Eastern arc dish problem

[timbuckone]

I had a eatern arc dish installed a little over 2 months ago. I have recently lost the signal from the 61.5 satelite. i do still have a signal of 55-60 for satelites 72 and 77. However the 61.5 has a spotmeam signal of around 50 and the other transponders only show a range of 5 to 20. I had a service tech come out this past weekend and I was told that I have to cut the top of my tree off or have the dish moved to another location. I want to show some photos of my situation and get second or even third opinions. I have 2 photos. I do not know if I can include them with this post. If not I would like someone to take a look at them and let me know if they think i do have a tree problem or is the signal clipping the peak of my roof?

 

[sean321]

Where are you located at? Did you have DTV before switching to Dish? Looks like they put an adapter on an old mount so as not to install a new mast. To me it looks like there is no problem with the roof. The 61.5 is in a pretty low orbit depending on where your located. Just from looking at the picture I think the tree is blocking your signal. When was this installed/was it working fine before the leaves started budding out?

 

[Dah-Henny]

This quote may help a bit in your LOS questions:

The signal comes in higher on the dish......the way I've checked if I have LOS issues is take the elevation that you want and add 22 to it and set the dish to that then look up the arm of the dish

The dish manufacturers take into the offset when making the elevation markings on the side

 

[tkrandall]

It looks to me like you need to consider other locations on your roof.

 

[sean321]

Actually the more I looked at the pics, it is the correct mount but the tech tried to cheat the tree by using the adaptor to get a couple of extra inches of height.

 

[timbuckone]

Why i question the tree is the trees are on the left and right side of the dish. How wide of a path do these signals need? I had a superdish mounted there pointing at the 110,119. I am in the green bay,wi market and need the 61.5 for local hd. I really do not want to relocate the dish because it is nicely tucked hidden away from the front and side streets on my corner lot. If I move it it will be seen from my front street.

 

[Dah-Henny]

How wide of a path do these signals need?

roughly 15 degrees

 

[sean321]

You could use the 2 dish solution. Hit the 110 and 119 with a dish 500, then relocate the 2nd dish for clear LOS on the 61.5. The 2 dishes tie in together thru the LNB.

 

[tkrandall]

I wonder if you moved the dish to the roof seen to the left in the 1st picture if you would clear the tree for 61.5 and also be able to clear 72.7 and 77. Go to dishpointer.com and get your elevation angles to each satellite and see if you can estimate your line of sight. Cut out triangles at the right ange with a protractor and use a level to estimate your line of sight.

 

[tkrandall]

You could use the 2 dish solution. Hit the 110 and 119 with a dish 500, then relocate the 2nd dish for clear LOS on the 61.5. The 2 dishes tie in together thru the LNB.

That mixed arc arrangement does not work for getting all the HDs anymore

 

[timbuckone]

I got the eastern arc to eliminate multiple dishes. It replaced the dish 500 and a dish 300 pointed at 61.5 that was on a pole at the front of my house(I hated seeing a dish at ground level at the front of the house). I updated the photos with lines drawn with los in question

 

[sean321]

Not the red lines, More the left black line and the right red line. That far north the 61.5 (if los is going that exact direction) is not getting over the tree. TKRandall, I'm in kind of a mixed market between 1000.2 and .4, are all the HD coming in on the eastern arc? I assume they must be using the 72 and 77 for those new HD channels then.....is this correct?

 

[tkrandall]

National HD are on 61.5 and 72.7. Recent channels have been put on 72.7 for the most part. 77 only has locals for some select markets only I think at the moment.

 

[timbuckone]

so is the 61.5 signal coming in at the lowest angled point of the dish than near my black line to the left of the photo?

 

[tkrandall]

Yes probably. Have you tried dishpointer? It is very handy and includes aerial views and line of sight

 

[sean321]

the black line is that is on there is to elevated. from what i see, you r going smack through the middle of it

 

[tkrandall]

According to dishpointer, the elevation to 61.5w is about 32.3 degrees up from the horizon for green bay.

 

[timbuckone]

Well I had the tree trimmed today and now my signal level for the 61.5 bird is between 50 and 80 depending on transponders. Its great to have HD back!