Does anything on my setup look off to you?

[SkySurfer80]

I am convinced I can get better locked into the arc. I have my 90cm with a geosatpro slpll lnb which is supposed to be one of the very best lnbs and am trying to get it locked in as well as possible. I am currently hitting 82-83 pct on the Newsource on 87 and hitting low to high 20's on the Florida lotto feed, but the NY lotto feed is gone. On the other end I am hitting PBS on 125 in the low 40's, so I feel I am close but not at my best. I feel like it is a matter of just barely slightly turning the whole setup on the pole.

Here are what my settings are supposed to be according to my sg6100 guide.



Motor elevation = 36.3

Dish elevation =29.2



My lnb of course is skewed at 0 and pushed all the way up to the front. I plan to swap out with some old lnbs I had given to me which one is a chaparral but thats all I can see on the label and the other is an orangish red one with no label but I think it is a bullet. I also have a dms monoblock 4 degree dual lnb brand new but I doubt any of these will improve signal over the geosat phase lock lnb which is supposed to be top of the line.

Here are my dish and motor pics. Does this look like I have them set correctly at the numbers I have to that I mentioned? My dish is at 0 on the motor on the pic. Does the declination look good to you? Does the dish looked warped at all?

Like I said it states my motor elevation to be at 36.3 and the dish elevation at 29.2. To me it looks dead nuts as can be. What do you guys Think?

 

[SkySurfer80]

Here are pics of the lnbs I have. These are not the actual pics but I have these three and never used them. Anyone know much about these? Could one actually be better than the geosat i have?

 

[Brct203]

At first look I don't see anything wrong. Just keep in mind that the elevation numbers on the dish mounts only give an approximate value, and the whole thing needs to be fine-tuned based on actual signal quality reading.

3 things thought:
- I'm a bit perplexed about your statement "pushed all the way up to the front". I don't know if there was further discussion about this in another thread. But my first thought is that maybe something's a bit off here. Would the signal be better if you could push it further? Doesn't look like the LNB bracket allows for it but hard to tell on the picture. But that might be an area worth exploring a bit more.
- Did you test the dish as a fixed dish? If you did, were the results similar to what you're seeing now? That would be a good way of establishing a baseline of the dish capabilities on various satellites of interest. Then move on to the motorized setup with the goal of getting the same results (or close enough)
- Test if the dish is warped. You can do a string test, and you can also put the dish reflector face down on a perfectly flat surface (like a good solid table) and check that all points of its rim touch the surface. If any area doesn't, it might be warped.

it might be worth trying those LNBFs that you have, at least the single ones. Keep in mind that at least the orange one is a Universal LNBF so be sure to adjust the setting in the receiver accordingly. Make sure you fine tune for the best quality, with each LNBF.

 

[a33]

Just to check:

Is the pole exactly plumb, east/west-wise?

The scales of the brackets usually aren't 100% precise. Did you use an inclinometer? Or inclimeter-app, on your phone?

The manual of sg6100 gives 'traditional motor angles'. I'd allways use the 'modified motor angles'. (You can find tables in/via this forum.)

How did you set your due south? (Do you use USALS? That makes it easier, when you haven't a satellite exactly at south.)

When using the angle of the face of the dish for setting dish elevation: do you know the exact offset angle of your dish?
(I guess you did a string test, to check the face of the dish is exactly flat?)

And have you checked that the LNB is at the proper offset position (that the LNB-arm doesn't hang too low)?
See: Got my new dish in


Ah! Brct203 was quicker....
I suggested checking dish and LNB position measurement earlier, also in the above linked thread. But as yet there's no follow-up on that.

Greetz,
A33

 

[Magic Static]

Those motor brackets can be a devil to keep aligned when tightening. What I did to mine...
Beefing up the SG2100 bracket

 

[SkySurfer80]

The pole is level all the way around. To me that is the most important thing and my brackets are level. I am going to read up on the string test. I have never done one before.

As for dish elevation who knows maybe the elevation is off on this no name dish. The top of the dish has a bend in it but i. Know the signal doesnt go to the very top corner.


Thanks guys.

 

[SkySurfer80]

Just to check:

Is the pole exactly plumb, east/west-wise?

The scales of the brackets usually aren't 100% precise. Did you use an inclinometer? Or inclimeter-app, on your phone?

The manual of sg6100 gives 'traditional motor angles'. I'd allways use the 'modified motor angles'. (You can find tables in/via this forum.)

How did you set your due south? (Do you use USALS? That makes it easier, when you haven't a satellite exactly at south.)

When using the angle of the face of the dish for setting dish elevation: do you know the exact offset angle of your dish?
(I guess you did a string test, to check the face of the dish is exactly flat?)

And have you checked that the LNB is at the proper offset position (that the LNB-arm doesn't hang too low)?
See: Got my new dish in


Ah! Brct203 was quicker....
I suggested checking dish and LNB position measurement earlier, also in the above linked thread. But as yet there's no follow-up on that.

