Fifthwheel setup

[wirenut22]

I need some help setting up dishes for my fifth-wheel. In my home I have VIP-622DVR, DP-322, and a DP-301. I have a dish 1000 for sats. 129,119, and 110 and a dish 500 with a DP-dual mounted in the 119 spot for sat.148. 4 cables go to a DPP-44 switch. All were installed by a Dish installer. I want to take the DP-301 receiver and put it in my fifth-wheel. I bought a dish 1000 and a 500, and mounted them on tripods. I removed the DP-dual from the 1000 and installed it in the 119 spot on the 500. I ran a cable from the dual to the LNB in on the DP-twin that remained on the 1000 and 1 cable from port 1 to my receiver. I can pickup 110, and 119 but it doesn’t want to get the 148 sat off of the 500 dish. Do I need a switch? What am I doing wrong? I have a cheap sat. finder to help aiming but it doesn’t seem to work well with the 500 dish. With the dual in the 119 spot on the 500 should I be aiming it differently? I am in the 97501 zip area and am aiming the 500 azimuth 197 tilt 35.
Sorry so windy.

 

[garys]

I know if using the 500 for only one sat, skew should be set at 90, after that i'm not sure of the rest of numbers you should be using.

 

[Anole]

Your configuration makes my brain hurt, but try this:
...when in the field and doing a setup...

148) connect the single LNB from the Dish 500 through your meter directly to your 301.
Use the meter to align to the satellite.
You may need to run a switch check with no LNBs connected, then connect the above and run the check again, but that's just if you have trouble identifying your bird.

To make aligning the dish 500 easier, consider replacing the Y adapter holding your LNB with an I adapter.
If you insist on using the existing Y adapter, just set the skew to 0, 90, or whatever straight up is (no skew).
Aim the LNB arm to the 148 bird (taking into account the local magnetic variation), and then move it 4.5 degrees more east.
(move LNB eastward a bit, or rotate the dish on the mast a bit counterclockwise, looking down on it from above).
You should find your 148 bird easily with that meter, if your elevation is correct.

110/119) you seem to be able to dial in your dish 1000 pretty well.
If that's so, do it, then connect the 148 LNB to it, and run your switch test again.

I could have been more detailed, but you seem to have a pretty good handle on things, and I hope the above tips will be sufficient.
Let us know.

 

[wirenut22]

thanks I will give that a try and let ya know.

 

[wirenut22]

Thanks Anole I followed your instructions and every thing worked great I have sats. 119, 110, and 148. I fact my alignment of 148 was better than the installers. Am I correct in assuming that sat 129 is for my HD at home?

 

[Anole]

speedy!

Wow, you really got with the project!
Glad to hear you got 148 under control. :clap
And now that you have, it'll always be easy for you, won't it?
Feel free to post some 148 signal levels and brag - you deserve it.

...and if you find some of the above steps can be left out or simplified, by all means mention it for the next guy who reads these posts...

In this other thread, I gave a number of links to find out what's on 129, along with other related comments.

Oh, and now that I think about it, check this 148 list and decide how badly you need those channels when you travel.
If you can ignore those, maybe your field setup just got that much easier...
.

 

[wirenut22]

When I work out of town my home is my fifth wheel. 148 gives me my local news and my major network TV. It would be tough to give up.
I pretty much followed your instructions to the letter. Check switch with no dishes connected. Connect my sat 148 dish. I tweaked it a little counter clockwise and the sat finder started giving me a signal. Connected the dish 1000 with sats 110 and 119. Checked switch again. Buda Bing it all worked.