset dish is that it points about 22 degrees higher than where it looks to be pointing at.

 

[Lak7]

What Sat are you aiming at.
To start the Motor should be set to your latitude first and pointed at your True South Sat.

edit: motor to latitude, not elevation
thanks glen4cindy

 

[glen4cindy]

What Sat are you aiming at.
To start the Motor should be set to your elevation first and pointed at your True South Sat.

This may be semantics, but, the motor should be set to your latitude, not your elevation.

You could get a magnetic angle meter and set the elevation of the dish that way.

 

[stx_killer]

AMC4 and Galaxy 16
My offset on my dish is 27.3degrees.
For AMC4 dishpointer website says elevation is 44degrees for my location
which is 17.7N 64.85W in the US Virgin Islands.
Now I have taken the motor off the pole and want to start over but I think inverting the dish mount is my whole problem!

 

[stx_killer]

Yes I know my lat is 17.7degrees.

 

[voomvoom]

I just took a look at the Fortec site, from the link at the top of the page, and see the lnbf is a Universal. I'm not familier with the VS menu's, but make sure you have the LNB Type as Universal, which would give it 2 settings of 9750 and 10600, I think? Also, I would use USAL's for the motor and be sure and set your location in the settings. Then I would set-up the motor on the pole to point true south and use the VS and USAL's to drive the dish over to 72.0w and do a Blind Scan, if the VS does blind scan? While it's parked on 72.0w, adjust the dish as needed, but leave the motor alone. Good Luck!

 

[stx_killer]

Okay if I put an angle meter on the dish, should it go in the middle of the dish or on the arm that holds the LNB? Next since the dish is offset 27.3 would I subtract that from the original 44 degree elevation for AMC4 and set the dish at 17 degrees?

 

[stx_killer]

I just took a look at the Fortec site, from the link at the top of the page, and see the lnbf is a Universal. I'm not familier with the VS menu's, but make sure you have the LNB Type as Universal, which would give it 2 settings of 9750 and 10600, I think? Also, I would use USAL's for the motor and be sure and set your location in the settings. Then I would set-up the motor on the pole to point true south and use the VS and USAL's to drive the dish over to 72.0w and do a Blind Scan, if the VS does blind scan? While it's parked on 72.0w, adjust the dish as needed, but leave the motor alone. Good Luck!

I've already tried this and nothing! 86% signal and 0 quality. Which is what matters of course.
That is why I was wonder if the inverted mount has something to do with the problem. Just the mount and not the dish has been inverted. Thanks for the idea though. I thought it would have worked also but to no avail...

 

[Tron]

The elevation setting for a fixed dish is different than the elevation setting for a motorized dish. 44 elevation on a motorized dish is not right, even for the Virgin Islands. Your motor bracket elevation (on the latitude side of the scale) should be around 18, and your dish elevation 30 minus your declination. Check here:

How to install an HH-Mount Motor? Applies to DG240-SM3D22-STABHH100-HH120-Motech-SG2100

This is a calculator for setting a motorized dish, from one of our sponsors, Sadoun. Hope that helps!