Greetz,
A33

How can i check the lnb arm? I just bolted it up where it goes.

 

[a33]

How can i check the lnb arm? I just bolted it up where it goes.

In the linked post I already wrote what to measure, to check LNB-arm.
Is something unclear, there?
(Picture with dish geometry terms like topstring and bottomstring is here: fta no free channels )

However, when you also have the LNB moved in the extreme position, I would check not only offset position of LNB+arm, but whole of focal position (focal distance and offset position), as I wrote in that thread too.

Maybe all is pretty well, but also maybe all is not pretty well. When you check, you know.
And when you want to receive to the max of your dish, checking the dish surely can help!

Greetz,
A33

 

[SkySurfer80]

Well I found a satlink meter and bought it brand new from a guy for $25. Yeah what a deal! Anyhow after playing around I started moving the lnb. Appearently on this no name dish I have the lnb holder is either a bit whack or not made for the geosat lnb. I noticed when slightly moving it up a bit to make the lnb go down a hair that my signals all went up. So I temp stuck something inside to hold it in position but without even being perfectly aligned my signals all went up.

I love this meter. It is a satlink 6916 and I like how it has the raw signal data like BER on it even though I need to learn more about what is a good BER rate, I assume over 10 is good since my channels coming in around 75 pct have close to a 10 BER.

 

[Magic Static]

BER is an error rate. You want it 0

 

[SkySurfer80]

I meant the other db on there. My bad. There is a db rate on there.

 

[SkySurfer80]

Well I am redoing the whole setup. Upon taking the dish off to check and correct any warpage I noticed the dish bracket was a bit off angle with the motor. If I am not mistaken the dish bracket angle is supposed to be dead square with the motor. Correct? Here is a pic now after the correction. Does this look right? I corrected it.

 

[SkySurfer80]

Well as I thought the dish was warped. I took it off and brought in inside to a flat surface. To my surprise the "shake like a baby" move worked as seen on a GEOSAT video about taking warps out of dishes. After getting the kinks out and slightly straightening up the arm on the dish before putting the dish back on and wow what a difference!! Without even adjusting the dish east or west or fine tuning I am hitting at a way higher rate!

I can now see the NY lotto feed and am hitting tps on 97* in the 70s and 80s! I am even getting the nbc mux and cozi in the 40s and 50s! Best part I am not even fine tuned yet! I am so excited and its all over a small warpage in the dish.

I have to also say I love this Satlink meter. The signal quality bar is kinda useless because it pretty much says 60 to 65 on all tps. However the db part is awesome and tells a better story for me. I cant believe most people dont like these meters and i got one for $25 new in box! Though its not a birdog I actually like it better due to the channel scanning and for the price it is the best.

 

[SkySurfer80]

Well after some light tuning, still dont even know if I am fully locked in yet. I have amazingly better results.


On 87*

Ny york lotto feed went from no existent to watchable and steady

Florida channel is at 72 pct



89*

Lds went from 15 or so to 41 plus!



91*

The news mux went from 60's to mid 80's now!


95*

The cctv went from 82 to 89 pct and the rcn test channel went from mid 60s to mid 80s!


97*

University channel and ktv hd went from low 40s at best up to low 70s!


Then over to 99*

I have infowars in the low 40's
The Fox mux feeds in the mid 20's
The RTN mux in the mid 80's


On 103* I have the NBC mux hitting around 40 and have tuned in the other NBC and Cozi tp in the 70's!


113*

Getting Reuters in the mid 40's
Hope channel in at 89%


123

Hitting Daystar in the mid 80's
KBS world at 89%


125*
Getting the PBS mux around 60 or so

Montana PBS in the 20's




The thing is I am not fine tuned to the max yet, unless I just got lucky. I have to say these are not bad numbers for a 90cm dish and it amazes me how just a tiny amount of warp which I couldnt even see could make signals basically go up 25 to 30 pct across the board! I cant wait to feed hunt in the morning. I am betting many more will pop up now.


I have to say the warp check works as instructed in the video by GEOSAT. I didnt believe it but if you feel your not getting good signals after hours and days of trying just do like I did and take off only the dish, dial the motor to 0, make sure the arm and dish mount are perfectly square with the motor and mast due and then do the warp test by laying your dish on the floor and wherever you see any part not touching just grab the dish at that edge and with the other hand diagonal accross just gently shake the dish and check again. I basically unwarped my entire dish in a few minutes. Should have done it before, would have saved me many hours and much frustration. Well now I know and I suggest any time you put up a motorized system install the dish bracket and arm first to get it perfect on the motor then put the dish on last. I guess holding up the dish and trying to get it up on the motor and tightened down it can easily be put on a hair crooked. Well that hair plus a small warpage cost me 25 to 30 points in signal quality and maybe more once I get my dish perfectly peaked.



I am checking the rest now. It is like I got a whole new dish! I feel these are great signals for a 90cm dish! It amazes me it changed this much over just a small warp in the dish that I couldnt even see until I did the warp ground test.