DIY Install, need a little encouragement ;)

[jcims]

Hey Folks!

I just picked up a DishNow system from RadioShack yesterday and am having a little trouble with the aiming. The home i've moved into was wired for DirecTV. I removed the old dish (now i'm wishing i didn't) and kept the RG6 that was already installed in place. I hooked up the receiver in the living room and installed the Dish mast in the exact same location (the baseplate/mast seems to be identical).

My aiming numbers from dish for my zip are alt 33, az 228 and skew 122. I set the dish to the 33 and 122 based on the numbers on the mount, and have found azimuth by walking out about 100' and finding the point where the inverse bearing (228 - 180) of 48 degrees points directly at the dish. I marked that spot and aimed the dish there (so this is based on magnetic north, which appears to be what is used for azimuth)

Now to do the aiming i'm scanning left and right in small increments (LNB moved 1/8"-1/4" at a time) until i'm 3-5 degrees off of my measured az. I then change elevation by a degree or so and do the same thing. Initially i wasn't pausing enough, but now i'm pausing 5-8 seconds between moves. I've been doing this in half hour sessions for a while now, and there hasn't been a single indication that there is a satellite in the sky. I'm getting frustrated and had a few quick questions:

In terms of LNB movement, how big is the circle where there is going to be some signal received? For example, if i were to start with the antenna pointed perfectly, how far would i have to move the LNB before i would have zero signal.

Is there any additional testing i can do besides the test on the receiver? It says DP Twin found, connection good, no signal.

I don't have one of those signal meters yet, but i may get one, will that help?

While aiming, i can't see the television, but i can hear it. Will it make a different sound when there is any signal at all (aside from the quasi regular boop boop boop)

Thanks for any help you can provide!!!

Bob

 

[tsduke]

Is it a Dish 500? Is your mast good and level?

The receiver will make a higher/louder pitched sound the better the signal. Once you find signal it helps to have someone read off ss for you while you make adjustments.

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

Make sure the mast is level and reaim. I cant stress the importance of this enough. You will heard a different tone when you recieve a signal on the receiver.

 

[boba]

1/4" movement is way too much more like1/32" around the mast. Patience is a virtue when tuning your first satellite dish.

 

[gadgtfreek]

1/4" movement is way too much more like1/32" around the mast. Patience is a virtue when tuning your first satellite dish.

I agree. When I added my 500 and peaked my 1000.2, I slightly loosened the bolts and bumped it ever so slightly and then waited on the SS meter to level out.

Take you time with it and youll be happy.

Also as the guys said above, if you have a torpedo level, make sure your mast is level all around.

 

[FSS3Cert.CorpTECH]

I agree. When I added my 500 and peaked my 1000.2, I slightly loosened the bolts and bumped it ever so slightly and then waited on the SS meter to level out.

Take you time with it and youll be happy.

Also as the guys said above, if you have a torpedo level, make sure your mast is level all around.

go find a cheep 12 dollar signal meter and then you dont have to set behind your dish hour after hour wanting to kick it

 

[Wescopc]

I have done an install where the receiver wouldn't beep or show signal until it had downloaded a software update. So we had to have it aimed first, wait for download, before the aiming software would work!
The way we did it was with a $25 beeper, then peaked the dish with the receiver.
Bob

 

[jcims]

Holy cow. That little meter was the best $15 i've spent in a LOOOOONG time. After $*#(%#) with that thing for at least an hour and a half i had a good signal within 30 seconds...literally. Now, it was the wrong satellite of course, (129 and 119), but at least there was life!!! I twitched it a bit to the south and got a new signal. I came in and the receiver is busy downloading something (right through the signal meter and a 2' patch of RG59 lol)...so i don't know what i have but hopefully we're on track.

Thanks for the help folks...this is one active forum!!! I can't believe how quick you guys are to help!

Thanks again.

Bob

Edit: Nope, still 129 and 119, but we're getting some tv and after a week of black screen the girls don't want dad to 'fix' it. It'll have to be a night time job i guess. Any hints on change? 5-10 degrees to the south?

 

[boba]

You want 119 & 110 for a dish 500. 110 is 9 degrees east of 119 you need to move to your left from behind the dish and probably change your elevation 3-5 degrees higher.

 

[HIFI]

adjust your elevation up 2 degrees and bump azimuth back to the east 9 degrees