DIY Dish Pointing - How difficult?

[Varnson]

So I just installed a metal roof on my house, removing my 5 LNB slimline dish in the process. I scheduled a service call with DTV to get the dish re-installed at a new location on my house, but that's not until next week.

So what's a boy to do with a week without TV???? Try pointing the dish himself, of course! I gave it a shot last night, using data from dishpointer.com. I roughly set the dish up at the specified angles and turned on the receiver...and got...nothing. I figured that I'd get some signal if I was in the right neighborhood, but apparently not.

So my question is, how accurate does pointing need to be? A degree? An arcminute?

Any tips for DIY pointing???

 

[riga]

Not an installer but this has worked for me. It all starts with the mast...if it is not plumb you're needle/haystack. If your mast is plumb, adjust the skew to your assigned setting and you're down to one variable. Swing the dish around the mast to the approximate azimuth direction until you find something. The rest is fine tuning.

 

[NutFlush920]

So I just installed a metal roof on my house, removing my 5 LNB slimline dish in the process. I scheduled a service call with DTV to get the dish re-installed at a new location on my house, but that's not until next week.

So what's a boy to do with a week without TV???? Try pointing the dish himself, of course! I gave it a shot last night, using data from dishpointer.com. I roughly set the dish up at the specified angles and turned on the receiver...and got...nothing. I figured that I'd get some signal if I was in the right neighborhood, but apparently not.

So my question is, how accurate does pointing need to be? A degree? An arcminute?

Any tips for DIY pointing???

The previous poster was accurate. Also keep in mind that you have to make small adjustments and that those adjustments take moment to show up on the receivers signal meter. Tune the 101 satellite in first.

 

[Varnson]

thanks for the replies, I'll give it another shot tonight, first securing the mast so that it is plumb.

One other question:
Will I need both cables connected? I had just connected one last night and switched between tuner 1 and tuner 2 on the reciever to check for signals (I had to "splice" in some extra cable to get to the other side of my house and only have enough for one cable)

 

[NutFlush920]

You shouldn't need both connected. Just make sure you used barrel connectors and not splitters to do your "splice". Make sure you know what the line you have connected to the dish is connected to inside your home.

 

[Varnson]

Success!

boo-ya! It works - and just in time to record mythbusters.

Getting the mast plumb was the ticket. Once I pulled the dish off, I realized there was a bubble level in the center of the mast!

I constructed the saddest temporary tripod support consisting of 3 pieces of scrap 2x4 and 2 deck screws. I gotta take that down tonight before bed or I'm sure a breeze will!

I'll setup a permanent mount on the side of the house this weekend. Thanks for the help!